Pushing the Boundaries of Design
EXHIBITIONS
The Female Design Council champions women in design and art via a unique curated collection of exhibitions featuring masterful work made by women. Since 2018, Founder & Executive Director Lora Appleton has curated annual exhibitions featuring artists and designers who are pushing the boundaries of innovation, beauty, fabrication and craft.
By partnering with brands, art fairs, and institutions, the FDC continues to feature and highlight creative and exceptional work, both introducing new female-identified artists and designers as well as celebrating masters in their field. These shows serve as a platform for talent spotting with many of the creators and artisans going on to be represented by global galleries, having their work purchased in respected collections and museum acquisitions.
“FDC Member Presentation” at Salon Art + Design
November 2024 • Salon Art + Design at the Park Avenue Armory
The Female Design Council presented at the 2024 Salon Art + Design Fair, showcasing the extraordinary talent of eight FDC members in the historic hallway of the Park Avenue Armory. The installation garnered widespread attention, with press coverage from Cool Hunting, Elle Decor, Cultured, Town & Country, and Interior Design.
Featured Designers and Artists: Kristi Bender & Wendy Schwartz of Cuff Studio , Urvi Sharma of INDO-, Helena & Natasha Sultan of Konekt, Lisa Sacco, Megan Sommerville of MATERIA, and Tina Scepanovic.
“FDC Grant Special Installation” at Collectible Design Fair
September 2024 • Collectible NY at WSA
The Female Design Council presented a special installation at Collectible Design’s first ever fair in New York, highlighting the FDC Grant program. This mini-exhibition showcased works by the two winners of the first cycle of the FDC Grant program, and was highlighted in Dwell.
Featured Designers and Artists: Luam Melake and Mia Wright-Ross.
“Upon Further Reflection” at 3.1 Phillip Lim
May 2023 • 3.1 Phillip Lim for NYCxDESIGN
Upon Further Reflection featured both lauded and emerging AAPI, female-identified artists and designers of all backgrounds, acknowledging the diversity within the Asian community; the differences and beauty within. Curated by Andrea Hill and Lora Appleton this exhibition was intended to continue to provide a platform to the often under-looked magic and fierce reflection of this prolific community. This exhibition was featured in The New York Times, Whitewall, Elle Decor, Wallpaper, AD Pro, Dezeen, Interior Design, Sight Unseen, Surface, and Architects Newspaper and was also an Interior Design Magazine Best of Year finalist.
Featured Designers and Artists: Ellen Pong, Rosie Li, Soft Geometry, Jialun Xiong, Moving Mountains, Windy Chien, Ti Chang, Susan Maddux, Jean Pelle, Lynn Lin, Teruko Kushi, Caroline Chao, Tina Scepanovic, Pooja Pawaskar, Bowen Liu, Jean Lee, Urvi Sharma, Virginia Sin.
May 2022 • Carl Hansen & Søn for NYCxDESIGN
Curated by FDC Founder Lora Appleton, “Craft in Transition” featured the dynamic artwork of 12 established and emerging members of the Female Design Council integrated within Carl Hansen & Søn’s NYC furniture showroom in a collaborative exhibition that celebrated craftsmanship, process and heritage design. The exhibition received coverage in Design Milk, Archipanic and Whitewall.
Featured Designers and Artists: Anna Rindos, Arati Rao, Arielle Assouline - Lichten, Colleen Carlson, Dee Clements, Elodie Blanchard, Fernanda Uribe, Kate Danessa, Kristin Victoria Barron, Luam Melake, Rhinanon Griego and Yolande Milan Batteau.
“Craft in Transition” at Carl Hansen & Søn
“Refuge + Resilience” at Upstate Art Weekend
This exhibition of sculptures by female artists explored the emotional dynamics of home through material, home as a physical space filled with the artifacts of life, a place of refuge and shelter. Together, these sculptures were shown as a contemporary lens on home and an expression of resilience. Press included mentions in Hyperallergic.
Featured Designers and Artists: Mia Wright Ross, Abigail Kuohn, Cheryl Riley, Gabrielle Shelton and Ashwini Bhat.
“Evolved Resolve” at LA Design Festival
September 2020 • LA Design Festival
A virtual exhibition featuring 40 innovative women designers, presented in partnership with the LA Design Festival and InCollect. This exhibition was launched with the inaugural Female Design Council Grant presented by InCollect & BZippy and was featured in InCollect and Design Miami.
Featured Designers and Artists: Fanae Aaron, Lani Adeoye, Malene Barnett, Yolande Milan Batteau, Kate Casey, Andrea Claire, Liz Collins, Kate Duncan, Rachel Duvall, Libs Elliott, Estudio Persona, Rebecca Claire Ford, Debra Folz, Yen Ha, Sade Hooks, Lisa Hunt, Jamie Iacoli, Mary Little, Elise McMahon, Beverly Morrison, Maria Moyer, Eny Lee Parker, Sienna Patti: Gabriella Kiss, Kalkidan Hoex, Mallory Weston, Arati Rao, Amanda Richards, Judy Ross, Andreea Avram Rusu, RxArt: Lesley Vance, Mansi Shah, Gabrielle Shelton, Alyse Stone, Stoneleaf Retreat: Rebecca Reeve, Michele Varian, Juliana Vasconcellos, Jennie Wilde, Yard Concept: Dina Nur Satti, Zoë Pawlak.
“Intricate: Complexity & Beauty Sewn Up” at SOFA Chicago (now Intersect Art + Design)
November 2019 • SOFA Chicago
An exhibition of seven dynamic female textile artists weaving pathways to pertinent conversations, through the exciting medium of fiber arts.
Featured Designers and Artists: Katrina Coombs, Liz Collins, Mimi Jung, Gao Rong, Nicole Patel, Amanda McCouver, and Ester Bornemisca.
“Deeper than Text” at 1stDibs Gallery
May 2019 • 1stDibs NYC Flagship for NYCxDESIGN
A focused contemporary design exhibition featuring master designers and makers in furniture, lighting, textiles, works on paper and glass, to celebrate the opening of the 1stDibs gallery in Manhattan. The lauded exhibition featured 19 designers from Beirut to the Netherlands, Los Angeles and New York City and was covered in An Interior, Introspective, Archipanic.
Featured Designers and Artists: Malene Barnett, Karen Chekerdjian, Catherine Raben Davidsen, Egg Collective, Liz Collins, Melissa Cromwell, Felicia Ferro, Elyse Graham, Konekt, Justine Mahoney, Zizipho Poswa, Michele Quan, Amanda Richards, Leah Ring, Alexandra Rowley, Grace Song, Kiki van Eijk, Myra von Busekist and Elish Warlop.
“Designing Women II, Masters, Mavericks + Mavens” at Egg Collective
May 2018 • Egg Collective
Egg Collective Founders Stephanie Beamer, Crystal Ellis, and Hillary Petrie alongside FDC Founder Lora Appleton curated a show of historical and contemporary design works from female voices, conceived as a conversation across both time and space. The show featured an international roster of work, and received coverage in Yellowtrace, Office Magazine, Archipanic, Dezeen, Fox5, Business of Home, Sotheby’s, and Introspective. The selected works were intended to foster a conversation about how women have achieved success, blazed trails, and furthered their craft over time.
Featured Designers and Artists: Greta Magnusson Grossman, Mary Giles, Kristin Victoria Barron, Lilian Holm, Rooms, Sabine Marcelis, Mimi Jung, Heidi Abrahamson, Nicola L., Katie Stout, Egg Collective, Mira Nakashima, Sonwai, Winsome Brave, Marta Palmieri, Cini Boeri, Natalie Weinberger, Nanna Ditzel, Bari Ziperstein & Leza Mcvey.
“Crafting Selfhood” at 3.1 Phillip Lim
May 2024 • 3.1 Phillip Lim for NYCxDESIGN
Organized by Karen Wong and Lora Appleton and presented in partnership with Baileys and Meta Prosper, this exhibition celebrated thirteen female AAPI artists who integrate heritage, identity and oftentimes sly humor in ceramics, textiles and sculptural objects. The exhibition was featured in Design Milk, Curbed, Galerie and Wallpaper among others.
Featured Designers and Artists: Janny Baek, Julia Chiang, Cecile Chong, Phaan Howng, Lena Imamura, Sonya Young James, Myung Jin Kim, Antonia Kuo, Eunji Jun and Hailin Lee, Eny Lee Parker, Linda Sormin and Steffany Tran.