Beauty Call: Events With Aesthetic Appeal

By Troy Segal

Beauty comes in a variety of forms. These upcoming lectures, screenings and discussions all celebrate it—and the people behind it—be it conventional or unusual, commercial or artistic.

In the 1920s, pioneering industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss believed the practical could look pleasing. Beautiful Users, the debut exhibit of the soon-to-reopen Cooper-Hewitt Smithsonian National Design Museum, celebrates his concept of user-centered design; its curator gives us a behind-the-scenes look. 92nd Street Y, Nov. 21.

1950sUnlimited — Flickr

Make-up: Many a woman won’t leave home without it. Learn about two ladies who made cosmetics so crucial to female appearance and self-esteem—the cosmetic entrepreneurs (and bitter rivals) Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein—in the film The Powder and the Glory. The screening will be followed by a Q & A with the directors. The Jewish Museum, Dec. 4.

Though distorted at first glance, the elongated torsos that feature in Alberto Giacometti’s works soon take on their own unique beauty. A panel discussion parses the artist in conjunction with an exhibit of his drawings. New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting and Sculpture, Dec. 9.

Once upon a time, books were works of art. The glowing illustrations of medieval manuscripts and their influence on 20th-century artists are analyzed by scholar Barbara Rose. Morgan Library & Museum, Dec. 19.