— Furniture Today,
New York show will coincide with ICFF

NEW YORK — Martha Stewart and her company are hosting an exhibit of furniture and other projects from students of the Rhode Island School of Design this weekend.

“Input/Output: Experimental Furniture,” including works from the school’s Departments of Furniture Design, Digital + Media, and Textile Design will be open to the public from noon to 8 p.m. this Saturday, Sunday and Monday in the Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia’s Starret-Lehigh Building, 601 West 26th St.

The exhibition coincides with the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, which runs May 20-23 in New York’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

Stewart said some of the Rhode Island school’s alumni work for Omnimedia.

“I have first-hand experience, appreciation and a deep respect for RISD,” she said. “This exhibit is a real celebration of form, function and cutting-edge technology, which come together in one-of-a-kind designs that are highly original, thought-provoking and beautiful.”

The Input/Output show is one of many joint initiatives between the company and school, which they say demonstrates their shared commitment to increasing design awareness and improving access to design education.

“Martha Stewart is a pioneer and an innovator in the world of design,” said Roger Mandle, School of Design president.

The exhibit grew challenge to students to redefine objects through the use of digital technology. Furniture on display in Input/Output will have technological features ranging from digital wallpaper that reacts to body movement to a table that detects objects and motions of the user.