Gustav Stickley And American Arts & Crafts Movement

As patriarch of the American Arts and Crafts Movement, Gustav Stickley (1858-1942) helped transform concepts about the ideal early Twentieth-Century household. Riding a wave of concern about spreading industrialization that treated workers like machines and turned out cheaply made goods that exacerbated the excesses of Victorian décor, he offered plain, strong furnishings that were aesthetically pleasing, utilitarian — and affordable. Moreover, Stickley’s emphasis on good workmanship, simple design and the rewards of honest hand labor influenced US craftsmanship to this day. In an excellent overview, “Gustav Stickley and the American Arts and Crafts Movement” offers a comprehensive examination of this subject. Organized by the Dallas Museum of Art and curated by Kevin W. Tucker, that museum’s curator of decorative arts and design, the exhibition is on view at the Newark Museum, Newark, N.J., through January 2, 20ll. ...Read More