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Oral history interview with Carol Eckert

Interviewee:
Eckert, Carol  Search this
Interviewer:
Lauria, Jo  Search this
Creator:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Names:
Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts -- Faculty  Search this
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts -- Faculty  Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Anderson, Dale, 1944-  Search this
Anderson, Doug, 1943-  Search this
Blaine, Sandy  Search this
Boyd, Karen Johnson  Search this
Branford, Joanne Segal, 1933-1994  Search this
Covey, Steven  Search this
Docter, Marcia  Search this
Eckert, Tom, 1942-  Search this
Elliot, Lillian  Search this
Garrett, John  Search this
Koplos, Janet  Search this
Lieberman, David  Search this
Lieberman, Sarah  Search this
Manhart, Marcia, 1943-  Search this
McQueen, John, 1943-  Search this
Minkowitz, Norma M., 1937-  Search this
Niehues, Leon  Search this
Okun, Barbara Rose  Search this
Rapp, Joanne  Search this
Sauer, Jane, 1937-  Search this
Turk, Rudy H.  Search this
Extent:
48 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
2007 June 18-19
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Carol Eckert conducted June 18-19, 2007 by Jo Lauria, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in the artist's home and studio in Tempe, Arizona.
Eckert speaks of moving from North Carolina to New York during her childhood; her interest in making things as a child; her love of reading and a particular interest in mythology, legends, and fairy tales; choosing to pursue painting as an art major at Arizona State University; working as a substitute teacher after graduation; teaching herself the needle arts; and teaching painting and drawing classes at a local community arts center.
She also discusses experimenting with clay; the process that guides her work; the influence of her painting training on her color and composition choices; her marriage to furniture maker Tom Eckert; the development of the basketry field over the past decades; participating in exhibitions and shows; teaching workshops at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts and Haystack Mountain School of Crafts; the cross-cultural animal symbolism present in her pieces; the working environment in her studio; the importance of craft publications; the development in her own work towards larger pieces; her commitment to the longevity and preservation of her work; and upcoming exhibitions.
Eckert recalls Steven Covey, Barbara Rose Okun, Jane Sauer, Sandy Blaine, Lillian Elliot, Joanne Segal Branford, John Garrett, John McQueen, Leon Niehues, Norma Minkowitz, Sarah and David Lieberman, Janet Koplos, Marcia Docter, Doug and Dale Anderson, Karen Johnson Boyd, Rudy Turk, Marcia Manhart, Joanne Rapp, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Carol Eckert (1945- ) is a fiber artist from Tempe, Arizona. Jo Lauria is a curator and arts wrtier from Los Angeles, California.
General:
Originally recorded 3 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr., 40 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 is available on the Archives of American Art's website.
Occupation:
Fiber artists -- Arizona  Search this
Topic:
Decorative arts  Search this
Art -- Study and teaching  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Women textile artists  Search this
Function:
Artists' studios
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.eckert07
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9c45a09a8-6375-4149-b2b1-78211976b4aa
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-eckert07
Online Media:

Arline M. Fisch papers

Creator:
Fisch, Arline M.  Search this
Names:
American Craftsmen's Council  Search this
Boston University  Search this
Electrum (Gallery : London, England)  Search this
Internationale Handwerksmesse  Search this
Lee Nordness Galleries  Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
National Endowment for the Arts  Search this
San Diego State University -- Faculty  Search this
Skidmore College  Search this
Society of North American Goldsmiths  Search this
World Crafts Council  Search this
Antunes, Edith  Search this
Extent:
9.8 Linear feet
3.82 Gigabytes
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Gigabytes
Photographs
Video recordings
Date:
1931-2015
Summary:
The papers of metalsmith, jeweler, and educator Arline M. Fisch measure 9.8 linear feet and 3.82 GB date from 1931 to 2015. The papers include awards and certificates, correspondence, exhibition and gallery files, project files, San Diego State University teaching files, membership records, and printed and digital and photographic materials.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of metalsmith, jeweler, and educator Arline M. Fisch measure 9.8 linear feet and 3.82 GB and date from 1931 to 2015. The papers include awards and certificates, correspondence, exhibition and gallery files, project files, San Diego State University teaching files, membership records, and printed and and digital photographic materials.

Awards and certificates are from the Indonesian National Crafts Council, Internationale Handwerksmesse Munchen, San Diego State University, State of California, and other organizations. Correspondence is with Edith Antunes, Skidmore College and other educational institutions, as well as galleries, students, and colleagues. Files for exhibitions consist of inventory and price lists, loan and shipping records, printed material, correspondence, a digital disk, and a video recording for Elegant Fantasy: The Jewelry of Arline Fisch (2000), The Art of Arline Fisch (2003), Arline Fisch: Creatures from the Deep (2008), and various exhibitions.

Gallery files contain business records for Atrium, Electrum Gallery, Lee Nordness Galleries, and galleries in Germany and Switzerland. Project files include records for an advertising campaign, articles and lectures, Textile Techniques in Metal for Jewelers, Sculptors, and Textile Artists, a cataloging project, commercial ventures, curriculum development at Boston University, NEA and Fulbright grant projects, an artwork installation, an oral history project, a seminar, and workshops.

San Diego State University teaching files include correspondence, evaluations, exhibition material, grant programs and projects, university programs, recommendations, and sabbatical records. Membership records are for the American Craftsmen's Council (ACC), Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG), and World Crafts Council (WCC).

Printed materials consist of booklets, a calendar, clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs, periodicals and posters, and chronological files. Photographic materials are of Fisch, her family, travel, her studio, with colleagues and in class, and works of art. A detailed archive of Fisch's work on slides and in digital format is also included.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as nine series.

Series 1: Awards and Certificates, 1961-2001 (0.3 linear feet; Boxes 1, 11)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1956-2003 (0.8 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 3: Exhibition Files, 1957-2010 (1.0 linear feet; Boxes 1-2)

Series 4: Gallery Files, 1968-2010 (0.5 linear feet; Boxes 2-3)

Series 5: Project Files, 1956-2010 (1.4 linear feet; Boxes 3-4, 11)

Series 6: San Diego State University, 1955-2014 (1.0 linear feet; Boxes 4-5)

Series 7: Membership Records, 1964-1994 (1.0 linear feet; Boxes 5-6)

Series 8: Printed Materials, circa 1960-2015 (3.3 linear feet; Boxes 6-9, 11, OV 12)

Series 9: Photographic Materials, 1931-circa 2005 (0.5 linear feet; Boxes 9-11, 3.82 GB; ER01)
Biographical / Historical:
Arline M. Fisch (1931- ) is a metalsmith, jeweler, and educator in San Diego, California.

Fisch was born in Brooklyn, New York. She studied art education at Skidmore College and earned a master of arts degree from the University of Illinois. From 1956 to 1957 she studied at the School of Arts and Crafts in Copenhagen Denmark, and she returned to Denmark in 1966 under a Fulbright Research Grant. She also received Fulbright and NEA grants for multiple projects in Uruguay, Austria, and the U.S.

From 1954 to 1961, she taught at Wheaton College and Skidmore College. Fisch began teaching at San Diego State University (SDSU) in 1961 where she developed the Jewelry and Metalsmithing program. She retired from SDSU in 2000.

Fisch was a member of the American Craft Council (ACC), Haystack Mountain School of Crafts' Board of Trustees, and was vice president of the World Crafts Council (WCC) from 1976 to 1981. She was a founding member of Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG) and was president of the organization from 1982 to 1985.

Fisch has received numerous awards and honors for her accomplishments in craftsmanship including an honorary doctorate degree from Skidmore College, United States Artists fellowship award, and Fresno Art Museum Council of 100 Distinguished Woman Artist award in 2012. Fisch has exhibited her work all over the world including her solo retrospective exhibition titled, Elegant Fantasy: The Jewelry of Arline Fisch, which was shown in San Diego, Oakland, New York, and Washington, D.C.
Related Materials:
Also at the Archives of American Art is an interview of Arline M. Fisch conducted July 29-30, 2001 by Sharon Church McNabb, for the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in Fisch's home, in San Diego, California.
Provenance:
The papers were donated from 2003 to 2018 by Arline M. Fisch as a part of the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings and born-digital records with no duplicate copies requires advance notice.
Rights:
Arline M. Fisch retains copyright for the manuscript for the 2nd edition of her book Textile Techniques in Metal for Jewelers, Sculptors, and Textile Artists (New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, c. 1975) and notes for the first edition.
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:
Metal-workers -- California -- San Diego  Search this
Jewelers -- California -- San Diego  Search this
Educators -- California -- San Diego  Search this
Topic:
Art -- Study and teaching  Search this
Artists' studios -- Photographs  Search this
Decorative arts  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Women educators  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Video recordings
Citation:
Arline M. Fisch papers, 1931-2015. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.fiscarli
See more items in:
Arline M. Fisch papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw95c7c5f3b-37ad-44ab-9740-558f8fc327f7
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-fiscarli
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Cynthia Schira

Interviewee:
Schira, Cynthia, 1934-  Search this
Interviewer:
Mensing, Margo, 1941-  Search this
Creator:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Names:
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts -- Faculty  Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Rhode Island School of Design -- Students  Search this
Extent:
52 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
2001 July 25-26
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Cynthia Schira conducted 2001 July 25-26, by Margo Mensing, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in Schira's home and studio, in Westport, N.Y.
Biographical / Historical:
Cynthia Schira (1934- ) is a fiber artist from Westport, N.Y. Margo Mensing (1941- ) is a fiber artist from Gansevoort, N.Y.
General:
Originally recorded on 3 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 6 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr., 22 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.
Topic:
Fiber artists -- New York (State) -- Interviews  Search this
Tapestry  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Decorative arts  Search this
Weaving  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.schira01
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw983656621-df52-480b-8e6a-b1cde3a121a5
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-schira01
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Harlan Butt

Interviewee:
Butt, Harlan W., 1950-  Search this
Interviewer:
Riedel, Mija, 1958-  Search this
Creator:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Names:
American Craft Council  Search this
Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts -- Faculty  Search this
Enamelist Society  Search this
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts -- Faculty  Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Penland School of Crafts -- Faculty  Search this
Rhode Island School of Design -- Faculty  Search this
San Diego State University -- Faculty  Search this
Society of North American Goldsmiths  Search this
Southern Illinois University at Carbondale -- Students  Search this
Tyler School of Art -- Students  Search this
University of North Texas -- Faculty  Search this
Brooks, Jan  Search this
Glantz, Ken  Search this
Kington, L. Brent (Louis Brent), 1934-2013  Search this
Lechtzin, Stanley, 1936-  Search this
Moty, Eleanor  Search this
Paley, Albert  Search this
Pijanowski, Eugene, 1938-  Search this
Pijanowski, Hiroko Sato, 1942-  Search this
Pujol, Elliot  Search this
Scanga, Italo, 1932-2001  Search this
Shirk, Helen Z., 1942-  Search this
Snyder, Gary, 1930-  Search this
Staffel, Rudolf, 1911-2002  Search this
Winokur, Robert, 1933-  Search this
Extent:
7 Items (Sound recording: 7 sound files (5 hr., 19 min.), digital, wav)
90 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Interviews
Sound recordings
Place:
Australia -- Description and Travel
India -- description and travel
Japan -- Description and Travel
Date:
2009 July 27-28
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Harlan W. Butt conducted 2009 July 27-28, by Mija Riedel, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, at Butt's studio, in Ptarmigan Meadows, Colorado.
Harlan Butt speaks of the influence of Asian art on his work; the use of text and imagery in his work; the use of pattern in his work; his undergraduate minor in weaving; the influence of Asian religion and mythology; series The Earth Beneath Our Feet , Garden Anagogies, and Snakes in Heaven; his childhood growing up in Hopewell, New Jersey, near Princeton; undergraduate work at Tyler School of Art, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; discovery of Buddhism and Eastern religions; his mother's death when he was 20; studying with Stanley Lechtzin and Elliot Pujol at Tyler; graduate school at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale; interest in Japanese tea ceremony; more exploration of Zen Buddhism; use of color in his work; studying with L. Brent Kington; reliquary series; move to Connecticut in 1974; second trip to Japan in 1984 to co-curate Kyoto Metal: An Exhibition of Contemporary Japanese Art Metalwork; introduction to Japanese system of artisan apprenticeship; early efforts as a writer and poet; the influence of poet Gary Snyder; summer teaching position at Rhode Island School of Design, Providence; teaching job at San Diego [California] State University in the mid-1970s; rattles and pipes series; exploring the Western landscape; the power of the snake image; taking a teaching position at University of North Texas, Denton (1976- ); first trip to Japan in 1980; differences in artisanal/metalworking practices in Japan and the United States; teaching workshops at various craft schools, Penland School of Crafts, Penland, North Carolina; Haystack School of Crafts, Deer Isle, Maine; and Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, compared with teaching in a university; the pros and cons of the gallery system; work with the Nancy Yaw Gallery, Birmingham, Michigan; the challenge of commission work; National Parks Project, Denton Center for the Visual Arts, Denton, Texas; the role of haiku and text in his pieces; series 1,001 Views of Mt. Mu; series Snakes in Heaven; the influence of his wife and children; trip to India and organizing Colour & Light: The Art and Craft of Enamel on Metal, National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai, 2001; trip to Australia; involvement with the Society of North American Goldsmiths, Enamelist Society, and American Craft Council; subtle issues of environmentalism in his work; his affinity for metalsmithing and enameling. He also recalls [Rudolf] Staffel, Robert Winokur, Italo Scanga, Jan Brooks, Mike Riegel, Rachelle Thiewes, Eleanor Moty, Albert Paley, Shumei Tanaka, Ken Glantz (Ken Chowder), Randy Thelma Coles, Sandy Green, Mickey McCarter, Gene Pijanowski, Hiroko Pijanowski, Toshihiro Yamanaka, Helen Shirk, Ana Lopez, and Sarah Perkins.
Biographical / Historical:
Harlan W. Butt (1950- ) is an artist, metalsmith, and educator in Denton, Texas. Mija Riedel (1958- ) is a writer and independent scholar in San Francisco, California.
General:
Originally recorded on 4 sound mini discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 7 digital wav files. Duration is 5 hr., 19 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:
Art teachers -- Interviews  Search this
Topic:
Art, Asian  Search this
Art -- Study and teaching  Search this
Buddhism  Search this
Metal-workers -- Texas -- Interviews  Search this
Weaving  Search this
Japanese tea ceremony  Search this
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Sound recordings
Identifier:
AAA.butt09
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw990c0174f-3e27-4a2f-bccb-8d302a50d30d
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-butt09
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Howard Ben Tré

Interviewee:
Ben Tré, Howard, 1949-2020  Search this
Interviewer:
Shea, Josephine, 1958-  Search this
Creator:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Names:
Appalachian Center for Craft  Search this
Brooklyn College -- Students  Search this
Brooklyn Technical High School (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Cristallerie Daum  Search this
Hadler/Rodriguez Gallery  Search this
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts -- Faculty  Search this
Missouri Valley College -- Students  Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Pilchuck School  Search this
Portland State University -- Students  Search this
Rhode Island School of Design -- Students  Search this
Venceremos Brigade  Search this
Aycock, Alice  Search this
Brychtová, Jaroslava, 1924-  Search this
Chihuly, Dale, 1941-  Search this
Dailey, Dan, 1947-  Search this
Hampson, Ferdinand  Search this
LaMonte, Karen, 1967-  Search this
Labino, Dominick  Search this
Libenský, Stanislav, 1921-2002  Search this
Littleton, Harvey K.  Search this
Onorato, Ronald J.  Search this
Parker, Anthony  Search this
Polander, Steve  Search this
Scanga, Italo, 1932-2001  Search this
Extent:
63 Pages (Transcript)
3 Sound discs (Sound recording (4 hr., 3 min.), digital, 2 5/8 in.)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound discs
Interviews
Sound recordings
Place:
Cuba -- Description and Travel
Europe -- description and travel
Date:
2007 July 7
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Howard Ben Tré conducted 2007 July 7, by Josephine Shea, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, at the artist's studio, in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
Ben Tré speaks of his childhood in Rockaway Park, New York; his Polish immigrant father who was a woodworker and artist; inheriting a particular aesthetic and sense of hard work from his father; attending Brooklyn Technical High School to play football but not graduating; moving to Marshall, Missouri to attend Missouri Valley College for one year; attending Brooklyn College; becoming involved in Students for a Democratic Society, the antiwar movement and civil rights movement of the 1960s; traveling to Cuba as part of the first Venceremos Brigade to cut sugarcane in 1969; meeting his first wife, Gay, in Cuba and returning to New York with her; organizing a food co-op and community events in Brooklyn; moving to Portland, Oregon; working in construction for the city before going back to school to study veterinarian medicine at Portland State University; discovering the glass studio in a garage at Portland State; meeting Dale Chihuly and working at Pilchuck Glass School; utilizing the foundry skills learned from Brooklyn Technical High to work with glass in casting and cope and drag methods; his series Burial Boxes and the influence of ancient architecture and ceremonial Chinese bronzes; the rise of the studio glass movement as symptomatic of socio-political-economic times, not just the pioneering efforts of Harvey Littleton and Dominic Labino; traveling throughout Europe with Gay; visiting Stanislav Libenský and Jaraslava Brychtová in Czechoslovakia; visiting Dan Dailey at Cristallerie Daum in France; attending Rhode Island School of Design [RISD]; his first show at Hadler/Rodriguez Gallery in 1980; teaching experiences at Haystack Mountain School of Craft and Appalachian Center for Craft; building and installing an oven at Blenko Glass in Milton, West Virginia and at Super Glass in Brooklyn; working with Mold Melted Glass Studio in Pelechov, Czech Republic; the history of glass and early glass-working techniques; his many commissions, including sited public projects such as Post Office Square in Boston; the adoption of his name, Ben Tré; return visits to Cuba; working with RISD to create a winter study session in Havana; and his view of artists as artists, not defined by medium. Ben Tré also recalls Anthony Parker, Italo Scanga, Ron Onorato, Alice Aycock, Ferdinand Hampson, Steven Polander, Karen LaMonte, among others.
Biographical / Historical:
Howard Ben Tré (1949- 2020) was a glass artist from Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Josephine Shea is a curator from Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan.
General:
Originally recorded 3 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 5 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hr., 3 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.
Occupation:
Glass artists  Search this
Topic:
Art commissions  Search this
Civil rights -- United States  Search this
Decorative arts  Search this
Peace movements  Search this
Glass art  Search this
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Sound recordings
Identifier:
AAA.bentre07
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9d4615d25-e2f4-4f9f-8c8b-9587cb029302
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-bentre07
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Frank E. Cummings, III

Interviewee:
Cummings, Frank E.  Search this
Interviewer:
Lauria, Jo  Search this
Creator:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Names:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Castle, Wendell, 1932-2018  Search this
Cooke, Edward S., 1954-  Search this
Prestini, James, 1908-  Search this
Extent:
74 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
2006 December 28-2007 January 5
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Frank E. Cummings, III conducted 2006 December 28 and 2007 January 5, by Jo Lauria, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in the artist's home, in Long Beach, California.
Cummings speaks of his childhood in Los Angeles and the challenges he faced in school; receiving a B.A. from California State University, Long Beach; working with troubled youth as a social worker with Neighborhood Youth Association; teaching at California State University, Long Beach while earning his M.F.A. at California State University, Fullerton through the Black Faculty Teaching Program; the invitation by Eudorah Moore to show in "California Design XI"; the importance of having his and his students' work published in Dona Meilach's book, "Creating Modern Furniture: Trends, Techniques, Appreciation"; the role of reflective surfaces in his work to capture the viewer's attention; using a diamond stylus to draw on glass; serving as the first M.F.A. graduate program coordinator at California State University, Long Beach; the development and creation of his famed clock, It's About Time, now in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; working as a gofer for Sam Maloof during a three day seminar at Yosemite National Park; receiving an invitation from Maloof to teach at Penland School of Crafts in Penland, North Carolina; his experiences at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Deer Isle, Maine.; the consistent drive throughout his career to continue working, exhibiting, and publishing; his love of teaching; the honor of receiving the Outstanding Professor Award at California State University, Fullerton, in 1997; receiving a National Endowment of Arts grant in 1973 to spend two months in Ghana, Africa examining connections between the African American struggle for identity in the ghettoes of the United States and struggles faced in Africa; returning to various regions in Africa in 1981 at the request of the State Department to evaluate and help increase object making productivity in villages while exhibiting his art in museums throughout the continent; his deliberate selection of materials; the role race has played in his career; his reverence of nature; designing furniture for the set of the movie, "How Stella Got Her Groove Back;" the development and creative process of the Carousel series; finding inspiration in his wife, C.C.; and plans for the future. Cummings also recalls Raymond Hein, Thomas Ferreira, James Prestini, Wendell Castle, William Hunter, Edward Cooke, Gerald W.R. Ward, Kelly H. L'Ecuyer, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Frank E. Cummings III (1938- ) is a furniture maker and woodworker of Long Beach, California. Jo Lauria ( 1954- ) is a curator and art writer of Los Angeles, California.
General:
Originally recorded on 4 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hr., 28 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:
Woodworkers -- California  Search this
Topic:
Decorative arts  Search this
African American artists  Search this
African American art -- African influences  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.cummin06
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw92ea683fd-bb6d-4e10-be30-d8a847ad89d3
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-cummin06
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 Chunghi Choo

Interviewee:
Choo, Chunghi  Search this
Interviewer:
Milosch, Jane  Search this
Creator:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Names:
Cranbrook Academy of Art -- Students  Search this
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts -- Faculty  Search this
Ihwa Yŏja Taehakkyo  Search this
Museum für Kunsthandwerk Frankfurt am Main  Search this
Museum of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Penland School of Handicrafts -- Students  Search this
University of Iowa -- Faculty  Search this
University of Northern Iowa  Search this
Victoria and Albert Museum  Search this
Bush, Cody  Search this
Chateauvert, Jocelyn  Search this
Fujio, Yuho  Search this
Grotell, Maija  Search this
Kao, Ruth  Search this
Kaufman, Glen  Search this
Larsen, Jack Lenor  Search this
Lechtzin, Stanley, 1936-  Search this
Lee, Sang-Bong  Search this
Mayer-VanderMey, Sandra  Search this
McFadden, David Revere  Search this
Merkel-Hess, Mary  Search this
Park, No Soo  Search this
Raab, Rosanne  Search this
Saarinen, Loja  Search this
Smith, Paul J.  Search this
Thomas, Richard C., 1917-1988  Search this
Yeun, Kee-ho  Search this
Extent:
75 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Place:
Korea (South) -- History -- April Revolution, 1960
Date:
2007 July 30-2008 July 26
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Chunghi Choo conducted 2007 July 30-2008 July 26, by Jane Milosch, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, at the artist's home, in Iowa City, Iowa.
Choo speaks of establishing the Metalsmithing and Jewelry program at the University of Iowa in Iowa City; the elaborate equipment, tools, and safety protection used in the studio; her experience teaching silent metalforming at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Deer Isle, Maine; participating in international workshops and seminars in Korea; the extensive world traveling she does with her husband, Dr. Charles Read, including destinations in Scandinavia, Thailand, Austria, Italy, and South Africa, among others; the house she designed in Iowa City; her love of the city and being surrounded by treasured friends, a supportive university, and beautiful environments; an interest in creative cooking and appreciation for diverse dishes from all around the world; her childhood and young adulthood in Inchon, Korea; growing up with an appreciation for beautiful art objects and classical music; an early interest and talent in drawing; attending Ewha Women's University as generations of women in her family had previously; experiences during the Korean War and April 19 Revolution in 1961; coming to the United States in 1961 as a student; studying English, ceramics, enameling, and stone cutting for one semester at Penland School of Crafts in Penland, N.C.; attending Cranbrook Art Academy in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and studying metalsmithing with Richard Thomas, ceramics with Maija Grotell, and weaving with Glen Kaufman; living with Mrs. Loja Saarinen during her three and a half years at Cranbrook; teaching general craft at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Rapids from 1965-1968; pioneering the mixed-media studies with her students at UNI; accepting the challenge to build a metalsmithing and jewelry program at the University of Iowa in Iowa City in 1968; learning and teaching electroforming; the development of the electro-appliqué technique; extensive donor support and fundraising for the Metalsmithing and Jewelry program and its students; finding inspiration in nature, East Asian calligraphy, classical music, and travel; her long friendship with Jack Lenor Larsen and the great influence he has had on her work; being represented in major art museums and institutions world-wide, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Museum fur Kunsthandwerk in Frankfurt, Germany, and many others; the joy she has when her students succeed and surpass her; and plans for future work, writing projects, and travel. Choo also speaks of the 2008 flooding of Iowa City and the state of Iowa during which her studio was severely damaged and many things were lost. Choo also recalls Park, No Soo; Lee, Sang Bong; Ruth Kao; Stanley Lechtzin; Yuho Fujio; David McFadden; Paul J. Smith; Rosanne Raab; Cody Bush; Jocelyn Chateauvert; Mary Merkel Hess; Sandra Mayer-VanderMey; Kee-ho Yeun, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Chunghi Choo (1938- ) is a Korean American educator, metalsmith, jeweler, and textile and mixed media artist based in Iowa City, Iowa. Interviewer Jane Milosch is a curator from Silver Spring, Maryland.
General:
Originally recorded 5 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 27 digital wav files. Duration is 5 hr., 22 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:
This transcript is open for research. Access to the entire recording is restricted. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Metal-workers -- Iowa -- Iowa City  Search this
Jewelers -- Iowa -- Iowa City  Search this
Textile designers -- Iowa -- Iowa City  Search this
Mixed-media artists -- Iowa -- Iowa City  Search this
Topic:
Decorative arts  Search this
Metal-work  Search this
Jewelers -- Interviews  Search this
Asian American art  Search this
Asian American artists  Search this
Korean War, 1950-1953  Search this
Korean American art  Search this
Korean American Artists  Search this
Asian American jewelers  Search this
Asian American metal-workers  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Women textile artists  Search this
Jewelry making  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.choo07
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw91d0f3d3d-e648-47b2-9282-e395b73f635f
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-choo07
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Rosanne Somerson

Topic:
Fine woodworking
Interviewee:
Somerson, Rosanne, 1954-  Search this
Interviewer:
Michie, Thomas S.  Search this
Creator:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Names:
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts  Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Peters Valley (Craft center)  Search this
Rhode Island School of Design -- Faculty  Search this
Rhode Island School of Design -- Students  Search this
Richard Kagan Gallery  Search this
Snyderman Gallery  Search this
Abramson, Ron  Search this
Callahan, Harry M.  Search this
Capanigro, Paul  Search this
Cooke, Ned  Search this
Dunnigan, John, 1950-  Search this
Fairbanks, Jonathan L.  Search this
Follen, Eck  Search this
Frid, Tage  Search this
Jackson, Dan  Search this
Joseph, Peter T. (Peter Thomas), 1950-1998  Search this
Kagan, Richard  Search this
Keck, Hardu  Search this
Kranov, James  Search this
Maruyama, Wendy, 1952-  Search this
Mattia, Alphonse  Search this
Melanson, Gracie  Search this
Osgood, Jere, 1936-  Search this
Sfirri, Mark  Search this
Siskind, Aaron  Search this
Swanson, Charlie  Search this
Szasz, Merlin  Search this
White, Leroy  Search this
Wolf, Hans  Search this
Extent:
61 Pages (Transcripts)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Interviews
Sound recordings
Date:
2006 August 7 and 2007 June 22
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Rosanne Somerson conducted 2006 August 7-2007 June 22, by Thomas Michie, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, at the Rhode Island School of Design, in Providence, Rhode Island. In part one of this interview, Somerson speaks of growing up outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; attending RISD beginning in 1971; being asked to teach there nine years later; creating a new department of furniture design; tailoring that furniture design program to encompass the development from design to manufacture; introducing materials other than wood into the program; garnering international attention through worldwide exhibits; her first show at the Richard Kagan Gallery in Philadelphia; participating in a group show in New York City for female woodworkers; making connections through the Snyderman Gallery and Pritam and Eames Gallery; working directly with clients on commissioned pieces; the financial stability of teaching; designing a piece for the headquarters of Khon, Peterson Fox, and Conway in New York; the sculptural elements present in many of her works; moving from a small studio in Boston, Massachusetts, to a larger studio in Westport, Connecticut, and finally to a shared studio in Fall River, Massachusetts; the supportive and proud reaction of her children to her work; creating a production company with colleagues and designing furniture for the RISD dormitories; attempting to make these designs both flexible and environmentally-friendly; putting aside teaching for an administrative position in the department; recent travel to Japan, Australia, England, Israel, and France; enrolling in summer programs with art schools like Haystack Mountain School of Craft in Maine and others; and excitement for her upcoming sabbatical.
In the second portion of the interview, she discusses living in a house built by her father in Wyncote, Pennsylvania; enjoying the location of the house on a former cherry orchard and consequently being drawn cherry wood as a medium; the feeling of her parents that anything could be accomplished with a certain amount of study; her mother's interest in weaving and spinning later in life; the creative pursuits of her older brothers, including creative writing and photography; verbally communicating the outside world to her blind grandfather and gaining an aptitude for interpreting visual imagery; being more academically than artistically focused in her youth; visiting art museums and having other cultural experiences with her family; being fascinated with photography by seeing her brother's work; deciding to put off college in order to spend a year in Denmark studying photography; enrolling in RISD and feeling overwhelmed at first by her inexperience; taking a winter course in wood-working and preferring it to photography; being advised by her teacher Tage Frid to gain a wood-working education by pursuing sculpture at RISD; transferring into industrial design later; learning a great deal from and being extraordinarily influenced by Tage Frid as a furniture designer and teacher; taking a semester off to attend Peters Valley Craftsmen in New Jersey; spending a few years after graduation assisting Frid with the writing and publication of his articles; working as an assistant editor for Fine Woodworking magazine; being offered a job at RISD in the furniture department; creating the furniture design program; using RISD's collection as inspiration for her work and as a teaching tool; moving towards using more local woods in her designs; her recent lecture and travel in China; and looking forward to focusing on her work in the new studio.
Somerson recalls John Dunnigan, Dick Kagan, Ned Cooke, Jonathan Fairbanks, Wendy Maruyama, James Krenov, Dan Jackson, Jere Osgood, Alphonse Mattia, Peter Joseph, Ron Abramson, Charlie Swanson, Eck Follen, Peter Walker, and others. In the second part, Somerson recalls Merlin Szasz, LeRoy White, Hardu Keck, Gracia Melanson, Harry Callahan, Aaron Siskind, Paul Crot, Paul Capanigro, Tage Frid, Hans Wolfe, Mark Sfirri, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Rosanne Somerson (1954- ) is a professor of furniture design and furniture designer and maker in Westport, Massachusetts. Thomas Michie is a curator of decorative arts, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, California.
General:
Originally recorded on 5 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 3 hr., 3 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.
Occupation:
Furniture designers -- Rhode Island  Search this
Topic:
Decorative arts  Search this
Educators -- Rhode Island -- Interviews  Search this
Photography  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Women designers  Search this
Women educators  Search this
Furniture design  Search this
Function:
Artists' studios
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Sound recordings
Identifier:
AAA.somers06
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9db2e506b-fd9b-42d1-b6a2-f24d806027dc
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-somers06
Online Media:

Oral history interview with J. Fred Woell

Interviewee:
Woell, J. Fred, 1934-  Search this
Interviewer:
Gold, Donna, 1953-  Search this
Creator:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Names:
Boy Scouts of America  Search this
Cranbrook Academy of Art -- Students  Search this
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts -- Faculty  Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
University of Wisconsin--Madison -- Students  Search this
Callahan, Harry M.  Search this
Extent:
75 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
2001 June 6-2002 January 19
Scope and Contents:
An interview of J. Fred Woell conducted 2001 June 6-2002 January 19, by Donna Gold, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in the artist's home and studio, Deer Isle, Maine.
Woell speaks of his childhood and the impact of many moves; his affiliation with the Presbyterian Church; his experiences at Park College and the University of Illinois, Champagne-Urbana, studying economics and political science; and the influence of jewelry teacher Robert Von Neumann. Woell describes his experience in the masters program at the University of Wisconsin at Madison and refers again to his early childhood noting his participation in Boy Scouts and how it engendered his respect for the environment. He also mentions collecting baseball cards and rocks; the absence of a peer group; and his lack of confidence. He discusses his affinity for open space and unpopulated places; his enjoyment of camping, kayaking with his wife Pat; and notes that his views of nature mirror those of Taoists. He cites effective teaching techniques and comments on secondary school curricula. He discusses a cover story about his work in Metalsmith and his mother's response; his early art classes and interest in drawing cartoons; his tendency to be a clown; his participation in an American-Legion-sponsored event called Boys State; artists as purveyors of culture; and the premise for a workshop titled "Art by Accident." Woell speaks of influence of a John Cage performance at University of Illinois and subsequently contacting Cage; and teaching at Boston University, Haystack, and elsewhere. Woell also provides thoughtful commentary on the teaching style and learning process at Cranbrook Academy of Art. He discusses in some detail the strong influence of Vincent Campanella and Frank Gallo on his work; sharing a workbench with Bob von Neumann; recording and saving ideas; drawing preliminary sketches for jewelry; and his early sculptures of helmets and spoons. He describes and interprets his piece, "Come Alive, You're in the Pepsi Generation," and he comments on found-object pieces that were inspired by Scouting and cartooning. Woell explains how his environmental concerns inform his work and argues that art has a healing function. He remarks on meeting and marrying Kathleen, his first wife; his one-man show at Garth Clark Gallery; and how his work is part of an American, rather than international, tradition. Woell discusses his relationship with galleries including Helen Drutt in Philadelphia, Sybaris Gallery in Royal Oak, Michigan, Connell Gallery in Atlanta, and Mobilia in Cambridge, Massachusetts He points out the value of being included in publications such as, "Metalsmith," "Jewelers Circular Keystone," "Ornament," "American Craft," "Craft Horizon," and "Craft Report." He speaks about commissions for institutions and individuals and describes his current obligation to Haystack and his plans for his retirement, which includes exploring photography and making videos. Woell also describes his typical workday and his symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder and dyslexia. He recalls Peter Voulkos, Jennifer Burton, Francis Sumner Merritt, Ronald Pearson, Georg Jensen, Audrey Handler, Jerry Brown, Jon Wilson, and others.
On January 19, 2002 Woell added an addendum to the interview which included remarks about September 11, 2001 acts of terrorism in the U.S.
Biographical / Historical:
J. Fred Woell (1934-) is a jeweler and metalsmith from Deer Isle, Maine. Donna Gold (1953-) is an art critic from Stockton Springs, Maine.
General:
Originally recorded on 6 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 11 digital wav files. Duration is 5 hr., 43 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.
Topic:
Jewelers -- Maine -- Interviews  Search this
Metal-workers -- Maine -- Interviews  Search this
Decorative arts  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.woell01
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw939303f25-e810-46cd-b745-00b2cb922419
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-woell01
Online Media:

Oral history interview with William Underhill

Interviewee:
Underhill, William, 1933-  Search this
Interviewer:
Carney, Margaret, 1949-  Search this
Creator:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Names:
Alfred University -- Faculty  Search this
Lee Nordness Galleries  Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Voulkos, Peter, 1924-2002  Search this
Extent:
41 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
2002 June 8
Scope and Contents:
An interview of William Underhill conducted 2002 June 8, by Margaret Carney, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in Wellsville, N.Y.
Underhill speaks of being born in Berkeley, California, to parents who were art teachers; the differences between the West Coast Bay Area arts and crafts movement and that of the east coast; attending California College of Arts & Crafts for two years and then transferring to the University of California at Berkeley, in 1953, to enter the architecture program; building a dome out of aluminum for the city of Oakland's parks department with other students during the summer of 1956; being drafted into the Army in 1957; working for the U.S. Army headquarters in Germany as a draftsman; prominent and influential craft artists that he knew; marrying Linn Baldwin [Underhill], a fellow classmate, in 1957, and starting a family; re-entering UC Berkeley, finishing his B.A. degree in 1960 and completing his M.A. in 1961; his studies with Peter Voulkos; making bronze bowls, which led to his idea of casting wax, modeling wax fabrication, using sheet wax, and making textured sculpture and geometric shapes; having one of his bowl pieces in the Museum of Contemporary Crafts; the Oakland Museum buying a piece of his work; his teaching position at Highlands University in Las Vegas, N.M.; being in the "Young Americans" exhibit and receiving the "Best of Show" award in 1962; most teachers trying to "emulate" the style of Peter Voulkos; moving to New York; showing at the Blumenfeld Gallery; sharing a studio next to the Clay Arts Center in Port Chester, N.Y.; building a foundry and a melting facility; teaching part-time at a community adult art center in White Plains, N.Y.; his financial difficulties; teaching part-time at Pratt Institute in 1965; J. Gordon Lippincott, of the industrial firm Lippincott and Margolies, commissioning him to do large scale steel sculptures for major corporations; working as a draftsman in an architect's office in New York City to pay for rent and groceries in 1966; teaching a summer session at Columbia's Teacher's College; teaching full-time as an instructor at New York University in 1967; teaching a workshop at Alfred University, in 1963; interviewing for a teaching position at Alfred at the College Art Association meeting, in Boston, in 1968; moving in the summer of 1969 to Alfred to teach; his counter-culture lifestyle and consequent decrease in his artistic production; showing at the Lee Nordness Gallery in the 1960s; exhibiting at the Perimeter Gallery, Helen Drutt Gallery, Twining Gallery, and Garth Clark Gallery in the 1980s; creating the bronzed statue of King Alfred for Alfred University and selling his copyright to them; his signature stamp; having pieces in the American Craft Museum and in the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art's collection; teaching at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, the Anderson Ranch, and the Mendocino Art Center; various craft magazines including Craft Horizons and Metalsmith; being a member of the American Craft Council [ACC]; his retirement in 1997; and working at the Berkeley Art Foundry in the summer of 2002. Underhill also recalls Robert Arneson, Josephine Blumenfeld, Diane Cox, Val Cushing, Peter Dodge, Jack Earl, Andrew Jevremovic, Manuel Neri, Bill Parry, Ted Randall, Dan Rhodes, Glenn Zweygardt, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
William Underhill (1933- ) is a metalsmith from Wellsville, N.Y. Margaret Carney is an art historian from New York.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr., 7 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:
Sculptors -- New York (State)  Search this
Topic:
Art -- Economic aspects  Search this
Bronze founding -- Technique  Search this
Decorative arts  Search this
Metal-work  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.underh02
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw95087d49d-5038-472c-9acd-5e8f7ca6ca3c
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-underh02
Online Media:

Marlis Schratter papers

Creator:
Schratter, Marlis, 1919-  Search this
Extent:
1.8 Linear feet ((partially microfilmed on 3 reels))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Scrapbooks
Date:
1956-2004
Scope and Contents:
The papers of cermaicist Marlis Schratter (1919-2014) measure 1.8 linear feet and date from circa 1956-2004. Included are correspondence, technical notes, business records, scrapbooks, printed material, photographs, a motion picture film, and fired clay samples documenting Schratter's ceramic techniques and her artistic and teaching activities.
REEL 970: Notes concern marketing and methods of attracting customers, record sales and customer reactions, and list supply purchases and prices for her work (1960-1975). The collection also contains 6 letters from Schratter's colleagues (1971-1973), a clipping, and a blueprint for a kiln.
REELS 982-983: Thirty-nine letters to Schratter from colleagues concern her exhibitions and her work (1957-1975). One notebook contains technical information concerning topics related to ceramics (1956- 1974). A second notebook concerning the construction of a gas kiln contains 16 letters, a receipt, and kiln log sheets. Seven letters and miscellaneous notebook pages concern glazes, slab construction, and related topics (1956- 1974). Eight pages from a kiln log contain notes and 5 firing charts recording the kiln's performance. A scrapbook contains clippings, exhibition announcements, and catalogs (1956-1975). Photographs show Schratter's work (1967-1974). The collection also contains 2 resumes and 2 artist's statements.
UNMICROFILMED: Six letters to Schratter from colleagues concern her exhibitions and work (1974-1983). A card file contains glaze and slip recipes. Three notebooks contain technical notes on clay bodies, chemicals, recipes, glazes and teaching (1956-1975), and gas kilns (1965-1975). Nineteen course evaluation sheets are from Schratter's class at the DeCordova Museum (1974- 1975). Printed material consists of a clipping (1972) and an announcement and catalog for the exhibition "The Potter's Wheel" at the DeCordova Museum (1976). Photographs and slides show Schratter and her work. An 8mm motion picture "Pots" by Richard Morehouse shows Schratter teaching a class (1968). Thirty- two fired clay test samples are annotated with formulas. Also included is a three-ring binder containing biographical information, photographs of works of art and of Schratter, Also included are loose sheets of correspondence, newspaper clippings and additional biographical information.
Biographical / Historical:
Marlis Schratter (1919- 2014) was a ceramicist in Baltimore, Maryland and Lincoln, Massachusetts. Born in Germany, Marlis Schratter came to the United States in 1940. In 1954, she began her training as a ceramist at the Baltimore Museum of Art, continuing her studies at the Boston Museum School and the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Maine. In addition to participating in many exhibitions, Schratter was on the art faculty of the DeCordova Museum, Lincoln, Massachusetts.
Provenance:
9 letters (reel 982: frames 1042, 1046, 1053, 1058, 1062, 1065, 1066, 1067, and 1087), technical correspondence and notes (reel 982: frames 1092-1200), kiln log (reel 982: frames 1266-1278), and the majority of photographs of works (reel 983: frames 230-373) donated by Marlis SChratter in 1983 and 1985. All other materials were loaned by Marlis Schratter. An additional scrapbook donated in 2022 by Reina SChratter, Marlis Schratter's daughter.
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:
Ceramicists -- Massachusetts  Search this
Art teachers -- Massachusetts  Search this
Topic:
Glazes -- Formulae  Search this
Kilns -- Massachusetts  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Women ceramicists  Search this
Women educators  Search this
Genre/Form:
Scrapbooks
Identifier:
AAA.schrmarl
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw99c5da156-ddd9-4c85-bcd4-afbb68e847f4
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-schrmarl

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 Arline M. Fisch

Interviewee:
Fisch, Arline M.  Search this
Interviewer:
Church, Sharon, 1948-  Search this
Creator:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Names:
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts -- Faculty  Search this
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts -- Students  Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Skidmore College -- Faculty  Search this
Skidmore College -- Students  Search this
Wheaton College (Ill.) -- Faculty  Search this
Adamson, Glenn  Search this
Extent:
61 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
2001 July 29-30
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Arline M. Fisch conducted 2001 July 29-30, by Sharon Church McNabb, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in Fisch's home, in San Diego, California.
Biographical / Historical:
Arline M. Fisch (1931-) is a metalsmith from San Diego, California. Sharon Church McNabb (1948-) is a jewelry designer.
General:
Originally recorded on 6 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 12 digital wav files. Duration is 6 hr., 13 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.
Occupation:
Metal-workers -- California -- San Diego  Search this
Jewelers -- California -- San Diego  Search this
Educators -- California -- San Diego  Search this
Fulbright scholars  Search this
Topic:
Art and religion  Search this
Decorative arts  Search this
Knitting  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Women educators  Search this
Women textile artists  Search this
Jewelry making  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.fisch01
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw953b7f3c1-1e9d-443b-8501-888ae6399225
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-fisch01
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Eddie Dominguez

Interviewee:
Dominguez, Eddie, 1957-  Search this
Interviewer:
Fleming, Stephen  Search this
Creator:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Names:
Alfred University -- Students  Search this
Cleveland Institute of Art -- Students  Search this
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts  Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Penland School of Crafts  Search this
University of Nebraska -- Faculty  Search this
Abrams, Fay  Search this
Casebeer, Doug, 1956-  Search this
Hepburn, Tony  Search this
Higby, Wayne  Search this
Jimenez, Luis, 1940-2006  Search this
Martin, Agnes, 1912-2004  Search this
Munson, Larry  Search this
Nevelson, Louise, 1899-1988  Search this
Price, Kenneth, 1935-2012  Search this
Rothko, Mark, 1903-1970  Search this
Ryman, Robert, 1930-2019  Search this
Saks, Esther  Search this
Salomon, Judith  Search this
Extent:
71 Pages (Transcript)
12 Items (Sound recording: 12 sound files (4hr., 23 min.), digital, wav)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Interviews
Sound recordings
Date:
2006 July 27-28
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Eddie Dominguez conducted 2006 July 27-28, by Stephen Fleming, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, at the artist's home, in Roswell, New Mexico.
Dominguez speaks of his childhood in Tucumcari, New Mexico; the strong drive to create he felt from his youth; attending Cleveland Institute of Art in Ohio; receiving his M.F.A. from New York State College of Ceramics, Alfred University in New York; being awarded a Gift of Time grant for the Roswell Artist-in-Residence Program in 1986; the differences he encountered returning to the program 20 years later; his involvement with Haystack Mountain School of Crafts where he serves on the board of directors; participating in numerous workshops and lectures, including workshops at Penland School of Crafts; working as a regional artist and what that designation means to him; teaching experiences at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln; the importance of giving back to communities; his enjoyment in working with children to create public art installations; the influence of the Southwest landscape in his work; the very physical way he interacts with his work through piercing, burning, tearing, et cetera; being influenced by artists such as Louise Nevelson, Mark Rothko, Robert Ryman, Luis Jimenez, Agnes Martin, and others; the issue of ethnicity and race in identifying his art; and recent explorations with computer technology and digital photography. Dominguez also recalls Judith Salomon, Tony Hepburn, Wayne Higby, Fay Abrams, Larry Munson, Esther Saks, Doug Casebeer, Kenneth Price and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Eddie Dominguez (1957- ) is a ceramicist from Roswell, New Mexico. Stephen Fleming (1950- ) is the director of the Roswell Artist-in-Residence Program, Roswell, New Mexico.
General:
Originally recorded on 4 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 12 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hr., 23 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.
Occupation:
Ceramicists -- New Mexico  Search this
Topic:
Decorative arts  Search this
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Sound recordings
Identifier:
AAA.doming06
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9dbf64952-9fa3-4b0e-ab63-8ce52c481842
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-doming06
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Lia Cook

Interviewee:
Cook, Lia, 1942-  Search this
Interviewer:
Baizerman, Suzanne  Search this
Creator:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Names:
Allrich Gallery  Search this
American Craft Council  Search this
College Art Association of America  Search this
European Textile Network  Search this
Hadler Galleries  Search this
Handarbetets vanner (Society)  Search this
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts -- Faculty  Search this
Konstfack (Stockholm, Sweden)  Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Perimeter Gallery  Search this
University of California, Berkeley -- Students  Search this
Abakanowicz, Magdalena  Search this
Hicks, Sheila, 1934-  Search this
Jacobi, Peter, 1935-  Search this
Jacobi, Ritzi, 1941-  Search this
Laky, Gyöngy, 1944-  Search this
O'Banion, Nance  Search this
Rappaport, Deborah  Search this
Rossbach, Ed  Search this
Extent:
36 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Place:
Europe -- description and travel
Japan -- Description and Travel
Date:
2006 August 22-29
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Lia Cook conducted 2006 August 22-29, by Suzanne Baizerman, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in the artist's studio, in Berkeley, California.
Cook speaks of her childhood in California; studying political science at University of California, Berkeley; being strongly influenced by the textiles of Mexican cultures; studying weaving at Konstfack University College of Arts, Crafts and Design and Handarbetets Vänner in Stockholm, Sweden; attending graduate school at Berkeley under Ed Rossbach; a strong interest in photography; teaching experiences at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts; participating in the Lausanne International Biennial of Tapestry in Switzerland; the impact of the digital Jacquard loom on the development of her work; travels throughout Europe and Japan; commission work; experiences with Allrich Gallery, Hadler/Rodriguez Gallery, and Perimeter Gallery; series Fabric Landscape, Material Pleasure, Point of Touch, Presence/Absence, and Anatomy of a Portrait; her involvement with American Craft Council, European Textile Network, and College Art Association; and the importance of teaching in her life. Cook also recalls Gyongy Laky, Nance O'Banion, Deborah Rappaport, Sheila Hicks, Magdalena Abakanowicz, Peter and Ritzi Jacobi, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Lia Cook (1942- ) is a textile painter of Berkeley, California. Suzanne Baizerman (1942- ) is an independent curator of Alameda, California.
General:
Originally recorded as 4 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 11 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr., 23 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:
Fiber artists -- California -- Berkeley  Search this
Painters -- California -- Berkeley  Search this
Topic:
Decorative arts  Search this
Art -- Study and teaching  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Women painters  Search this
Women textile artists  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.cook06
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw91647bf42-c0b5-4fa9-87ad-2c6325c496b8
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-cook06
Online Media:

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:

William J. and Jane Brown papers

Creator:
Brown, William J. (William Joseph), 1923-1992  Search this
Brown, Jane Brennan, 1931-  Search this
Names:
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts  Search this
Penland School of Crafts  Search this
Bailey, Dan  Search this
Berensohn, Paulus  Search this
Brennan, Harold James, 1903-1989  Search this
Ebendorf, Robert, 1938-  Search this
Ehle, John, 1925-  Search this
Hallman, Ted, 1933-  Search this
Lipofsky, Marvin, 1938-2016  Search this
Morgan, Lucy, 1889-1981  Search this
Perisho, Flossie  Search this
Takaezu, Toshiko  Search this
Extent:
7.9 Linear feet
0.32 Gigabytes
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Gigabytes
Interviews
Sketches
Sound recordings
Video recordings
Date:
circa 1940-2014
Summary:
The papers of William J. and Jane Brown date from circa 1940-2014 and measure 7.9 linear feet and 0.32 gigabytes. The collection is comprised of biographical material, correspondence, interviews, writings and notes, printed material and documentaries, photographs and moving images, and administrative records from the Penland School of Crafts where William served as director from 1962 to 1983.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of William J. and Jane Brown date from circa 1940-2014 and measure 7.9 linear feet. The collection is comprised of biographical material, correspondence, interviews, writings and notes, printed material and documentaries, photographs and moving images, and administrative records from the Penland School of Crafts where William served as director from 1962 to 1983.

Biographical materials consists of awards, business cards, annotated calendars, consignment forms, material from Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, resumes, sketches, and student documents. Correspondence is with artists, former students, instructors, local residents, Paulus Berensohn, Robert Ebendorf, Theodore Hallman, Lucy Morgan, Toshiko Takaezu, and others.

Sound and video recordings are of interviews with Bill and Jane Brown, Lucy Morgan, and "Flossie" Perisho regarding personal and Penland history. One transcript of Marvin Lipofsky's conversation with Bill is also included. Bill's writings are on industrial design, directing Penland, and mankind. Two notebooks contain daily logs, sketches, and other notes. Notes by Bill and Jane are on inventions, John Ehle, metal history, poems, and other topics. Other writings are about Bill and a manuscript on craftsman education by Harold J. Brennan.

Penland's administrative records contain files documenting the board of trustees, residents program, a special 2-week session, artwork, Bill Brown's Glass Studio dedication ceremony schedule, a certificate of incorporation, financial material, grant proposals, and maps. Also found are records of Penland's 50th birthday celebration, including a video recording of "A Quest" by Dan Bailey.

Books, booklets, four documentary video recordings, exhibition catalogs and announcements, flyers, pamphlets, periodicals, postcards, posters, and stickers and patches designed by Bill are in printed materials. Photographs and slides are of Bill and Jane; family and friends; works of art; and of Penland's grounds, students, and faculty along with photographs and video recordings documenting Penland's history.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as seven series.

Series 1: Biographical Materials, 1948-2011 (0.6 linear feet; Boxes 1, 9)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1949-2014 (1.8 linear feet; Boxes 1-3, 9)

Series 3: Interviews, 1968-1991 (0.4 linear feet; Box 3)

Series 4: Writings and Notes, circa 1950-2005 (0.2 linear feet; Box 3)

Series 5: Penland School of Crafts Administrative Records, 1954-1995 (1.1 linear feet; Boxes 3-4, 9)

Series 6: Printed Materials and Documentaries, 1942-2005 (1.8 linear feet, 0.32 GB; Boxes 4-6, 9; ER01)

Series 7: Photographic Materials and Moving Images, circa 1940-2011 (2.0 linear feet; Boxes 6-10, RD 11)
Biographical / Historical:
William "Bill" J. Brown (1923-1992) was a designer and educator who was married to Jane Brown (1932- ), an arts administrator. They lived in Bakersville, North Carolina.

Bill Brown was born in Flint, Michigan in 1923. He studied at the Cranbrook Academy of Art receiving a bachelor of fine art in 1949, a master of fine art in 1950, and was chosen to work at Corning Glass Works for a summer. After his studies, he taught at the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts and at the University of Delaware. In 1962 Lucy Morgan, who founded the Penland School of Crafts in 1929 in North Carolina, retired and offered the position of director to Bill. At the time, the school focused on traditional mountain crafts. As director, Bill changed the emphasis of the school to the advancement of professional craftsmen and the expansion of media to include iron and glass. He began a resident artist program that allowed artists to develop their skills at a low cost. Together, Bill and Jane created a supportive community of craftsmen that attracted renowned artists to teach and work at Penland. Bill resigned as director in 1983 but remained a respected member of the arts community. He earned several awards including the North Carolina Award in the Fine Arts in 1991.

Jane Brown graduated from the University of Delaware with a bachelor of arts in education and a master's degree in special education. Jane studied the Alexander Technique, a technique that can be used to improve the performance of dancers and musicians.

Bill Brown died in 1992. After his death, Jane participated in the dedication of the Bill Brown Glass Studio at Penland during a Glass Arts Society conference in 1995. She continues to live in Bakersville, North Carolina.
Related Materials:
Also found at the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with William J. Brown and his wife Jane Brown conducted on January 19, 1991 and March 2, 1991 by Jane Kessler.
Provenance:
The portions of the William J. and Jane Brown papers that were lent for microfilming in 1991 by Jane Brown were subsequently donated by Jane Brown 1995 and 2015 along with additional papers.
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 -- North Carolina  Search this
Educators -- North Carolina  Search this
Glass artists -- North Carolina  Search this
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Sketches
Sound recordings
Video recordings
Citation:
William J. and Jane Brown papers, circa 1940-2014. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.browwill
See more items in:
William J. and Jane Brown papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9907be991-414d-4c5f-b92d-b8729175c574
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-browwill

Marlis Schratter papers, 1956-2004

Creator:
Schratter, Marlis, 1919-  Search this
Type:
Scrapbooks
Citation:
Marlis Schratter papers, 1956-2004. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Glazes -- Formulae  Search this
Kilns -- Massachusetts  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Women ceramicists  Search this
Women educators  Search this
Theme:
Women  Search this
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)9105
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211299
AAA_collcode_schrmarl
Theme:
Women
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211299

Robert Chapman Turner papers, circa 1917-2005

Creator:
Turner, Robert Chapman, 1913-2005  Search this
Subject:
Black Mountain College (Black Mountain, N.C.)  Search this
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts  Search this
York State Craftsmen  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Citation:
Robert Chapman Turner papers, circa 1917-2005. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
American studio craft movement  Search this
Ceramics -- Study and teaching  Search this
World War, 1939-1945 -- Conscientious objectors  Search this
Theme:
Craft  Search this
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)5578
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)209302
AAA_collcode_turnrobe
Theme:
Craft
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_209302
Online Media:

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