Part of the UW–Madison School of Human Ecology, the Center for Design and Material Culture is a space for students, scholars, and the public to study, practice, and experience material culture and design. Research through the center investigates the complex relationships between humans and their material world, both today and historically, through gallery exhibitions, research fellowships, curricular engagements, as well as programs and events supporting the center’s mission and the Wisconsin Idea.
The Center for Design and Material Culture is the primary destination for the multi-disciplinary study of material culture and design at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The Center focuses on the study of textiles, material culture, and design, and is a hub for innovative programs that engage local, national, and international audiences. The Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection, the Ruth Davis Design Gallery, and the Lynn Mecklenburg Textile Gallery support the work of the Center for Design and Material Culture.
Letter from the Executive Director
Welcome to the Center for Design and Material Culture!
The Center for Design and Material Culture is a hub for innovative, interdisciplinary research across all three of the Center’s pillars: the study of textiles, material culture, and design. Center affiliates and staff collaborate with scholars from across campus and around the world to develop multi-year research projects that address complex problems.
All aspects of the Center for Design and Material Culture reflect creative, interdisciplinary research. This work unfolds through the Collection-Intensive Courses we scaffold through the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection. Faculty and students join the center staff in developing research-led exhibitions and programs. We support student research through many avenues ranging from first-year, introductory course projects to field-shaping graduate dissertation research. Students also pursue their own intellectual questions through the Chipstone-CDMC Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship and the John Jackson International Textile Travel Fellowship.
These projects and many more extend and amplify the work of the center. If you would like to become part of the center’s mission you may affiliate with the center or pursue an honorary fellowship to explore a research idea with us. We offer a call for formal engagement at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters. You may reach out with questions or ideas at any time to cdmc@wisc.edu.
Thank you for your interest and support,
Sarah Anne Carter, PhD
Executive Director, Center for Design and Material Culture
Pillars of Study
Textiles
Textiles are objects of design and the study of material culture. The networks of fibers felted, woven, or knitted into textiles are echoed in the networks of people that create and use textiles. Textiles are artifacts of the connection between the personal scale of human experience and the broader realms of artistic, economic, and civic values. Learn more about textiles.
Material Culture
Physical traces of the past can be uncovered through material culture. These may be things that humans have found, adapted, created, or shaped for their use. As an interdisciplinary set of methods, students study the material world through courses in history, design studies, art history, anthropology, art, literature, biology, and more. Learn more about material culture.
Design
Design is an encompassing discipline central to every aspect of life. In partnership with the Design Studies department, we emphasize a multi-disciplinary, global approach to design, and encourage connections with designers nationally and internationally with other campus, community, and scholarly programs. Learn more about design.
