Edwin Schlossberg


Edwin Arthur Schlossberg is an American designer, author, and artist. He specializes in designing interactive, participatory experiences, beginning in 1977 with the first hands-on learning environment in the U.S. for the Brooklyn Children's Museum. Schlossberg continues to work in the field and publishes frequently on the subject. He is the husband of Caroline Kennedy, daughter of John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. He has published 11 books, including Einstein and Beckett and Interactive Excellence: Defining and Developing New Standards for the Twenty-first Century. His artwork has been presented in many one-man shows and museum exhibits. In 2011, he was appointed to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts by President Barack Obama.

Early life

Schlossberg was born in New York City to an Orthodox Jewish family. His parents Alfred I. Schlossberg and Mae Hirsch were both children of Ukrainian immigrants. Alfred founded a textile-manufacturing business and was president of the Park East Synagogue on New York's Upper East Side, where Ed studied Hebrew and had a Bar Mitzvah.

Education

Schlossberg first attended New York's PS 166 school, and graduated from Birch Wathen School and Columbia College of Columbia University. He received his masters and doctoral degrees from Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Career

Schlossberg's multi-disciplinary design firm, ESI Design, is based on Fifth Avenue in New York City. It has produced award-winning interactive experiences for both institutional and corporate clients. Signature projects include:
Schlossberg has been singled out as a "leader in interactive design" by Wired magazine.
Schlossberg's plans for a redesign of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland received public attention when ESI was engaged to head the project in 2007, but the Hall of Fame ultimately went with a different design because of cost considerations.

Personal life

Schlossberg married attorney Caroline Kennedy on July 19, 1986, his 41st birthday. They have three children, all born in New York:
At the time of a 60 Minutes interview in with Caroline in April 2015, Schlossberg and his wife were living in two separate New York homes. Ed was living in an apartment in Manhattan’s West Village while Caroline was residing in a mansion on Park Avenue. The 60 Minutes interview also generated social media buzz about the status of their marriage, which has long had a history of divorce rumors.