Upcoming Live Sessions in July and August

by Kate Nixon

 

The number of opportunities to learn this summer is astounding; while in-person shows and events slowly make their way back into our schedules, Arts & Crafts collectors can log into these virtual sessions from anywhere in the country in the comfort of your own home. This month, the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms continues their popular “Design & History: The Past Is Always Present” series with Part 3, happening through July and August. Additionally, you can participate in a week-long celebration of all things Arts and Crafts during “Arts & Crafts In August: A Virtual Experience”: the experience includes live discussion sessions, seminars, exhibitor chats, a demonstration, and opportunities to buy works from our exhibitors. For those who are unable to attend the sessions, they are available to watch after the live session ends. Read more to find the session that peaks your interest and register…

 

“Design & History: The Past is Always Present” Schedule of Live Zoom Sesssions

Click HERE to register for these courses!

*all descriptions from Jonathan Clancy.

 

Saturday, July 17th –  Cubism: The Rise of Geometric Modernism

This session explores the trends of analytical Cubism of Braque or Picasso, looking at varied movements from the Wiener Werkstätte to De Stijl, to Soviet Constructivism and Suprematism, and considers the impulses that were common to that approach, inklings of which were evident in Cezanne’s work by the 1890s.

Sat., July 24 – Mysticism, Modernism, and Often Misunderstood: The Bauhaus

Often thought of as a pinnacle of European modern design, this session explores the Bauhaus from its roots in Henry Van de Velde’s Weimar School for the Applied Arts to its growth under Walter Gropius.  The influences of Expressionism, mysticism, and the role that handicraft played in the development of the school’s aesthetics will be explored and the development of hand weaving, timber structures, pottery making, and embrace of exoticism in the Bauhaus.

Sat., July 31 – The International Style

Amongst the most recognizable styles of modern architecture and design, the International Style also established the canon of luminaries we continue to revere: Le Corbusier, Mies Van Der Rohe, Marcel Breuer, and Alvar Aalto. Practitioners favored modern materials, balance (as opposed to symmetry), and emphasized the volume of space rather than the mass of the façade. Generally devoid of ornament, part of the appeal of the movement, and indeed its supremacy from about 1930 to the 1980s, was that it was reproduceable ad nauseum anywhere. The unfortunate legacy of the International Style is a staggering amount of non-descript glass and steel buildings all over the world that often distracts from the aesthetic achievements of the movement’s best work. In this session, we will recapture that history, look at what makes for great (and, by contrast, really poor) International Style design, and see the manner in which subtle manipulations of proportion and materials created these iconic structures.

Sat., August 7 – Can We Make it Jazzier? Art Deco and the Return of Decoration

From Radio City Music Hall to the Chrysler Building to the SS Normandie, high-style Art Deco’s embrace of luxury materials, contrast, pattern, and decoration formed a welcome relief to the somber elegance of the International Style. This session looks at the return of decoration and the movement’s best designs and designers, including Emile-Jaques Ruhlman, Donald Deskey, Viktor Schreckengost, and Ruth Reeves.

Sat., August 14 – Craft Workshops in an Era of Mass-Production

From George Nakashima to Wharton Esherick, from Gertrude and Otto Natzler to Leza and William McVey, the practice of craft and the notion of the individual studio continued to hold sway even as the acceleration of mass production drove designers and producers farther apart. In this hour, we explore the persistence of the artist producer in the modern economy, highlighting works from the artists mentioned above, but looking too at artists like Harvey Littleton, a revolutionary who resisted modern production methods by taking an art that had been confined to larger practices–glass making–and creating a studio practice that rescued craft from industry.

Sat., August 21 – Design at Mid-Century: Softer Modernisms

Moderne, streamlined, biomorphic, mid-century, these terms denote a school of thinking that arose to fill the gap between the austerity of the International Style and the excessive decorative impulses of Art Deco. Exemplified by figures such as Russell Wright, Eva Zeisel, Charles and Ray Eames, and Isamu Noguchi, these designers sought a middle path and chose to preserve the clean lines of modernism while softening its hardest edges. Their efforts and their collaboration with industry put “good design” within the reach of the masses and helped shape the material culture of that period and even into today.

Sat., August 28- The Black Mountain Legacy: Bauhaus and Beyond

With the final closing of the Bauhaus in Berlin in 1933 and the rise of Nazism in Germany, artists and designers–if they were able to–fled. Black Mountain College, in western North Carolina, was the unexpected beneficiary of Germany’s deteriorating political climate as nearly a dozen artists associated with the Bauhaus (including Walter Gropius, Anni and Joseph Albers, and Lyonel Feininger) came to work at the school. Although short-lived–lasting just 24 years from 1933-57, Black Mountain’s impact on American and Art and Design is difficult to overstate: Peter Voulkos, John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Willem de Kooning, Jacob Lawrence, and Robert Motherwell all spent time there. So too did Buckminster Fuller, Albert Einstein, and Ruth Asawa. This session explores this amazing moment, the overlap of art / design / dance / craft / engineering and the impact it continues to have on our world.

 

Click HERE to visit the Stickley Museum’s website and register for these courses!

 

 

“Arts & Crafts In August” Schedule of Live Zoom Sesssions

Click HERE to register for your participant pass (access to all live and recorded events)

For descriptions of the seminars, virtual tours, and virtual demo from Yoshiko Yamamoto, please click here to see our schedule.

 

Sunday, August 1st at 3 PM Eastern- “Exploring Great Britain: My Favorite Places” by Elaine Ellis of Arts & Crafts Tours.

The session will cover many sites – and objects – of the British Arts and Crafts, seen on her upcoming overseas tours of Great Britain and the surrounding areas, including this September’s Women in the Arts and Crafts Movement.

Monday, August 2nd at 1 PM Eastern – “My Favorite Arts & Crafts Reference Books” by Peter Copeland of the Parchment Press

A part of every Arts and Crafts enthusiast’s collection is their library of reference books; a treasure trove of reference books, catalogs and biographies about the icons of the movement. On Monday, August 2nd, Peter Copeland will bring his comprehensive list of Reference books to our audience and will be ready to answer questions. It’s a session not to be missed if you need a few more books to add to your library…

Monday, August 2nd at 3 PM Eastern – “Elements of Design: Identifying Furniture Without a Shopmark” with David Rudd of Dalton’s American Decorative Arts

After his popular series on furniture for the virtual National Arts and Crafts Conference this past February, David Rudd returns to teach us the basics of identifying furniture works from different firms that are without a shopmark. Come learn from Rudd as he comes to us live from his store, full of Arts and Crafts ambiance.

 

Tuesday, August 3rd at 1 PM Eastern – “Collecting Art Pottery” with Jim Messineo of JMW Gallery

Hear the story of how Jim Messineo of JMW Gallery got started in collecting art pottery, he’ll also show unique works from his collection and answer your questions about all things art pottery!

Tuesday, August 3rd at 3 PM Eastern – “Virtual Art Studio Tour, Art Techniques & Process” with Julie Leidel of the Bungalow Craft

This special look at Julie Leidel’s studio, art techniques and process takes place live over Zoom. Join her at 3 PM Eastern.

*This chat is hosted by the artist instead of the National Arts and Crafts Conference. Please contact the artist for a copy of the chat if you miss the session.

 

Wednesday, August 4th at 1 PM Eastern – “Historic Site Updates” with Vonda Givens of the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms and David Rudd of the Gustav Stickley House Foundation

It’s been quite the year for the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms and the Gustav Stickley House Foundation: here’s your chance to see what they’ve done since 2020 and what they plan to do next. Vonda Givens and David Rudd join us for this special look at what these hard-working non-profit organizations have kept going.

 

Wednesday, August 4th at 3 PM Eastern – “Live from the Roycroft Museum: The Stories Behind the Collection” with curators from the Roycroft Museum at the Roycroft Campus

In a special exclusive with the hosts of “Coffee with a Curator,” Roycroft Museum curators Amizetta Haj, Amanda Falkowski, and Educational Program director Alan Nowicki will join us live to reveal a few Roycroft items with intriguing stories. These items are not featured in the typical tours, so you’ll be getting an exclusive look at these items plus the curators will be there to answer your questions.

 

Thursday, August 5th at 1 PM Eastern – “Collecting Rookwood” with Riley Humler of Toomey & Co Auctioneers.

Fresh after curating Toomey & Co’s Auctioneers special “Rookwood & Keramics” auction last month, Riley Humler joins us to answer our questions about all things Rookwood!

 

Thursday, August 5th at 3 PM Eastern – “The DOs and DON’Ts of Collecting Prints & Paintings” with Marc Williams of Diverse Ayres Fine Art

Marc Williams of Diverse Ayres Fine Art will join us to show us a brief presentation, address concerns about spotting fakes, the common misconceptions about mechanical prints and fine art, helpful hints for doing your research and more. Don’t miss this comprehensive session for fine art and print collectors alike.

 

Thursday, August 5th at 4:30 PM Eastern – “Finishing Touches: Hand-painted Friezes and Wall Ornament for Arts & Crafts homes” by CJ Hurley and Barbara Pierce of CJ Hurley Century Arts

A presentation on hand-painted friezes, watching a live demonstration of CJ Hurley in his studio, and Q&A after.

*This chat is hosted by the artist instead of the National Arts and Crafts Conference. Please contact the artist for a copy of the chat if you miss the session.

 

Friday, August 6th at 1 PM Eastern- “Shopping for Arts & Crafts Wallpaper: 1907 – 1910” with Bo Sullivan of Bolling & Company

Bo Sullivan joins us for a look into the history of wallpaper in 1907 through 1910 with a presentation covering the state of the trade at the time, the players, how they marketed, periodicals, photos of wallpaper store interiors and real home interiors, etc.  A live demo of sample books follows with time to have questions and answers at the end.

 

Friday, August 6th at 3 PM Eastern – “All That’s Fit to Talk About Printing” with Andre Chaves of the Clinker Press

After providing such an engaging seminar in February’s virtual conference, experienced printers Andre Chaves returns to talk about book printing with a presentation and the answers to all your questions about the book printing process.

 

Saturday, August 7th at 1 PM Eastern – “Don’t Touch It! Restoration and Care for your Metalware” with Bryan Mead of Hammered & Hewn

After such a comprehensive Zoom session on collecting metalware in February, Bryan Mead of Hammered & Hewn returns to tell us the finer points of restoration and maintenance for metalware. Come prepared with questions as we’ll address plenty in this session!

 

Saturday, August 7th at 3 PM Eastern – A Special Film Discussion on “Elbert Hubbard: An American Original” with Robert Rust

If you’ve watched “Elbert Hubbard: An American Original” then you know the intriguing life he led – and we’ll be chatting with someone who knows all about all things Roycroft. Robert Rust joins us to talk about Hubbard’s life and all things Roycroft.

If you haven’t watched the documentary yet, click here to watch.

 

 

Sunday, August 8th – “From Mid-Century to Arts & Crafts: A Tour of Ray & Ula’s House” with Ray Stubblebine and Ula Ilnytzky

We’re wrapping up the live events with a special exclusive event, where we’ll see a look at the process of converting a Mid-Century house to an Arts & Crafts haven with the story of the two that did it. Ray Stubblebine and Ula Ilnytzky show us the process and can answer your questions about what it took to transform their house into an Arts & Crafts house!

 

Click HERE to register for your participant pass (access to all live and recorded events)

For descriptions of the seminars, virtual tours, and virtual demo from Yoshiko Yamamoto, please click here to see our schedule.