What’s Happening: A slate of major museum shows—and a generous widower—are honoring the centenary of late artist Ellsworth Kelly, whose vivid abstractions made even the simplest forms feel monumental.

The Download: Ellsworth Kelly first took up an interest in birdwatching shortly after his family moved to Oradell, New Jersey. “I believe my early interest in nature taught me how to see,” he explains in the introduction of his 2018 Phaidon monograph. An experience of seeing a redstart—“a small black bird with a few very bright red marks”—would prove formative to one of the 20th century’s most influential abstract artists, whose hard-edge paintings captivated with bright hues and clever techniques that emphasized line, form, and distilling concepts to their very essence.

Though he remains one of the most celebrated artists of his generation, Kelly’s work wasn’t always well-received. As the world emerged from the horrors of World War II, the 1950s signaled a period of transition. Artists were no exception, and Abstract Expressionism took hold as the main conduit for painters to convey the darkest corners of their psyches on canvas. Kelly, having served in the war and spent time in Paris, instead opted for vivid abstractions as a form of therapy. That split opinions, leading him to apologize for using bright colors during a 1956 show at Betty Parsons Gallery in New York. Times change, of course, and in the ensuing decades the world welcomed his light.

Kelly, who died in 2015, would be celebrating his centenary this year. His seven-decade legacy is being commemorated in a wave of centennial exhibitions this spring, including at the Museum of Modern Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. But the most notable is taking place at Maryland’s Glenstone Museum, the contemporary art stronghold founded (and bankrolled) by collectors Mitchell and Emily Wei Rales. More than 70 seminal works will be on display, spanning early abstractions and totemic wood sculptures to Yellow Curve, a giant painting installation on view for the first time since debuting at Frankfurt’s Portikus am Main in 1990.

As Yellow Curve suggests, Kelly excelled at making even the simplest forms seem monumental. That generous spirit lives on through his widower, Jack Shear, who serves as the president of the Ellsworth Kelly Foundation in Spencertown, New York. Earlier this spring, he announced the donation of 146 works to 19 museums—a few of which were able to choose which ones they wanted—in honor of Kelly’s centennial. Through the foundation, he has also given away $14 million and serves as a lead patron of the forthcoming Shaker Museum. But he’d prefer to stay out of the spotlight. “Whatever happens is because of Ellsworth,” he told the New York Times. “I’m stewarding his legacy as best I can.”

In Their Own Words: “Ellsworth Kelly’s vision for art can teach us so much about looking deeply at the world and translating what we see into its immediate visual components,” Emily Wei Rales says. “As a lover of nature, Ellsworth’s quiet and practiced eye created paintings, sculptures, photographs, drawings, and collages that are as rewarding and challenging on the 50th encounter as they are on the first.”

Surface Says: As Van Gogh once said, “I have nature and art and poetry, and if that’s not enough, what is enough?”

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Just over three years ago, furniture design and manufacturing company Model No. saw an opportunity to address frustration with the long lead times of custom orders. In the years since, fulfillment delays have reached all levels of the industry, but thanks to the forward thinking of its co-founders, and the company’s growth under CEO Phillip Raub, Model No. has remained impervious to these costly delays.

The secret to Model No.’s success lies in its manufacturing process: by maintaining an aptly named “microfactory” in the Bay Area, the company produces only what is needed to fulfill client orders, which are automatically sent to production using on-site 3D printers.

When: May 20–25

Where: 3.1 Phillip Lim, New York

What: A dynamic group of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) female-identifying designers like Ellen Pong, Caroline Chao, Rosie Li, and Ti Chang are coming together to present a series of works addressing the ideas of reflection through surface exploration, materiality, and self-discovery. Co-curated by the Female Design Council and Tortuga Forma in partnership with the AAPI Design Alliance, the exhibition will showcase an array of never-before-seen pieces in a diverse range of artist mediums, inviting viewers to ponder and question their own reflections. The show promises an inclusive space where the talents and narratives of AAPI female-identifying designers can flourish.

This week, the Whitney Museum of American Art hosted the Whitney Gala and Studio Party, which honored artist Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, philanthropist Nancy Poses, and trustee Thomas E. Tuft. The gala kicked off with cocktails and a seated three-course dinner by Olivier Cheng on the museum’s sixth floor before guests headed down to the lobby for the Studio Party. A lively set by DJ The Dare kept guests dancing until the early morning, as did a selection of smooth Maestro Dobel Tequila cocktails.

When was it? May 16

Where was it? The Whitney Museum, New York

Who was there? Antwaun Sargent, Lyndsy Welgos, Emily Dawn Long, Christopher John Rogers, Taofeek Abijako, Beverly Nguyen, Rowan Blanchard, and more.

Our weekly roundup of the internet’s most preposterous headlines, from the outrageous to the outright bizarre.

YouTuber Trevor Jacob Admits to Crashing Plane for Views [BBC]

Bear in a Tree Holds Michigan City in Suspense for Hours on Mother’s Day [AP]

Chicken Loose on Subway Tracks Halts Service in Mexico City [ABC]

Florida Man Living Underwater Won’t Resurface, Even After Breaking the Record [Yahoo]

My Neighbor Posted Flyers Declaring Me a Package-Stealing “Porch Pirate” [New York Post]

IT Worker Sues Her Boss Believing “xx” in Email Were Kisses [BBC]

The Internet Says Kylie Jenner’s Palm Springs House “Looks Like a Costco” [Apartment Therapy]

Alteronce Gumby has crossed a number of career “firsts” off his list. With numerous profiles, gallery exhibitions, and his inaugural museum show behind him, he’s now turned his attention to Color, his forthcoming documentary. The film follows Gumby on his journey to catalog the cultural and creative significance of color in such places as New Orleans’ Mardi Gras celebrations, India’s Holi festival, and even the Northern Lights. Gumby has invited friends and fans to support Color and earn exclusive perks like a tour of his studio, acknowledgments in the film’s credits, and a complimentary copy of his new Dark Matter exhibition catalog.

Studio Plow is a San Francisco–based architecture and design studio known for an aesthetic that’s restrained, yet warm and soulful. Each project is seen as a new opportunity for discovery, resulting in completely bespoke design. Working in collaboration with clients, the studio crafts a narrative that uncovers the soul of each space, mapping its full potential.

Surface Says: Studio Plow excels at creating expressive interiors with a strong sense of place. The soul of each space shines through every commission and is contextualized by Plow’s dedication to creating interiors that perfectly balance contemporary design and warmth.

A “digital twin” of the Titanic shows the famous shipwreck in stunning detail.

These plump toothbrush handles are made for people with dexterity issues.

Kelly Lee Owens and Hæckels recreate the feeling of music through scent.

Designers weigh in on why faux grass is more popular than one may think.