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Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

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Users Design Their Own Journeys in New Digital Exhibition Platform

Cooper Hewitt's new digital platform redesigns the way exhibitions are experienced online.

Album cover, Sound, 1966; Designed by Laini Abernathy (American) for Delmark Records (Chicago, Illinois); Lithograph on folder paper; 31.8 × 31.8 cm (12 1/2 × 12 1/2 in.); Gift of Caitlin Condell

Laini Abernathy, Black Graphic Designer

Laini (Sylvia) Abernathy (who died in 2010) was an artist, designer, and activist. Cooper Hewitt is collecting album covers designed by this important designer, who contributed to the Black cultural scene in the late 1960s. Abernathy was part of the Black Arts Movement (BAM) in Chicago. BAM, a national movement founded after the assassination of Malcolm X in 1965, brought together writers, musicians, and visual artists around themes of Black pride and social justice. BAM artists created paintings, poetry, and music that spoke directly to Black audiences.

A man's robe from China, designed from 1796 to 1820, from the Cooper Hewitt collection. (Cooper Hewitt)

Discover Smithsonian Open Access with 5 Design Treasures

This year, the Smithsonian Institution launched its Open Access initiative. Smithsonian Open Access invites you to share, remix, and reuse millions of the Smithsonian’s images—right now, without asking. Discover Smithsonian Open Access with these five designs drawn from the Cooper Hewitt collection. What will you create?

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