Cathy Leff is director of The Wolfsonian-Florida lnternational University in Miami Beach. Below, she writes about “Power of Design 2014: Complaints,” a multidisciplinary event slated for March 20-23. The festival is sponsored by Knight Foundation and curated and organized by The Wolfsonian in partnership with WLRN and the Miami Herald.

Everyone has complaints, but how do we get past them? Griping is a starting point but if we get stuck there, it can lead to further discontent. We’re taking a novel approach to moving forward with “Power of Design 2014: Complaints.”

This ideas festival will take advantage of The Wolfsonian’s position as a museum, library, and research center with a singular collection of art and design from 1885-1945. We use objects to illustrate the persuasive power of art and design, to explore what it means to be modern, and to tell the story of social, historical and technological changes that have transformed our world.

 With “Power of Design 2014: Complaints,” Knight Foundation, our lead sponsor, asked us to create an annual event to explore the ways in which ideas embedded in The Wolfsonian’s historical collection resonate with the issues, events, and culture of our times—and our community. This is our inaugural year, and we have an incredible event planned.

We chose complaints as our theme because they are fertile ground. Complaints are the starting point for solutions; they can lead to problem-solving and innovation, as evidenced in The Wolfsonian’s collection. They can lead to action and get us to places we want to go—or not, as they may result in further dissatisfaction.

Design itself is a problem-solving process that often originates with a state of dissatisfaction. For example, The Wolfsonian has a rich selection of works from the Arts and Crafts movement—a response to dissatisfaction with industrialization. Political reform tends to start with protest. Think about advances in transportation, urban planning and architecture; often they are motivated by discontent. And design itself, whether industrial design, furniture design or any design, is often a response to discomfort, whether physical, functional or aesthetic.

These elements will all come together in “Power of Design” as we assemble change-makers, thought leaders and visionaries from multiple fields for provocative talks, group discussions, performances, exhibitions and more. We’ll explore topics such as cities and city life, air travel (with a focus on understanding the importance of airports to large urban communities, such as Miami), political humor, watchdog journalism, the challenges and opportunities of the digital age, and much more.

Yes, the theme is complaints, but the objective is to focus on the generative nature of complaints, and to bring presenters and audience together in a provocative and productive solutions think tank. We expect the audience to be fully engaged contributors to what promises to be lively conversations with the potential to impact how we address some of the challenges in our communities.

The lineup includes author and radio host Kurt Andersen as the emcee, political humorist Andy Borowitz, Pulitzer Prize–winning author Michael Chabon, virtual reality pioneer Jaron Lanier, legendary architect and city official Jaime Lerner, New Urbanist Andres Duany, design historian Steven Heller, designer Todd Oldham, author and curator Alastair Gordon, and several others.

As part of this festival, we are funding a competition, organized by the Miami Herald, called Solve This Miami! It will give a local organization a chance to win $25,000 to solve a community problem.

There is much more, including a film festival, a season of short plays, a charrette, two exhibitions and an installation, and even a Complaints Choir. Visit our website to learn more. While you’re there, check out our blog and explore the ongoing complaints/solutions pairings contributed by luminaries in multiple disciplines. You can even call our complaints line—305-535-2633—and let us know what’s on your mind.

Exhibits, along with performances on Thursday evening, March 20, and Sunday, March 23, are free to the public. Tickets to the entire slate of events for the “Power of Design” weekend are $1,000 and include intimate dinners with attendees and special guests. All events will be live-streamed and recorded, and Google+ Hangouts will offer additional opportunities for participation. For more information, contact [email protected] or call 305-535-2625.