“Bold, Clear, and Distinguished”: A Closer Look at the Furniture of Gustav Stickley on May 9th
by Kate Nixon
The popular “Living the Simple Life: The Arts and Crafts Movement” series hosted by the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms continues this upcoming Saturday, May 9th with a presentation on Gustav Stickley Furniture with the course “‘Bold, Clear, and Distinguished’: A Closer Look at the Furniture of Gustav Stickley.”
Dr. Jonathan Clancy, Director of Collections and Preservation at the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms, will present his findings through the Zoom environment in this course dedicated to delving further into the world of Stickley furniture. The course will provide a closer look at Stickley’s furniture, focusing on his work between 1898 to his bankruptcy in 1917.
“Our earlier furniture session was a survey of Arts and Crafts furniture. This session is a “deep dive” into Gustav Stickley’s furniture, with a focus on dating and construction,” says Clancy. “More than simply a survey of Stickley’s work, this class also features new research that forces us to reconsider the names and dates presently associated with many of these objects.”
The title of “Bold, Clear, and Distinguished” comes from Samuel Howe’s description of Stickley’s United Crafts in the October 1902 issue of The Craftsman in which he found the furniture “bold, clear, and distinguished” and “a breezy independence, a sturdy human decency.”
You can register for the course HERE.
Featured in the course discussion this week, the massive sideboard that anchors the dining room of the Log House at Craftsman Farms.
The “Living the Simple Life” course is just one example of online content produced by the museum. Like so many museums across the country making free online educational content available for supporters during stay at home orders, the Stickley Museum has released family-friendly crafting projects under the social media hashtag #museumathome. According to executive director Vonda Givens, there will be more content coming soon. “We deeply appreciate all of the support for the Living the Simple Life course and the enthusiasm for online content. Class participants have said ‘keep it coming!’ We’re listening and working on new online content. We plan to announce what’s next in the coming days. So watch for news in our e-blasts, social media and on Arts and Crafts Collector.”
This course is for design and decorative arts enthusiasts, collectors, and anyone with an interest in Arts and Crafts style and ideals. Newcomers, casual fans and long-time aficionados are all welcome!
Dr. Jonathan Clancy is the Director of Collections and Preservation at the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms. An author, educator, and curator Clancy received his doctorate in art history in 2008 from the Graduate Center. Formerly Director of the MA in American Fine and Decorative Arts program at Sotheby’s, he left in 2017 to form an advisory group. As an independent consultant, he has worked with private clients and institutions on collection management, exhibition planning, label writing and research, and valuation.