Nancy M. Bruce Center for Design and Material Culture

Nancy M. Bruce Center for Design and Material Culture The CDMC focuses on the interdisciplinary study of textiles, material culture, and design. https://linktr.ee/uw_cdmc

The Center for Design and Material Culture (CDMC) is the primary destination for the multi-disciplinary study of material culture and design at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Located in the School of Human Ecology (SoHE)'s Nancy Nicholas Hall, the CDMC is a space for students, scholars, and the public to study, practice, and experience textiles, material culture, and design as complex relati

onships between humans and the material world, today and in the past. The CDMC works in partnership with SoHE’s Design Studies Department and is home to the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection, the Lynn Mecklenburg Textile Gallery, the Ruth Davis Design Gallery, and the Dorothy O'Brien Innovation Lab.

Field to Frock returns June 2026! From the 23rd through the 28th, join in a celebration of all things fiber, flax, and f...
05/18/2026

Field to Frock returns June 2026! From the 23rd through the 28th, join in a celebration of all things fiber, flax, and farming across the Madison Area.

As a part of the events, the Center for Design and Material Culture will be offering historic linen tours in the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection on June 25th and June 26th.

Follow the link below for more information, and to register for a tour now at the Midwest Linen Revival website!
https://cdmc.wisc.edu/event/field-to-frock-2026/

How do different cultures play around the world? In Radio Chipstone’s new podcast episode titled “Small Matter: Found Ob...
05/12/2026

How do different cultures play around the world? In Radio Chipstone’s new podcast episode titled “Small Matter: Found Objects And Play," Ph.D student Abubakar Muhammad joins Gianofer Fields to discuss his exhibit titled Small Matter. Currently showing in Nancy Nicholas Hall through November 1st, Muhammad’s exhibit features makeshift soccer balls crafted by children in Kano, Nigeria, using a wide variety of recycled materials. If you’re interested in what makes this “small” exhibit so impactful, listen to the episode on WORT 89.9 FM's website through the link in our bio.

We are seeking applications for a two-year (2026-28) postdoctoral fellowship in material culture and design history, in ...
05/11/2026

We are seeking applications for a two-year (2026-28) postdoctoral fellowship in material culture and design history, in collaboration with the Design Studies Department in the School of Human Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The Fellow will conduct original research related to one of the center’s three pillars of Design, Material Culture, and the Study of Textiles and will teach three courses over two years in the Design Studies department.

For more information about this full time fellowship, scan the QR code or visit cdmc.wisc.edu/postdoc-fellow/

Good news — Parallel Lines: Quilts and the American Landscape has been extended through May 15 at the Lynn Macklenburg T...
05/08/2026

Good news — Parallel Lines: Quilts and the American Landscape has been extended through May 15 at the Lynn Macklenburg Textile Gallery. Featuring 19th and 20th-century American quilts from the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection, the exhibition explores the relationships among quilt patterns and the ways we shape and understand the landscapes around us. Don't miss your final opportunity to experience the exhibition! Photos by Jim Escalante.

Quilts are made to meet human needs and meant to be interacted with, but what if a quilt was designed to interact with y...
04/30/2026

Quilts are made to meet human needs and meant to be interacted with, but what if a quilt was designed to interact with you in return? Professor of Design Studies Dr. Mengni Zhang investigates this possibility through the intersection of interior architecture, interactive environments, and quilts. Explore the inspirations and innovative design behind Dr. Zhang's work in the video titled for his piece, "Rustling Veil."

Follow the link below to watch now!
https://mediaspace.wisc.edu/media/Rustling%20Veil/1_efk3r8zd

Were you unable to attend our recent DS-CDMC Lectures, Anila Quayyum Agha’s An Embellished Life or Nicole Craanen’s Elev...
04/29/2026

Were you unable to attend our recent DS-CDMC Lectures, Anila Quayyum Agha’s An Embellished Life or Nicole Craanen’s Elevating Well Being Through Biophilic Design? Recordings of both presentations are available online through the Kaltura Mediaspace. Agha’s lecture explores how stitchwork and embellishment establish commonalities between different cultures, while Craanen’s lecture explains how art, design, and natural elements can shape meaningful spaces. These inspiring lectures are available through the links in our bio.

How is data embedded in material culture objects? Join Dr. Sarah Anne Carter, Executive Director of the Nancy M. Bruce C...
04/29/2026

How is data embedded in material culture objects? Join Dr. Sarah Anne Carter, Executive Director of the Nancy M. Bruce Center, on today’s panel The Materiality of Data.

Where do we go when we make? Experience a space between what is seen and imagined, where materials transform, memories r...
04/22/2026

Where do we go when we make?

Experience a space between what is seen and imagined, where materials transform, memories resurface, and identities take shape. This exhibition brings together the work of 15 graduating artists and designers, exploring storytelling through apparel, weaving, papermaking, and more. Curated by Textiles and Fashion Design students, Where do we go when we make? invites us to reflect on the quiet, in-between moments of creation.

The exhibition is on view at the Ruth Davis Design Gallery from April 22-May 10, 2026. Join us for an opening reception on Thursday, April 23 from 5pm-7pm.

Looking for a fun, career-building hourly job? The Nancy M. Bruce Center is hiring Exhibition Engagement Associates for ...
04/22/2026

Looking for a fun, career-building hourly job? The Nancy M. Bruce Center is hiring Exhibition Engagement Associates for our September 2026 - February 2027 exhibition. Follow the link in our bio to learn more and apply!

Mark your calendars! On Wednesday, April 22, Professor Emeritus Richard L. Cleary of the School of Architecture at the U...
04/12/2026

Mark your calendars! On Wednesday, April 22, Professor Emeritus Richard L. Cleary of the School of Architecture at the University of Texas at Austin will lecture on Frank Lloyd Wright’s experimental design of the Bogk House in Milwaukee. Wright designed this house for Frederick C. and Katherine G. Bogk with non-Western design influences. To experience this lecture, head over to the Elvehjem building, room L140, from 6:00-7:30 pm on April 22.

Stay connected with the world of textiles, material culture, and design research. Sign up for our center's newsletter to...
04/10/2026

Stay connected with the world of textiles, material culture, and design research. Sign up for our center's newsletter to receive updates on exhibitions, workshops, opportunities, and events. Follow the link in our bio to subscribe!

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UW–Madison, School Of Human Ecology, Nancy Nicholas Hall, 1300 Linden Drive
Madison, WI
53706

Telephone

+16082621162

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