Welcome to the Collab Journal. Collab collects and shares design from the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Join us as we continue to explore the ever-evolving world of design from the past, present, and future.

FROM THE CHAIR

Welcome to the latest edition of the Collab Journal.

November 2023

Dear Friends,
Welcome! We are pleased to share with you the latest edition of the Collab Journal.

The past year has been an exciting one for Collab as we returned to a full year of curator-led, in-person events starting in January with an exclusive screening of George Nakashima Woodworker. Collab programs included conversations around the intersection of art and design, a field trip to BOK to tour artists’ studios, and a dynamic panel discussion among young designers in diverse fields.

Now we celebrate the extraordinary Stephen Burks as the 2023 Collab Design Excellence Award honoree. Our design community came together on November 18th at the Philadelphia Museum of Art to meet Stephen Burks and hear his vision for the future of design.

Immediately following the Design Excellence Award presentation was the opening of the exhibition Stephen Burks Shelter in Place (11/19/2023 – 4/30/2024). It explores the visionary possibilities of design and investigates design’s relationship to spirituality, home and community. Please visit the exhibit in the Collab Gallery of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

This edition of the Collab Journal includes news of recent acquisitions made possible by your membership; a curator’s eye view of Shelter in Place; results of the Student Design Competition; original essays on design; an encomium to Collab’s dear friend, the late Neil Sandvold; and a sneak peek at next year’s Design Excellence Award honoree.

Collab connects audiences of all ages with great design. Stay tuned on Facebook (collab.philamuseum) and Instagram (@collabpma) for news of upcoming events for 2024.

Come inside and be inspired.

Nicole Carville, Collab Chair

Featured Posts

The Collab Journal

Exhibition

Take a Seat: Understanding the Modern Chair

Exhibition

Visitors to the Collab gallery at the Philadelphia Museum of Art have been treated this summer to a small yet mighty exhibition relegated to modern and contemporary chairs. Collab board member Rosemarie Fabien interviewed Alisa Chiles, Assistant Curator of European Decorative Arts, about the exhibit, which is currently on view until October 20, 2024.

Exhibition

Industry

Collab announces the 2024 Design Excellence Award Recipient: Naoto Fukasawa

Industry

Exhibition

Stephen Burks: Shelter in Place

Exhibition

Stephen Burks: Shelter in Place exhibit at the Collab Gallery in the PMA.

Exhibition

Industry

Design is Everywhere in 2023

Industry

What are our past DEA honorees up to now?

Industry

Collab PMA 12/31/22 Collab PMA 12/31/22

2022 Student Design Competition

See the winners and honorable mentions from the 2022 Collab Student Design Competition.

Rosemarie Fabien 11/26/22 Rosemarie Fabien 11/26/22

New Acquisition Fund for Collab

Neil Sandvold may now live on the Oregon coast, but the heart of this Philadelphia architect is with the design collection at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Collab PMA 11/26/22 Collab PMA 11/26/22

Curating “Cultivating Design: Recent Acquisitions”

This installation highlighted some recent additions to the museum’s collection of modern and contemporary design, ranging from furniture, textiles, and tableware to posters and consumer electronics.

Collab PMA 11/26/22 Collab PMA 11/26/22

Meet the curators

Meet the curators: a peek behind the current at the future of the collection.

Collab PMA 11/26/22 Collab PMA 11/26/22

Collab: Past, Present and Future of Design

A look at who and what Collab is at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Rosemarie Fabien 11/15/22 Rosemarie Fabien 11/15/22

Signs of the Times

For the first time in the 35-year history of Philadelphia’s Mural Arts program, a collaborative project has entered the collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and been featured in a gallery exhibition.

Lindsay Bedford 11/15/22 Lindsay Bedford 11/15/22

The Next Generation of Design

Students Reimagine the Future of Design for the Collab Student

Kathy Hiesinger 11/15/22 Kathy Hiesinger 11/15/22

Recent Design Acquisitions 2021 -2022

Recent Acquisitions for the 2022 Collab Journal

Lindsay Bedford 11/15/22 Lindsay Bedford 11/15/22

Collab and Techné Welcome Jomo Tariku to the Philadelphia Museum of Art

In the summer of 2022, Collab and Techné - the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s International Craft affinity group - joined together to host Ethiopian American artist and industrial designer Jomo Tariku for a conversation to learn more about his craft and his approach to design.

Colin Fanning 11/15/22 Colin Fanning 11/15/22

2023 Design Excellence Award Preview: Stephen Burks

Polymath designer Stephen Burks (b. 1969) will be the next recipient of the Collab Design Excellence Award.

Royce Epstein 11/13/22 Royce Epstein 11/13/22

The Dualities of George Nakashima

So why are people drawn to Nakashima and continue to be fascinated by his work? There are many factors, but the most resonant one is Dualities.

Colin Fanning 11/13/22 Colin Fanning 11/13/22

Rhythms of Nature: The Art and Design of DRIFT

The 2022 Collab Design Excellence Award honors DRIFT, the Amsterdam-based studio co-founded in 2007 by Lonneke Gordijn (b. 1980) and Ralph Nauta (b. 1978). DRIFT is a multidisciplinary practice that freely bridges the categories of art and design.

Royce Epstein 11/13/22 Royce Epstein 11/13/22

Collab: Collecting Design

Through the lens of collecting design, Collab’s programming contributes to the design legacy of Philadelphia and beyond. Our collection is one of the largest and most important holdings of any encyclopedic museum in the world.

Philadelphia Museum of Art 2/17/22 Philadelphia Museum of Art 2/17/22

Circus: Bouroullec Designs

Explore the work of brothers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, leading figures in contemporary industrial design and recipients of the 2021 Collab Design Excellence Award.