Press Room

New York, NY (June 1, 2009)

Highlights of the Museum’s public programs in June include the two-part series, The Future of Bikes, examining the impact of cycling on the urban landscape on June 10th as well as the process and practices of contemporary bicycle design on June 24th; consecutive weekends with Artists in Residence, Bamboo Bike Studio, hand-building a bamboo bike from start to finish in our Open Studios on June 12th and 13th and June 19th and 20th, and Gay Print, a panel discussion on the history of gay publications in celebration of Gay Pride Week on June 19th.

For children and their families, MAD presents its hands-on craft workshops, Studio Sundays, Sundays from 2:00-4:00pm.

The Museum of Arts and Design is located at 2 Columbus Circle. For more information, contact 212.299.7790 or log on to www.madmuseum.org. All programs are subject to change.

JUNE 2010 PROGRAMS SCHEDULE

World Science Festival
Thursday, June 3 at 7:00pm
$30 general admissions/$15 students & children
For tickets and reservations visit www.worldsciencefesitval.com  
The World Science Festival comes to MAD to present a unique perspective on the integration of nature and science. Extraordinary visionaries are changing lives around the globe – with ideas ranging from microbe-powered dirt batteries to sola-powered camel-transported refrigerators. Hear from bloggists, inventors, and engineers whose scientific innovations are addressing some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

Studio Sundays: Contemporary Weaving
Sunday, June 6 at 2:00pm
$10 per individual includes admission and all materials. No reservations required; space is limited. Info: 212.299.7780.
Inspired by the exhibition Intertwined, showcasing unusual contemporary baskets, participants in this family-oriented crafts workshop will use plastic to create their own unique woven sculpture.

The Future of Bikes: Bikes as Urban Transport
Thursday, June 10 at 7:00pm
Free with Pay-What-You-Wish Admission. Space is limited; reservations suggested: groups@madmuseum.org.
As part of the Future of Bikes series, this panel discussion brings together an engaging group of advocates of methods of alternative transportation to discuss the role of contemporary bicycling on the urban landscape. Participants include Hayes Lords, NYC Department of Transportation Bicycle Program Director, Paul Steely White, Transportation Alternatives Executive Director, and others.

Artists in Residence: Bamboo Bike Studio
Saturday, June 12 at 11:00am
Sunday, June 13 at 11:00am
Free with Admission
Join Bamboo Bike Studio in MAD’s Open Studio as they construct a bamboo bicycle from start to finish. These bike frame makers are gaining an international following with their twofold mission to provide every cyclist the experience of building his or her own dream bike from scratch, while advancing sustainable entrepreneurship and development through financing bamboo bike factories in Africa and South America. Meet the makers in the Open Studio where art, design, and craftsmanship intersect with social responsibility and a world view.

Studio Sundays: Certified Organic
Sunday, June 13 at 2:00pm
$10 per individual includes admission and all materials. No reservations required; space is limited. Info: 212.299.7780.
Inspired by the current exhibition Dead or Alive, children and their families will explore how artists have managed to bring the outdoors inside and will create their own nature-based work in this hands-on workshop.

Collaboration: Karin Fong of Imaginary Forces
Presented with AIGA-NY
Thursday, June 17 at 6:30pm
$26 general admission, $13 AIGA / MAD members
Join AIGA/NY as they present one of the founding members of Imaginary Forces, Karin Fong. A director and designs for a wide range of projects,
spanning the worlds of fashion, entertainment, advertising, live-action direction, art, experience design and environmental installations, Fong’s work carries a unique stamp. MAD Members please call 212. 299. 7720 by June 10th for your tickets.

Gay Print
Thursday, June 17 at 3:00pm
$7 general admission/$5 students
From the mainstream to the underground, experts discuss the history of gay publications and look at how design and the editorial process have been both shaped by and helped shape attitudes and identity of the gay community. Panelists include Michael Bullock, Editor of BUTT magazine, Scott Hug, Publisher and Editor of K48 and designer/photo editor of Straight to Hell magazine, and Aaron Hicklin, Editor-in-Chief, OUT magazine.

Artists in Residence: Bamboo Bike Studio
Saturday, June 19 at 11:00am
Sunday, June 20 at 11:00am
Free with Admission
Join Bamboo Bike Studio in MAD’s Open Studio as they construct a bamboo bicycle from start to finish. These bike frame makers are gaining an international following with their twofold mission to provide every cyclist the experience of building his or her own dream bike from scratch, while advancing sustainable entrepreneurship and development through financing bamboo bike factories in Africa and South America. Meet the makers in the Open Studio where are, design, and craftsmanship intersect with social responsibility and a world view.

Studio Sundays: Mandalas and the Power of Circles
Sunday, June 20 at 2:00pm
$10 per individual includes admission and all materials. No reservations required; space is limited. Info: 212.299.7780.
Mandala is found in traditional Hindu and Buddhist art. It is characterized by its circular form, often symbolizing the world, wholeness or the soul. Participant of this family art workshop will look at several contemporary artworks from Dead or Alive that are circular in form and will create their personal mandalas using organic materials that are inspired from the exhibition.

The Future of Bikes: Bikes as Object
Thursday, June 24 at 7:00pm
Free with Pay-What-You-Wish Admission. Space is limited; reservations suggested: groups@madmuseum.org.
This panel brings together designers who fabricate mass-produced, hand-built or bicycles made from alternative materials to discuss the variety of process and practices found in contemporary bike design. Panelists include Johnny Coast, owner of Coast Cycles, Bamboo Bike Studio, and Steve Baumann, Industrial Designer of Trek Bicycles.

Studio Sundays: Them Bones
Sunday, June 27 at 2:00pm
$10 per individual includes admission and all materials. No reservations required; space is limited. Info: 212.299.7780.
Many of the artists in the exhibition Dead or Alive use bones and bone parts to make creative sculptures and imagined creatures. Participants of this hands-on family workshop will create their own bony creature using a variety of materials including paper, feathers, and shells

ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF ARTS AND DESIGN
The Museum of Arts and Design explores how craftsmanship, art, and design intersect in the visual arts today. The Museum focuses on contemporary creativity and the ways in which artists and designers from around the world transform materials through processes ranging from the handmade to cutting edge technologies. The Museum’s exhibition program explores and illuminates issues and ideas, highlights creativity and craftsmanship, and celebrates the limitless potential of materials and techniques when used by creative and innovative artists. MAD’s permanent collection is global in scope and focuses on art, craft, and design from 1950 to the present day.

At the center of the Museum’s mission is education. The Museum’s dynamic new facility features classrooms and studios for master classes, seminars, and workshops for students, families and adults. Three open artist studios engage visitors in the creative processes of artists at work and enhance the exhibition programs. Lectures, films, performances and symposia related to the Museum’s collection and topical subjects affecting the world of contemporary art, craft and design are held in a renovated 150-seat auditorium. For more information about the Museum of Arts and Design, visit www.madmuseum.org.