Eric Cohler started collecting art when he was 18. He has since amassed a collection of more than 500 pieces ranging from Egyptian tomb figures to seminal contemporary artists including Damien Hirst, Cindy Sherman and David Salle. Cohler will explain how he began his collection and discuss the interiors of great American art collectors.

Cohler is one of the country's leading interior designers. Recognized for his creative use of art and antiques in his work as well as unusual bursts of color, Cohler torques the traditional to create interiors that are uniquely his. A frequent speaker and panelist around the U.S. and the U.K., Cohler has delivered keynote lectures at Winterthur and New York's Museum of Art and Design. He designs fabric, furniture and rugs for Lee Jofa and lighting for Visual Comfort. President and Mrs. Obama selected one of his fabrics for the White House family dining room.

Cohler holds a BA in art history from Hobart College, a Master of Arts from the Columbia School of Architecture and a certificate in design from Harvard's Graduate School of Design.