Collecting Modern

Join furniture dealer Adam Edelsberg and RISD Museum curator Emily Banas for a conversation about collecting modern, mid-century and contemporary furniture and design. They will share highlights from their collections (with the back stories about how they obtained these pieces), insights about how to build a design collection, and their personal lists of the top designers to watch. Moderated by Providence Preservation Society Executive Director, Marisa Brown with a reception to follow.

This tour is part of Providence Preservation Society's week-long Festival of Modern Design, from October 5 - 11, 2025. The Festival website has information about all events associated with the Festival.

Emily Banas is the Associate Curator of Decorative Arts and Design at the RISD Museum in Providence, Rhode Island where she has been working since 2015. Her recent exhibitions span from design works on paper and contemporary enamelwork to historic wallpaper, reflecting a broad, interdisciplinary approach examining form, style, material, and use across 18th to 21st century decorative arts, craft, and design. She earned an MA in decorative arts, design history and material culture from the Bard Graduate Center in 2015, and an MA in art history and museum studies, with a concentration in decorative arts and design, from Georgetown University in 2012.

Adam Edelsberg is a gallerist and dealer with expertise in postwar design and decorative arts, including American and Scandinavian design, and the American Studio Craft Movement. Edelsberg builds design auctions globally, advises private clients, and curates single artist selling exhibitions. In 2023, Edelsberg curated Taking Shape: The Akari Light Sculptures of Isamu Noguchi, the most comprehensive collection of Noguchi lighting ever assembled, bringing a historical perspective to these unique objects and setting world record prices in the market. He currently lives and works in Providence, RI.

Ticket Price: $15 Students / $30 PPS Members / $35 General

This event takes place on the second floor of Providence Preservation Society's office. PPS has an elevator that is accessible from our back entrance. If a handicap parking space is required, please email staff at [email protected] to reserve one in advance.

On a weekday evening, visitors will find street parking within a few blocks of PPS's office on Benefit or North Main Streets.

Host or Publisher Providence Preservation Society