Russel Wright (1904-1976) is widely regarded as one of America’s preeminent industrial designers. In the 1940s and 50s his name was known to nearly every American homemaker. Wright’s designs and concepts for a new, relaxed style of living transformed a generation of Americans following World War II. A quarter of a billion pieces of his dinnerware design known as "American Modern" were produced and sold between 1939 and 1959, making it still the most widely produced of its kind in history.

During his lifetime, Wright’s innovative designs for housewares, furniture, appliances, and fabrics were featured in museum exhibitions and collections. Russel Wright believed that good design was for everyone. Millions of Americans grew up with Wright designs in their homes. The exhibition will be organized in approximate chronological order to provide visitors with a view of Wright’s sequence of design evolution.

This exhibition and its national tour were organized by Arts Midwest and the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio.

National Tour Sponsor

The national tour of this exhibition has been made possible through a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts as a part of the American Masterpieces program. Additional support provided by the Ohio Art Council, a state agency that supports public programs. This local showing is made possible through the generous support of Charles Simonyi Fund for Arts and Sciences and the Guendolen Carkeek Plestcheeff Fund for the Decorative and Design Arts.