Material Curiosity by Design, 2025. Courtesy of Craft Contemporary, Los Angeles.

On Saturday, May 2nd, members of the California and Northwest Chapters gathered at Craft Contemporary in Los Angeles for a docent-led tour of the special exhibition Material Curiosity by Design, followed by lunch at Descanso.

The morning centered on the prolific careers of midcentury designers Evelyn and Jerome Ackerman, presented in dialogue with select works by three contemporary artists. Celebrated for their vibrant contributions to California modernism, the Ackermans partnered for decades on bold designs that brought warmth to midcentury interiors— working across ceramic, textile, mosaic, wood, and metal to create pieces that bridged studio art and broader production. Their work was shown alongside new works by Porfirio Gutiérrez, Jolie Ngo, and Vince Skelly, sparking a dynamic conversation about materials, innovation, and craft across generations.

Material Curiosity by Design, 2025. Courtesy of Craft Contemporary, Los Angeles.

Born and trained in Detroit, the pair moved to Los Angeles in the early 1950s, where they set up their studio and epitomized the designer-craftsperson ethos— bridging their studio art training with efforts to scale production for broader markets.

For over fifty years, they designed a diverse body of work ranging from colorful mosaics and wall hangings to graceful ceramics and wood carvings. Featuring final products alongside preparatory materials—many shown for the first time—the exhibition offered an intimate exploration of the Ackermans' techniques across different media.

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Following the tour, patrons made their way to Descanso, where the group gathered for lunch in a relaxed and convivial setting. The meal offered a welcome opportunity for conversation and connection— a fitting close to a morning spent in the company of extraordinary design.