A New Conference in Rose Valley PLUS Special Sessions with The Gamble House and Stickley Descendants

by Kate Nixon

 

A one-of-a-kind in-person weekend conference is coming to the historic town of Rose Valley, Pennsylvania, next month complete with presentations on architecture and the Arts and Crafts Movement past and present, a panel discussion, tours of Thunderbird Lodge, and the dedication of a historical marker celebrating Pennsylvania son and architect William Lightfoot Price.

 

 

The collaborative effort of the two organizations The Rose Valley Museum at Thunderbird Lodge and the Decorative Arts Trust, the two-day celebration will be held Saturday, November 6^th and Sunday, November 7^th in the Hedgerow Theatre in the historic community of Rose Valley, Pennsylvania. The celebratory events kick off with the dedication of the William Lightfoot Price PHMC Historical Marker, an event that will be free and open to the general public. The mayor of Rose Valley, PA and other state/local dignitaries will be in attendance.

Following the dedication, presentations will begin at the Hedgerow Theatre, starting with the accomplishments of Philadelphia architects William Price, Frank Furness and others with author and Harvard University lecturer George Thomas. Following lunch, Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Hobart and William Smith College Jim Spates will present “Hand, Head and Heart: John Ruskin and the Origin of the Arts and Crafts Movement.” Tours of Thunderbird Lodge and an opening reception will close out the first day.

Ryan Berley, Museum at Thunderbird Lodge Curator will start the events of Sunday with a presentation on William Morris, C.R. Ashbee and American Arts & Crafts colonies, while Barbara Macklem of the Arden Craft Shop Board of Directors will present “You Are Welcome Hither: The Three Ardens and the Single Tax Community” and Jim Spates will return to present “Nature, Beauty & The Old Road Trip of 1882.” The conference will close out with a panel discussion called “Make It About Now: The Arts and Crafts Movement Today” a session uniting speakers and the audience, moderated by Thomas Guiler of the Oneida Community Mansion House. Optional walking tours of the Arden 1900-1916 home designs are given the following day along with exploring the Arden Craft Shop.

For more information or to register, please visit the Rose Valley Museum at Thunderbird Lodge website by clicking the graphic below.

 

 

Saturday, Oct. 30th at 1:00 PM EDT

Circa 1901: Rediscovering Craftsman Farms
“You Can Take it With You: Selections from Stickley’s Descendants”

Hosted by The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms

This session explores the archival record of the Stickley Museum and examples from Stickley descendants to show the larger picture of the Craftsman Farms project. While historic images capture what the Log House looked like in 1911, the images do not show the home adapted to the lives of the Stickley family moving into Craftsman Farms after the images were taken. Instructor and Director of Collections Jonathan Clancy will explore rooms like the kitchen, the porch, the bedrooms, the upstairs hall, and the three cottages on the property and present how these rooms were furnished by the Stickley family, accommodating to the lives of the Stickley family.

Register for “Selections from Stickley Descendants” (and view other sessions) HERE.

 

 

Presented by Jennifer Trotoux, Director of Collections and Interpretation at The Gamble House
Hosted by the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms

While Greene & Greene are best known for furniture that was meticulously designed and crafted for each individual commission, their relationship with Gustav Stickley’s production furniture ran deep. This presentation by the Gamble House’s Director of Collections and Interpretation, Jennifer Trotoux, will discuss Stickley furniture in the works of Greene & Greene, its Los Angeles sources, and its history in the interiors of the Gamble House from 1909 up to the present day.

Stickley Museum members can RSVP for free for this event (and explore other museum members-only events) by clicking here.

Not a member? Click here to learn more about becoming a member of the Stickley Museum.