A Non-Artists Review of the Museum of Arts and Design
If you have ever walked into a museum and wished you could see the fingerprints, the tool marks, the “how on earth did they make that?” behind every object, this is your place. The Museum of Arts and Design sits right on Columbus Circle, and it wears that location well. It feels like a museum designed for people who like process as much as product, and who get a thrill from materials doing unexpected things. MAD’s own framing is all about the value of making across contemporary creative practice, from artisanal methods to digital processes, and that mission comes through in the way the museum asks you to look: slower, closer, and with more curiosity.
[Warning: spoilers and impressions of the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) are below!]
The vibe of MAD: craft, but make it high stakes
I do not mean “craft” in the cute, weekend Etsy way. MAD’s mission is rooted in innovation in craft, art, and design, and in celebrating the creative process in which materials are transformed into objects that shape contemporary life. That philosophy matters because it changes how you move through the building. I am not just scanning for the most Instagrammable piece. I am clocking seams, surfaces, joins, finishes, and the choices artists make when they push glass, clay, fiber, metal, or wood into something that feels brand new. There is also something refreshing about a museum that does not treat design like a side character. Here, design is the plot. The exhibition program leans into creativity and craftsmanship, and it is not shy about celebrating the “materials and techniques” part of the story. If you are the kind of person who reads wall labels like they are liner notes, MAD rewards you.
MAD lives in the Jerome and Simona Chazen Building at 2 Columbus Circle, which basically means you are in one of those classic New York crossroads where tourists, commuters, and culture lovers all overlap. My favorite part of the building experience is how often the city peeks back in. Even when I am deep in a gallery, I am still aware I am in Manhattan, right next to the pulse of the circle and a short walk from Central Park. If you are into architecture and how buildings shape the way we see art, MAD even has a guided architecture tour resource that positions the building itself as part of the story.
Exhibitions: the lineup makes a strong case for “design is personal”
A lot of museums feel like they are asking you to admire things. MAD tends to ask you to think about how things are made, who they are made for, and what they do in the world. Right now, the exhibition lineup is especially good at proving that craft and design are not decorative sidelines; they are deeply human. On one end, you have “Designing Motherhood: Things that Make and Break Our Births,” which signals immediately that design is not neutral. It is healthcare, infrastructure, systems, and lived experience, all wrapped into objects and decisions that affect bodies and families. Then there is “Douriean Fletcher: Jewelry of the Afrofuture,” which is the kind of show that can pull you in even if you think you are not a “jewelry person,” and with such a focus on Marvel Studios’ Black Panther and the world of Wakanda, it’s sure to excite comic lovers. That being said, Jewelry at the Museum of Arts and Design is never just about the sparkle. It is form, symbolism, identity, and cultural storytelling, with material choices doing real narrative work.
If you want something with a bigger pop of personality and visual punch, “The Mad MAD World of Jonathan Adler” is positioned like a playful, maximalist counterbalance. It is the kind of exhibition title that tells you it plans to have fun, and sometimes that is exactly what you want in the middle of a serious museum day. And for a more gestural, movement-forward angle, “Dana Barnes: Untamed Gestures” suggests a show interested in the body, mark-making, and the energy of making itself. MAD also has “OUT of the Jewelry Box” as an ongoing presence, which feels like the museum quietly saying: yes, this discipline matters, and we are going to keep giving it room.
One of the biggest strengths of MAD is that it champions makers across creative fields and backs it up with a language that is highly specific about materials. A press release about the collection notes more than 3,000 artworks across clay, fiber, glass, metal, and wood, spanning from the postwar studio craft movement into contemporary art and design. That detail matters because it signals what MAD values: not just the final look, but the medium as a living, evolving language.
My favorite way to experience MAD: let someone else lead for a minute
If you want to feel smart without doing any homework, I strongly recommend scheduling your visit for a free docent tour. MAD lists free docent tours at 11:30 am on Wednesdays, 2:30 pm on Thursdays, and both 11:30 am and 2:30 pm on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. You meet in the lobby a few minutes early, and you get a guided tour through the galleries that helps connect materials, themes, and context. I also love that MAD offers a mobile guide via Bloomberg Connects, a solid move for visitors who like audio, maps, and bite-sized deep dives without committing to a full tour.
And what would a museum visit be without its store? The Store at MAD frames itself as a curated selection of contemporary artist-made objects and jewelry, positioning the shop as a bridge among customers, artists, and the museum’s mission. It also notes that proceeds support the museum’s exhibitions and educational programs, which makes browsing feel like a small act of patronage rather than a guilt purchase.
Plan your visit
Here is the stuff I always want in one place before I go:
Hours: Monday closed. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm. Thursday, 12 pm to 8 pm.
Admission: General $20, seniors $16, students $14, members free, 12 and under free.
Tickets: MAD links ticket sales through its online ticketing portal
Location: 2 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10019.
Final verdict of the Museum of Arts and Design
MAD is a museum I recommend if you want to feel the intelligence of the handmade, the ambition of design, and the emotional weight of objects built with intention. It is not massive, which is a compliment. It is focused, and it uses that focus to go deeper into what making means. If you are tired of museums that feel like highlight reels, MAD feels like a close read.
Have you visited the Museum of Arts and Design? What was your favorite exhibit? Share your thoughts on social media and tag @bsb.insider to continue the conversation!
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