The Backyard Show showcases work from independent designers in a casual Brooklyn setting. Courtesy of NYCxDesign.
The Backyard Show showcases work from independent designers in a casual Brooklyn setting. Courtesy of NYCxDesign.

Unlike other festivals, NYCxDesign—also known as New York Design Week—doesn’t confine itself to any one venue, but rather fans out across the city in a massive celebration of design, architecture, and objects. With hundreds of events at hundreds of locations, NYCxDesign offers a comprehensive window on contemporary trends and production.

For 2023, the 11th edition of the five-borough cross-disciplinary festival—which runs May 18–25—brings together furniture makers, architects, weavers, jewelry artists, and potters as they install their wares for industry professionals and the public alike.

Here, we bring you a selection of highlights.

 

May 17

 

Loewe Foundation Craft Prize 2023
The Loewe Foundation presents the works of the 30 finalists of its craft-making award—who work in ceramics, basketry, woodwork, textiles, and jewelry—at the Isamu Noguchi Museum in Queens.
11 a.m.–6 p.m. | 9-01 33rd Road, Long Island City | Through June 18

Oui Design Panel Discussion and Cocktail Party
Villa Albertine, an organization supported by the French government that fosters cultural exchange between the U.S. and France, hosts a panel discussion and party to kick off Oui Design—a series of open studios, workshops, and designer talks on the topic of French savoir faire. Maria Nicanor, director of the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, moderates the opening-night panel.
6 p.m.–10 p.m. | 972 5th Avenue

Ron Arad at Opera Gallery
The British-Israeli industrial designer unveils his latest crystalline resin furniture pieces—inspired by Bob Dylan and Henri Matisse—in his solo exhibition “Don’t Ya Tell Henri.”
10 a.m.–7 p.m. | 791 Madison Avenue | Through June 14

Offscreen: The Current and Future States of Art, Design, and Technology
Designers Sebastian Errazuriz and Khyati Trehan join artist Trevor Paglen and Artnet’s Sonia Manalili for a discussion on how advancing technology is affecting their respective fields, presented by Artnet and Mortlach.
6:30–8 p.m. | NeueHouse, 110 East 25th Street

 

The Nick Cave Collection presented by Knoll. Courtesy of NYCxDesign.

 

May 18

 

Nick Cave Collection by Knoll
Knoll displays its Nick Cave Collection at DWR, featuring 12 limited-edition items of furniture upholstered in Cave’s new collection of textiles. The signed pieces will be auctioned to support the artist’s charity, Facility Foundation.
10a.m.–6 p.m. | 150 Greene Street | Through May 25

Rafael Prieto at Emma Scully Gallery
The avant-garde designer (and founder of creative studio Savvy) exhibits new works at the intersection of emotion and perception, encompassing furniture, sculpture, and lighting.
10 a.m.–6 p.m. | 16 East 79th Street | Through May 27

Celebrating Asian and Pacific Islander Design
At Pratt’s Manhattan gallery, the AAPI Design Alliance partners with A Rising Tide—an organization that cultivates leadership skills among Asian and Pacific Islanders working in design—for an evening of presentations by API design firms and a networking hour.
6 p.m.–8 p.m. | 144 West 14th Street

Argentine Creative Experience. Courtesy of NYCxDesign.

Argentine Creative Experience
Held in the Consulate General of Argentina, designers from the South American creative hub show their wares, with a focus on sustainability and responsible production.
10 a.m.–7 p.m. | 12 West 56th Street | Through May 20

Herman Miller Vintage Pop-Up
Celebrating 100 years, the quintessential American design brand offers visitors a peek into its archives of vintage furniture at its flagship store. It also presents textiles from the Alexander Girard collection.
10 a.m.–6 p.m. | 251 Park Avenue South | Through May 21

Divine Inspiration at Lee Broom
British designer Lee Broom opens the doors to his penthouse showroom and residence in Tribeca to present his first new lighting collection in four years. The selection includes show-stopping pieces handcrafted in white plaster, inspired by the marble drapery of ancient statues.
By appointment | White Street | Through May 25

Lee Broom’s penthouse. Courtesy of NYCxDesign.

Elementi Open Studio
A kitchen island carved from a single block of Rapolano travertine by artisans at Vaselli, Italian maker of custom stone furniture for the home, forms the monumental centerpiece of Elementi Showroom’s open studio.
10 a.m.–6 p.m. | 508 West 26th Street, suite 7B | Through May 25 (closed Sunday)

Viso Project
Viso, the design and lifestyle brand by David Vivirido and Francesco Sourigues, celebrates its first permanent location—in Dumbo, Brooklyn—with an installation by Madrid-based design studio Casa Antillon, as well as a new Viso collection.
11 a.m.–6 p.m. | 46 Pearl Street, Brooklyn

Samuel Ross at Friedman Benda. Courtesy of NYCxDesign.

Samuel Ross at Friedman Benda
British designer and artist Samuel Ross makes his New York debut with an exhibition spotlighting his interest in historic West African furniture. Materials such as metal, stone, and marble are lacquered with turmeric, honey, and milk before being fired—mixing the industrial with the organic.
10 a.m.–6 p.m. | 515 West 26th Street, 1st floor | Through June 17

Galerie Philia Exhibition
In the heart of Chelsea, the gallery presents its summer exhibition of sculptural works by three dozen emerging and established names in contemporary design, from Atra to Willem van Hooff.
10 a.m.–6:00 p.m. | 455 West 19th Street, 8th floor | Through July 31

 

May 19

 

Dimorestudio at Artemest Galleria
Milan-based architecture and interior design studio Dimorestudio celebrates its 20th anniversary with an exhibition featuring one-of-a-kind furniture created by its founders inspired by the colors and finishes of 1960s and ’70s America, as observed in the films The Apartment and 9 to 5.
10 a.m.–6 p.m. | 518 West 19th Street | Through May 25

MushLume Lighting Open Studio
MushLume, a lighting collection grown from mushroom mycelium, is conducting an open studio at its Brooklyn-based showroom, where it will debut its new line of all-natural, non-toxic, sustainably sourced, fungi-fabricated lampshades.
10 a.m.–6 p.m. | 232 3rd Street, Brooklyn | Through May 25

MushLume lampshade made of mushroom mycelium. Courtesy of NYCxDesign.

Radiator: Catered Comfort
At the Refinery Hotel, curators Andrew Algier and Sara Schoenberger present “Radiator,” an exhibition of craft-focused designers and artists whose work incorporates furniture, lighting, and objects. On display will be works by a new generation of designers questioning the notion of comfort in contemporary interiors.
12 p.m.–7 p.m. | 63 West 38th Street | Through May 25

Particle Homewares Launch Party
A furniture and homeware brand using 100 percent recycled material from footwear products, Particle launches its 2023 capsule collection, hosted by founders Amanda Rawlings and Krissy Harbert.
6 p.m.–11 p.m. | 48 Ludlow Street

 

May 20

 

Design Day at the Yard
The Brooklyn Navy Yard, for one day only, will host more than a dozen furniture and fashion open studios, and well as a NASA-sponsored panel discussion on the viability of food production in outer space.
12 p.m.–6:30 p.m. | 141 Flushing Avenue, Brooklyn

IFDA Japan Fair
To celebrate its 75th anniversary, the International Furnishings and Design Association (IFDA) presents Japan Fair, offering educational seminars on the Japanese traditions of architectural preservation (Minka), biophilia floral design, calligraphy, and ceramics, as well as the art of tea.
Various times and locations | Through May 23

The Backyard Show. Courtesy of NYCxDesign.

 

May 22

 

The Backyard Show
For three days, the Backyard Show showcases work from more than 20 independent designers and artists in a casual Brooklyn backyard setting. Luft Tanaka Studio hosts the exhibition, which features the work of Rosie Li, Allan Wexler, Chen Chen and Kai Williams, Drew Seskunas, and Jamie Wolfond.
11 a.m.–5 p.m. | 253 Grand Street, Brooklyn | Through May 24