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May 28, 2023

In Memorium

In Memorium
Philanthropist, CEO, Arts & Crafts Collector John Bryan Remembered
Kate Nixon Posted On October 8, 2018


by Kate Nixon

“Gracious.” “Brilliant.” “Creative.” “Visionary.” “Exceptional.”

John Bryan was a philanthropist, CEO, “fundraiser-in-chief,” a fervent supporter of the arts, and the man behind the creation of Chicago’s Millenium Park, but to those that knew him and worked with him, he was more than a man with an impressive CV. The qualities that made him a leader early on in business shone through in his passion for the arts, both in his beloved Chicago and elsewhere collaborating with others. Bryan, a man of passion, brilliance, and grace, died of complications from lung cancer on Oct. 1 at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois, according to his son, John Bryan III.

Bryan was born and raised in West Point, Mississippi and lived in Lake Bluff. In his youth, Bryan earned a bachelor’s degree from Rhodes College in Memphis in 1958. After college, he began graduate business studies at the University of Virginia, but went to work at his father’s suggestion. He joined the family specialty meat business, Bryan Foods, at age 23 in 1960 as its top manager, later finishing graduate school part time at nearby Mississippi State University. The family business would soon be sold to Chicago’s Consolidated Foods, but Bryan stayed on to look out for the business. He soon became president and a year later CEO – and under his leadership, changed the company’s name to Sara Lee.

John Bryan

During his time as CEO, he began to support local art groups in Chicago. “I think I was born with a natural attraction to the arts,” Bryan said in a 2004 interview with the Chicago Tribune. “I’ve always made aesthetic judgments. And I’ve developed a fascination with art, architecture and design.” His fascination with the arts would span all throughout his life as he continued to find art projects that he enjoyed and believed in supporting. He would also become politically active and supported progressive causes and figures in the Democratic Party. Hillary Clinton received on her 50th birthday as First Lady in 1997 a 300-pound pumpkin spice and cream cheese-filled cake from Sara Lee.

“John truly was the epitome of a Renaissance man, enormously talented and engaged in every aspect of life: business, the cultural landscape, art, architecture and design, civic engagement, politics, historic preservation and of course his beloved Crab Tree Farm,” Chicago attorney Joseph Gromacki, a close friend, told the Tribune.

 

“On my visits to Crab Tree Farm, I came to see it as an extension of him—both awe-inspiring and welcoming. Mr. Bryan was gracious, brilliant, charming, thoughtful, and warm and so was his home.” – Vonda Givens, Executive Director of the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms

Crab Tree Farm is a privately owned property with a functioning farm, purchased by Bryan in 1985. The six farm buildings display collections, some of which have been created to reflect the aesthetics of the Arts and Crafts movement, including artifacts from both the English and the American movements. The decoration of the rooms was something Bryan insisted on working on himself, a reflection of his ability to immerse himself in researching a culture. “When someone originally suggested that he fill the house with Arts & Crafts, he said ‘what’s that?’” reflected Tom Gleason, the collections manager of Crab Tree Farms. “He fully immersed himself in research about the Arts & Crafts period, the stories, the people, everything…He always said he was a set designer here, putting things together to scale and size.”

Those who are familiar with his philanthropy and passion most likely remember him telling folks “Don’t ask me to raise money to fix the roof … It has to be something that’s exciting. Like they say, it takes some magic to stir people’s blood.” Gleason also revealed that “He found joy and passion in collecting Arts and Crafts objects and he was just as passionate with scholarship and connoisseurship.”

Crab Tree Farm. Bryan decorated several of the rooms with decorative art in the Arts & Crafts Movement style.

He fully immersed himself in research about the Arts & Crafts period, the stories, the people, everything” – Tom Gleason, Collections Manager at Crab Tree Farms

Of course, no tribute to John Bryan would be complete without talking about Millenium Park. “Without John, there would be no Millennium Park,” Chicago lawyer and former FCC chairman Newton Minow, a longtime friend and co-boardmember told the Tribune. “He was an exceptional combination of a fine mind plus a dedication to making our community and our country a better place. And he was more than a business leader — he took an active role in the direction of our country in the arts.” What is known to be his grandest civic undertaking was being the sole force behind raising $200 million in private funds to help pay for the $475 million Millennium Park – now a a state-of-the-art collection of architecture, landscape design and art that provide the backdrop for hundreds of free cultural programs including concerts, exhibitions, tours, and family activities in Chicago. “He helped shape it, found the money to fund it, found the artists and talent to put it together, oversaw every part of its creation, and, finally, delighted in seeing the transformation and watching Chicagoans enjoy it,” said Barbara Fuldner, board member of the Stickley Museum of Craftsman Farms. Bryan strove to build something that helped put Chicago on the Art world map. “My point from the beginning was that we want to do something that would define Chicago to the world,” Bryan said. “We wanted to build a free park for the people of the city. We wanted the best designers, architects and artists the world has to offer.”

Millenium Park, Chicago, IL. John Bryan was the sole force in raising $200 million to build the park as a defining arts and culture portal. Picture courtesy of Wikipedia.

“My point from the beginning was that we want to do something that would define Chicago to the world.” – John Bryan

Those in the Arts and Crafts community today fondly remember him as a visionary, creative, and giving person. Fuldner, who had the opportunity to collaborate with Bryan, saw in Bryan a passionate supporter who was eager to keep working. “Early on, he recognized Gustav Stickley’s importance as a visionary leader of the Arts and Crafts movement in America. John understood the significance of saving Craftsman Farms for the benefit of us here today. He supported the Farms with his knowledge, vision, and generosity.” Bryan suggested to Fuldner that the two of them display their Newcomb collections together at Crab Tree Farms. “This was an honor for me, and a very special experience, to plan it with him! The exhibition, arranged mostly by Mr. Bryan, is beautiful. Though he did see the exhibition completed, his cancer diagnosis came right at the time of the opening. The exhibition has gone on as planned and many have enjoyed it, but sadly I never saw John Bryan again.”

The pieces from his collection have been displayed at the National Arts and Crafts Conference at the Grove Park Inn within the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms’ “Mr. Stickley” case displays since 2008 – a cause that Bryan would “always happy to share pieces from his collection for these displays. As several others, who knew him and/or worked with him, have expressed this past week: ‘We were all lucky to have known him.”‘

Early on, he recognized Gustav Stickley’s importance as a visionary leader… John understood the significance of saving Craftsman Farms for the benefit of us here today. – Barbara Fuldner, Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms

Vonda Givens, Exceutive Director of the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms, says “Throughout the entire modern history of Craftsman Farms, from the 1980s to the present, John Bryan championed the preservation of Craftsman Farms and its development as a museum. In large and small ways, with occasional grand style and as often quiet gestures, he consistently played an instrumental role in the museum’s most important endeavors. We are indebted to him for his leadership and his generosity, of both spirit and resources, which laid a solid foundation for the museum’s longevity and current vitality.” In describing Bryan’s brilliance, charm, warmth, and graciousness, Givens can’t help but remember this quote from Henry David Thoreau’s Walden:

“The virtues of a superior man are like the wind; the virtues of a common man are like the grass; the grass, when the wind passes over it, bends.” – Henry David Thoreau, Walden

In addition to his son, Bryan is survived by his wife of 60 years, Neville; two daughters, Margaret Bryan French and Elizabeth Bryan Seebeck; another son, Charles; 13 grandchildren; one great-grandson; a brother, George; and a sister, Caroline Harrell.

A memorial service will take place on Saturday, Nov. 3 at the Art Institute of Chicago.

To learn more about Crab Tree Farms, John Bryan’s tribute to the American and English Arts and Crafts movement, visit their website at http://www.crabtreefarm.org

 

Quotes taken from the Chicago Tribune can be found in the Chicago Tribune’s own obituary to John Bryan

Pictures of John Bryan from Crain’s Chicago Business


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In Memorium
Remembering Dorothy Markert
Kate Nixon Posted On August 8, 2018


by Kate Nixon

Dorothy J. Markert, an artist, author, and Roycroft master artisan emeritus, was known for creating Arts and Crafts-style silkscreen prints – but to some, she was so much more. “Dorothy was a quiet person with a gentle voice, who did not crave the limelight. You might not notice her in a crowd right away, but once you met her, you would be struck by her kindness, wit and wisdom,” says printmaker Laura Wilder. Wilder and Markert – bonded over a love of printmaking – describes an “epic road trip together”, in which a true and lasting friendship was born. “I drove, she rode shotgun. I told endless stories of my search for Mr. Right; she listened patiently and offered witty remarks and the occasional anecdote. She wasn’t one to talk a lot, but when she did, it was always interesting.” Wilder would deliver this same story during Markert’s memorial August 5th.

“Dorothy was a quiet person with a gentle voice, who did not crave the limelight. You might not notice her in a crowd right away, but once you met her, you would be struck by her kindness, wit and wisdom.” – Laura Wilder

Dorothy Markert

A lifelong artist and the master of silkscreen printing, Dorothy Markert passed away July 27th in her apartment at Fox Run Orchard Park in Hamburg, New York at the age of 86. She was cared for by her daughter, Grace Brandt, with assistance from Hospice Buffalo.

Born in Kearny, New Jersey in 1932 to Wilbur James Harvey, an engineer at General Electric and Clara Eleanor (nee Mattson) a needleworker and painter, she was the middle child of 3 children and spent her childhood developing her artistic skill early. After graduating high school and the Traphagen School of Design in New York City in 1952, Dorothy Harvey worked briefly as an artist for American Girl Magazine and as a window designer in Ithaca, New York. Later, she acquired a job at Bell Labs as a technical illustrator – where she met John Phillip Markert, an electrical engineer. John and Dorothy married in August of 1954 in Arlington, New Jersey – they settled into a home and began an active life in the community of Hamburg, New York. Her involvement in the local PTA turned into her first self-taught lesson in silkscreen printmaking.

Markert taught herself lessons from a book on printmaking and due to a request from the local PTA, began to produce posters. She continued printmaking – and soon began using her house as a studio and art gallery. She developed a specialty in silkscreen prints of Arts and Crafts stylized flowers in art pottery – and would later become known for them. Markert became a frequent exhibitor at shows and taught adult education courses on drawing and painting and at the Chautauqua Institution. In 1997, she had achieved the title of Roycroft Master Artisan – after after two years in the minors. Dorothy had found in screen printing her artistic voice and in her artists’ statement, any artist could recognize that passion for her craft. “I find screen printing a very personal way to create art. The craft, the hands on work is every bit as important and satisfying as the aesthetic vision. There is always something new to discover, whenever I am creating my own work or teaching.”

Dorothy and her screenprints. Photo taken by Nancy J. Parisi. Photo courtesy of Buffalo Spree Magazine and Grace Brandt.

She was a maker in many different formats including pottery, copper enameled jewelry and fiber arts. She helped to create the Centennial Art Center, became an active member of the Hamburg Historical Society and Hamburg Art Society. Because of her voracious reading, she became a trustee of the Hamburg Library. In 2015, she retired from work and was named master artist emeritus by the Roycrofters-At-Large-Association. She was a life member of RALA and would always continue to be in touch with and support the organization. Thomas Pafk knew her from working with her on the RALA Artisan Jury and made some frames for her. When asked about Markert, Pafk immediately commented “She was an amazing person as well as a great artist and printmaker.”

“October” by Dorothy Markert, 2005. Courtesy of Meibohm Fine Arts.

 

“Roycroft Print Shop – Winter” by Dorothy Markert, 2006. Courtesy of Meibohm Fine Arts.

 

“Lynn’s Flowers” by Dorothy Markert, 2007. Courtesy of Meibohm Fine Arts.

 

“I find screen printing a very personal way to create art. The craft, the hands on work is every bit as important and satisfying as the aesthetic vision. There is always something new to discover, whenever I am creating my own work or teaching.” – Dorothy Markert

 

 

In her creative life, she made friends in the Arts and Crafts community and even collaborated with a few, including her friend Laura Wilder. “She and I once had much fun doing a collaborative print together. I designed a portrait of her making a screen print, and added ‘The Printmaker’ lettering,” said Wilder. “Dorothy designed the floral Arts & Crafts style floral border around it, and printed the edition in four or five colors. We both signed it, and stamped it with our RR mark. The prints sold well, even to people who didn’t know either of us.”

“The Print-maker” by Laura Wilder and Dorothy Markert

 

She is survived by her daughter and sons Phillip J., Kenneth R., and Thomas J. Markert; her sister Virginia Garces; and eight grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Centennial Art Center, 3185 Amsdell Road, Hamburg, New York 14075.

 

 

 

 

Pictures courtesy of Meibohm Fine Arts and Laura Wilder: http://www.meibohmfinearts.com/artists.aspx?ID=1589

Background information Courtesy of Grace Brandt and Buffalo Spree magazine: http://www.buffalospree.com/buffalospreemagazine/archives/2002_0304/030402masterscraft3.html


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In Memorium
The Passing of a Legend
techlinksolutions Posted On October 30, 2016


I cannot say that I accidentally wandered into Don Magner’s Arts and Crafts antique shop in the SoHo district of Manhattan that fall day in 1987, for I had carried his Lafayette Street address in my wallet along with me from my home in North Carolina.

I was a neophyte, and Don Magner was a god. While he would never claim so himself, many believed Don Magner had initiated the Arts and Crafts revival in New York City. Unlike those who receive credit for the revival, Don was not drawn to the Arts and Crafts style as an academic, for he was first — and always — an artist.

While Don Magner was often the subject of reporters’ interviews, I cannot recall Don ever writing a book or even an article on the Arts and Crafts movement. Not that he couldn’t have.

After graduating from college during the early Eisenhower years, Don began his diverse career as an artist, actor and screenwriter in New York City. Talented, slim and as handsome as a Calvin Klein model, he was drawn to the New York literary crowd. Tennessee Williams took the young writer under wing, often bringing Don along with him to his Key West home. Don worked on movies with actress Vanessa Redgrave, director Tony Richardson, and actor Orson Wells, counted Noel Coward and Jeanne Moreau among his friends, and developed a following for his own original artwork.

don_young

And it was Don’s eye for design and his intuitive sense of artistry that soon spotted overlooked examples of Gustav Stickley and Charles Rohlfs furniture languishing in antiques shops and East Coast homes. In the 1960s he opened the first of his shops and began doing antiques shows, selling a mixture of Art Deco, Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts. A favorable 1975 New York Times endorsement of his shop and of the growing popularity of the Arts and Crafts style soon brought new collectors and celebrities to his Brooklyn warehouse, where he had accumulated a sizeable collection of Roycroft, Stickley, and Rohlfs furniture.

Soon, however, a number of upscale shops dedicated to the Arts and Crafts style began opening in SoHo, including the Jordan-Volpe Gallery, Peter-Roberts Antiques, Richard Caggiano, Michael Carey and Gallery 532, many of whom filled their showrooms with pieces fresh from Don’s Brooklyn warehouse. In order to compete with them, Don — somewhat reluctantly — opened a gallery in the antiques district of the city in 1982.

And so, in 1987 when I came to New York with a plan to start an Arts and Crafts Conference in a little-known 1913 hotel in Asheville, North Carolina, I went to introduce myself to Don Magner. I knew I had little chance of convincing him to make the 700-mile journey to an unknown show put together by an untested organizer, for Don, like the other Arts and Crafts galleries, was accustomed to doing the highly-acclaimed Manhattan Pier Shows and the famed Modernism Show.

But on that cool fall day on Lafayette Street, Don Magner rose out from behind his massive desk and spent more than three hours with this neophyte, patiently taking me around his gallery and showing me, item by item, subtle design details that made each piece special. I made notes, snapped photographs and hung on his every word, recognizing that I was walking beside an artist who could still get excited about a small, essential detail – a graceful corbel or a dramatic arch – and who was just as excited about sharing all that he knew with a budding young collector.

And a few months later, In February of 1988, Don Magner did come to Asheville, where he was among the handful of dealers who took a chance on the inaugural Arts and Crafts Conference at the Grove Park Inn.

After his retirement, I lost contact with Don, who retreated to his Brooklyn apartment, embraced by his collection of favored pieces and his personal artwork until his death a few weeks ago. But I never lost my admiration for Don Magner, nor my appreciation for his encouragement that fall day back in 1987.

Until next Monday,

Thank someone who made a difference in your life.

Bruce

Note: If you are interested in learning more about Don Magner and the early years of the Arts and Crafts revival, be sure to get a copy of Redux: The Arts & Crafts Revival, 1972-2012, researched and written by Judith Budwig and Jeffrey Preston. It’s a book you won’t want to put down. Available on Amazon.

Photos from Redux provided by Jeffrey Preston and Judith Budwig. Top: Don in his Brooklyn apartment; Center: A younger Don in Europe while on location for a movie.


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In Memorium
Remembered By Friends: The Passing of Don Magner
techlinksolutions Posted On October 25, 2016


Legendary Arts and Crafts antiques dealer Don Magner passed away in his Brooklyn home a few weeks ago. While his name may be unfamiliar to a new generation of collectors, Don Magner was the first antiques dealer in New York City to bring the work of Gustav Stickley, Charles Rohlfs and the Roycrofters to the attention of the press and the public. Drawing upon his own design and artistic experience, Don recognized the importance of the Arts and Crafts movement long before it became widely popular. During a career that spanned five decades, Don remained dedicated to the Arts and Crafts style, and encouraged others to follow in his path. Here, then, are a few select memories submitted by his friends and colleagues, which we are delighted to share with you.

“Walking into his home and warehouse in Brooklyn was another world back in the day when I worked for Skinner Inc. Auctioneers. Important Stickley lighting on Rohlfs chairs, inlaid furniture with Austrian metalwork, odd modern European textiles, etc. Don was light years ahead of any scholarly museum show or publication which would recognize and validate his revelations. His knowledge was immense, his curiosity deep. He and his enduring friendship with Kenny Dukoff produced many fabulous stories about pursuits and acquisitions worthy of any novel. The last time I saw him, Don was attending the opening of the Gustav Stickley exhibition sponsored by the Dallas Museum at the Newark Museum. Last time I heard from him, he had left a message on my answering machine informing me about the death of Robert Edwards. We owe this pioneer in 19th and 20th century design our thanks for his dogged research and generosity in sharing his knowledge, often presented in a captivating narrative. Don sparked intrigue in many a budding dealer and curator who built on his discoveries and carry on his legacy today. Rest in Peace.” – Marilee Boyd Meyer

“I was sorry to hear of Don Magner’s passing. He was a very gifted picker and dealer with a remarkable eye. In the mid-1970s he would routinely have Stickley, Rohlfs, and Roycroft furniture in his Brooklyn shop, but also, for instance, Eames chairs, at a time when almost no one knew of Arts and Crafts and few people were thinking about “Mid-Century Modern.” He was indefatigable; on those rare occasions when, for instance, a worthwhile piece of Stickley surfaced, it would often be at a midweek country auction far from the city, but Don would be there. He must have driven countless miles and he found some great things. It’s hard to capture his personality. He had an eccentric charm, his conversational style was intimate and personal and the things he said often gave the impression he was letting you in on a great story — and he sometimes was — but his nature was also challenging and competitive. There was not much casual chatter; a conversation felt like a test; I always liked talking to him. I lost track of Don by the late 1970s, but we met again six years ago at the opening of the Dallas Museum’s Stickley show. He had mellowed but was essentially unchanged. It was a delight to see him.” – David Cathers

“As an early pioneer in the world of Arts and Crafts, Don showed an keen eye and the importance of specifics designs. He was very opinionated on his feelings and dedicated to the preservation of the craft. His space in Brooklyn was quite a treat to visit, as you never knew what you’d find. It was always a learning experience.” – Don Treadway

“I remember how exciting it was to take the subway to Brooklyn Heights to meet with Don. You never knew what treasures he might show you. Don was one of the first dealers in the field that I met, and getting to know him was special. He always had fantastic stories to tell! I learned a lot from him, he was always very generous with information. I have vivid memories of searching through his storage garage, his shop…but nothing could have prepared me for the first time he invited me to his home. A feast for the eyes! And that unmistakable voice of his! Don was a seminal figure as a dealer in our field, and I will always remember him fondly.” – Robert Kaplan

“Those who were fortunate enough to know Don Magner beyond his occasionally cantankerous facade had the privilege of sharing time with an articulate, intelligent, and self-aware fellow being. Don was all about heart, and his understanding of 20th century design was so beyond the more typical, formulaic, “But I have an early version of the 222 settle” approach that predominated during the first decades of the revival of interest in the Arts and Crafts. This was a man who had the kindness of a romantic, the knowledge of a scholar, and the wisdom of a sage. His loss is our loss.” – David Rago

“Don Magner was one of the great dealers, and was the first Arts and Crafts dealer actively selling in the 1960s, before anyone could even name the style. The first Arts and Crafts galleries all bought inventory from him. Few people know that Don was not only a gifted painter, exhibiting in Manhattan, but also a natural dramatist and storyteller who was a scriptwriter in the film industry. Anyone who has experienced the pleasure of Don’s colorful company, his artistry, his ability to entertain, and his intellect, should be delighted – but not surprised- at his life in the celebrity world of film.” – Jeffrey Preston and Judith Budwig (Redux: The Arts and Crafts revival, 1972-2012)

“I think he had a great eye, tremendous knowledge and the ability to aggressively pursue the things he wanted. At Brimfield he was known to shout over the crowd waiting for a piece at the back of a truck in order to get a price, irrespective of who was in front of him…He was a force.” – Jim Messineo

“It was the summer of 1983 and I was attending an auction in Fayetteville NY. It was at an old estate and they were selling right off the back porch. The tent was packed with people. It was a Victorian home with much of the original furnishings throughout the house. There was one room that was an exception, the library. This was done in the Arts and Crafts style and many of the pieces were by Gustav Stickley. I happened to be at my van when another van pulled in beside me. An older, 50-something man stepped out and came around to get his two dogs, as Don often traveled with his dogs. We introduced ourselves and went on our way. Later at the auction, I realized we were bidding against each other. At the close of the auction Don was in line with me as we were cashing out. He took it upon himself to explain the fuming process to me and told me how fragile the finish and color could be and that I should be very careful when packing. I smiled and agreed. We had been friends ever since. Don will be missed.” – David Rudd

Bruce Johnson has also shared his memories of Don in the following Little Journeys column.

And if you’d like to share your memories of Don, head to our Facebook page and post on the left-hand side. We’d love to hear from you.

Photo of Marilee Meyer and Barbara Fuldner talking with Don Magner, accompanied by Tim Gleason and Monique Hoogenboom Seibert at the Stickley Exhibition.


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