MAD’s 70th anniversary brought the museum’s focus on craft into the spotlight, with an exhibition on view and a gala at its Columbus Circle home. Organizers said the anniversary benefit celebrated the institution’s community-focused ethos through artist-led activities, food and dancing.
The exhibition, John Procario: Freeforms—Sculptural Explorations in Wood and Light, offered a look at the museum’s current program. As amNewYork reported, MAD previewed Procario’s first solo museum exhibition ahead of the gala. Nanette L. Laitman Director Tim Rodgers said visitors should expect the unexpected, according to the same report.
A Museum Born From One Woman's Vision
MAD traces its roots to 1956, when philanthropist Aileen Osborn Webb founded it as the Museum of Contemporary Crafts, according to madmuseum.org. Webb had already laid groundwork for the institution's mission more than a decade earlier, establishing the School for American Craftsmen in 1944 with an original emphasis on wood, metal and fiber work made for limited production, per the museum's own account. Per amNewYork, Webb believed everyone deserves the opportunity to create, a belief recalled by MAD Board Chair Michele Cohen.
The museum adopted its current name in 2002 to reflect a wider interdisciplinary scope beyond traditional craft, madmuseum.org notes. It moved into its current home at 2 Columbus Circle in September 2008, where its permanent collection — global in scope and spanning art, craft and design from 1950 to today — now resides. That exhibition program, the museum says, is dedicated to creativity and craftsmanship, examining how artists and designers transform the world through materials and technique.
Wood Bent Into Glowing Loops
John Procario: Freeforms—Sculptural Explorations in Wood and Light runs from October 27 through April 4, 2027. ArtDaily reported that the show is Procario’s first solo museum presentation; amNewYork described its sculptures as thin layers of ash bent into loops and fitted with LEDs.
The exhibition includes more than 15 sculptural works, among them Anthropose IV, a 2026 piece created with designer Alex Roskin. In the works, thin ash layers are bent into curves, bonded into permanent forms and fitted with flexible LED strips. The combination brings a longstanding woodworking tradition together with newer lighting technology.
Other new shows previewed alongside the Procario exhibition round out MAD's current slate, per amNewYork. Nike: Form Follows Motion includes archival prototypes and design studies, while Jessica Lichtenstein: Rewilding features fantastical environments built from thousands of digitally rendered female nudes. A third work, Herbarium Interior by Alice Riehl, is a monumental piece inspired by medieval and Renaissance tapestries that translates textile references into porcelain; perfumer Alexandra Monet created an accompanying scent for the piece, amNewYork reported.
City Officials Mark the Occasion
Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Council Member Gale Brewer proclaimed October 26, 2026, Museum of Arts and Design Appreciation Day, amNewYork reported. The outlet also reported that Hoylman-Sigal committed the entirety of his $50 million capital budget to arts and cultural institutions.
The Building and Public Support
MAD’s home at 2 Columbus Circle had its own preservation controversy before the museum moved in. Slate’s 2009 account says renovation plans announced in 2004 prompted an outcry over the proposed removal of architect Edward Durell Stone’s facade. The reported $50 million pledge is part of a broader public-support landscape, but does not establish that the money will go to MAD or its gala. The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs describes distinct forms of support, including funding for cultural services and capital spending for construction and renovation.
Dancing, Magic and Hands-On Craft at the Benefit
Proceeds from the gala benefit MAD's exhibitions and programming, according to the museum's own event listing on madmuseum.org. The evening featured movement improvisation from Renegade Performance Group, a disco dance party with DJ Erol Sabadosh, artist-led activities and a buffet, the museum's gala page states.
amNewYork's account adds further texture to the night: magician Dan White performed for guests, Karyn Lao and Esther Jihye Cho opened their artist-in-residence studios, and xTool collaborated on personalized keepsakes for attendees. Guests also fashioned wearable floral arrangements in the museum's education center. Gala patrons included Barbara Tober, Todd Merrill, Dakota Jackson and Karim Rashid, per the same report.
What's Next on the Calendar
MAD's programming continues beyond the anniversary celebration with two upcoming craft workshops. The museum will host Mending on November 4, followed by Associative Beading with Renée Riccardo on November 19, amNewYork reported. Both events extend the hands-on, maker-focused ethos that has defined the institution since Webb's founding vision seven decades ago.
