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Byrdcliffe Arts Colony in Woodstock (photos by Dion Ogust)
The Stone Ridge Library will present a lecture “The American Arts and Crafts Movement in New York State” by Dr. Bruce Austin on Wednesday, May 20 at 7 p.m. at the Marbletown Community Center. This talk is free, open to the public and made possible through the Speakers in the Humanities program with the support of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
The American Arts and Crafts Movement, otherwise known as “Craftsman” or “Mission” style, gained popularity beginning in 1900, and by 1920 had gone out of fashion. Arts and Crafts, however, was more than a decorative style: It was also a philosophy, an ethos, a way of living and an enormous business.
Artists and manufacturers of objects in the Arts and Crafts style – furniture, ceramics, metal, lighting, textiles and jewelry – found like-minded creators in a few US locations. The most significant among them is New York State.
Gustav and L. & L. G. Stickley in Syracuse, Roycroft in East Aurora, Charles Stickley in Binghamton, Frederick Walrath and Harvey Ellis in Buffalo and the Byrdcliffe Arts Colony in Woodstock all produced superb Arts and Crafts objects. This slide presentation will share the unique contributions of Arts and Crafts creators from New York State.
Austin is chairman and professor of Communication at Rochester Institute of Technology. He served as the organizer and curator for the exhibition “The Arts and Crafts Movement in Western New York: 1900-1920.” He writes for a variety of publications on the subject.
Since its launch in 1983, the Council’s Speakers in the Humanities program has brought distinguished scholars on a wide range of humanities topics to audiences across New York State. Each year, hundreds of non-profit organizations and community groups take advantage of this program, including community centers, religious organizations, museums, historical societies and libraries. The Speakers program is an easy, affordable way for organizations to bring top humanities programming to their community.
For more information about this event, contact Diane DeChillo at (845) 687-8726. For more information about the Speakers in the Humanities program, visit www.nyhumanities.org/sih.
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