Museum of Arts & Design

About this Museum

The Museum of Arts and Design was founded by the American Craftsmen's Council in New York City in 1956, under the name Museum of Contemporary Crafts. The original goal was to highlight the work of American craftspeople and the value of contemporary craft in an age of machine-made products. Today, the museum has broadened its focus to encompass work from a variety of fields including design, architecture, fashion, interior design, technology and performing arts.

Most notably, MAD has developed ongoing programs that offer unique perspectives on current design and craft practices: The Open Studio program invites artists and designers to make and exhibit their work publicly on site, and the MADprojects Gallery is dedicated to temporary exhibitions curated by leading designers.