Guest curator for the "30 and Beyond" alumni exhibition, David Revere McFadden is the chief curator and vice president for programs and collections at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City. He served as curator of decorative arts and assistant director for the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution from 1978 to 1995. He was president of the International Council of Museums' Decorative Arts and Design Committee for six years.

 

McFadden has organized more than 120 exhibitions on decorative arts, design and craft, covering developments from the ancient world to the present day. He has published more than 100 catalogs, essays, articles and reviews, and has lectured extensively.

 

McFadden is a three-time recipient of the Presidential Design Award. He is an associate member of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, London; Knight First Class, Order of the Lion of Finland; Knight Commander, Order of the Northern Star of Sweden; and Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France.

 

He earned BA and MA degrees in the history of art from the University of Minnesota, with a focus on Chinese history (Ming period) at the graduate level.