Dubuque by Design explores the impact of design on the lived experiences of past, present, and future residents in our region. The exhibition presents a general overview of 150 years (1874 to 2024) of designs made in, for, and by this community and is inspired by the 2024 celebration of the Dubuque Museum of Art’s 150th anniversary as well as our future building plans.

The exhibition identifies themes that transcend chronology and extend our understanding of the breadth of media that designers use. The exhibition will explore designs related to manufacturing, transportation, graphic design, architecture, urban design, fashion, and interiors, as well as landscape. The exhibition includes objects and artifacts that represent significant local history like the Adams-Farwell automobile and the Tiffany windows in St Luke’s Church.

Dubuque by Design will elevate often underappreciated designs and highlight the intersection of art and everyday life. Art can be found inside the engines of automobiles, the buttons that fasten our clothes, the bridges that traverse the Mississippi, the multi-use greenways that protect us from floods and improve the quality of our water, and the most exquisite architectural details found on our daily walks.

This exhibition is an opportunity to learn from and interact with the creative minds of the past and catalyze larger conversations around place and community expression as we look to the future.