2022 Fall: Goldstein Museum of Design

GOLDSTEIN MUSEUM OF DESIGN

EVENTS

FOUR 4

LAYETTES AND ROMPERS AND DRESSES, OH MY! SIX 6

LOW FIDELITY

EIGHT

To find more information and keep yourself up-to-date on GMD exhibitions and events, visit goldstein.design.umn.edu and follow us on social media.

Goldstein Museum of Design

goldstein_museum

Goldstein Museum of Design

Cover Page Image: Cotton dress, 1930-1939. Gift of Paul and Ann Marx.

Celebrating an Evening of Style

Goldstein members were invited to join the Minneapolis Institute of Art Friends of the Institute in September for an evening of style in celebration of their 100th year of support. Guests were treated to an open stairway populated with 20th century dress designs from the Goldstein's collection, a smooth jazz performance by vocalist Connie Evingson and keyboard musician Mary Louise Knutson, and the exhibition Plastic Rapt: A History of Designing Forever.

Plastic Rapt: A History of Designing Forever

June 25 - November 19, 2022. Goldstein Gallery

This exhibition explored our complex relationship with plastic through objects from the Goldstein’s permanent collection. It examined the history of plastic and its beauty and diversity as a design material. It acknowledged both plastic’s extreme versatility and its inherently detrimental qualities, which cannot be completely neutralized.

By Colleen Pokorny

John Carmody: A Life in Sustainability

This exhibition celebrates John Carmody’s remarkable 40+ year career as an environmental activist and systems designer who brought actionable solutions to complex problems. The exhibition traced John's journey over four decades to enrich humankind's spiritual connection with the Earth and inspire responsible stewardship for the future. Curated by colleagues at the Center for Sustainable Building Research, the Minnesota Design Center, and the private sector.

McNeal Hall Wall Mural

Check out the splashy new mural on the first floor of McNeal Hall! This project was made possible by a partnership between the Goldstein Museum of Design, Professor Brad Hokanson, and Lecturer Alex Newby. Funding comes from an Imagine Fund Grant awarded to Professor Hokanson. The project’s specifications were integrated into Newby's Final Project for Spring 2022 GDes 1312 Color and Design in 2 and 3 Dimensions. Undergraduate student Peyton Fossen’s design was chosen to be enlarged, printed, and installed as a mural for the Fall 2022 semester. A new design will be selected for display in the Spring 2023 semester.

September 16 - December 1, 2022. HGA Gallery

Left to right: Kerry Harp, exhibition co-curator; Jean McElvain, interim Director at the Goldstein; Lyn Horness, exhibition support; and William Weber, exhibition co-curator.

Layettes and Rompers and Dresses, Oh My!

By Sara Wilcox

Kids’ clothing from any era is adorable; ruffles, bows, smocking, and novelty prints look particularly delightful in miniature. But children’s clothing is an under-researched area of dress history for a variety of reasons. First, as every parent knows, kids are hard on their clothing. If a garment isn’t too badly stained or torn, it is often passed along to siblings, cousins, or friends until it is worn out. Ultimately, only a few precious items are saved for memories. Second, childrenswear captured through historical imagery is scant. Parents today have phones full of photos of their kids, but in times past, portraiture via photography or painting was often reserved for adults. Finally, fashion history books, blogs, and even university classes tend to focus primarily on upper-class women’s dress. While these formats may include menswear or everyday clothing, they rarely mention what children wore.

In the West, childrenswear fashions have a history of loosely following the stylings of adult clothing, especially in terms of overall silhouettes. Tracking changes in children’s clothing over time can help reveal shifting attitudes about children within the larger society. For example, beginning in the 18th century, children’s clothing started to allow more room for movement. Until the early 20th century, infants and toddlers were dressed in white gowns regardless of gender. In the 19th century, boys graduated to knickers and then trousers at progressively earlier ages, demonstrating the expectation to engage in socially constructed ideas of masculine responsibilities, while girls’ hemlines dropped from knee-length to floor-length as they aged, reflecting societal expectations for women to be delicate and sedate. As the 20th century progressed, children’s clothing became more whimsical, with novelty prints and bright colors to denote their youthful status.

Plaid dress, 1950-1959. Gift of Corella (Christanson) Thorbeck and Corrine (Christanson) Haugen.

The digitization team, a.k.a. “Team Digi,” has been hard at work this fall photographing children’s garments as part of our IMLS grant to digitize our apparel collection. The clothes are modeled by our new mannequins acquired with grant funds. Jean selects garments for photography that are particularly exemplary styles, Rebekah deftly prepares each garment and dresses the mannequins for their photo shoot, and Ellie takes the photographs and edits them to make sure the clothing details are clear, and colors are accurate. Catalog descriptions often rely on technical apparel terminology, but high-quality photographs allow anyone to see garments in great detail. Photographing the clothing helps us accomplish our mission to cultivate object-based teaching, scholarship, and inspiration for students, faculty, and researchers both on and off campus.

LAYETTES AND ROMPERS AND DRESSES, OH MY!

Cotton romper, date unknown. Gift of Edna Burrill Hein.

Cotton bodice and skirt, 1955-1959. Gift of Leanne Phinney.

Cotton dress, 1910-1919. Gift of Sally Kabat.

Low Fidelity:

Making Techniques from the Minnesota

Underground Music Archive

By Laureen Berlin-Gibson

The Goldstein Museum of Design’s upcoming exhibition, Low Fidelity: Making Techniques from the Minnesota Underground Music Archive, explores promotional design produced by local musical acts at the turn of the 21st century. The exhibition, located in McNeal Hall’s Goldstein Gallery, features materials from the Minnesota Underground Music Archive (MUMA), which is housed in the UMN Library Performing Arts Archive.

Guest-curator Calee Cecconi connects personally with the aesthetics of the work in this archive. A former College of Design graduate and College of Design graphic/multi-media designer, Cecconi uses many of the low fidelity methods in her own work. During college, the high price of digital software and large scale color prints led her to experimentation with techniques like collage, risograph, and xerox copying. Currently a Visiting Assistant Professor at Hamline University, she brings her own experience as a graphic designer to the interpretation of MUMA’s unique objects that embrace inconsistency and the spirit of making.

MUMA was originally formed in 2013 by local collectors Tim Carroll and Liseli Povlika. As the archive’s finding aid notes, “The Minnesota Underground Music Archive (MUMA) is a unique assemblage of publications, publicity, photographs, recordings, and ephemera documenting punk and underground music culture in Minnesota.” It is a “community-driven archive” that includes material from individuals like Carroll and Povlika, as well as from local punk venue and record store Extreme Noise.

In the upcoming exhibit, risograph, screen print, xerox, hand illustration, and collage are explored in detail, analyzing the aesthetic nuances of these techniques. While the collection only represents a small selection of underground music in Minnesota, the techniques featured were used broadly across the music scene during the 1990s and into the 2000s.

Join us to learn more about how Minnesota musicians utilized non-digital, or low fidelity, media to convey the individualism of their music.

Goldstein Gallery, McNeal Hall

January 28, 2023 - May 13, 2023

Thieves and Noise Quean Ant (Concert Poster).

From the Minnesota Underground Music Archive:

Illegal Grin, The Knotwells, and Mary Allen and The Percolators (Concert Poster).

Lumpy And The Dumpers, Wild Child, Brain Tumors, and Rüz (Concert Poster).

Welcome New Staff to the Goldstein!

Laureen Berlin-Gibson

Laureen Berlin-Gibson is our new Registrar and Exhibitions Coordinator. If her name seems familiar, it may be because she was a graduate research collections assistant at the Goldstein from 2014-2016. She also briefly returned in 2018 as a preparator on the digitization project. Laureen earned her Ph.D. in Design from the University of Minnesota in 2019, focusing on dress history and minoring in museum studies. She’s also worked with a range of museum collections at the Minnesota Historical Society, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, and the Scott County Historical Society. Laureen is insanely excited to return to the Goldstein and to pursue her passion for preserving objects and making them accessible through exhibitions and a robust database.

“I feel so lucky to be back at GMD. I get to constantly learn as I follow the high standards set by Eunice and tackle new challenges every day. It's sincerely a dream come true to be caring for a collection I love so much!”

Sara Wilcox

Sara Wilcox, the new Dora Agee Waller Collections Assistant, is a graduate student in the Dress, History, and Culture track of the Apparel Studies program in the College of Design. Her research interests are handmade garments, sustainability, and the value of women's work. Outside of grad school, she is a theatrical costume designer. In addition, she enjoys knitting, embroidery, and trying her hand at all other fiber arts in her spare time.

“I am excited to get to know the collection and share it with others through selecting and writing about different pieces for our social media pages and pulling objects together for classes to study. As a lover of historical costume, I feel like a kid in a candy store discovering different garments as I spend more time in the museum's storage space.”

Sit up and Look Around

By Jean McElvain

As it turns out, the classic trope of a parent nagging their child to “sit up straight” is not without merit. While people have always been sore, it is only in the last 25 years that the average person has been using terms like lumbar support and wondering why their chair doesn’t have enough of it. Niels Diffrient (1928-2013), designer extraordinaire, is considered the key figure in guiding a broader understanding of ergonomics and design, or human factors engineering. This past July, after years of preparation, the Goldstein Museum of Design received part of a larger collection of items designed by Diffrient’s company, Humanscale, which he started during the 1980s. The donation is held jointly by the Goldstein, UMN Archives, and the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

Diffrient’s career is expansive, including patents for everything from Polaroid cameras to John Deere tractor seating. The donation the Goldstein received is focused on his work with Humanscale and augments a previous donation from them that included the Freedom Task Chair, the Freedom Saddle Seat, and the Liberty Task/Conference Chair. Newly acquired items add 13 full-scale prototype chairs, 3 task lamps, 7 mechanism prototypes, and several small-scale chair prototypes. These provide an opportunity for students to investigate the developmental stages of product design. The myriad of considerations that affect design become highlighted when looking at, for example, an armrest rigging independent of a completed final production chair.

Scale model of World Chair by Niels Diffrient for Humanscale, 2004. Gift of Helena Hernmarck on behalf of Niels Diffrient Estate.

Freedom Task Chair by Niels Diffrient for Humanscale, 2009. Gift of Humanscale Corporation.

The donation also includes an edition of the threevolume set titled Humanscale, a publication created during Diffrients’ time with Henry Dreyfuss Associates. Written at a time that pre-dates significant use of computer-aided design, this set condenses thousands of data points related to ergonomics and life safety into a highly interactive and usable format. Each volume contains a manual and three double-sided cards with an internal wheel that can be rotated to reveal specifications. For example, Humanscale card 9a: Body Access specifies optimal human measurements associated with fixed ladders, stair ladders, stairs, and ramps. The amount of information available in this publication and the design of its delivery is remarkable. Diffrient championed the importance of humans’ relationships with their working and living environments, knowing that both are critical to living a healthy and productive life.

This donation was made by Helena Hernmarck, renowned artist and wife of Niels Diffrient. Her team, including Mae Colburn and Jim Sortor, dedicated considerable effort and support in preparing the donation in a way that is useful to others. The Goldstein extends gratitude and excitement about this trove of objects and data. After all, Diffrient and his team worked hard to ensure that we all sat up straight, supported, and primed to be engaged in our work and our lives.

Humanscale 4/5/6 by Niels Diffrient, Alvin R. Tilley, & David Harman. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1981. Gift of Helena Hernmarck on behalf of Niels Diffrient Estate.

Humanscale 7/8/9 by Niels Diffrient, Alvin R. Tilley, & David Harman. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1981. Gift of Helena Hernmarck on behalf of Niels Diffrient Estate.

In Memoriam: Kent Hensley

“Kent sparkled. He exuded joy. He shared unique connections in nearly every facet of design. He was a thoughtful collaborator and friend to all. His spirit lives on!” – Heather Soladay Olson

The Goldstein celebrates the life and contributions of long-time Advisory Board member Kent Hensley, who passed away on July 14, 2022. Kent was a tireless advocate for the Goldstein, serving as a Board member from 2012-2014, President-elect from 2014-2105, and President from 2015-2017. Always eager to share the value of design, he found himself called back to the Goldstein, returning to serve on the Board again in 2019 until his passing. Conversations with Goldstein staff members and Board members reveal Kent’s deep love and passion for design and the mission of GMD.

Former Director Lin Nelson-Mayson reflected on Kent’s impact on the GMD Advisory Board. “A respected member of the design community, Kent was a valued addition to the Board, representing a wide range of design disciplines and a genuine interest in advancing GMD's mission as an academic museum. Kent sought to focus the work of the Advisory Board on strengthening support for GMD through communication and fundraising. He was a key asset in one of GMD's five-year reviews, providing thoughtful representation as a community ambassador.”

Kent’s generosity and design savvy continue to impact all who knew him. He designed pop-up banners that highlight Goldstein collection objects, which are used at fundraisers and events. He led community-based listening sessions to build awareness for GMD and share the value of design. Heather Soladay Olson, former Board President, noted that Kent had a knack for bringing out the best in others, offering just the right idea at the right time. “He recognized GMD’s inherent value as a research museum to students, faculty, and the design community. His aim was to build awareness and engage many a local design leader in attending programs and donating to the cause.” Kent understood the value of design education and the importance of linking that to the design community. He seemed to enjoy thinking through issues related to design and museum work and strategizing how to pull all of the pieces together. He always had time to talk about design.

Kent’s good humor, passion, creativity, and booming laugh will be dearly missed.

Thanks to Lin Neslon-Mayson, Heather Soladay Olson, and Cheryl Watson for their contributions.

By Colleen Pokorny

MEMORIAM: KENT HENSLEY

Director's Note

Campus has had a different vibe this fall. Or maybe campus has had an old vibe this fall. After a couple of years of COVID-related protocols, students seem to be rushing to class and catching momentary breaks in the nooks and lounges scattered around campus. To say it is “back to normal” seems inaccurate, as things are not quite the same. When I exit my office into the main hallway, I still have that panicked thought that I’ve forgotten my mask. And the smell of hand sanitizer is inextricably linked to COVID. It might be more accurate to say that things have shifted…again.

While we are committed to expanding online access, GMD has been delighted to see more people on campus this fall! Through exhibition openings, special events, college class visits, and community group visits, we have had the opportunity to re-engage with some who know us well, and some who have never heard of us before. A thanks to all of you who support design and recognize the critical role it plays in our lives.

Jean McElvain, GMD Interim Director & Associate Curator

Dora Agee Waller Graphic Design Assistant abuha022@umn.edu

Jean McElvain

Interim Director & Associate Curator jmcelvai@umn.edu

Colleen Pokorny

Lila Bath Communications Assistant pokor033@umn.edu

Laureen Berlin-Gibson Registrar & Exhibitions Coordinator berli049@umn.edu

Betsy Mowry Voss Student Services Operations Manager betsymv@umn.edu

Sara Wilcox

Dora Agee Waller Collection Assistant wilco435@umn.edu

Ellie Kingsbury Photographer kings311@umn.edu

Rebekah Njaa Museum Preparator njaax002@umn.edu

Barbara Lutz Archivist lutzx106@umn.edu

Nton Ollor Advancement Assistant ollor006@umn.edu

Create Your Legacy at GMD

A gift of any size in your will or trust is a meaningful way to support GMD’s mission beyond your lifetime. You can also name GMD as a beneficiary of a retirement plan, life insurance policy, or other account.

Contact us today: adambuhr@umn.edu or 621-624-7808

GMD Staff

Fadi Abuhaltam

NEW AND RENEWING

MEMBERS

Rachel Anthony

Susan Bradley

Nancy Cyr

Kathleen E Campbell

Ruth & Doug Crane

Kareen Daby

Patricia Day

Janna DeLue

Marilyn DeLong

Marilee Deslauriers

Beth Desnick

Cordelia Early Wendy Eisenberg

Susan Elsner

Mary Erbele

Angela Gearhart

Delores Ginthner

Kathryn Glessing

JoJo Harder

Christine Hartman Delphine Hedtke

Sally & David Hyslop

Carol Jackson

Lynda Jacobsen

Susan Jacobsen

Thomas Kane (Sustainer)

Nancy Kirby

Karen LaBat Sheila Leiter James Lewis

Linda Maschwitz

Saralee Mogilner

Sandra Morris

Heather Olson (Sustainer)

Irene Ott

Mary & David Parker

Linda Phillips

Mark Schultz (Sustainer)

Marilyn Setzler

Trisha Taylor

Linda Webster

Linda Welters

Martha Willett

LIFE MEMBER

Joanne B Eicher

Marilyn DeLong

GENERAL SUPPORT/ ANNUAL APPEAL

Kathleen E Campbell Marilyn & Max DeLong

Join or renew your GMD membership!

• With your email address, receive our biweekly newsletter.

• Receive GMD’s bi-annual magazines plus exhibition and program announcements.

• Enjoy a one-day guest pass to the UMN Campus Club.

• Your membership provides reciprocal benefits at over 80 college and university art museums nationwide.

• Additional benefits depending on the level.

To join or renew, go to z.umn.edu/GMDmembership

When joining online, list your member level in the "Add Special Instruction" box on the "Your Information" page.

Wendy Eisenberg

Jean Hawton Kent Hensley

Virginia Homme

Lynda Jacobsen

Heather Olson Linda Maschwitz David Sidley

Katherine Solomonson & Tom Erickson

Shawn Spott

DONATIONS TO THE COLLECTION

Helena Hernmarck on behalf of Niels Diffrient Estate DIGITIZATION FUND

Sheila Leiter

Sandra Morris

IN MEMORY OF Helen Foster

Mary Gailbraith Carolyn Lussenhop

By Virginia Homme

RUTH HANOLD CRANE COLLECTION FUND

Ruth & Doug Crane

GMD ADVISORY BOARD 2022-2023

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Kelly Groehler, President Alice Riot LLC

Wendy Eisenberg Galleria

Angela Gearhart Sleep Number

BOARD MEMBERS

Monique D’Almeida Freeman Foundation

Beth Desnick Evology

Andrés Pérez Pollen Midwest Colleen Pokorny

UMN College of Design

Frederica Simmons Mia

All GMD programming is made possible in part by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support Grant, thanks to legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Funding for the collection photography project was made possible by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

Printed on recycled and recyclable paper with at least 10 percent post-consumer material.

To request disability accommodations or to receive this publication/material in alternative formats please contact: Goldstein Museum of Design, 364 McNeal Hall,

Vase by Thomas Krueger, 1990. Museum purchase.

364 McNeal Hall 1985 Buford Avenue St. Paul, MN 55108

GOLDSTEIN GALLERY MCNEAL HALL, SAINT PAUL

Tues-Sat 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM

HGA GALLERY RAPSON HALL, MINNEAPOLIS

Mon-Thurs 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM Fri 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM

gmd@umn.edu 612.624.7434 goldstein.design.umn.edu

Goldstein Museum of Design goldstein_museum

Goldstein Museum of Design

Support the Goldstein Digitization Project

The Goldstein Digitization Project allows us to share GMD’s resources and deliver services during the pandemic. Please consider supporting this vital project to ensure widening access for students, faculty, researchers, and the public.

To find more information or to donate, visit https://z.umn.edu/DigiFund.

GMD Land Acknowledgment

The University of Minnesota Twin Cities is located on the traditional, ancestral, and contemporary lands of Indigenous people. The University resides on Dakota and Wahpekute land ceded in the Treaties of 1837 and 1851. This land acknowledgment is one of the ways in which we work to educate the campus and community about this land and our relationships with it and to each other.

Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Twin Cities, MN Permit No. 90155

Wood puzzle by Joaquin Torres-García, 2014. Gift of Brad Hokanson.