Coco Allred | Primacy of Shape

Primacy of Shape
An exhibition/workshop
Wiesner Gallery (MIT Student Center W20, second floor)

Special Dates:
September 16, 2025 / 5:00–7:00pm / Opening Reception
September 29, 2025 / 5:00–7:00pm / Closing Reception

On Display:
September 2–29, 2025 / Gallery open from 1:00–6:00pm, Tuesday–Friday
Wiesner Student Art Gallery, Stratton Student Center, W20 Room 209, 84 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA

In Primacy of Shape, Coco Allred (SMACT ’26) transforms the MIT Wiesner Student Art Gallery into a printmaking studio and workshop for a growing exhibition of prints, a video animation, and a handmade book. Allred looks at shapes as symbols, inspired by Friedrich Fröbel’s early 20th-century educational geometric toy sets called “Gifts,” in which the sphere, cylinder, and cube symbolize truth, knowledge, and beauty. Inspiration is found in organic objects and their ecological sources—found shapes that connect to the natural places they emerge from.

Included in the exhibition are three short films by Allred, including Recursive Gardens, an examination of the pedagogical roots of kindergarten and the notion of nurture rather than genius as a predictor of success. The aesthetics of early kindergarten teaching materials became important building blocks of 20th-century art and design in Germany, as well as a touchstone for Allred’s reflections on shape, relationship, nature, and nurture. Read more about this exhibition.

Fill out the printmaking workshop interest form here!

Alphabet of Shapes Printmaking Workshops
No prior experience is needed; It is free to participate and materials will be provided.

Sunday, September 7 / 2:00–4:00pm
Wednesday, September 10 / 4:00–6:00pm
Saturday, September 13 / 2:00–4:00pm
Wednesday, September 17 / 4:00–6:00pm
Sunday, September 21 / 4:00–6:00pm
Tuesday, September 23 / 5:00–7:00pm
Saturday, September 27 / 2:00–4:00pm