The International Museum of Dinnerware Design

06/24/2026

UPSTATE ART WEEKEND
As summer unfolds across the Hudson Valley, Upstate Art Weekend returns with an inspiring celebration of creativity and community. This annual event invites visitors to discover the remarkable artistic energy that defines the Hudson Valley and Catskills. Over 160 artists and cultural organizations come together for a weekend of exhibitions, open studios, performances, installations, and conversations connecting art with the landscapes and communities that make this region so unique.

The International Museum of Dinnerware Design is proud to be part of Upstate Art Weekend.

UAW is the final weekend for "ASHTRAY." This exhibition explores the intersection between smoking and dining with over 125 ashtrays from the Art Deco and Mid-Century period, including table settings with ashtrays, and the story of how Big To***co tried to convince women smoking was GOOD for them. Museum visitors should prepare to be delighted and appalled.

IMoDD's ongoing exhibition "DINING GRAILS" features highlight from our collection - the "Holy Grails" of dining. Our "CARRY OUTS" gift shop is open and our interactive "A LA CARTE" gallery gives you the chance try the "Tablecloth Trick" - pulling a tablecloth out from under some dishes. All this for a $10 admission fee. Members are free.

IMoDD hours during UAW:
Thursday, June 25, noon - 5 pm
Friday, June 26, noon - 5 pm
Saturday, June 27, noon - 5 pm
Sunday, June 28, noon - 5 pm
Monday, June 29, noon - 5 pm

Whether you're a longtime resident or a first-time visitor, Upstate Art Weekend is an invitation to explore, connect, and experience the vibrant cultural ecosystem that continues to shape the Hudson Valley.

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Email from The Dinnerware Museum Upstate Art Weekend As summer unfolds across the Hudson Valley, Upstate Art Weekend returns with an inspiring celebration of creativity and community. This annual even

06/16/2026

"Collecting by Design,"
Opening Reception: Thursday, July 9th - 4:30 to 7:30 pm

During the exhibition reception, a Cousins Maine Lobster truck will be in front of the museum on Broadway with delicious refreshments available for purchase.

The International Museum of Dinnerware Design is celebrating its second year in Kingston with a special exhibition of a selection of dinnerware and dining-related objects that have been acquired by the museum, either through purchase, donation, or bequest, since relocating to the Hudson Valley in 2024. Collecting by Design includes thoughtful and beautifully designed dinnerware, one of a kind artwork created by contemporary artists, and work that is best described as quirky and fun. Inspired by Brad Keeler’s 1950-51 Lobster ware, dishes flaunting glossy red ceramic lobsters posed on a bed of cabbage, the opening reception July 9th from 4:30 to 7:30 will invite visitors to purchase refreshments from the Cousins Maine Lobster truck parked in front of the museum at 524 Broadway.

The exhibition incudes an eclectic mixture of dinnerware, flatware, glassware, paper napkins and even a vintage Barbie kitchen. Among the pieces not to miss is a slice of cake hand-embroidered with the famous Chinese Blue Willow pattern to match the plate beneath the cake. Constantin Boym’s Upstate Plates may remind one of familiar nearby scenes and cause the viewer to look again. Selected designs from the extraordinary Jerryll Habbeger flatware collection will be displayed for the first time as will a paper napkin collection saved from parties and holidays in the early 1900s. Most of the napkins are complete with handwritten notes with the date and the party where the napkins were used. One can almost guess the menu based on the stains that remain along with stories shared.

The exhibition will remain on view through September 6.

Collecting by Design is sponsored by Harris Safier, Associate Broker, Unlock Upstate Team at Compass Greater New York.

Exhibition Dates: July 9 - Sept 6, 2026, Thursday-Sunday noon-5 p.m.

Image: Brad Keeler, Lobster ware, ceramic, 1950-51.
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Email from The Dinnerware Museum Image: Brad Keeler, Lobster ware 1950-51. Collecting by Design Opening Reception: Thursday, July 9th - 4:30 to 7:30 pm During the exhibition reception, a Cousins Maine

06/07/2026

We don't have any clowns and we don't have any Edward Hopper paintings, but we do have ashtrays!

Join us at the International Museum of Dinnerware Design to explore our "Ashtray" exhibit, open until June 29. Discover how dining and smoking intertwine in this thought-provoking display. Also, mark your calendars for the "Collecting by Design" opening reception on July 9, featuring new acquisitions since our relocation to Kingston in 2024. Visit us Thursday-Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

Image: Detail from Edward Hopper, Soir Bleu, 1914. The original painting is in the collection of the Whitney Museum of American Art.



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Email from The Dinnerware Museum We don't have any clowns and we don't have any Edward Hopper paintings, but we do have ashtrays! Ashtray Open through June 29 Ashtray explores the intersection between

06/02/2026

Read about IMoDD in Tableware International Magazine.
IMoDD Director Margaret Carney was interviewed this month about the founding of the museum and the museum's collections.

Dive into our extensive resources on the topic that interests you. It's like a masterclass to be explored at your own pace.

05/30/2026

Look who came to see the Ashtray exhibition at The International Museum of Dinnerware Design — Paul Wilson, the founder of The Ashtray Museum in West Fulton, NY!

05/26/2026

Save the Date,
Thursday, July 9th - 4:30 to 7:30 pm,

Opening Reception
"Collecting by Design"

During the exhibition reception a Cousins Maine Lobster truck will be in front of the museum on Broadway with delicious refreshments available for purchase.

This exhibition highlights new acquisitions received since the museum’s
relocation to Kingston two years ago.

Exhibition Dates: July 9 - Sept 6, 2026, Thursday-Sunday noon-5 p.m.

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Email from The Dinnerware Museum Save the Date Thursday, July 9th - 4:30 to 7:30 pm Opening Reception Collecting by Design During the exhibition reception a Cousins Maine Lobster truck will be in fron

05/24/2026

Join us at our "Ashtray" exhibition, open until June 29! This unique showcase explores the fascinating intersection of dining and smoking, promising to delight and inform visitors. Don't miss out on this thought-provoking experience! Group tours available by appointment.

Image: Pediatrician's office ca. 1959, advertising ashtray with baby footprints distributed by Similac, and Wiesner of Miami mother-of-pearl vanity set with cigarette case and pocket ashtray.


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Email from The Dinnerware Museum Ashtray Open through June 29 Thursday - Sunday 12:00 - 5:00 pm Ashtray explores the intersection between dining and smoking. Museum visitors should prepare to be delig

05/22/2026

New IMoDD Video:
"Blooks: the Quirky World of Culinary Objects in Book Form,"
From the collection of and presented by Mindell Dubansky
part of the IMoDD Unforgettable Dinnerware lecture series, generously supported by Illiana van Meeteren
Wednesday, May 13, 2026 at 6:30 PM Eastern time

Link to Video: https://youtu.be/mwNvSA40asU

This talk focuses on the history and variety of food and dining-related objects that emulate actual books, a sub-group of Mindell’s vast teaching collection of book-shaped objects. Though the history of book objects is an ancient one, those associated with comestibles and the culinary arts have been popular since the 16th century. Here, Mindell shares a diverse sampling from her collection, made during the 19th through 20th centuries, including both precious, rare and kitschy items such as tea and recipe boxes, ephemeral packaging, maple sugar and iced cream molds, lunch boxes, recipe boxes, napkin rings and more.

Mindell Dubansky is the supervising book conservator and preservation librarian at Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Dubansky’ s personal collection of blooks (things that look like books, but aren’t) and her groundbreaking research on the subject have been previously featured in exhibitions at the Grolier Club and Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Center for Book Arts, and in publications including The New York Times, and on television, on CBS' Sunday Morning.

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Email from The Dinnerware Museum Part of IMoDD's Unforgettable Dinnerware Zoom lecture series New IMoDD Video: Blooks: the Quirky World of Culinary Objects in Book Form From the collection of and pr

05/07/2026

We invite you to our upcoming virtual lecture, "Blooks: the Quirky World of Culinary Objects in Book Form," presented by Mindell Dubansky on May 13, 2026, at 6:30 PM ET. This session will delve into the rich history of culinary-themed book-shaped objects, highlighting unique pieces from the 19th and 20th centuries. Learn how these fascinating artifacts connect food, literature, and design. Register for this free Zoom lecture at https://forms.gle/7fn5YaWm81Ky4fHo6 and we will send a link the day of the event! Image: Lunchbox in the form of a book, 19th century.

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Email from The Dinnerware Museum Wednesday, May 13, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time Wednesday, May 13, 2026 at 6:30 PM Eastern time Blooks: the Quirky World of Culinary Objects in Book Form From the