Together, Evelyn and Jerome Ackerman helped create the distinct design language and aesthetic of California midcentury Modernism. Their more than 50-year personal and professional partnership produced a wide ranging body of work across media, including ceramics, textiles, mosaics, wood and metal. Their sophisticated yet approachable designs, rooted in craftsmanship, brought modernism into everyday life. Celebrated for their vibrant contributions to postwar design that brought warmth to midcentury interiors, their work was favored by leading architects and interior designers of the time.

Born and trained in Detroit, Michigan, the Ackermans moved to Los Angeles in 1952, where they set up their studio and practice. The Ackermans epitomized the designer-craftsman ethos, bridging their fine art and studio craft training with efforts to scale production for broader markets. Popular press and exhibitions championed their work as a vivid embodiment of midcentury California style.

Their designs, exhibited internationally and held in major museum collections including the Smithsonian and LACMA, are being celebrated with “Material Curiosity by Design” at Craft Contemporary in Los Angeles, in a dynamic conversation about materials, innovation and craft. The exhibition runs November 15, 2025 to May 10, 2026 and is designed by Palm Springs graphic artist, Gary Wexler.

In an intimate exploration, their daughter, Laura Ackerman-Shaw, will share personal insights about her parents and examine their prolific career, material exploration, design process and continuing impact.

Following the presentation there will be a book signing for Evelyn and Jerome Ackerman: California Mid-Century Designers (2025, Pointed Leaf Press).

Laura Ackerman-Shaw graduated from Stanford University and, after decades in publishing, established Ackerman Modern to steward her parents’ design legacy through exhibitions, collections, programs, publications, licensing and scholarships. She has presented and written widely and currently has a collection of Ackerman designs with CB2.

@ackermanmodern, www.ackermanmodern.com