Sketching the Surface: Exploring the New York School of Interior Design Archives and Contemporary Pattern Design

Sketching the Surface: Exploring the New York School of Interior Design Archives and Contemporary Pattern Design presents works from the New York School of Interior Design (NYSID) Archives by designers who created patterns for fabric, rugs, carpets, wall coverings, tiles, and other ancillary design products in the second half of the 20th century. By complement and by contrast, the exhibit also includes existing and commissioned works by contemporary practitioners. 

Together, these materials illustrate the iterative and interconnected nature of pattern design—a discipline that resonates with interior design in its concern for the visual and spatial qualities of "the surface." Process drawings, renderings, and finished manufactured works are on display, offering insight into the creative processes that remain central to many design practices today. Historical pattern books and reference material from the NYSID Library will also be featured. Visitors to the exhibit will be invited to participate in interactive programming, a workshop, and other public programs where they can explore how patterns are conceived and applied. 

Sketching the Surface is not a chronological or exhaustive history of pattern design; rather, this exhibition invites visitors to engage with the richness of the NYSID Archives and Library on their own terms: to wander, observe overlaps and intersections, take pleasure and delight in the work presented—and drawing from the past, imagine new possibilities for design. 

The New York School of Interior Design Archives 

The Archives include the works of several notable surface pattern designers, including those featured in the exhibit: Joann Nelsen (1937-2013), Joe Martin (Unknown), Joseph Grusczak, ASID (1936-2022), and Inez Croom (1893-1980). Each of these skilled designers worked across a range of allied creative disciplines—including industrial design, architecture, and fine art—demonstrating a fluency in working at various scales and in diverse visual formats and media. As surface designers, they produced both custom commissions and commercially available patterns, using each project as an opportunity to experiment with the core elements of pattern: color, shape, and line. 

“Workshop” + Public Programming 

With the goal of encouraging and enabling visitors to create their own pattern designs inspired by the exhibition content, an interactive workshop will be located within the gallery space. Supplies, instructions, and reference material will be available for use in the workshop for the duration of the exhibit. The gallery will also be activated by a range of public programs, including pattern design workshops led by contemporary designers and an exhibition and archive tour led by the curators and NYSID’s librarian/archivist. 

NYSID Commissioned Pattern Designs 

The exhibition’s curators invited four contemporary designers (Dan Funderburgh, Jeanetta Gonzales, Li Iordanov Dan, and Andrew Raftery) to directly engage with the NYSID Archives by using archival materials as inspiration for new pattern designs. These newly commissioned works will be on display in the exhibition’s workshop area alongside samples of designers’ existing pattern designs, including wallpaper and textiles printed by Adelphi, Flavor Paper, and Spoonflower. 

Interactive Digitized Patterns 

Visitors will be invited to experiment with a program that can manipulate digitized patterns from the NYSID Archives to create new and unexpected pattern designs. Resulting patterns will be projected at full scale in the gallery workshop. This process will engage visitors more deeply with the process of pattern design and expand on the possibilities of using historical forms, colors, and lines as the basis for original creative expression. 

Student Exhibition 

As a complement to the exhibition in the main gallery, an exhibition of student work generated as part of NYSID’s course Color for Interiors (Prof. Randi Halpern) will be on display alongside archival designs by Joann Nelsen.  

Sketching the Surface is curated and designed by StudioExhibit.A, with design and management by Poleshuck Design Inc. 

Designers from the NYSID Archives featured in the exhibition include: 

Untitled Leaves for Unknown by Joann Nelsen

Joann Nelsen (née Hanson, 1937-2013)  was a Staten Island-based fine artist and textile designer known for her vibrant, hand-painted wallpaper and upholstery patterns. Her work was produced by Waverly, Schumacher, and others from the 1970s-1990s. A graduate of the University of Washington and Mills College, she also founded Half Drop Designs, Ltd. Her archive at the New York School of Interior Design includes richly colored renderings and detailed color charts reflecting her meticulous process. 

Rose & Acanthus for Charterhouse Designs by Joseph Grusczak

Joseph Grusczak, ASID (1936-2022)  was a New York-based interior and architectural designer known for luxury residential and global hospitality projects, especially with InterContinental Hotels. A 1956 graduate of the New York School of Interior Design, he founded firms including Charterhouse Designs and G.B. Designs. His NYSID archive includes renderings, drawings, and photographs that document his decades-long career and international design legacy.

Black/Brown Geometric for Unknown by Joe Martin

Joe Martin (Unknown) was a Connecticut-born illustrator and textile designer who studied and taught at Parsons in New York and Paris. He began in display and editorial illustration before shifting to textile design in the 1950s, eventually settling in Milan. Martin designed for U.S. and European firms including Bloomcraft, Piazza Prints, and Suzanne Fontan, and co-founded Falconetto in 1958. His collaborations with Ken Scott in the 1960s included printed furnishing textiles for Clarence House. 

Inez Croom Design Exclusively for Waterhouse Wallcoverings by Inez Croom

Inez Croom (1893-1980)  was a pioneering wallpaper designer, NYSID alumna and longtime faculty member (1934-1979) known for her hand-screened patterns featuring florals and architectural motifs. A protégé of Nancy McClelland, she founded two design firms and was active in professional organizations including ASID and the Decorator’s Club. In 2016, several of her mid-century designs were reissued by Waterhouse Wallhangings, highlighting her lasting influence on American decorative arts.

Contemporary designers featured in the exhibition (showing existing work plus new design commissions, inspired by the NYSID archive) include: 

3486 Vigilant Floral  for Flavor Paper by Dan Funderburgh

Dan Funderburgh is an artist, illustrator, and surface designer. Dan lives and works in Brooklyn where he partners with printers at Flavor Paper to create wallpapers inspired by ornament and history. Funderburgh has created site-specific installations, including at the historic Metro-North Fordham station for the MTA Arts & Design program. His wallpaper designs have been featured at the Museum of Art and Design and the Smithsonian.  His work is part of the permanent collections of the Cooper-Hewitt and Brooklyn Museum. 

Amina for Spoonflower by Jeanetta Gonzales

Jeanetta Gonzales is a designer, illustrator, and educator known for her bold, joyful aesthetic and vibrant surface pattern work across apparel, home décor, stationery, and more. With over two decades of experience, her work spans graphic design, surface design, illustration, and product collaborations with brands like Target, Pantone, Michaels, The New York Times, and Edible Arrangements. Blending traditional media with digital illustration, Jeanetta’s process embraces both spontaneity and structure, allowing her to create richly layered designs that celebrate nature, empowerment, and cultural diversity through expressive color and pattern. 

4EBE2F67 from Vintage Palm design capsule by Li Iordanov Dan

Li Iordanov Dan is a multidisciplinary designer and head of creative at HOUSE OF JUNE™, a Brooklyn-based surface design studio. Originally trained as a classical pianist, Li transitioned into fashion, graphic, and textile design, bringing a richly layered perspective to her work. Combining digital and analog techniques, her practice focuses on the visual impact of surface design in both fashion and home interior applications. At HOUSE OF JUNE™, she leads the development and presentation of original print collections for a global clientele. 

Carrington's Cubes by Andrew Raftery

Andrew Raftery is a Rhode Island-based artist who explores both observational and autobiographical narratives of contemporary American life. His artistic work combines deep expertise with an appreciation for historical methods of art-making, most notably copperplate engraving. His precise and labor-intensive works demonstrate the enduring relevance of this medium’s application to modern-day subjects in disseminating universally accessible images. Recent projects in transfer printed ceramics and wallpaper investigate prints in relation to functional objects and design. 

About the Curatorial + Design Team 

StudioExhibit.A offers curatorial, research, and exhibition design services to museums, galleries, archives, and academic institutions. Founded by three women design professionals—a graphic designer, an architect, and an interior designer—the studio draws on decades of experience in practice, teaching, and research to streamline and elevate the exhibition design process. Based in New York City and Toronto, the studio was founded by Arpie Gennetian (MA, BFA, BGD), Andrea Lacalamita (OAA, MA, MArch, BAS) and Anne Regan (MA, BFA). 

Poleshuck Design Inc is a multidisciplinary design studio that creates physical and digital environments with intent for theater, television, events, and exhibitions. Founded by principal designer Jesse Poleshuck, the team was solidified with the addition of Design Director Veronica Spink and Lead Designer Jacob Darley. With a combined 50 years of experience, PDI believes that every project deserves a visual experience that not only captures the imagination, but also deeply resonates with its audience.  Based in New York City, but their work can be found around the globe.

Corporate Partnerships 

NYSID appreciates the support of corporate sponsors Kravet Inc. and Benjamin Moore.