‘Bespoke Bodies’ Exhibition Now Open at the National WWI Museum and Memorial
The National WWI Museum and Memorial will exhibit Bespoke Bodies: The Design & Craft of Prosthetics from June 2023 to April 2024 in collaboration with Design Museum Everywhere.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The National WWI Museum and Memorial will exhibit Bespoke Bodies: The Design & Craft of Prosthetics from June 2023 to April 2024 in collaboration with Design Museum Everywhere.
This major traveling exhibition explores the past, present and future of prosthetic design. Through tactile objects, interactive models and stories of designers, prosthetists and amputees, Bespoke Bodies advocates for innovations in the field that center disabled people in the design process.
The exhibition also features objects from the National WWI Museum and Memorial's collection of artifacts from the Great War. Until the First World War, most battle injuries were caused by small firearms or swords, but shrapnel from heavy artillery, machine guns and poison gas created injuries unlike those ever seen before. Out of this devastation came the urgent need for innovation in ocular, facial and limb prosthetics.
“It was a pivotal time in the field of prosthetics,” said Maria Villafranca, Interim Executive Director of Design Museum Everywhere. “The artifacts provide a unique historical context to explore urgent contemporary conversations around design and disability.”
“Users and prosthetists had to experiment in the past,” said Matthew Naylor, President and CEO of the Museum and Memorial. “Limbs and devices went through a brief period of attempts at standardized mass production before we understood the need for a better, more bespoke future. The design and innovation of prosthetics during this time is just one of the many enduring impacts of WWI .”
Visitors are invited to explore the evolution of prosthetic devices through visual stories, historical timelines and videos. These stories demonstrate that when more perspectives of people who use prostheses are part of the creation process, the better the design.
Opening on Thursday, June 8, 2023, Bespoke Bodies will be on display in the Museum and Memorial’s Wylie Gallery and is presented by Bank of America.
“Bank of America is honored to partner with the National WWI Museum and Memorial in bringing awareness of innovation in prosthetic design through this exhibition,” said Matt Linski, president, Bank of America Kansas City. “As a company committed to diversity and inclusion and valuing all our differences, we’re pleased to help advance the conversation around disabilities today through this educational experience.”
Admission to Bespoke Bodies is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and military and $6 for youth – or just $4 when combined with a general admission ticket. A variety of engaging programs will support the exhibition. Stay tuned to theworldwar.org for more information.
About the National WWI Museum and Memorial
The National WWI Museum and Memorial is America’s leading institution dedicated to remembering, interpreting and understanding the Great War and its enduring impact on the global community. The Museum and Memorial holds the most comprehensive collection of World War I objects and documents in the world and is the second-oldest public museum dedicated to preserving the objects, history and experiences of the war. The Museum and Memorial takes visitors of all ages on an epic journey through a transformative period and shares deeply personal stories of courage, honor, patriotism and sacrifice. Designated by Congress as America’s official World War I Museum and Memorial and located in downtown Kansas City, Mo., the National WWI Museum and Memorial inspires thought, dialogue and learning to make the experiences of the Great War era meaningful and relevant for present and future generations. To learn more, visit theworldwar.org.
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