Boston to get pop-up design museum

(Jesse Kunerth)

Pop-up stores are commonplace in fashion, beauty and interior design these days -- but a whole museum based on the concept?

Pop-up stores are commonplace in fashion, beauty and interior design these days - but a whole museum based on the concept?

Hipster design magazine Fast Company calls it one of the positive impacts of the recession that Boston-based designers Sam Aquillano and Derek Cascio didn't have the money to house their plans the conventional way.

Rather than spending years raising money for a suitable building to host the local design they want to support, they created Design Museum Boston, which will move from one empty storefront to another for each exhibition.

"Through a decentralized network of physical and virtual exhibits, Design Museum Boston brings programming to galleries, retail environments, public spaces and the web," the designers explained. "There, audiences can be exposed to the design process from a social, economic, and environmental point of view."

The first display is planned for this fall in Downtown Crossing. In the meantime, design fans can join the designers' new online community Designing a Museum to contribute ideas (or money) and to receive updates on upcoming projects.

Boston's design scene is quickly developing with its society of architects also planning its own museum and forward-thinking design competitions, such as SHIFTboston, being launched.

http://designingamuseum.ning.com