A group poses for a picture in front of a massive red quilt hung on a wall

Programs

The Decorative Arts Society organizes members-only tours, lectures, study trips, and other events. Join us for behind-the-scenes tours with exhibition curators, talks by leading scholars in the field, and hands-on workshops.

Upcoming Programs

Coming soon! Please check back here for updates.

Recent Programs

  • A large room with a massive, ornate wooden bedframe

    Curator-Led Tour at the Newark Museum of Art

    Thursday, December 4, 2025 at 2pm

    The Newark Museum’s Associate Curator of Decorative Arts, Amy Simon Hopwood, led participants through the historic 1885 Ballantine House, sharing information about the Newark Museum’s decorative arts collections and newly discovered stories of Newark’s craftspeople.

    Image: The Ballentine House Main Bedroom, 1885, as installed in 2023, The Newark Museum of Art, photo by Richard Goodboy

  • A large wooden table with ornate leg detail

    Awards Ceremony, Lecture, and Reception

    Tuesday, November 4, 2025 at 6 pm

    Held at the Explorers Club, the event included presentation of the annual DAS publication awards and an illustrated presentation by curators David Barquist and Colin Fanning about their upcoming exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Workshop of the World: Arts and Crafts in Philadelphia.

    Image: Library Table, 1904, William L. Price (American, 1861–1916), designer, Rose Valley Shops (Philadelphia, 1901–1906), manufacturer, oak, Private Collection, photo by Joseph Painter

  • Detail of a quilt with a sun, moon, and floral pattern

    Curator-Led Tour of An Ecology of Quilts at the American Folk Art Museum

    Thursday, October 16, 2025 at 5 pm

    Exhibition co-curator Emelie Gevalt toured participants through An Ecology of Quilts: The Natural History of American Textiles, which presented quilts from the 18th to the 20th centuries from an ecological perspective. The exhibition explored the environmental and social impact of cultivating and harvesting raw materials, the networks of overland and ocean trade used to transport materials, and the technologies and industrial techniques which allowed quilt making to flourish as a quintessential art form.

    Image: Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden Quilt, mid-19th century, attributed to a member of the Sinclair Family (Vermont), cotton, American Folk Art Museum, Museum purchase with funds provided by Nina Beaty, 2024.10.1