Remembering Judith Gura

On Sunday, April 12, longtime NYSID instructor, curator, and design historian Judith Gura passed away at her home. Ms. Gura’s knowledge on design history made her an exceptional educator, and a familiar face at design events in New York City and beyond. She was unique in her approach to history and life, as decorative arts editor of Architectural Digest, Mitchell Owens poignantly summarizes: “Her tastes were modern and adventuresome—and she was especially eloquent on the topic of women in design after World War II—but her mind was open to things baroque, things obscure, and things bizarre.” 

Ms. Gura earned her Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University and her master’s degree in History in Design and the Decorative Arts from Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, Design, and Culture. From 1998 until 2005, she served as associate professor of Design History at Pratt Institute, and in 2000, she became a faculty member of the New York School of Interior design, where she taught numerous courses for nearly 20 years including Historical Styles, Design History and Theory, and multiple study-tours both in the US and abroad. 

In addition to teaching at NYSID, Ms. Gura contributed deeply to exhibitions and public programming. She curated several exhibitions, including Angelo Donghia: Design Superstar, Rescued, Restored, Reimagined: New York’s Landmark Interiors, and the College’s most recent exhibition Making Connections: Harvey Probber Furniture, 1945–1985. Ms. Gura was a respected author and speaker, publishing many books and articles on design history and lecturing frequently.  

“Judith Gura has been a part of the NYSID community for twenty years, so to say that she will be missed is an understatement” says NYSID President David Sprouls. “However, her legacy lives on through the work of the many, many practicing designers that she taught in her design history courses at the College. The greater community will continue to benefit from the numerous books and articles she wrote on the history of design. Her impact has—and will continue to be—significant. We have been lucky to count her as a teacher, colleague, and for many of us, a friend.” 

Read Judith Gura’s obituaries from AD Pro and Interior Design magazine.