The exhibition opened in Muskegon on August 20, 2009, and is set to tour as many as 15 American cities into 2013. The exhibition explores the collaborative, problem-solving design process employed at the office furniture company, Herman Miller, Inc. The exhibition is on in US till November 8, 2009.
The interpretive exhibition is organized by the Muskegon Museum of Art (MMA) in collaboration with the Michigan-based not-for-profit organization, Henry Ford, in Dearborn, drawing upon that institution’s Herman Miller Design Collection – a comprehensive archive of the company’s innovative processes and products.
MMA executive director Judith A Hayner’s long-standing interest in modern design sparked a dream of showcasing original design artifacts along with their drawings and prototypes. “We decided to focus on case studies that explore design problems and solutions created by some of the talented artists who have created masterpieces of modern design for the company, and continue to do so today,” said Hayner.
The inspiration for the exhibition came from the recent book ‘Herman Miller: the Purpose of Design’ by design scholar and authority John R Berry, first published by Rizzoli International in 2004. A second edition with updated content will be released to coincide with the exhibition’s opening at the MMA.
Partnership with the Henry Ford institution made available the vast resources of that institution’s Herman Miller Design Collection, most of which has never before been on public view. Finally, Herman Miller agreed to underwrite the exhibition’s organization while affording the MMA the academic and aesthetic freedom to critically explore its legacy.
The exhibition displays will be arranged to present viewers with four case studies – ‘stories’ – chosen to embody four different active characteristics of ‘good design’, as a result of the problem-solving ethos of Herman Miller, Inc. The case studies inclyude Ergonomics (Seating) Good Design Explores, White Collar Work (Action Office) Good Design Inquires, Graphic Communications Good Design Engages, and Mid-Century Classics Good Design Endures.
Berry explained the organization of the exhibition, “Each object grouping started with identifying a need – to furnish a new type of living space, for healthier seating, to effectively communicate a message, or to support new kinds of work.”
The exhibition uses drawings, models, prototypes, photographs, oral histories, and original designed objects to showcase the creation and evolution of many masterpieces of 20th and 21st century design by such artists as Gilbert Rohde, Ray & Charles Eames, George Nelson, Alexander Girard, Robert Propst, Steve Frykholm, Bill Stumpf, Don Chadwick, and others.
Muskegon Museum of Art is renowned for its fine permanent collections of American and European Art.
