Arts Crafts Movement

Gustav Stickley's designs are focus of San Diego exhibit

Now through Sept. 11, 2011, the San Diego Museum of Art is featuring a special exhibition titled "Gustav Stickley and the American Arts and Crafts Movement." Organized by the Dallas Museum of Art, this is the first nationally touring exhibition to focus on the career of Stickley (1858–1942), one of the leading figures of the American Arts and Crafts movement. magazine to his own stores in New York, Washington and Boston, Stickley offered customers a complete lifestyle based on his philosophy of simple design and quality materials. Ranging from furniture to metalware and embroidered textiles to architectural designs, the majority of the more than 100 objects in the exhibition are from private collections and have never been seen before by the public. One of the exhibition’s highlights will be the re-creation of the dining room first displayed in the 1903 Arts and Crafts Exhibition organized by Stickley and exhibited in his Syracuse Craftsman Building. Other highlights include an armoire, circa 1907-1912, which Stickley kept for his private use in the decades after he sold his business, and works showcasing his experimentation with different varnishes, which can still be seen as a patchwork of colors on the undersides of the drawers. Also on view will be a rare armchair, c. 1903, with copper and wood inlay reflecting Stickley's brief foray into decorated Arts and Crafts furniture influenced by the work of progressive British and Scottish designers. The exhibition finds a particularly appropriate venue in San Diego, which has a rich heritage of Arts and Crafts architecture and decorative art. Communities such as North Park and Mission Hills are well known for their historic homes from this era. Marston House, at the edge of Balboa Park, was designed by local architects William Sterling Hebbard and Irving John Gill and is one of California's finest examples of the Arts and Crafts movement. San Diego also saw the production of Arts and Crafts pottery, tiles, and metal work. Gustav Stickley and the American Arts & Crafts Movement is organized by the Dallas Museum of Art in association with The San Diego Museum of Art. The exhibition is supported by a generous grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Henry Luce Foundation. Publication of the exhibition catalogue is underwritten by the Henry Luce Foundation and the Windgate Charitable Foundation. The presentation of the exhibition in San Diego is supported by A.O. Reed & Co.

Arts and Crafts Movement

And Crafts Movement

I debated on the title of this article, whether it should be “Arts and Crafts Furniture” or “Arts and Crafts Movement.” But it was definitely more than a furniture style, it truly was a movement. It originated in England around 1860 but quickly spread to Europe and the States. It lasted until about 1910, but its influence went into the 1930s. There is still a strong influence even today.

I debated on the title of this article, whether it should be “Arts and Crafts Furniture” or “ Arts and Crafts Movement .” But it was definitely more than a furniture style, it truly was a movement. It originated in England around 1860 but quickly spread to Europe and the States. It lasted until about 1910, but its influence went into the 1930s. There is still a strong influence even today. William Morris is often credited as being the father of the movement, along with John Ruskin. It was seen as almost a rebellion against the industrial state and a return to more simple styles and craftsmanship. It was also a social movement as well as the design aspects.

Arts and Crafts Movement Pioneers

Besides William Morris, there were many more proponents of the arts and crafts movement. John Ruskin was a contemporary of Morris and ,in fact, the term “arts and crafts” originated in a letter that Ruskin sent to Morris. In America, the Arts & Crafts Movement was also referred to as Mission style and the leading furniture designer was Gustav Stickley. His furniture is prized by collectors today and the company is still in existence producing fine reproductions of the original furniture. The Amish are also known for producing Mission style furniture. Frank Lloyd Wright also was known for his arts and crafts designs and outstanding architecture. Other countries also had their arts and crafts pioneers. There are whole books written on some of these people and their designs and philosophies. Many people have a favorite designer, but each contributed in their own special way. For a more complete history on the subject, you can check out Wikipedia’s Arts and Crafts Movement .

The Many Products of the Arts and Crafts Movement

Arts and crafts furniture is highly sought out by today’s collectors. The same holds true of the many accessories. There was art, pottery, wallpaper, fabric, metal ware, and much more. My favorites are the wonderful furniture designs and the copper accessories. Being a lover of English antiques. I tend to prefer their arts & crafts furniture over the mission style of the American designers, although many pieces are very similar.

Free e-Book Chapters in the history of the arts and crafts movement - 1902

The Arts and Crafts Movement in New Zealand 1870--1940: Women Make Their Mark:

Arts and Crafts Movement Glass and Pottery (Centuries of style):

Gustav Stickley and the American Arts & Crafts Movement at The San Diego Museum of Art

Fireworks: New England Art Pottery of the Arts and Crafts Movement (Schiffer Book for Collectors With Value Guide):

The arts and crafts movement

The arts and crafts movement, a study of its sources, ideals and influence on design theory

Architecture and the arts and crafts movement in Boston, Harvard's H. Langford Warren

The first full-length study of an important turn-of-the-century New England architect , educator, and leader of the Boston Arts and Crafts movement.

The arts and crafts movement in the Pacific Northwest

Beautifully illustrated with nearly 400 photographs and period graphics, including rare images published here for the first time, this groundbreaking volume is ...

Chapters in the history of the arts and crafts movement

Art," he once said, referring to the fine arts, "is very fine and ornamental, but only to persons sitting at their ease." To the arts of the leisure classes ...