The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design

The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design, drawn from the rich holdings of the Thomas H. and Diane DeMell Jacobsen Ph.D. Foundation provides a rare opportunity to survey the history of American craftsmanship and ingenuity, seen through the lens of seating furniture. Featuring many of the most iconic designs and designers from the past two centuries, The Art of Seating encourages visitors to reconsider objects that are a ubiquitous and often overlooked part of our everyday lives, seeing chairs as not just functional objects, but as works of art in their own right. At the same time, the objects in the exhibition also have stories to tell about the history of our country, ranging from the contributions of immigrants to changing tastes in style and aesthetics to new innovations in technology and materials.  

More than 50 examples of seating furniture from the Thomas H. and Diane DeMell Jacobsen Ph.D. Foundation are included in the exhibition and offer a stylistic journey from the early 1800s to the twenty-first century. Noted makers and designers include John Henry Belter, George Hunzinger, the Herter Brothers, the Stickley Brothers, Frank Lloyd Wright, Charles and Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen, Isamu Noguchi, Frank Gehry, and Vivian Beer. The exhibition also features contemporary and historic designs by some of the biggest manufacturers to commission these pieces, such as Knoll, Herman Miller and Steelcase.  

The exhibition was originally developed by the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville and then toured to more than two dozen museums by International Arts & Artists, Washington, D.C. It will be accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue of the collection, produced by The Thomas H. and Diane DeMell Jacobsen Ph.D. Foundation and D. Giles Ltd. The installation will also include a video in which Dr. Jacobsen discusses the collection.