Creative Research

Creative Research connects METRO’s membership to adjacent work in our region’s cultural and higher education institutions, particularly in the realms of art, design, critical information and media studies, and ecology.

An illustration from a 19th-century Japanese fireworks catalog depicts bright yellow, white, red, green, and blue dots in abstract firework forms on a dark background
Illustrations from Japanese Fireworks Catalogues (ca. 1880s) from Yokohama City Central Library via Public Domain Review

About

Cross-Reference Coalition Classes

An experimental public school that gathers together members from METRO’s member institutions across New York City and Westchester County, and connects them to local scholars, artists, and designers.

Review the program slide deck to learn more about us, or explore syllabi from past classes:

Fall 2026 course offerings will be announced in June. To receive updates, sign up for METRO’s newsletter. Thanks to our program advisory committee for their guidance!

Programming at the Library Field

Teaching, learning, and conviviality inspired by or situated at METRO’s Library Field outdoor library in Westchester County. We’ll imagine what’s possible when myriad fields of research and practice, and multiple ways of knowing, converge at this specific field site — which, over time, will grow into an organic repository of the ecological resources across METRO’s member institutions. Programs might include soundwalks and research-based performances, citizen science experiments, and cartographic studios. We’ll share more information throughout the summer!

Creative Research

Explicitly interdisciplinary research that draws upon and highlights the knowledge embodied in the multifarious cultural heritage and knowledge institutions within METRO’s service area; that infuses the aesthetic sensibilities and creative practices represented by the region’s arts and design organizations; and that builds upon the work of Shannon Mattern, METRO’s Director of Creative Research.