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Alana VanDerwerker materials related to Haystack Mountain School of Crafts

Creator:
VanDerwerker, Alana C.  Search this
Names:
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts  Search this
Larsen, Jack Lenor  Search this
Merritt, Francis Sumner, 1913-2000  Search this
Extent:
2.5 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
circa 1950-2019
Summary:
The Haystack Mountain School of Craft-related materials of art historian Alana VanDerwerker date from circa 1950-2019 and measure 2.5 linear feet. The materials document her research on the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts' development from the 1950s-1970s, which culminated in her published book Haystack at Liberty, through correspondence, writings, interviews with founding Haystack artists, photographic material, and research on various topics related to Haystack.
Scope and Contents:
The Haystack Mountain School of Craft-related materials of art historian Alana VanDerwerker date from circa 1950-2019 and measure 2.5 linear feet. The materials document her research on the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts' development from the 1950s-1970s, which culminated in her published book Haystack at Liberty, through correspondence, writings, interviews with founding Haystack artists, photographic material, and research on various topics related to Haystack.

The correspondence series contains letters between VanDerwerker and notable figures at Haystack, including Francis and Priscilla Merritt, Margaret Beasom Swart, and former Haystack Director Howard Evans. The writings series includes notecards on persons related to Haystack, notebooks of interview musings and archival work, several unpublished essays and appendices by VanDerwerker, and materials related to an unpublished volume edited by Ned Cooke. The interviews series is largely made up of Haystack artist interviews by VanDerwerker in pairs of cassette recordings and transcripts. The photographic material series contains snapshots and negatives of Haystack's development, classes and daily life, with photographs used in VanDerwerker's book grouped by chapter. The research files series contains printed material concerning Haystack, and notes and teaching files from Jack Lenor Larsen and Janet TenBroeck.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged as 5 series.

Series 1: Correspondence, circa 1958-2005 (0.3 linear feet: Box 1, OV 6)

Series 2: Writings, circa 1956-2017 (0.4 linear feet: Box 1)

Series 3: Interviews, circa 1958-2019 (1 linear foot: Boxes 1, 4-5)

Series 4: Photographic Material, circa 1951-1996 (0.5 linear feet: Boxes 1-2)

Series 5: Research Files, circa 1950-2016 (0.3 linear feet: Boxes 2-3)
Biographical / Historical:
Alana VanDerwerker (1950- ) is an author and arts administrator in Waldoboro, Maine who has devoted herself to preserving the history of the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, located in Deer Isle, Maine. VanDerwerker served as the initial secretary of board for the Maine Crafts Association, an organization which worked closely with Haystack to promote collaborative programs for artists. VanDerwerker became friends with co-founder and director of Haystack, Frances Sumner Merritt (1913-2000), who asked her to document the school.

Founded in 1950 as a space for more traditional craftsmen to create and teach together, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts would soon include writers, metalworkers, and mixed media artists in its programming. Operational during the summers, visiting artists teach classes and residential artists produce and exhibited artwork on-site. In 2019, after decades of collecting documentation and conducting oral histories about the site and its residents, VanDerwerker published Haystack at Liberty: From Insight to Mountain to Island in a limited edition.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art is the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts records, circa 1950-1969; an oral history interview with Francis Sumner Merritt, 1979 May 25-June 25; an oral history interview with Jack Lenor Larsen, 2004 February 6-8; and oral history interviews with others researched and interviewed by VanDerwerker.
Provenance:
The collection was donated in 2022 by Alana VanDerwerker.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.

Researchers interested in accessing audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Arts administrators -- Maine  Search this
Art historians -- Maine  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Alana VanDerwerker materials related to Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, circa 1950-2019. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.vandalan
See more items in:
Alana VanDerwerker materials related to Haystack Mountain School of Crafts
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9c687421e-9988-4d11-a37d-6c8b621505a2
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-vandalan
Online Media:

Francis Sumner Merritt papers, circa 1930-1980

Creator:
Merritt, Francis Sumner, 1913-2000  Search this
Subject:
Boyd, Fiske  Search this
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts  Search this
Flint Institute of Arts  Search this
Bradford Junior College  Search this
Type:
Drawings
Sound recordings
Scrapbooks
Citation:
Francis Sumner Merritt papers, circa 1930-1980. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
American studio craft movement  Search this
Theme:
Craft  Search this
Diaries  Search this
Architecture & Design  Search this
Art instruction and services  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)5585
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)210145
AAA_collcode_merrfran
Theme:
Craft
Diaries
Architecture & Design
Art instruction and services
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_210145
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Francis Sumner Merritt, 1979 May 25-June 25

Interviewee:
Merritt, Francis Sumner, 1913-2000  Search this
Interviewer:
Brown, Robert F  Search this
Subject:
Cranbrook Academy of Art  Search this
Flint Institute of Arts  Search this
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Francis Sumner Merritt, 1979 May 25-June 25. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Designers -- Maine -- Interviews  Search this
Educators -- Maine -- Interviews  Search this
Depressions -- 1929  Search this
Theme:
Architecture & Design  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)12260
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)212064
AAA_collcode_merrit79
Theme:
Architecture & Design
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_212064
Online Media:

Merry Renk papers

Creator:
Renk, Merry, 1921-2012  Search this
Names:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Merritt, Francis Sumner, 1913-2000  Search this
Slivka, Rose  Search this
Smith, Paul J., 1931-  Search this
Soldner, Paul  Search this
Extent:
0.9 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Drawings
Video recordings
Date:
1952-2000
Summary:
The papers of San Francisco metal-worker, jeweler, and painter Merry Renk measure 0.9 linear feet and date from 1952 to 2000. The collection comprises business records that include sales invoices, inventories, exhibition price lists, correspondence, and other material related to Renk's business activities. Also found are printed materials, a few sketches of utensils, writings, and a video recording of the documentary "Merry Renk: Jeweler" by Alan Leveton.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of San Francisco jeweler, painter, and metal-worker Merry Renk measure 0.9 linear feet and date from 1952 to 2000. The collection comprises business records that include sales invoices, inventories, exhibition price lists, and correspondence. Correspondents include Greta Daniel, Mrs. Vanderbilt Webb, Conrad Brown, Rose Slivka, Paul Soldner, Paul J. Smith, Alice W. Nichols, Roger Armstrong, and Francis S. Merritt. Also found is other material related to Renk's business activities; printed materials including clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs; a few sketches of utensils; writings including an unpublished typescript with illustrations and a draft of Renk's biographical statement; and a video recording containing the documentary "Merry Renk: Jeweler" by Alan Leveton.
Arrangement:
Due to the small size of this collection, the papers are arranged as one series.

Series 1: Merry Renk Papers, 1952-2000 (1.1 linear feet; Boxes 1-2, OV 3)
Biographical / Historical:
Merry Renk (1921-2012) was a jeweler, painter, and metal-worker in San Francisco, California.

Renk was born in Trenton, New Jersey as Mary Ruth Gibbs. She studied painting at the Trenton School of Industrial Arts before moving to Chicago in 1946 to study at Illinois Institute of Technology. In Chicago, Renk founded the 750 Studio, an art gallery, with Olive Oliver and Mary Jo Slick. After taking some time to travel, she settled in San Francisco in 1948 where she became a prominent member of the arts and crafts community. Renk was instrumental in the founding of the San Francisco Metal Arts Guild and served as president in 1954. She also became an honorary fellow at the American Craft Council.

Renk is primarily known for her jewelry work but after suffering an eye injury in a car accident she began focusing on creating large scale sculptures using jewelry techniques sometime in the 1960s to 1970s.

Renk married Stanley Edwin Renk in 1941. After his death in World War II, she married fellow artist Earle Watt Curtis in 1958.
Related Materials:
Also in the Archives of American Art is an interview of Merry Renk conducted on January 18-19, 2001 by Arline M. Fisch for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America in Renk's home and studio in San Francisco, California.
Provenance:
The Merry Renk papers were donated in 2003 and 2004 by Merry Renk as a part of the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
Rights:
The donor has retained all intellectual property rights, including copyright, that she may own in the following material: Unpublished typescript, "Memories for My Children's Children's Children's Children's Children's Children."

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Painters -- California -- San Francisco  Search this
Jewelers -- California -- San Francisco  Search this
Metal-workers -- California -- San Francisco  Search this
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women jewelers  Search this
Genre/Form:
Drawings
Video recordings
Citation:
Merry Renk papers, 1952-2000. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.renkmerr
See more items in:
Merry Renk papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw97ef5e415-aa9e-49eb-b9b1-ea261bba5a7a
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-renkmerr
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Walter Nottingham

Interviewee:
Nottingham, Walter, 1930-2012  Search this
Interviewer:
Owen, Carol, 1936-  Search this
Creator:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Names:
Catholic Church  Search this
Cranbrook Academy of Art -- Students  Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
St. Cloud State University -- Students  Search this
United States -- Montgomery G.I. Bill  Search this
University of Wisconsin--River Falls -- Faculty  Search this
Constantine, Mildred  Search this
Crane, Jim  Search this
Drutt, Helen Williams  Search this
Johnson, Meda  Search this
Kaufman, Glen  Search this
Knodel, Gerhardt  Search this
Larsen, Jack Lenor  Search this
Merritt, Francis Sumner, 1913-2000  Search this
Miller, Don  Search this
Moran, Lois  Search this
Nordness, Lee  Search this
Nottingham, Karron  Search this
Penning, Pauline  Search this
Ross, Shelley  Search this
Rossbach, Ed  Search this
Strengell, Marianne, 1909-1998  Search this
Extent:
29 Pages (Transcript)
4 Items (Sound recording: 4 sound files (1 hr., 41 min.), digital, wav)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Interviews
Sound recordings
Place:
Mexico City (Mexico) -- description and travel
Date:
2002 July 14-18
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Walter Nottingham conducted 2002 July 14-18, by Carol Owen, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, at the studios of Idyllwild Arts, in Idyllwild, California. Nottingham speaks of his enthusiasm for basketball; being an altar boy and, as such, surrounded by beautiful fabrics at an early age; attending St. Cloud State University on the GI Bill; his teachers Jim Crane and Pauline Penning; serving as an art consultant for public schools in Jackson, Michigan; the lasting influence of an exhibition of battle flags at the Metropolitan Museum; articulating aging and decay through self-taught weaving; developing a fiber art program at University of Wisconsin, River Falls; attending Cranbrook Academy of Art and working with Glen Kaufman and Meda Johnson. He discusses specific works including his "Yahooties", that combine both his grandmother's and mother's crochet work; his trip to Mexico City on a National Endowment for the Arts grant in 1974; forming the company Off the Wall with his eldest daughter Karron and their decorative design commissions; the influence of his Catholic upbringing, oriental philosophy, and spirituality in his work; and techniques and materials. Nottingham recalls Shelly Ross, Helen Drutt, Francis Merritt, Don Miller, Lois Moran, Jack Lenor Larsen, Marianne Strengell, Mildred Constantine, Gerhardt Knodel, Lee Nordness, Ed Rossbach, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Walter Nottingham (1930-2012) is a fiber artist from Hilo, Hawaii. Carol Owen is a fiber artist from Pittsboro, North Carolina.
General:
Originally recorded on 3 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 1 hr., 41 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Occupation:
Weavers -- Wisconsin -- Interviews  Search this
Self-taught artists  Search this
Topic:
Decorative arts  Search this
Fiber artists -- Hawaii -- Interviews  Search this
Weavers -- Hawaii -- Interviews  Search this
Weaving  Search this
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Sound recordings
Identifier:
AAA.nottin02
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw93e03a8ff-6563-405b-8f81-0532a2e21dfd
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-nottin02
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Wayne Higby

Interviewee:
Higby, Wayne  Search this
Interviewer:
McInnes, Mary, 1956-  Search this
Creator:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Names:
Alfred University -- Faculty  Search this
Archie Bray Foundation  Search this
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts -- Faculty  Search this
Helen Drutt Gallery  Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Rhode Island School of Design -- Faculty  Search this
University of Colorado (Boulder campus) -- Students  Search this
University of Michigan -- Students  Search this
University of Nebraska -- Faculty  Search this
Bauer, Fred  Search this
Cushing, Val M.  Search this
Ferguson, Ken, 1928-2004  Search this
McKinnell, James  Search this
McKinnell, Nan  Search this
Merritt, Francis Sumner, 1913-2000  Search this
Motherwell, Robert  Search this
Neri, Manuel, 1930-  Search this
Randall, Theodore, 1914-1985  Search this
Shaner, David, 1934-  Search this
Soldner, Paul  Search this
Turner, Robert Chapman, 1913-2005  Search this
Voulkos, Peter, 1924-2002  Search this
Woodman, Betty, 1930-2018  Search this
Extent:
9 Items (Sound recording: 9 sound files (4 hr., 55 min.), digital, wav)
66 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Interviews
Sound recordings
Place:
Africa -- description and travel
Asia -- Description and Travel
China -- Description and Travel
Colorado -- description and travel
Europe -- description and travel
Date:
2005 April 12-14
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Wayne Higby conducted 2005 April 12-14, by Mary McInnes, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in Alfred Station, New York. Higby speaks of growing up in Colorado Springs, Colorado; choosing to go to University of Colorado, Boulder; traveling to Europe, Asia, and Africa; being influenced by Minoan pottery; working for ceramicist Betty Woodman; deciding to become a teacher; getting a graduate degree at the University of Michigan; working at Archie Bray Foundation; teaching at the University of Nebraska and Rhode Island School of Design; having his first one person art show and exhibiting nationally; teaching at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts; the influence of landscape on his work; how the craft market has changed during his career; working with the Helen Drutt Gallery; writing about craft and the need for critical dialogue in craft publications; being inspired by Asian art; learning ceramics from Jim and Nan McKinnell, and the influence of other teachers on his career; getting hired at Alfred University; the challenges and benefits of teaching at Alfred; his colleagues at Alfred; making functional art and using the vessel form; his teaching philosophy; putting ceramics in a larger art context; his current project; his studio practice; themes in his artwork; choosing to work in porcelain; lecturing and touring in China; being interested in landscape painting; the public response to his work; and recently being awarded several honors. Higby also recalls Manuel Neri, Peter Voulkos, Paul Soldner, Fred Bauer, David Shaner, Francis Merritt, Ted Randall, Bob Turner, Val Cushing, Kenneth Ferguson, Robert Motherwell, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Wayne Higby (1943- ) is a ceramicist from Alfred Station, New York. Mary McInnes is a professor from Alfred, New York.
General:
Originally recorded on 4 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 9 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hr., 55 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Restrictions:
Use requires an appointment.
Topic:
Ceramicists -- New York (State) -- Interviews  Search this
Ceramics -- Study and teaching  Search this
Decorative arts  Search this
Educators -- New York (State) -- Interviews  Search this
Pottery, Minoan  Search this
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Sound recordings
Identifier:
AAA.higby05
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9bf162d01-21b8-45c0-a721-3b28272fd72c
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-higby05
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Francis Sumner Merritt

Interviewee:
Merritt, Francis Sumner, 1913-2000  Search this
Interviewer:
Brown, Robert F.  Search this
Names:
Cranbrook Academy of Art  Search this
Flint Institute of Arts  Search this
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts  Search this
Extent:
61 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1979 May 25-June 25
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Francis Sumner Merritt conducted 1979 May 25-June 25, by Robert F. Brown, for the Archives of American Art.
Merritt speaks of his education at art schools in Boston and at Yale; his career as a painter during the Depression; teaching at the Cranbrook Academy of Art; his tenure at the Flint (Michigan) Institute of Arts, 1947-1951; and the development of the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts at Liberty and then at Deer Isle, Me.
Biographical / Historical:
Francis Sumner Merritt (1913-2000) was a painter, designer, art administrator, and the founder of Haystack Mountan School of Craftsof Deer Isle, Me. He studied at the Vesper George School of Art, the San Diego Academy of Fine Arts, the Massachusetts School of Art, and the Yale Univ. School of Fine Arts. Merritt taught at Bradford Junior College and was head of art department. He died Dec. 27, 2000, at age 87.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 3 digital wav files. Duration is 3 hrs., 14 min.
Provenance:
These interviews are part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Occupation:
Painters -- Maine -- Interviews  Search this
Arts administrators -- Maine -- Deer Isle  Search this
Topic:
Designers -- Maine -- Interviews  Search this
Educators -- Maine -- Interviews  Search this
Depressions -- 1929  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.merrit79
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9f2d52f5a-ab64-4c80-b616-50293ff9ad91
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-merrit79
Online Media:

Denny Winters papers

Creator:
Winters, Denny Sonke, 1907-1985  Search this
Names:
Berry, Carroll Thayer, 1886-1978  Search this
Fortess, Karl E. (Karl Eugene), 1907-1993  Search this
Jones, Howard, 1922-  Search this
Kienbusch, William, 1914-1980  Search this
Merritt, Francis Sumner, 1913-2000  Search this
Thon, William, 1906-2000  Search this
Zorach, William, 1887-1966  Search this
Extent:
537 Items ((on 3 microfilm reels))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1936-1978
Scope and Contents:
Correspondence, primarily with family; several essays and speeches about art; a list of Winters's paintings; photographs of her and others, including Karl Fortess, Carroll Berry, Howard Jones, Francis Merritt, William Zorach, William Kienbusch, and William Thon; photographs of her art work; invitations, awards, and membership cards; exhibition catalogs, announcements, and publicity and printed matter.
Biographical / Historical:
Painter, craftsman, sculptor, designer, printmaker; Rockport, Maine.
Provenance:
Lent 1978 by Winters.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Occupation:
Painters -- Maine -- Rockport  Search this
Sculptors -- Maine -- Rockport  Search this
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women painters  Search this
Women sculptors  Search this
Identifier:
AAA.wintdenn
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9422bff31-1afb-4698-8203-674846f2744e
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-wintdenn

Oral history interview with Michael Cohen

Interviewee:
Cohen, Michael, 1936-  Search this
Interviewer:
Williams, Gerald, 1926-2014  Search this
Creator:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Names:
Cranbrook Academy of Art  Search this
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts  Search this
Massachusetts College of Art  Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Burke, Ron  Search this
Glick, John Parker, 1938-  Search this
Goodwin, Harriet  Search this
Leach, Bernard, 1887-1979  Search this
Merritt, Francis Sumner, 1913-2000  Search this
Sedestrom, Bob  Search this
Voulkos, Peter, 1924-2002  Search this
Wyman, William, 1922-1980  Search this
Extent:
37 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
2001 August 11
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Michael Cohen conducted 2001 August 11, by Gerry Williams, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, at his home, in Pelham, Massachusetts.
Cohen speaks of his childhood, living outside of Boston, Massachusetts; his first adventures in art; attending Mass Art; his attraction to clay; his mentors; his first job with Bill Wyman; joining the Army; his travels; his unhappy experience at Cranbrook Academy of Art; his first studio in his mother's basement; enjoying his first summer at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts and the other schools of craft; how his pottery is meant to be functional; his fear of dying at 59 and the great sculptural work he did in that year; exhibition shows and how they have changed over the course of his career; why he's moved to primarily making tiles; apprenticeship and the benefits of paying your apprentices; how expensive being in the pottery business has become; various teaching and workshop experiences; local pottery guilds he is a part of; the creation and design of his studio space; technological advances in the field and the distinctive tools he loves to use; specialized periodicals that he reads or looks at; what makes a pot beautiful; limitations in clay; commissions and the lack of benefits involved with commissions; the permanent collections of museums that he is a part of; how he thinks he will be remembered; his most memorable exhibitions; where he gets his ideas from; social and political issues he's involved in and how he does not include them in his work; the craft organizations; curators he's enjoyed working with; his ex-wife Harriet Goodwin and how their collaboration was important to his work. Cohen also recalls Francis Merritt, Bernard Leach, Peter Voulkos, Ron Burke, John Glick, Bob Sedestrom, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Michael Cohen (1936-) is a ceramist from Amherst, Massachusetts. Gerry Williams (1926-) is the editor of Studio Potter from Goffstown, New Hampshire.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr.; 6 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Restrictions:
For more information on how to access this interview contact Reference Services.
Occupation:
Ceramicists -- Massachusetts -- Interview  Search this
Topic:
Ceramics -- Study and teaching  Search this
Decorative arts  Search this
Ceramics  Search this
Function:
Artists' studios
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.cohen01
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw941e71885-f8e1-4431-9dbe-e9e6c9e72351
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-cohen01
Online Media:

Francis Sumner Merritt papers

Creator:
Merritt, Francis Sumner, 1913-2000  Search this
Names:
Bradford Junior College  Search this
Flint Institute of Arts  Search this
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts  Search this
Boyd, Fiske, 1895-1975  Search this
Extent:
5.7 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Drawings
Sound recordings
Scrapbooks
Date:
circa 1930-1980
Summary:
The papers of painter and arts administrator Francis Sumner Merritt measure 5.7 linear feet and date from circa 1930 to 1980. The bulk of the papers document his career as the founding director of Haystack Mountain School of Crafts. Included are biographical materials, personal correspondence, writings and notes, professional files on Haystack and other institutions, printed material, and photographs.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of painter and arts administrator Francis Sumner Merritt measure 5.7 linear feet and date from circa 1930 to 1980. The bulk of the papers document his career as the founding director of Haystack Mountain School of Crafts. Included are biographical materials, personal correspondence, writings and notes, professional files on Haystack and other institutions, printed material, and photographs.

Biographical materials contain scattered records relating to Merritt's personal life and career including a scrapbook and a print by Fiske Boyd. Professional files create the bulk of the papers and focus on Merritt's arts administration career at Haystack and other institutions including the Flint Institute of Art and Bradford Junior College. Among the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts material are planning materials, correspondence with many craft artists, financial records, student information, printed material, photographs for various sessions held at the school, and one sound recording concerning a trip to Nigeria.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 6 series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1936-1977 (Box 1; 0.1 linear feet)

Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1930-1978 (Box 1; 0.6 linear feet)

Series 3: Writings and Notes, circa 1940s-1978 (Box 1; 0.3 linear feet)

Series 4: Professional Files, 1940s-1980 (Box 1-5, 8; 4.1 linear feet)

Series 5: Printed Material, 1939-1976 (Box 6-7; 0.4 linear feet)

Series 6: Photographs, 1949-1970s (Box 7; 0.2 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
Francis Sumner Merritt (1913-2000) was a painter, designer, and arts administrator. He was the first director of the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Deer Isle, Maine.

Merritt was born in 1913 in Danvers, Massachusetts. He studied art at multiple schools, including Yale University School of Fine Arts and was a printmaker and painter. In addition to his art, Merritt taught painting at Colby Junior College, the Cranbrook Summer Institute, and Bradford Junior College. Merritt began his arts administrative career as director of the Flint Institute of Art in Detroit, Michigan. He was brought on to be the first director at the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Maine. In this position, he encouraged the international study of craft.

Francis Merritt was married to Priscilla Merritt, with whom he had two sons. He died in Belfast, Maine in 2000.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art are the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts records, 1950-1969, and an oral history interview of Francis Sumner Merritt conducted 1979 May 25-June 25, by Robert F. Brown, for the Archives of American Art.
Provenance:
Francis Sumner Merritt donated his papers in two accessions in 1980 and 1994.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate copies requires advance notice.
Occupation:
Arts administrators -- Maine -- Deer Isle  Search this
Painters -- Maine -- Deer Isle  Search this
Topic:
American studio craft movement  Search this
Genre/Form:
Drawings
Sound recordings
Scrapbooks
Citation:
Francis Sumner Merritt Papers, circa 1930-1980. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.merrfran
See more items in:
Francis Sumner Merritt papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9ab41a6a2-6f21-4564-b615-3b3dcf0a5349
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-merrfran

Haystack Mountain School of Crafts records

Creator:
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts  Search this
Names:
Bishop, Mary B., 1885-1972  Search this
Merritt, Francis Sumner, 1913-2000  Search this
Extent:
5,000 Items ((on 7 microfilm reels))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1950-1969
Scope and Contents:
Correspondence, with letters to Mary Bishop, founder of Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Francis Sumner Merritt, director of the school, his wife Priscilla, and copies of letters sent; organizational records including by-laws for the school, annual reports, meeting minutes, financial data, course outlines, and faculty lists; a file kept by Mary Bishop with records and writings concerning the school; two scrapbooks containing clippings, school catalogs and announcements, letters and memorabilia; printed material clippings, catalogs, and biographical data on Francis Sumner Merritt; and 16 photographs of works of art and exhibition installations.
Biographical / Historical:
Craft and art school; Deer Isle, Me.
Provenance:
Lent for microfilming 1982 by the University of Maine at Orono.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Topic:
Decorative arts  Search this
Handicraft  Search this
Function:
Art Schools -- Maine -- Deer Isle
Identifier:
AAA.haysmoun
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9feba61ea-7dcb-4707-b3ec-fcafa5c637ca
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-haysmoun

Oral history interview with William J. Brown and Jane Brown

Interviewee:
Brown, William J. (William Joseph), 1923-1992  Search this
Brown, Jane Brennan, 1931-  Search this
Interviewer:
Kessler, Jane  Search this
Names:
Cranbrook Academy of Art  Search this
Flint Institute of Arts  Search this
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts  Search this
Penland School of Handicrafts  Search this
Gray, Robert Ward, 1916-  Search this
Merritt, Francis Sumner, 1913-2000  Search this
Morgan, Lucy, 1889-1981  Search this
Faculty:
University of Delaware  Search this
Extent:
203 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Interviews
Sound recordings
Date:
1991 January 19-March 2
Scope and Contents:
An interview with William J. Brown and Jane Brown conducted 1991 January 19-1991 March 2, by Jane Kessler, for the Archives of American Art.
Brown and his wife Jane discuss his childhood in Michigan, his early interest in sculpture and his attitude towards education; military service in WWII; studies at Cranbrook Academy; designing for Steuben Glass; working with Francis Merritt at the Flint Institute of Arts and at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts; teaching design at the University of Delaware and working summers at Haystack; Robert Gray, director of the Southern Highland Handicraft Guild; first impressions of The Penland School of Crafts and its founder Lucy Morgan; the development of the Penland School and its various programs; craftspeople who taught at Penland; and relations with the Penland board of trustees.
Biographical / Historical:
William J. Brown, art administrator and designer. Director of the Penland School of Crafts (formerly Penland School of Handicrafts) from 1962 to 1983.
General:
Originally recorded on 4 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 8 digital wav files. Duration is 5 hr., 4 min.
2 of the cassettes are 60 min. and 2 are 90 min.
Sound quality of interview is poor.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics, and administrators.
Occupation:
Arts administrators -- North Carolina -- Interviews  Search this
Topic:
Designers -- Interviews  Search this
Decorative arts  Search this
Handicraft  Search this
Function:
Art Schools -- United States
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Sound recordings
Identifier:
AAA.brown91
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw95ca4a18a-e778-40ce-8012-1e3b890d8779
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-brown91
Online Media:

Biographical Material

Collection Creator:
Merritt, Francis Sumner, 1913-2000  Search this
Extent:
0.1 Linear feet (Box 1)
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1936-1977
Scope and Contents:
This series contains materials relating to Merritt's personal life and career. General materials include short biographical sketches, identification cards, and a high school commencement booklet. A scrapbook contains clippings and exhibition materials from Merritt's painting career and material relating to his induction to the International Institute of Arts and Letters. Artworks are by others and unsigned and include pencil, pen, and paint sketches. Also found are and a pencil sketch portrait of Merritt and a print by Fiske Boyd.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate copies requires advance notice.
Collection Citation:
Francis Sumner Merritt Papers, circa 1930-1980. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.merrfran, Series 1
See more items in:
Francis Sumner Merritt papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw931b6adbb-1fe6-4f83-a5d5-a302fddfc2df
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-merrfran-ref1

General

Collection Creator:
Merritt, Francis Sumner, 1913-2000  Search this
Container:
Box 1, Folder 8
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1950-1959
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate copies requires advance notice.
Collection Citation:
Francis Sumner Merritt Papers, circa 1930-1980. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Francis Sumner Merritt papers
Francis Sumner Merritt papers / Series 2: Correspondence
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9e4eb7aa3-f121-4baf-a386-a41832707f98
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-merrfran-ref10

General

Collection Creator:
Merritt, Francis Sumner, 1913-2000  Search this
Container:
Box 1, Folder 9
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1960-1969
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate copies requires advance notice.
Collection Citation:
Francis Sumner Merritt Papers, circa 1930-1980. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Francis Sumner Merritt papers
Francis Sumner Merritt papers / Series 2: Correspondence
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw998a694d9-fcb0-4fed-8171-b86f4fcabb98
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-merrfran-ref11

General

Collection Creator:
Merritt, Francis Sumner, 1913-2000  Search this
Container:
Box 1, Folder 10-22
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1970-1978
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate copies requires advance notice.
Collection Citation:
Francis Sumner Merritt Papers, circa 1930-1980. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Francis Sumner Merritt papers
Francis Sumner Merritt papers / Series 2: Correspondence
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9e4157865-ce64-41cc-80d8-e7454644bb21
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-merrfran-ref12

Writings and Notes

Collection Creator:
Merritt, Francis Sumner, 1913-2000  Search this
Extent:
0.3 Linear feet (Box 1)
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
circa 1940s-1978
Scope and Contents:
Writings by Francis Sumner Merritt are on the topic of art. Works by others include Jon Warren Lentz, P.B. Cuktu, ABU Zaria, and Sarah Haskell.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate copies requires advance notice.
Collection Citation:
Francis Sumner Merritt Papers, circa 1930-1980. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.merrfran, Series 3
See more items in:
Francis Sumner Merritt papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw951a01dd5-d3df-486e-9472-58b03e71c675
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-merrfran-ref13

Writings by Francis Sumner Merritt

Collection Creator:
Merritt, Francis Sumner, 1913-2000  Search this
Container:
Box 1, Folder 23
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
circa 1960
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate copies requires advance notice.
Collection Citation:
Francis Sumner Merritt Papers, circa 1930-1980. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Francis Sumner Merritt papers
Francis Sumner Merritt papers / Series 3: Writings and Notes
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9b58ccd13-075e-41af-bd48-d7420ac53343
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-merrfran-ref14

Lecture Notes

Collection Creator:
Merritt, Francis Sumner, 1913-2000  Search this
Container:
Box 1, Folder 24
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1957-1978
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate copies requires advance notice.
Collection Citation:
Francis Sumner Merritt Papers, circa 1930-1980. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Francis Sumner Merritt papers
Francis Sumner Merritt papers / Series 3: Writings and Notes
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw940fc3f59-cfd6-4e38-98bd-02bd1a9942f7
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-merrfran-ref15

Notes

Collection Creator:
Merritt, Francis Sumner, 1913-2000  Search this
Container:
Box 1, Folder 25-26
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
circa 1940-circa 1970
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate copies requires advance notice.
Collection Citation:
Francis Sumner Merritt Papers, circa 1930-1980. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Francis Sumner Merritt papers
Francis Sumner Merritt papers / Series 3: Writings and Notes
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw958bd5255-25b1-49ac-a4eb-06051a67a6a4
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-merrfran-ref16

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