Architect and self-proclaimed “general practitioner” of design, Michael Graves shares his thoughts on the effect of good design in a talk at The Wolfsonian–Florida International University on Friday, October 15 at 7pm.
Graves, a pivotal force in architecture and design, has a cross-disciplinary practice that is broad and includes architecture, planning, interiors, product design, and graphic design. He is founder and principal of the architecture and interior design practice Michael Graves & Associates and the product and graphic design practice Michael Graves Design Group. Through their multiple studios, the firms are highly integrated and provide clients around the globe with innovative design solutions that are functional and sustainable. The firms have designed over 350 buildings worldwide and more than 2,000 products ranging from building components and bath and kitchen products to jewelry and medical equipment, for companies such as Alessi, Steuben, Disney, and Stryker. Graves’ work with Target in a range of product categories has made his signature design accessible to a larger public.
“Michael Graves stands in the forefront of architecture and design,” notes Cathy Leff, director of The Wolfsonian. “We expect his talk to electrify the South Florida Community of designers, architects, and others who appreciate his innovative design solutions.”
A native of Indianapolis, Graves received his architectural training at the University of Cincinnati and Harvard University. In 1960, he won the Rome Prize and studied at the American Academy in Rome for two years. In 1962, Graves began a nearly forty-year teaching career at Princeton University, where he is now the Robert Schirmer Professor of Architecture, Emeritus. He has received twelve honorary doctorates and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters as well as a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects.
Michael Graves and the firms have received over 200 awards for design excellence. In 2001, the American Institute of Architects awarded Michael Graves its Gold Medal, the highest award bestowed upon an individual architect. He also received the 1999 National Medal of Arts from President Bill Clinton. Graves was most recently selected by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture and the American Institute of Architects as the recipient of the 2010 Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architectural Education. This year Michael Graves also became the first architect inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame at a star studded event that included Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito, Susan Sarandon, and Bruce Springsteen.
The members’ talk, which is sponsored in part by Target, takes place in the auditorium of The Wolfsonian and is limited to Wolfsonian Diplomat-level members and above. For more information or to rsvp, please call 305.535.2626.