2026 Symposium- COLLABORATIONS: Partners in Life, Architecture, Art & Design

Architecture and design are collaborative arts. And often, female/male partnerships have driven innovation, blending distinct viewpoints to reshape how we experience the world. Historically, design duos, like Charles and Ray Eames pioneered mid-century modern living, while Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin brought a visionary organic approach to international city planning. Antonin and Noémi Raymond seamlessly blended Western modernism with Japanese craft, just as the iconic Finnish practice of Alvar Aalto relied on his deep, consecutive partnerships with Aino and Elissa Aalto. And Denise Scott Brown and Robert Venturi fundamentally altered urban theory and how architecture functions symbolically and socially. While history has often unfairly credited the male partners alone, these relationships reveal deeply integrated ways of working in which philosophy and execution were entirely shared, proving that our most enduring creative achievements come from a union of minds. 

This Symposium will celebrate the creative process in a day of presentations and lectures on historic and contemporary collaborations between couples (husband & wife, and others) in the arts, design, and architecture. Special emphasis will be on the women’s essential roles in design, research, and leadership roles, which have often been overshadowed in past and even current histories. Artists and scholars will share presentations, followed by a Q&A Panel Discussion.