Inside the Museum of Craft and Design

Design rules everything around you, and craft brings it all to life! San Francisco’s Museum of Craft and Design (MCD) is a place where visitors can see creativity in action. Founded in 2004, the museum highlights the design and craft of objects that are meant to be used—and aesthetically pleasing. Unlike other museums, which have permanent collections, the MCD is all about education and hands-on discovery. With rotating exhibitions and interactive programming, the MCD is a place where art meets innovation— and anyone can join the fun!

The MCD invites visitors to learn how things are made and why design matters. In 2021, for example, the museum hosted the temporary exhibition Design by Time, which explored the effects of time on ordinary objects. The show featured artists working in ceramics, textiles, and more to investigate how natural forces like gravity and growth affect design over time.

The museum also recently featured art by Beau McCall—known as “The Button Man”—who makes wearable art by hand-sewing buttons onto upcycled fabric and objects. While McCall’s work may seem bright and fun, it also explores subjects like social justice and pop culture. These exhibits are examples of how the MCD uses design as a lens to explore big questions with unexpected materials.

 In addition to its rotating exhibitions, the museum also organizes artist demonstrations, like the one featured as part of its 2024 She Bends: Neon as Soulcraft exhibit. This exhibit explored the intersection of the art and skill involved in making neon, emphasizing the importance of physics, chemistry, and problem-solving. It included neon works created by artists from across the country. Demonstrations allowed visitors to observe the dynamic process of a neon artist at work. These kinds of experiences let MCD visitors witness the full artistic process up close—mistakes, improvisations, and all.

The Museum of Craft and Design doesn’t just showcase art; it provides opportunities for visitors to create their own! The MCD promotes hands-on learning through its MakeArt Labs, where visitors can learn alongside master artisans in skills like ceramics, jewelry-making, and more. The museum even has a mobile MakeArt Van, which brings creative pop-up events to people across San Francisco. By focusing on the act of making rather than just viewing, the MCD invites people to think differently about the objects around them and the ideas that inspired those objects.