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 and is a hub for innovative programs that engage local, national, and international audiences. Affiliation with the center enhances the opportunity to study and program around the center’s pillars (textiles, design, and material culture) for both the center and the affiliate. UW–Madison faculty and graduate students working in and around our pillars of study are invited to affiliate with the center. Affiliates are invited to center-related events and activities, and have the ability to collaborate on or initiate center-sponsored programs.
We review affiliate applications on September 30 for fall semester and January 30 for spring semester each academic year.
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Become an
Affiliate
To apply for Affiliate status, university faculty who focus on the study of textiles, design, and material culture should submit a letter of intent to the Executive Director of the center. Please include an up-to-date vita or a link to the applicant’s website that lists representative work or equivalent as well as a sense of how the Affiliate may wish to collaborate with the center. Affiliates may join a research project, collaborate on an event or exhibition, mentor student projects, or engage with the collection–among other possibilities. Typically affiliates join the center for a renewable three-year term. We review affiliate applications on September 30 for fall semester and January 30 for spring semester each academic year. Applicants will be notified of affiliate status via email from the Executive Director. Please send application material via email through the link provided. Thank you for your interest!
Become a
Graduate Affiliate (pilot)
In 2025-2026 the center is piloting a new Graduate Affiliate program for enrolled UW–Madison students. To apply for Graduate Affiliate status, applicants should submit a letter of intent, including a research statement, their reason for requesting affiliation, and an up-to-date vita or a link to the applicant’s website that lists representative work or equivalent. Applicants should also include their advisor’s name and email. We review affiliate applications on September 30 for fall semester and January 30 for spring semester each academic year. Graduate Affiliates are invited to renew their affiliate status annually. Applicants will be notified of affiliate status via email from the Executive Director. Please send application material via email through the link provided.