An interview of Bruce Metcalf conducted 2009 June 10, by Edward S. Cooke, Jr., for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, at Metcalf's home, in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. Mr. Metcalf discusses his early years in Amherst, Massachusetts; beginnings as a maker with modeling clay and plastic airplane models; undergraduate years at Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York in the late 1960s; early interest in architecture; early disenchantment with modernist discourse and theory; introduction to Marxist theory and idealism of the 1960s; summer trip to California in 1970; return to the East Coast upon the death of his father; return to college, transferring into jewelry in his senior year; influence of his teacher Michael Jerry; seeing the work in "Objects: USA" exhibition (1969) and influence of the work of J. Fred Woell, Richard Mawdsley, L. Brent Kington; rejection of current trends in art, including conceptual art and formalism; his affinity for the medium of metal, and hammersmithing; influence of funk ceramics, including work by Fred Bauer and Richard Shaw; brief stint at Montana State University, Bozeman; working in cardboard and wood; graduate school at the State University of New York, New Paltz; working with Robert Ebendorf and Kurt Matzdorf at New Paltz; work as a production artist/craftsperson; attending Rhinebeck, New York, craft fair in the mid-1970s; the influence of writings by William Morris and John Ruskin and the notion of "dignified labor"; graduate school at Tyler School of Art, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; formulating his aesthetic of narrative symbolism; publication of his first article in 1977 as a response to review of the exhibition "Forms in Metal: 275 Years of Metalsmithing in America" (1975); yearlong teaching position at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado; taking a teaching position at Kent State University, Kent, Ohio (1986-1991); publication of his article "Crafts: Second-Class Citizens?" in the first issue of Metalsmith, 1980; growing involvement with the Society of North American Goldsmiths; development of his notion of "social utility" and the role and function of crafts and making; expansion of his writing on craft; rejection of the deconstructivist school of thought in the 1980s; abandonment of sculptural objects for jewelry in the early 1990s; return to Philadelphia in 1991; early teaching of history of craft, first at Kent, then on a Fulbright scholarship in Seoul, South Korea (1990), later at the University of the Arts, Philadelphia, in the early 1990s; influence of Martin Eidelberg; development of his vision for a history of craft course; collaboration with Janet Koplos on "Makers: A History of American Studio Craft"; use of his medium and craft to explore issues of nurturing and anxiety; the psychological/social effect and aesthetic importance of wearing jewelry (for the wearer and the artist); the pros and cons of craft collectors; the problematics of installation work by craft artists; recent trends in craft, including Anne Wilson's notion of "sloppy craft" and an "anti-craft" attitude; recent artists, including Arthur Hash and Gabriel Craig; lack of exhibition opportunities for younger/emerging artists; influential recent texts, including "Shards," by Garth Clark. He also recalls Robert Arneson, Randy Long, Carol Kumata, Jamie Bennett, Steve and Harriet Rogers, Wayne Hammer, Stanley Lechtzin, Gene Koss, Henry Halem, Mark Burns, Rose Slivka, Nilda Getty, Jill Slosberg, Sharon Church, John Gill, David La Plantz, Lois Moran; Gary Griffin; William Daley, Marian Pritchard, Glenn Adamson, Pat Flynn, Susan Cummins, and Judith Schaechter.
The following oral history transcript is the result of a recorded interview with Bruce Metcalf on June 10, 2009. The interview took place in Bala Cynwyd, Penn., and was conducted by Edward S. Cooke, Jr. for the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. This interview is part of the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America. Bruce Metcalf has reviewed the transcript. His corrections and emendations appear below in brackets with initials. This transcript has been lightly edited for readability by the Archives of American Art. The reader should bear in mind that they are reading a transcript of spoken, rather than written, prose.
Biographical / Historical:
Bruce Metcalf (1949- ) is a jeweler and writer in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.
General:
Originally recorded as 5 sound files. Duration is 4 hr., 10 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.
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America Search this
Type:
Interviews
Sound recordings
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Judith Schaechter, 2011 July 19-20. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
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
Extent:
148 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Interviews
Sound recordings
Date:
2011 July 19-20
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Judith Schaechter conducted 2011 July 19-20, by Mija Riedel, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, at Schaechter's home and studio, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Biographical / Historical:
Judith Schaechter (1961- ) is glass artist in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Mija Riedel (1958- ) is a curator and writer of San Francisco, California.
General:
Originally recorded as 6 sound 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.
Occupation:
Stained glass artists -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Search this
The papers of stained glass artist and educator Judith Schaechter measure 14.0 linear feet and 35.3 Gigabytes and date from circa 1900s-2019, with the bulk of the material dating from the 1960s-2019. The collection documents Schaechter's career through biographical material, correspondence, professional files, writings, printed material, photographic material, and artwork, and includes records in digital format.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of stained glass artist and educator Judith Schaechter measure 14.0 linear feet and 35.3 Gigabytes and date from circa 1900s-2019, with the bulk of the material dating from the 1960s-2019. The collection documents Schaechter's career through biographical material, correspondence, professional files, writings, printed material, photographic material, and artwork, and includes records in digital format.
Biographical material includes student records, honors and awards, and biographies and genealogical research.
Schaechter's correspondence is professional and personal. Professional correspondence documents many aspects of Schaechter's art career and includes business-related correspondence and some conversations on art. Personal correspondence (which is access restricted) includes greeting cards and extensive letters with family and friends including other artists and musicians.
Professional files includes calendars documenting professional appointment planning, exhibition records including consignments, condition reports, and Schaechter's workshop teaching records.
Schaechter's writings series includes, but is not limited to, notebooks, diaries, digital blog entries, interviews, and artist statements, and an original music recording by the artist.
Photographic material includes photos of home and family gatherings, glass workshops, art openings, and music shows. Also included are printed images of artwork and historic photographs related to Schaecter's genealogy.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged in seven series:
Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1969-2019 (0.3 Linear feet; Box 1, 13; 0.936 Gigabytes: ER0001-ER0002)
Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1974-2019 (4.4 Linear feet; Boxes 1-4, 20-21; 0.027 Gigabytes: ER0003-ER006)
Series 3: Professional Files, circa 1982-2019 (0.9 Linear feet: Box 5, 13; 0.624 Gigabytes: ER0007-ER0013, ER0056-ER0057)
Series 4: Writings, circa 1973-2019 (0.9 Linear feet: Boxes 5-6; 12.4 Gigabytes: ER0014-ER0026)
Series 5: Printed Material, circa 1973-2019 (3.8 Linear feet: Boxes 6-9, 14-15, OV19; 17.1 Gigabytes: ER0027-ER0042)
Series 6: Photographic Material, circa 1900s-2019 (1.8 Linear feet: Boxes 10, 12, 16; 4.17 Gigabytes: ER0043-ER0055)
Series 7: Artwork, circa 1965-2015 (1.9 Linear feet: Boxes, 10-11, 15, 17-18)
Biographical / Historical:
Judith Schaechter (1961-) is a Philadelphia-based stained glass artist and educator.
Schaechter was born in Gainesville Florida and her family soon relocated to Newton Massachusetts where her father Moselio Schaechter was a microbiology professor at Tufts University. She exhibited artistic talent and imagination that was nurtured at an early age, and Schaechter worked on developing her art in high school. She received her bachelor's degree from Rhode Island School of Design in 1983. During her undergraduate work she discovered the glass program and completed her undergraduate work there.
While her methods of art production may be centuries old, Schaecter infuses contemporary themes in her pieces that resonate with the grotesque imagery that appears in the Medieval and Renaissance motifs that she emulates. In addition to lending her works as cover artwork to literary and music artists, Schaecter also played in bands such as Ken throughout the 1990s and recorded her own music. In this way the punk and D.I.Y. ethos resonates with all of her creative endeavors, despite the fact that her works take many hours to create. Skillful draftsmanship is at the core of her artistic practices and her more recent work incorporates computer illustration as well as animation.
Schaechter served as an adjunct professor in the Crafts Department at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Adjunct Faculty at the New York Academy of Art in New York, New York. She has also taught workshops and classes at Pilchuck Glass School in Seattle, Penland School of Crafts, Toyama Institute of Glass (Toyama, Japan) and Australian National University in Canberra, Australia, among others.
An early career milestone was achieved with her stained glass artwork appearing on the cover of The New Yorker in 1993. She showed her work Bigtop Flophouse Bedspins in the 2002 Whitney Biennial. Schaechter's artwork is featured in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Hermitage Museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Corning Museum of Glass, and the Renwick Gallery, among numerous other public and private collections.
Provenance:
The collection was donated in 2019 and 2021 by Judith Schaechter.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. This personal correspondence series is access restricted; written permission is required. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or 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:
Stained glass artists -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Search this
Sculptors -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Search this
Educators -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Search this
This collection is open for research. This personal correspondence series is access restricted; written permission is required. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Judith Schaechter papers, circa 1900s-2019. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Boxes 2-4 and 20-21 are access restricted; written permission is required. Contact Reference Services for more information. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Judith Schaechter papers, circa 1900s-2019. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Boxes 2-4 and 20-21 are access restricted; written permission is required. Contact Reference Services for more information. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Judith Schaechter papers, circa 1900s-2019. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Boxes 2-4 and 20-21 are access restricted; written permission is required. Contact Reference Services for more information. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Judith Schaechter papers, circa 1900s-2019. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Boxes 2-4 and 20-21 are access restricted; written permission is required. Contact Reference Services for more information. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Judith Schaechter papers, circa 1900s-2019. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Boxes 2-4 and 20-21 are access restricted; written permission is required. Contact Reference Services for more information. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Judith Schaechter papers, circa 1900s-2019. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Boxes 2-4 and 20-21 are access restricted; written permission is required. Contact Reference Services for more information. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Judith Schaechter papers, circa 1900s-2019. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Boxes 2-4 and 20-21 are access restricted; written permission is required. Contact Reference Services for more information. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Judith Schaechter papers, circa 1900s-2019. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Boxes 2-4 and 20-21 are access restricted; written permission is required. Contact Reference Services for more information. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Judith Schaechter papers, circa 1900s-2019. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Boxes 2-4 and 20-21 are access restricted; written permission is required. Contact Reference Services for more information. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Judith Schaechter papers, circa 1900s-2019. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Boxes 2-4 and 20-21 are access restricted; written permission is required. Contact Reference Services for more information. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Judith Schaechter papers, circa 1900s-2019. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Boxes 2-4 and 20-21 are access restricted; written permission is required. Contact Reference Services for more information. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Judith Schaechter papers, circa 1900s-2019. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Boxes 2-4 and 20-21 are access restricted; written permission is required. Contact Reference Services for more information. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Judith Schaechter papers, circa 1900s-2019. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Boxes 2-4 and 20-21 are access restricted; written permission is required. Contact Reference Services for more information. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Judith Schaechter papers, circa 1900s-2019. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Boxes 2-4 and 20-21 are access restricted; written permission is required. Contact Reference Services for more information. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Judith Schaechter papers, circa 1900s-2019. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
