Quick Facts
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Edwin Arthur Schlossberg (born July 19, 1945) is an American designer, author, and artist. He specializes in designing interactive, participatory experiences, beginning in 1977 with the first hands-on learning environment in the U.S. for the Brooklyn Children's Museum. Schlossberg continues to work in the field and publishes frequently on the subject. He is the husband of Caroline Kennedy, daughter of John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. He has published 11 books, including Einstein and Beckett and Interactive Excellence: Defining and Developing New Standards for the Twenty-first Century. His artwork has been presented in many one-man shows and museum exhibits. In 2011, he was appointed to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts by President Barack Obama.
Early life
Schlossberg was born in New York City to an Orthodox Jewish family. His parents Alfred I. Schlossberg and Mae Hirsch were both children of Ukrainian immigrants. Alfred founded a textile-manufacturing business and was president of the Park East Synagogue on New York's Upper East Side, where Ed studied Hebrew and had a Bar Mitzvah.
Education
Schlossberg first attended New York's PS 166 school, and graduated from Birch Wathen School and Columbia College of Columbia University. He received his masters and doctoral degrees from Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
Career
Schlossberg's multi-disciplinary design firm, ESI Design, is based on Fifth Avenue in New York City.It has produced award-winning interactive experiences for both institutional and corporate clients. Signature projects include:
- Terrell Place, Washington, D.C.
- Barclays Center Media Experience, Brooklyn, NY
- Best Buy – Concept Stores
- Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate
- Ellis Island – American Family Immigration History Center
- Playa Vista
- Pope John Paul II Cultural Center
- Reuters Spectacular at 3 Times Square
- Sony Plaza and Sony Wonder Technology Lab
- Time Warner Home to the Future installation
- World Financial Center Breezeway Media Walls
- World Trade Center and World Financial Center Informational Kiosks
Schlossberg has been singled out as a "leader in interactive design" by Wired magazine.
Schlossberg's plans for a redesign of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland received public attention when ESI was engaged to head the project in 2007, but the Hall of Fame ultimately went with a different design because of cost considerations.
Personal life
Schlossberg married attorney Caroline Kennedy on July 19, 1986, his 41st birthday. They have three children, all born in New York:
- Rose Schlossberg (born June 25, 1988)
- Tatiana Schlossberg (born May 5, 1990)
- Jack Schlossberg (born January 19, 1993)