Museum of Design Atlanta
Encyclopedia
The Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA) is a design museum
located in Atlanta, Georgia
, USA. MODA is the only museum
in the Southeast devoted exclusively to the study and celebration of all things design.
educational outreach, and adult programming. MODA regularly features exhibitions on architecture, industrial and product design, interiors and furniture, graphics, fashion and more. The museum is located on Peachtree Street
, across from the High Museum of Art
, in Midtown
.
district of Downtown Atlanta
. In 2003, after receiving a series of local grants, the group rebranded and refocused itself as a design museum, launching a critically lauded run of exhibits on subjects such as Bauhaus
virtuoso Marcel Breuer
, Japanese architecture
, and ladies handbag design.
In 2011, MODA opened at its present location at 1315 Peachtree Street on the ground floor (and former parking garage) of a building restored by the architectural firm Perkins+Will. While the upper floors house Perkins+Will and the Peachtree Branch of the Atlanta Public Library, the Museum occupies 9000 square feet (836.1 m²) of street-level space in the building that is LEED Platinum certified — the highest environmental rating awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council.
, Ducati, Bimota
, and Moto-Morini.
2011 exhibitions also include WaterDream, a survey of the history of bathroom design, followed by a retrospective of a quarter-century of international AIDS posters. A collection of costumes meticulously made of paper by Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgrave
is also being considered, in an addition to an exhibition of architectural models by octogenarian Frank Gehry
.
Design museum
A design museum is a museum with a focus on product, industrial, graphic, fashion and architectural design.Many design museums were founded as museums for applied arts or decorative arts and started only in the late 20th century to collect design....
located in Atlanta, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, USA. MODA is the only museum
Design museum
A design museum is a museum with a focus on product, industrial, graphic, fashion and architectural design.Many design museums were founded as museums for applied arts or decorative arts and started only in the late 20th century to collect design....
in the Southeast devoted exclusively to the study and celebration of all things design.
Overview
The Museum examines how design affects people's daily lives through exhibitions, K-12K-12
K–12 is a designation for the sum of primary and secondary education. It is used in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand where P–12 is also commonly used...
educational outreach, and adult programming. MODA regularly features exhibitions on architecture, industrial and product design, interiors and furniture, graphics, fashion and more. The museum is located on Peachtree Street
Peachtree Street
Peachtree Street is the main street of Atlanta. The city grew up around the street, and many of its historical and municipal buildings are or were located along it...
, across from the High Museum of Art
High Museum of Art
The High Museum of Art , located in Atlanta, is the leading art museum in the Southeastern United States and one of the most-visited art museums in the world. Located on Peachtree Street in Midtown, the city's arts district, the High is a division of the Woodruff Arts Center.-History:The Museum was...
, in Midtown
Midtown Atlanta
Midtown is the second largest financial district in the city of Atlanta, Georgia, situated between the commercial and financial districts of Downtown and SoNo to the south and the affluent residential and commercial district of Buckhead to the north...
.
History
MODA first opened in 1993 as the Atlanta International Museum of Art & Design, and was located in the Peachtree CenterPeachtree Center
Peachtree Center is a multi-block neighborhood located in Downtown Atlanta, Georgia. Most of the buildings that make up the district were designed by Atlanta architect John C. Portman, Jr.. Many of the buildings are connected by a network of enclosed pedestrian sky bridges...
district of Downtown Atlanta
Downtown Atlanta
Downtown Atlanta is the first and largest of the three financial districts in the city of Atlanta. Downtown Atlanta is the location of many corporate or regional headquarters, city, county, state and federal government facilities, sporting facilities, and is the central tourist attraction of the city...
. In 2003, after receiving a series of local grants, the group rebranded and refocused itself as a design museum, launching a critically lauded run of exhibits on subjects such as Bauhaus
Bauhaus
', commonly known simply as Bauhaus, was a school in Germany that combined crafts and the fine arts, and was famous for the approach to design that it publicized and taught. It operated from 1919 to 1933. At that time the German term stood for "School of Building".The Bauhaus school was founded by...
virtuoso Marcel Breuer
Marcel Breuer
Marcel Lajos Breuer , was a Hungarian-born modernist, architect and furniture designer of Jewish descent. One of the masters of Modernism, Breuer displayed interest in modular construction and simple forms.- Life and work :Known to his friends and associates as Lajkó, Breuer studied and taught at...
, Japanese architecture
Japanese architecture
' originated in prehistoric times with simple pit-houses and stores that were adapted to a hunter-gatherer population. Influence from Han Dynasty China via Korea saw the introduction of more complex grain stores and ceremonial burial chambers....
, and ladies handbag design.
In 2011, MODA opened at its present location at 1315 Peachtree Street on the ground floor (and former parking garage) of a building restored by the architectural firm Perkins+Will. While the upper floors house Perkins+Will and the Peachtree Branch of the Atlanta Public Library, the Museum occupies 9000 square feet (836.1 m²) of street-level space in the building that is LEED Platinum certified — the highest environmental rating awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Exhibitions
The first exhibit at the Museum's new Midtown location was Passione Italiana: Design of the Italian Motorcycle. Curated by Joe Remling of ai3, Inc., the exhibition presented a dozen Italian motorcycle designs spanning the last five decades with designs by MV AgustaMV Agusta
MV Agusta is a motorcycle manufacturer founded in 1945 near Milan in Cascina Costa, Italy. The company began as an offshoot of the Agusta aviation company formed by Count Giovanni Agusta in 1923. The Count died in 1927, leaving the company in the hands of his wife and sons, Domenico, Vincenzo,...
, Ducati, Bimota
Bimota
Bimota is a small, Italian manufacturer of custom and production motorcycles. It was founded in 1973 in Rimini, Italy by Bianchi, Morri and Tamburini. The company name is a portmanteau derived from the first two letters of each of the three founders' surnames, i.e...
, and Moto-Morini.
2011 exhibitions also include WaterDream, a survey of the history of bathroom design, followed by a retrospective of a quarter-century of international AIDS posters. A collection of costumes meticulously made of paper by Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgrave
Isabelle de Borchgrave
Isabelle de Borchgrave is a prominent Belgian artist and sculptor, best known for her colorful paintings and intricately painted paper sculptures.-Early life:...
is also being considered, in an addition to an exhibition of architectural models by octogenarian Frank Gehry
Frank Gehry
Frank Owen Gehry, is a Canadian American Pritzker Prize-winning architect based in Los Angeles, California.His buildings, including his private residence, have become tourist attractions...
.