Michael Graves
American, born 1934
Teakettle, 1984
Stainless steel, polyamides
Manufactured by Alessi

From Towers to Teakettles: Michael Graves Architecture and Design

Saturday, August 29, 2009—Sunday, January 3, 2010
Target Wing, first and second floors
Free Exhibition

Over a career spanning more than 40 years, Michael Graves has developed an individual approach to architecture and design that combines his love of classical forms and elements with a sense of sophisticated wit.

This exhibition, organized on the occasion of the ten-year anniversary of Michael Graves Design for Target stores, will showcase Graves's celebrated style and will also focus on the roles of context, accessibility, and total design in his work.

An architectural mini-retrospective section will represent a range of the firm's projects, through models, drawings, and photographs, including the Fargo-Moorhead Cultural Bridge (1977), the Washington Monument Restoration (1998-2000), the Minneapolis Institute of Arts Target Wing (2006), and an extensive integrated resort in Sentosa, Singapore (2006 - present). A section devoted to product design, which has literally made Graves a household name, will include his iconic whistling bird teakettle for Alessi (1985), jewelry designs for Belvedere (1991), selections from his "top 25" product designs for Target (1999-present), and a soon-to-be-launched line of accessibility products for Drive Medical.

Support for this exhibition is provided by Target.