A Summer of Transition: Reopenings and Virtual Offerings

by Kate Nixon

Editor’s note: the article has been updated to reflect the dates scheduled for the 2022 American Art Pottery Show as well as new information about the Roycroft Summer Festival.

 

From churches to museums to historic sites, the month of May has seen a number of buildings and organizations reopening around the country due to improving conditions. While the status of several sites vary state to state, exhibitor shows and annual traditions for Arts and Crafts collectors are slowly returning and scheduling their events either later this year or next year.

2020 served as a challenging year for museums, historic sites, and organizations world wide as the Covid-19 pandemic forced shutdowns of buildings and most families were confined to their homes. In order to keep connected with their supporters, some organizations created virtual programs in the form of pre-recorded tours, live Zoom events, seminars, and other offerings to keep education initiatives alive and to offer hope and connection to their supporters. The virtual environment was an efficient method of connecting with supporters and customers, so virtual sessions continued and still continue to this day to reach enthusiasts from all over the country.

As vaccinations started earlier in 2021 and some states begin to lift their restrictions, annual shows, events and historic sites are slowly opening their doors to the public. What follows is a list of events and organizations who have either scheduled their shows, rescheduled or cancelled, along with virtual events each organization may be offering.

Before attending any events or planning for on-site events, please check each website for Covid-19 status restrictions.  

 

Shows and Events

 

The 35th National Arts and Crafts Conference & Shows at the Grove Park Inn – Scheduled for February 18th – 20th, 2022, GPI Room Reservation Start Date Coming Soon

The Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina

 

Currently, the 35th National Arts and Crafts Conference will be scheduled to be held at the Grove Park Inn on February 18th – 20th, 2022. While the details of our contract with the Grove Park Inn are being approved – along with a future start date for Arts and Crafts Weekend Package reservations – the date of the conference is currently set and scheduled to happen. Those who would like to make reservations at the Grove Park Inn, please stay tuned for the announcement of the reservation starting date.

In the meantime, the office of the National Arts and Crafts Conference will be holding an online continuation during the first week of August of their virtual conference they held earlier this past February. Called “Arts & Crafts In August: A Virtual Experience” this week-long event will include new group discussion sessions, seminars, demonstrations, and access to recorded content if they missed it in February!

Please visit arts-craftsconference.com for more details.

 

The Roycroft Summer Festival presented by the Roycrofters-At-Large Association – Scheduled for June 26th – 27th, 2021

The Healthy Zone Ice Rink in East Aurora, NY

10:00 AM – 5:00 PM on both days

The RALA Summer Fest Show has been scheduled for June 26th and 27th at the Ice Rink in East Aurora, NY. A max of 250 people will be allowed at a time in the rink, following CDC guidelines.  Admission will be $5.00. In the meantime, please visit RALA’s official website for more information at https://www.ralaweb.com/

 

The Pottery Lovers Show – Scheduled for July 8th – July 10th, 2021

Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Zanesville North, Ohio

Events will be subject to change depending on the state of Covid-19 restrictions, but according to the Pottery Lovers Show, the show is scheduled to happen July 8th through the 10th. The room sales will open on Thursday as soon as dealers are set up and will continue until 4 PM on Saturday. The rooms will be open at each dealers discretion. For more information on additional related events during the Pottery Lovers Show, visit their website at https://potterylovers.org

 

The Colorado Arts and Crafts Guild’s Gathering of the Guilds – Scheduled for April 24th, 2022

In addition to helping The Roycroft Summer Fest next month, The annual Gathering of the Guilds has been scheduled in 2022 for Saturday, April 24th, 2022 at the American Mountaineering Museum from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. For more information, please visit http://www.coloarts-crafts.org/events.htm

Virtual Offerings: The Roycroft Artisan Summer Symposium on Wednesday, August 18th at 4:30 PM Mountain Time with presenters Roycroft Master Artisan David Tundo and Roycroft Artisan Brian Brace. Presented in partnership with the Roycrofters-At-Large Association. If interested, visit http://www.coloarts-crafts.org/events.htm for more information.

 

American Art Pottery Show – Scheduled from Tuesday, April 26th, 2022 to Sunday, May 1st 2022

Embassy Suites Hotel in Blue Ash, Ohio

The AAPA has set a date for their 2022 American Art Pottery Show: Starting Tuesday, April 26th, 2022 and ending Sunday, May 1st, 2022. Sadly, due to Covid restrictions, the AAPA show was not able to happen in April in 2020 and after checking their website, the April 2021 date has been postponed. In reaching out to the AAPA, we discovered hope for next year. “We are planning in earnest to hold our annual Conference in late April or early May of 2022 at Embassy Suites Hotel in Blue Ash, Ohio,” says Riley Humler. For more information on the 2022 show, continue to check aapa.info

 

Roycroft Campus Art and Antique Show – Cancelled, Other On-Site Events Offered

According to the Roycroft Campus website, the Art and Antique Show unfortunately has been cancelled.  “In compliance with New York State regulations, and out of concern for the safety and health of our staff, volunteers, artists and guests, we have decided to cancel this year’s Art & Antique Show on the Roycroft Campus. Although we are saddened that we cannot offer this well-loved event to the community this summer, we are hopeful that we will still be able to welcome the public to our Fall Festival and our Holiday Art Show later this year.”

The Roycroft Campus will offer additional events on site: the latest upcoming event for the Roycroft Campus is a special “A Whiskey for Garcia” in-person evening where participants will meet on the great lawn June 3rd at 7pm and will be offered whiskey samples and a small food pairing kit. The Campus also features their weekly Artist Pop Up series, where customers can shop the works of a local featured artist outdoors on the lawn next to the visitor center. The status of the Roycroft Fall Festival has yet to be determined.

Virtual Offerings: The Roycroft Campus continues their Watercolor & Wine At Home series, where the basic techniques of watercolor painting are explored with Roycroft Campus artist-in-residence, Kateri Ewing. The next session is July 14th, focusing on summer flowers.

Please visit https://www.roycroftcampuscorporation.com/upcoming-events/ for more information.

 

 

Reopenings/Tours

 

The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms – Limited outdoor tours of the grounds available starting June 18th

Beginning Father’s Day Weekend, Friday, June 18, Reservation-Only Guided Grounds Tours of Craftsman Farms will be available. The Weekly tours will take place Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

Walk in Gustav Stickley’s steps on this guided tour of the grounds of Craftsman Farms. More details to come. Watch our website for updates. Note: Visits will be restricted to reservation-only tours of Craftsman Farms. The property and all buildings remain closed for construction.

Virtual Offerings: The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms offers a number of virtual resources on their website including the virtual exhibition Things Wrought by The United Crafts: An Expression of Modern Life, an online version of Selected Highlights from the Permanent Collection, and the online catalog of the Stickley Museum Research Library. In addition to the online classes they offer (the last session of Design & History is on May 22nd), a complete archive of recordings of online classes taught starting from March 2020 is available for customers to purchase per class.

Please visit The Stickley Museum’s website for more: https://www.stickleymuseum.org/

 

Frank Lloyd Wright Tours – Architectural house walk scheduled for September 18th, 2021

Join us in Oak Park and River Forest, Illinois, for a safe and unforgettable architectural experience on Saturday, September 18. Working with gracious homeowners, this exceptional line-up of 8 houses will be offered as originally planned. This immersive day will reveal how the innovative Prairie style has been reimagined and reinterpreted by architects, homeowners and Wright himself.

Virtual offerings include virtual tours and discussion recordings available at https://www.flwright.org/education/wright-at-home/virtual-tours-resources-adults

 

The Gamble House – Outdoor tours offered. While interior tours are coming soon but are not yet allowed, outdoor tours include “Gardens and Gables: Outdoor Gardens” of the Gamble House grounds and the Greene & Greene neighborhood walking tours are available through the Gamble House website.

Virtual offerings include docent led virtual tours and seminars like “Innovations in Stained Glass: A Virtual Tour of Judson Studios and Discussion with David Judson”

You can see the availability of tours on The Gamble House website at https://gamblehouse.org/

 

Taliesin West – Open for safe public tours 7 days a week

Virtual Offerings include an online summer camp (an on-site summer camp will be offered as well). The in-person camp will be onsite at Frank Lloyd Wright’s renowned home in Arizona, and Virtual Camp will be streaming direct from Wright’s famed Sonoran Desert laboratory. Both in-person and virtual camps begin in early June with a variety of session choices in July & August.

Visit https://franklloydwright.org/ for more information.

 

Riordan Mansion – Closed until further notice.

Virtual offerings: Lunchtime virtual lectures offered. Click here for an archive of the lectures offered.

Visit https://azstateparks.com/riordan-mansion/events for more information.

 

Roycroft Inn – Open for Dining & Overnight Accommodations. The suites are open for reservations and getaway packages now offered. Lunch & Dinner are offered Tuesday – Saturday as well as Sunday Brunch.

 

 

Roycroft Campus – Open for limited tours. Tours are available by appointment only Tuesday though Saturday from 11am to 3pm. Copper shop gallery open Tuesday through Saturday 11am – 5pm. Face masks required. The Roycroft Campus Visitor Center is closed for the winter season.

Virtual offerings: the campus offers outdoor events like “A Whiskey for Garcia” – the latest of which will take place outside in-person on the lawn June 3rd at 7pm as participants are offered whiskey samples and a small food pairing kit. Meanwhile, artist pop-up series on Saturdays feature local artists displaying their wares in the gardens: participating artists include Cordell Cordero, Yvonne Stoklosa, Bonny Hedden and Stacy Smith. Additional virtual events include “Watercolor & Wine at home” and “Coffee with a Curator”

For more information, please visit https://www.roycroftcampuscorporation.com/ for more information.

 

The Glessner House – reopened for tours, Advanced ticket purchase required. Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday at 11:30am, 1:00pm, and 2:30pm Tours by advance ticket only. Ticket sales end at midnight the day before the tour. Additional tour offerings include Architecture tour, Decorative Arts tours, servants tours, Behind the scenes tours, walking tours, and customized tours for small groups.

Virtual offerings include a series of videos “Secrets of Glessner House” and 360 virtual tours of the exterior and interiors. Online events include “The Evolution of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Oak Park Studio” (05/18/21), “Women in Preservation: Despre, Fields, and Garbe (05/27/21), “Moving Architecture” (06/03/21) and “Frank L. Wright and the Architects of Steinway Hall” (06/17/21). Online schedule through December up at Glessnerhouse.org