Muskegon, Museum of Art

MMA's Good Design: Stories from Herman Miller continues trek around the country

Good Design: Stories from Herman Miller, the original exhibition organized by the Muskegon Museum of Art in collaboration with The Henry Ford, continues its trek around the country. It is currently exhibiting at the Alden B. Dow Museum of Scients and Art in Midland, Michigan through December 4 before moving on to dates in Chatanooga, Kalamazoo, and San Francisco.

Good Design:  Stories from Herman Miller  explores the collaborative problem-solving design process employed at the world-renowned and West Michigan-based furniture company, Herman Miller, Inc. The exhibition opened in Muskegon on August 21, 2009 and ran through November 8, 2009.   Following its premier at the Muskegon Museum of Art, the show continues o travel to various venues across the nation.*

MMA Executive Director Judith A. Hayner’s long-standing interest in modern design sparked a dream of showcasing original designed artifacts along with their drawings and prototypes. This exhibition is the fruition of her goal. “With Herman Miller operating in our back yard, it is important for the Muskegon Museum of Art to hold up and examine the process of design as its been practiced in West Michigan for nearly eight decades. 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.  Now, with the show traveling, we  are so very proud of our opportunity to showcase something that is clearly “Pure Michigan” in its origins and take it out there for people around the country to enjoy.”

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.  Mr. Berry also agreed to be the exhibition’s guest curator.  An extraordinary partnership with The Henry Ford 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 esthetic freedom to critically explore its legacy.

Commenting on the idea behind the exhibition, Mr. Berry observed, “Many people are confused by the difference between art and design. Design is a noun, a verb, and a problem solving process.  It is art with a purpose.  Good design requires a clear understanding of the particular need, conditions, constraints, and opportunities.  Good design does not happen in a vacuum.”

“At Herman Miller, design is the means and the end,” said Berry. “It is the starting point and the destination. Since 1931, not long after its founding, Herman Miller had embraced design as a way to improve people’s lives, and through that goal, they created new industries and some of the most iconic objects of the last century.  Charles and Ray Eames’s molded plywood Lounge Chair, George Nelson’s Marshmallow Sofa, and Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick’s Aeron Chair which populates so many offices today, are all products of Herman Miller, Inc.”

Good Design: Stories from Herman Miller presents viewers with four case studies, or stories, chosen to represent four different active characteristics of good design which have evolved from the problem-solving ethos of Herman Miller, Inc:

           Good Design Explores:   Case Study #1: Ergonomics (Seating)           
           Good Design Inquires:    Case Study #2: White Collar Work (Action Office)  
           Good Design Engages:    Case Study #3: Graphic Communications            
           Good Design Endures:    Case Study #4: Mid-Century Classics     
            
Mr. Berry explaines 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 and Don Chadwick, and others.
 
The exhibition has been created in collaboration with The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan, through the generous support of Herman Miller, Inc. The exhibition is curated by John Berry, Holland; coordinated by Timothy Chester, Grand Rapids; designed by Judy Hillman and Barb Loveland, Hillman Associates, Saugatuck; and fabricated by Vincent Faust, Kalamazoo.
GOOD DESIGN:  STORIES FROM HERMAN MILLER
A NATIONALLY TOURING EXHIBITION

*TOUR SCHEDULE

August 20-November 8, 2009

Muskegon Museum of Art, Muskegon MI

November 23-January 17, 2010

Goldstein Museum of Design, St. Paul MN

February 6-April 24, 2010

The Henry Ford, Dearborn MI

August 15-October 10, 2010

Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse NY

November 5-January 9, 2011

San Angelo Museum of Art, San Angelo TX

January 29-April 3, 2011

Leigh Yawkey Woodson Museum of Art, Wausau WI 

   
June 4-September 11, 2011 

Austin Museum of Art, Austin TX

October 10-December 4, 2011

Alden B. Dow Museum of Science and Art, Midland MI

January 2-February 26, 2012

Hunter Museum of American Art, Chattanooga TN

September 9, 2012-January 27, 2013

Kalamazoo Valley Museum MI

February 24-April 21, 2013

Museum of Craft and Design, San Francisco CA

Limited Open Dates Available:  March 26-May 20, 2012 and June 17-August 12, 2012.
Call MMA Collections Manager Art Martin at (23)1 720-2575 for further information.