Search Results

Creator:

Smith, Paul J., 1931-  Search this

Rossbach, Ed, 1914-2002  Search this

Subject:

Westphal, Katherine  Search this

Rhode Island School of Design. Museum of Art  Search this

Type:

Interviews

Sound recordings

Citation:

Oral History interviews with Ed Rossbach and Katherine Westphal, 1997. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Fiber artists -- California -- Berkeley -- Interviews  Search this

Fiberwork -- United States  Search this

Textile fabrics -- United States  Search this

Decorative arts  Search this

Theme:

Craft  Search this

Research and writing about art  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)6147

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)216369

AAA_collcode_smitpaul

Theme:

Craft

Research and writing about art

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_216369

Creator:

Smith, Paul J., 1931-  Search this

Subject:

Peterson, Susan  Search this

Mason, John  Search this

Parrott, Alice Kagawa  Search this

Sauer, Jane  Search this

Lindquist, Mark  Search this

Herman, Lloyd E.  Search this

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Citation:

Paul J. Smith papers, 1955-2011. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Curators -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Theme:

Craft  Search this

Research and writing about art  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)11572

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)248728

AAA_collcode_smitpaul2

Theme:

Craft

Research and writing about art

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_248728

Interviewee:

Simpson, Tommy  Search this

Interviewer:

Cooke, Edward S., 1954-  Search this

Creator:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Names:

Boston University. Program in Artisanry -- Faculty  Search this

Cranbrook Academy of Art -- Students  Search this

Museum of Arts and Design (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Northern Illinois University -- Students  Search this

University of Hartford -- Faculty  Search this

Castle, Wendell, 1932-2018  Search this

Maloof, Sam  Search this

Maruyama, Wendy, 1952-  Search this

McKie, Judy Kensley, 1944-  Search this

Newman, Richard, (Artist)  Search this

Sepeshy, Zoltan, 1898-1974  Search this

Smith, Paul J., 1931-  Search this

Zucca, Edward  Search this

Extent:

6 Items (Sound recording: 6 sound files (3 hr., 54 min.), digital, wav)

89 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Interviews

Sound recordings

Place:

China -- Description and Travel

Europe -- description and travel

Date:

2004 May 6-July 2

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Tommy Simpson conducted 2004 May 6-July 2, by Edward S. Cooke, Jr., for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.

Simpson speaks of growing up in rural Illinois; making things as a child; discovering his interest in art at Northern Illinois University; getting an MFA in painting at Cranbrook Academy of Art; using the wood shop at Cranbrook; exhibiting at various galleries in New York City and moving to Connecticut; showing work in the "Fantasy Furniture" exhibit at the Museum of Arts & Design; visiting Europe; the New York studio furniture market in the 1960s; writing the book, "Fantasy Furniture"; exhibiting in "Objects USA;" working as artist in residence at the Fairtree Gallery; teaching at the University of Hartford; his work ethic and productivity; living and working in Greenwich, Connecticut; the constraints of being classified as a furniture maker; teaching briefly at the Program In Artisanry and other schools; the increased public interest in fine woodworking in the 1980s; changes in the craft market; writing the book, "Two Looks to Home"; the influence of events on his work; his current interest in making whole interiors; working on commission; the current public interest in craft; expressing themes in his work; his working process in his studio; the future of fine woodworking; the difficulties of working with galleries; designing rugs; and visiting China. Simpson also recalls Zoltan Sepeshy, Wendell Castle, Paul Smith, Sam Maloof, Edward Zucca, Wendy Maruyama, Richard Newman, Judy McKie, and others.

Biographical / Historical:

Tommy Simpson (1939- ) is a furniture maker and sculptor from Washington Depot, Connecticut. Edward S. Cooke, Jr. is a professor from Newtonville, Massachusetts.

General:

Originally recorded on 4 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 6 digital wav files. Duration is 3 hr., 54 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:

Cabinetmakers  Search this

Sculptors -- Connecticut  Search this

Topic:

Decorative arts  Search this

Painting -- Study and teaching  Search this

Furniture making  Search this

Genre/Form:

Interviews

Sound recordings

Sponsor:

Funding for this interview was provided by the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.simpso04

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw95d21c644-be78-4a66-83ff-e67f648199b8

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-simpso04

Interviewee:

Anderson, Edgar, approximately 1922-  Search this

Interviewer:

Gold, Donna, 1953-  Search this

Creator:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Names:

American Crafts Council. Museum of Contemporary Crafts  Search this

Fallingwater (Pa.)  Search this

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Philadelphia College of Art -- Faculty  Search this

Pratt Institute -- Students  Search this

Taliesin Fellowship  Search this

Woodstock School of Painting  Search this

Anderson, Joyce, 1925-  Search this

Eco, Umberto  Search this

Grotta, Lou  Search this

Grotta, Sandra  Search this

Hornbostel, Caleb  Search this

Johnson, Philip, 1906-2005  Search this

Kelsey, John, 1946-  Search this

Meier, Richard, 1934-  Search this

Rand, Ayn  Search this

Roman, Paul  Search this

Slivka, Rose  Search this

Smith, Paul J., 1931-  Search this

Sperber, Robert  Search this

Wright, Frank Lloyd, 1867-1959  Search this

Extent:

78 Pages (Transcript)

24 Items (Sound recording: 24 sound files (5 hr., 52 min.), digital wav)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Place:

Liberty State Park (Jersey City, N.J.)

Date:

2002 September 17-19

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Edgar Anderson conducted 2002 September 17-19, by Donna Gold, in Morristown, New Jersey, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.

Anderson describes his philosophy of nature, and the genetic affinities between trees and humans. He discusses childhood in Jersey City, New Jersey; his parents; his grandfather, who was a bookbinder and leather craftsman; and other influences from his childhood, including his uncles and the Stickley family's Craftsman Farms. He recalls that his mother was an accomplished painter and amateur architect; his father was responsible for constructing the foundations for the Chrysler Building. He describes his early admiration for Frank Lloyd Wright, and a meeting with Wright to inquire about the Taliesin Fellowship. Anderson did not join the Fellowship. He briefly discusses Ayn Rand and The Fountainhead. He recalls his architectural studies at Pratt Institute, including a structural investigation of Wright's Fallingwater house, and studying architectural rendering with Caleb Hornbostel. He describes his service during World War II, serving in Italy as a platoon commander for the Army Engineers. He talks about meeting his wife, Joyce, and the genesis of their working partnership. After the war, he and Joyce studied at Pratt under Philip Johnson; he recalls his student projects and the continuing influence of Frank Lloyd Wright. He also studied at Chicago Technical College. He recalls his apprenticeship building boats with his uncle. He describes, in technical detail, the early years of the practice, including a discussion of his wood supplier, the Monteath Company. He comments at length on his personal creative process, which includes elliptical references to a wide variety of sources, including Umberto Eco and the film 2001. He describes several projects for Lou and Sandy Grotta, including an anthropomorphic grandfather clock in the shape of a hand and wristwatch, an illusionary headboard, and the Knight table. He also comments on the Grotta house, designed by Richard Meier. He briefly mentions the editorial strategy of American Craft, and later Craft Horizon, and his relationships with editors such as John Kelsey, Paul Roman, and Rose Slivka. He mentions having taught at Philadelphia College of Art. He recalls racing in a demolition derby. He discusses his attitude towards criticism, mentioning Paul Smith, the director of the Museum of Contemporary Crafts, at length. He briefly describes his design for a 9/11 memorial at Liberty State Park and the political character of his work. He also reflects on his work relative to the culture at large. He talks about new technologies and new tools, and the evolution of the partnership. He describes his involvement in the craft community at Peters Valley, New Jersey. He comments at length on his apprentice Rob Sperber, and their development of the chainsaw mill.

Biographical / Historical:

Edgar Anderson (1922- ) is a woodworker from Morristown, New Jersey. Donna Gold (1953- ) is an art writer from Stockton Springs, Maine.

General:

Originally recorded 5 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 24 digital wav files. Duration is 5 hr., 52 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.

Topic:

Art -- Political aspects  Search this

Decorative arts  Search this

September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001  Search this

Woodworkers -- New Jersey -- Interviews.  Search this

World War, 1939-1945  Search this

Woodwork  Search this

Function:

Memorials

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for this interview was provided by the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.anders02

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9c3439b7f-11b0-45e1-9c09-4cc57490edbd

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-anders02

Interviewee:

Parrott, Alice Kagawa, 1929-2009  Search this

Interviewer:

Smith, Paul J., 1931-  Search this

Subject:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Type:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Citation:

Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Alice Kagawa Parrott, 2005 July 10. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Women artists  Search this

Asian American art  Search this

Asian American artists  Search this

Decorative arts  Search this

Japanese American art  Search this

Japanese American artists  Search this

Asian American fiber artists  Search this

Theme:

Craft  Search this

Asian American  Search this

Women  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)13248

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)254818

AAA_collcode_parrot05

Theme:

Craft

Asian American

Women

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_254818

Interviewee:

Mason, John, 1927-2019  Search this

Interviewer:

Smith, Paul J., 1931-  Search this

Subject:

Sullivan, Louis H.  Search this

Fuller, R. Buckminster (Richard Buckminster)  Search this

Wright, Frank Lloyd  Search this

Voulkos, Peter  Search this

Soldner, Paul  Search this

Peterson, Susan  Search this

Melchert, Jim  Search this

Kienholz, Edward  Search this

Coplans, John  Search this

Sheets, Millard  Search this

Hopps, Walter  Search this

Koshalek, Richard  Search this

Price, Kenneth  Search this

McClain, Mac  Search this

Marer, Fred  Search this

Ballard, Richard  Search this

Otis Art Institute  Search this

Chouinard Art Institute (Los Angeles, Calif.)  Search this

Ferus Gallery (Los Angeles, Calif.)  Search this

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Type:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Citation:

Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with John Mason, 2006 August 28. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Ceramicists -- California -- Los Angeles -- Interviews  Search this

Sculptors -- California -- Los Angeles -- Interviews  Search this

Decorative arts  Search this

Theme:

Craft  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)13582

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)265527

AAA_collcode_mason06

Theme:

Craft

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_265527

Interviewee:

Lindquist, Mark, 1949-  Search this

Interviewer:

Smith, Paul J., 1931-  Search this

Subject:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Type:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Citation:

Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Mark Lindquist, 2009 August 12. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Woodworkers -- Florida -- Interviews  Search this

Sculptors -- Florida -- Interviews  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)15710

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)283570

AAA_collcode_lindqu09

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_283570

Interviewee:

Smith, Paul J., 1931-  Search this

Interviewer:

Herman, Lloyd E  Search this

Subject:

Museum of Arts and Design (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

American Craftsmen's Council  Search this

American Crafts Council. Museum of Contemporary Crafts  Search this

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Type:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Citation:

Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Paul J. Smith, 2010 April 19-20. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Arts administrators -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)15795

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)288890

AAA_collcode_smith10

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_288890

Interviewee:

Marshall, John, 1936-  Search this

Interviewer:

Herman, Lloyd E.  Search this

Creator:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Names:

Carnegie Institute of Technology -- Students  Search this

Carnegie Museum of Art -- Students  Search this

Cleveland Institute of Art -- Students  Search this

Grove City College -- Students  Search this

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Society of North American Goldsmiths  Search this

Syracuse University -- Faculty  Search this

Bacorn, Don  Search this

Bates, Kenneth F. (Kenneth Francis), 1904-1994  Search this

Clague, John, 1928-  Search this

DuSell, Lee  Search this

Griffin, Gary, 1945-  Search this

Hauberg, Anne Gould  Search this

Lannan, J. Patrick  Search this

Lutz, Winifred  Search this

Metcalf, Bruce, 1949-  Search this

Miller, Fred, (Decorative artist)  Search this

Miller, John Paul, 1918-  Search this

Nordness, Lee  Search this

Penington, Ruth, b. 1905  Search this

Scott, Michael, 1958-  Search this

Smith, Paul J., 1931-  Search this

Solberg, Ramona  Search this

Takaezu, Toshiko  Search this

Extent:

6 Items (Sound recording: 6 sound files (3 hrs., 2 min.), digital, wav)

45 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Interviews

Sound recordings

Place:

Europe -- description and travel

Germany -- description and travel

Date:

2001 April 5

Scope and Contents:

An interview of John Marshall conducted 2001 April 5, by Lloyd Herman, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in Edmonds, Washington.

Marshall speaks of his childhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; participating in an educational program with the Carnegie Museum; his exposure to art while in grade school and throughout his education; joining the army after high school; spending time in Germany with the army and experiencing the metalwork of that area; learning to work hard from his father; his family background; attending Grove City College, then working in construction during the day and going to classes at Carnegie Tech during the night; finally attending Cleveland Institute of Art; some of his teachers at the Institute, Kenneth Bates, Toshiko Takaezu, and John Clague; his first experiences with metal, Fred Miller, and learning how to design metal pieces; getting a job as head of the metals department at Syracuse and completing his MFA there; meeting Paul Smith and Lee Nordness, and participating in Objects: USA; his travels throughout Europe; the many commissions he has done for churches, everything from baptismal bowls, chalices, and crosses; Patrick Lannan, and how instrumental he was in Marshall's career, his collection of work that Lannan bought and where it all is now located; the different types of communities in the different areas he lived; commissions and how they were important to his career; how he challenges himself with new ideas and creations; the Handy and Harman Workshop; the difference between a university trained artist and one who has learned his/her craft outside academia; his students and how much satisfaction he has received from teaching; the decline in metal working programs at the university level; the influence of other faculty members on his work, such as Lee DuSell; the critics of metalwork, Bruce Metcalf and Gary Griffin; his involvement in the Society of North American Goldsmiths; and his two sons. Marshall also recalls John Paul Miller, Winifred Lutz, Ramona Solberg, Ruth Penington, Michael Scott, Don Bacorn, Annie Hauberg, and others.

Biographical / Historical:

John Marshall (1936- ) is a jeweler and metalsmith from Edmonds, Washington. Lloyd Herman (1936- ) is the former director of the Smithsonian Institution's Renwick Gallery from Seattle, Washington.

General:

Originally recorded on 4 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 6 digital wav files. Duration is 3 hrs., 2 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:

Decorative arts  Search this

Jewelers -- Washington (State) -- Interviews  Search this

Metal-workers -- Washington (State) -- Interviews  Search this

Religious articles  Search this

Genre/Form:

Interviews

Sound recordings

Sponsor:

Funding for this interview was provided by the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.marsha01

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw98ec173b0-a717-4bbd-8ca7-080527025662

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-marsha01

Interviewee:

Anderson, Edgar, approximately 1922-  Search this

Anderson, Joyce, 1925-  Search this

Interviewer:

Gold, Donna, 1953-  Search this

Creator:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Names:

American Craft Council  Search this

American Crafts Council. Museum of Contemporary Crafts  Search this

Chilton Professional Automotive (Firm)  Search this

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

United States. Agency for International Development  Search this

Campbell, David Robert, 1907-1963  Search this

Cooke, Edward S., 1954-  Search this

Grotta, Lou  Search this

Grotta, Sandra  Search this

Larsen, Jack Lenor  Search this

Malarcher, Patricia  Search this

Maloof, Sam  Search this

McPhee, John, 1931-  Search this

Meier, Richard, 1934-  Search this

Milan, Emil, 1922-1985  Search this

Smith, Paul J., 1931-  Search this

Stocksdale, Bob, 1913-2003  Search this

Takaezu, Toshiko  Search this

Tibbs, Thomas S., 1917-2002  Search this

Webb, Aileen O.  Search this

Wegner, Hans J., 1914-  Search this

Wirkkala, Tapio, 1915-1985  Search this

Wyman, William, 1922-1980  Search this

Extent:

143 Pages (Transcript)

34 Items (Sound recording: 34 sound files (5 hr., 56 min.), digital, wav)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Place:

World Trade Center Site (New York, N.Y.)

Honduras -- Description and Travel

Date:

2002 September 17-19

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Edgar and Joyce Anderson conducted 2002 September 17-19, by Donna Gold, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in Morristown, New Jersey.

The interview begins in the home of their frequent patrons, Sandra and Lou Grotta, in Harding Township, New Jersey. The Grottas are not present. They discuss several of their pieces in situ, including tables, beds, a piano bench, the grandfather clock (carved in the shape of Edgar's arm wearing a wristwatch), and the Knight table. Many of these pieces are discussed in detail in terms of their design and construction. They also allude briefly to other pieces in the Grotta's collection by Toshiko Takaezu, Hans Wegner, Bill Wyman, Sam Maloof, and Bob Stocksdale. The Grotta's house, designed by architect Richard Meier, is also discussed. Edgar recalls that Meier designed the house to accommodate the collection. They also talk about the Grotta's participation in the American Craft Council, and the relationship among collectors. The interview continues at the artists' home Harding Township, New Jersey. They discuss several projects for other clients, and they reflect on the relationships that developed. These include: a gaming table for Doug Dayton of Monteath Lumber Company, a jewelry chest for Thelma Newman, collaboration with Newman on a book for Chilton Publishing Company (not published), and a figural chest for Mako Stewart, which is still in the artists' private collection. They reflect on their private and professional partnership and the balance of skills they shared. They recall that their early success was bolstered by a New York Times article by Betty Pepis. This publicity led to new clients, such as Reverend John Mason of the Episcopal Chapel at the University of Maine, who is discussed in detail along with his wife Elizabeth Mason. They explain their expertise in humidity and wood shrinkage, including their work as consultants for the Museum of Contemporary Crafts, before it became the American Craft Museum. There is lengthy discussion of the Andersons' own house, which they designed and built themselves over a period of years. Frank Lloyd Wright was an influence. They discuss other church commissions in general, speaking of the influence of their spirituality. St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Haworth, New Jersey, is discussed in some detail. Edgar briefly talks about a local World Trade Center memorial which he has been working on. They recall the importance of the support of the American Craft Museum, Aileen Osborne (Vanderbilt) Webb, and David Campbell. They discuss in depth their time in Honduras, under the sponsorship of the USAID program, teaching craft techniques to local inhabitants. Joyce describes this as a Kennedy era demonstration program. Other participants in the Honduras program included Dave Chapman, Roy Ginstrom, Bill Wyman, and Emil Milan. They also recall participating in a similar program in Antigua. They also recall Herb and Marje Noyes, Ruth Martin, Patricia Malarcher, John Geraci, Mike Langan, Bob and Rowena MacPhail, Sterling North, Zelda Strecker, Paul Smith, Tom Tibbs, Walker Weed, Lois Moran, Toshiko Takaezu, Tapio Wirkkala, Jack Lenor Larsen, Edward Cooke, Michael Stone, John McPhee, and Dot Blanchard.

Biographical / Historical:

Edgar Anderson (1922- ) and Joyce Anderson (1923- ) are woodworkers from Morristown, New Jersey.

General:

Originally recorded 5 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 34 digital wav files. Duration is 5 hr., 56 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.

Topic:

Woodworkers -- New Jersey -- Interviews.  Search this

Decorative arts  Search this

September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for this interview was provided by the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.anders02a

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9ae8bf067-31d4-4221-a0a6-7913411f8cdb

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-anders02a

Interviewee:

Myers, Joel Philip, 1934-  Search this

Interviewer:

Klein, Daniel, 1938-2009  Search this

Creator:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Names:

Alfred University -- Students  Search this

Blenko Glass Company  Search this

Donald Deskey Associates  Search this

Mint Museum of Art  Search this

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Parsons School of Design -- Students  Search this

Pilchuck Glass Center (Stanwood, Wash.) -- Faculty  Search this

Toledo Art Museum  Search this

University of California, Berkeley -- Students  Search this

University of Illinois. -- Faculty  Search this

World Crafts Council  Search this

Blenko, William H., 1921-2016  Search this

Dreisbach, Fritz  Search this

Huchthausen, David R. (David Richard), 1951-  Search this

Lewis, John, 1942-  Search this

Lipofsky, Marvin, 1938-2016  Search this

Littleton, Harvey K.  Search this

Marquis, Richard, 1945-  Search this

Ness, Bob  Search this

Popelka, John  Search this

Randall, Theodore, 1914-1985  Search this

Smith, Paul J., 1931-  Search this

Vallien, Bertil, 1938-  Search this

Extent:

6 Items (Sound recording: 6 sound files (4 hr., 15 min.), digital, wav)

63 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Interviews

Sound recordings

Place:

Japan -- Description and Travel

Date:

2007 May 1

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Joel Philip Myers conducted 2007 May 1, by Daniel Klein, 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 Marietta, Pennsylvania.

Myers speaks of his childhood in Patterson, New Jersey; making charcoal drawings as a child and taking private courses in oil painting; choosing to pursue a career in advertising design; attending Parsons School of Design in New York City; working as a package designer for Donald Deskey Associates; being influenced by Scandinavian design he saw in New York City to study abroad in Denmark; studying ceramic design at Kunsthaandvaerkerskolen in Copenhagen; meeting and marrying his wife, Birthe, while in Copenhagen; returning to the United States and going back to work for Donald Deskey; attending Alfred University and receiving his B.F.A. and M.F.A. in ceramics; accepting the position director of design for Blenko Glass Company in Milton, West Virginia with no previous experience in glass; teaching himself how to blow glass in the factory alongside the workers; the intense heat and extreme noise of a glass factory; learning of Harvey Littleton's glass workshop in 1962 in Toledo, Ohio, but being unable to attend; having limited exposure to the glass movement and developing his glass art without knowledge of the work of Littleton and his students; designing 50 to 60 different vases, bowls, decanters, and decorative objects a year from 1963 - 1970 at Blenko Glass Company; creating sculptural glass forms in his penetration pieces for his masters thesis; learning of what was happening in the studio glass world by attending the World Craft Council in 1964 in New York City; Paul Smith discovering his work and thereby gaining some publicity in Craft Horizons; being invited by Littleton to give a workshop at the University of California, Berkeley in 1968; the initial shock of seeing glass sculpture made with no real technique; his early attraction to cold-work in order to work intimately with the surface of the glass; acquisition of his work by the Toledo Art Museum and the Mint Museum of Art in Charlotte, North Carolina; establishing a glass program at Illinois University in Bloomington-Normal; his attempts to recruit international students; taking a semester sabbatical in Baden, Austria; being heavily influenced by the natural world; the series Garden, Perfume Bottle, Contiguous Fragment, Dr. Zharkov, The Dialogues, and others; teaching at Pilchuck School of Glass; studying the First World War and consequently creating Musée des Beaux Arts [1996]; travels to Japan; his teaching philosophies; the prevalence of independent glass studios in the world today; and plans for the future. Myers recalls Ted Randall, William H. Blenko, Sr., William H. Blenko, Jr., Marvin Lipofsky, Fritz Dreisbach, Richard Marquis, John Lewis, Bob Ness, Bertil Vallien, David Huchthausen, John Popelka, and others.

Biographical / Historical:

Joel Philip Myers (1934- ) is a glass artist from Milton, West Virginia. Daniel Klein (1938- ) is an art consultant from London, England.

General:

Originally recorded on 3 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 6 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hr., 15 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 -- Pennsylvania  Search this

Topic:

Art -- Study and teaching -- Philosophy  Search this

Decorative arts  Search this

World War, 1914-1918  Search this

Ceramics  Search this

Glass art  Search this

Genre/Form:

Interviews

Sound recordings

Sponsor:

Funding for this interview provided by Nanette L. Laitman project for crafts and decorative arts in America.

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.myers07

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw99b1c7b6b-664e-416c-909a-ec509a02efd8

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-myers07

Interviewee:

Peterson, Susan Harnley, 1925-2009  Search this

Interviewer:

Smith, Paul J., 1931-  Search this

Subject:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Type:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Citation:

Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Susan Peterson, 2004 March 1. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Ceramics -- Study and teaching  Search this

Women artists  Search this

Decorative arts  Search this

Women ceramicists  Search this

Women authors  Search this

Theme:

Craft  Search this

Women  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)12242

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)247188

AAA_collcode_peters04

Theme:

Craft

Women

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_247188

Interviewee:

Herman, Lloyd E  Search this

Interviewer:

Smith, Paul J., 1931-  Search this

Subject:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Type:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Citation:

Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Lloyd E. Herman, 2010 Sept. 21. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Arts administrators -- Washington (D.C.) -- Interviews  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)16029

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)306685

AAA_collcode_herman10

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_306685

Photographer:

Smith, Paul J., 1931-  Search this

Subject:

Parrott, Alice Kagawa  Search this

Type:

Photographs

Place:

Santa Fe, N.M.

Date:

2004 July 7

Citation:

Paul J. Smith. Alice Parrott, 2004 July 7. Paul J. Smith papers, 1955-2011. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Gardens  Search this

Portraits  Search this

Weavers  Search this

Women artists  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA)7925

See more items in:

Paul J. Smith papers, 1955-2011

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_item_7925

Photographer:

Smith, Paul J., 1931-  Search this

Type:

Photographs

Date:

2004 July 16

Citation:

Paul J. Smith. Alice Kagawa Parrott at her home in Santa Fe, 2004 July 16. Paul J. Smith papers, 1955-2011. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Record number:

(DSI-AAA)8459

See more items in:

Paul J. Smith papers, 1955-2011

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_item_8459

Creator:

Renk, Merry, 1921-2012  Search this

Names:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Merritt, Francis Sumner, 1913-2000  Search this

Slivka, Rose  Search this

Smith, Paul J., 1931-  Search this

Soldner, Paul  Search this

Extent:

0.9 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Drawings

Video recordings

Date:

1952-2000

Summary:

The papers of San Francisco metal-worker, jeweler, and painter Merry Renk measure 0.9 linear feet and date from 1952 to 2000. The collection comprises business records that include sales invoices, inventories, exhibition price lists, correspondence, and other material related to Renk's business activities. Also found are printed materials, a few sketches of utensils, writings, and a video recording of the documentary "Merry Renk: Jeweler" by Alan Leveton.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of San Francisco jeweler, painter, and metal-worker Merry Renk measure 0.9 linear feet and date from 1952 to 2000. The collection comprises business records that include sales invoices, inventories, exhibition price lists, and correspondence. Correspondents include Greta Daniel, Mrs. Vanderbilt Webb, Conrad Brown, Rose Slivka, Paul Soldner, Paul J. Smith, Alice W. Nichols, Roger Armstrong, and Francis S. Merritt. Also found is other material related to Renk's business activities; printed materials including clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs; a few sketches of utensils; writings including an unpublished typescript with illustrations and a draft of Renk's biographical statement; and a video recording containing the documentary "Merry Renk: Jeweler" by Alan Leveton.

Arrangement:

Due to the small size of this collection, the papers are arranged as one series.

Series 1: Merry Renk Papers, 1952-2000 (1.1 linear feet; Boxes 1-2, OV 3)

Biographical / Historical:

Merry Renk (1921-2012) was a jeweler, painter, and metal-worker in San Francisco, California.

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

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

Renk married Stanley Edwin Renk in 1941. After his death in World War II, she married fellow artist Earle Watt Curtis in 1958.

Related Materials:

Also in the Archives of American Art is an interview of Merry Renk conducted on January 18-19, 2001 by Arline M. Fisch for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America in Renk's home and studio in San Francisco, California.

Provenance:

The Merry Renk papers were donated in 2003 and 2004 by Merry Renk as a part of the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.

Rights:

The donor has retained all intellectual property rights, including copyright, that she may own in the following material: Unpublished typescript, "Memories for My Children's Children's Children's Children's Children's Children."

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Occupation:

Painters -- California -- San Francisco  Search this

Jewelers -- California -- San Francisco  Search this

Metal-workers -- California -- San Francisco  Search this

Topic:

Women artists  Search this

Women jewelers  Search this

Genre/Form:

Drawings

Video recordings

Citation:

Merry Renk papers, 1952-2000. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.renkmerr

See more items in:

Merry Renk papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw97ef5e415-aa9e-49eb-b9b1-ea261bba5a7a

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-renkmerr

Interviewee:

Sauer, Jane, 1937-  Search this

Interviewer:

Smith, Paul J., 1931-  Search this

Subject:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Type:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Citation:

Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Jane Sauer, 2005 July 11. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Women artists  Search this

Decorative arts  Search this

Gallery owners -- New Mexico  Search this

Theme:

Craft  Search this

Women  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)13052

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)254743

AAA_collcode_sauer05

Theme:

Craft

Women

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_254743

Interviewee:

Iselin, Lewis, 1913-1990  Search this

Interviewer:

Brown, Robert F.  Search this

Names:

Haystack Mountain School of Crafts  Search this

Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation  Search this

Saint-Gaudens Memorial (Organization)  Search this

Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation  Search this

Geldzahler, Henry  Search this

Moe, Henry Allen, 1894-1975  Search this

Motherwell, Robert  Search this

Pearson, Ronald H. (Ronald Hayes), 1924-1996  Search this

Smith, Paul J., 1931-  Search this

Extent:

1 Item (Sound recording: 1 sound file, digital, wav file)

23 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Interviews

Sound recordings

Date:

1981 September 30

Scope and Contents:

Interview of Lewis Iselin, conducted 1981 September 30 by Robert F. Brown for the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, in Camden, Maine.

Iselin speaks of his role as a trustee of the Guggenheim and Tiffany Foundations, the Saint-Gaudens Memorial, and the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts; his own work of modeling in wax; and his "sculpture to wear." Iselin also recalls Henry Geldzahler, Robert Motherwell, Henry Allen Moe, Ron Pearson, Paul Smith and others.

Biographical / Historical:

Lewis Iselin (1913-1990) was a sculptor from Camden, Maine.

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 others.

Topic:

Museums -- United States -- Trustees -- Interviews  Search this

Sculptors -- Maine -- Interviews  Search this

Wax-modeling -- United States  Search this

Wearable art -- United States  Search this

Genre/Form:

Interviews

Sound recordings

Sponsor:

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.iselin81

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9240aaf9a-bf59-4985-97f1-0c031737a649

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-iselin81