Center for Design and Material Culture

The Center for Design and Material Culture is the primary destination for the multi-disciplinary study of material culture and design at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

CDMC is linked to the Design Studies department’s Textile and Fashion Design and Interior Architecture undergraduate majors and MS, MFA, and PhD graduate programs. The center offers gallery exhibitions, research opportunities, and events.

Interdisciplinary research is at the core the Center’s work. The Center focuses on the study of textiles, material culture, and design thinking and is a hub for innovative programs that engage local, national, and international audiences. The Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection, the Ruth Davis Design Gallery, the Lynn Mecklenburg Textile Gallery, and the Dorothy O’Brien Innovation Lab support the work of the Center for Design and Material Culture.

Part of the UW–Madison School of Human Ecology (SoHE), the Center for Design and Material Culture (CDMC) is a space for students, scholars, and the public to study, practice, and experience material culture and design. Center research investigates the complex relationships between humans and their material world, both today and historically.