Cooper Hewitt Presents "Ellen DeGeneres Selects"

NEW YORK, Nov. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- American television host, actress, writer and entrepreneur Ellen DeGeneres has guest curated the next exhibition in Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum's "Selects" series. On view Nov. 11–May 21, 2017, in the Nancy and Edwin Marks Collection Gallery, "Ellen DeGeneres Selects" is the 14th in the ongoing series in which prominent designers, artists and architects are invited to mine and interpret the museum's collection of more than 210,000 objects.

"An avid traveler and sophisticated design collector, Ellen's selections are inspired by her journeys through Africa, Europe and beyond, and underscore the global reach of the museum's collection," said Cooper Hewitt Director Caroline Baumann. "The objects chosen range from iconic works of modernist design to vernacular expressions of local cultures. Presented in provocative groupings, the installation reinforces Cooper Hewitt's commitment to present an integrated vision of design that embraces its full range of creative expression."

Through 50 objects, the installation offers an intimate and personal look into DeGeneres' eclectic design aesthetic. With a strong focus on midcentury modernism, the exhibition showcases a diverse range of styles, places and time periods, from an ancient Egyptian votive box and a Peruvian earthenware vessel to a 1935 drawing by Christina Malman and a late 19th-century music box. The exhibition includes a few objects on loan from DeGeneres' private collection, including lamps she found in a Parisian flea market.

Regarding her curatorial vision, DeGeneres said, "I've had a passion for design for as long as I can remember. This exhibition represents all the qualities I love and cultivate in my own home, and I hope it sparks visitors' own creativity."

"Ellen DeGeneres Selects" is made possible by The Marks Family Foundation Endowment Fund.

ABOUT THE MUSEUM

As the only museum in the United States devoted exclusively to historic and contemporary design, Cooper Hewitt educates, inspires and empowers people through design. The museum has recently undergone a transformative renovation resulting in an entirely new visitor experience and 60 percent more exhibition space to showcase one of the most diverse and comprehensive collections of design works in existence. For more information, visit cooperhewitt.org

SOURCE Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

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