Libraries

Exhibits

Michael Graves exhibit

The Joy of Humanistic Design:
Drawings and Objects by Michael Graves
(circulation desk case)

This July, American architect Michael Graves would have turned 90 years old. He was an educator, a prominent figure who contributed to American postmodernist architecture, and an alumnus from the College of Applied Arts at the University of Cincinnati. To celebrate his legacy, DAAP Library is proud to showcase some of the items from its collection that are designed by Graves. With this exhibit, the DAAP library aims to show that good design is a necessary aspect of the user experience and makes the design process democratic in nature. Thinking about design through this lens led Graves to create thoughtful, appealing and affordable products for the masses. For more information.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh

A House for an Art Lover: Charles Mackintosh’s Vision of Scottish Vernacular with a Modern Spirit
(case outside library entrance)

This summer, DAAP Library is showcasing drawings by Scottish architect, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, which were part of a competition entry for a house for an artist. Produced within a deadline of only a few weeks, these drawings provide insight into the greatest contribution that Mackintosh made to the architecture discipline – the blending of structural and the ornamental elements of a building into a cohesive work of art. For more information.

Alexander Girald wooden dolls

The Wooden Dolls by Alexander Girald 
(entryway cases)

The Wooden Dolls by Alexander Girard are a large family of wooden figures representing human and animal characters. Girard designed them in 1952 for his own use as decorative objects for his home. 

Miniature Chairs from the Vitra Museum

Furniture Miniatures Collection
(freestanding cases on first floor of library)

For over two decades, the Vitra Design Museum has been making miniature replicas of milestones in furniture design from its collection. The Furniture Miniatures Collection encapsulates the entire history of industrial furniture design – moving from Historicism and Art Nouveau to the Bauhaus and New Objectivity, from Radical Design and Postmodernism all the way up to the present day.