Press Release

At Home with Arts and Crafts

04/18/2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT: Charles Schuler
Director of Communications
San Francisco International Airport
650.821.5031
SF-17-21

 

At Home with Arts and Crafts
New exhibition features a rich assortment of Arts and Crafts furnishings from the early twentieth century, from Gustav Stickley textiles to Dirk van Erp copper and art pottery by Rookwood and Paul Revere Pottery
 

SAN FRANCISCO - April 18, 2017 - The Arts and Crafts movement emerged in England in the 1880s and reached its apex from the 1890s to the outbreak of World War I. In response to the Industrial Revolution and mass-produced, machine-made objects, the movement emphasized a return to hand craftsmanship. Inspired by the writings of John Ruskin (1819–1900), who exalted the medieval craft guild system, artist and designer William Morris (1834–96) served as the movement’s spearhead. Arts and Crafts advocates rejected the ornate designs and compositions of Victorian-era interiors. Instead, they encouraged quality materials and construction with simple forms and motifs derived from nature. For the first time, many women took leading roles as designers and decorators in workshops created specifically to train and employ females.

Leading proponent of the Arts and Crafts movement in the United States, Gustav Stickley (1858-1942) batch-produced unadorned, carefully constructed, oak furniture in Syracuse, New York.  His company also offered textiles and metalwork. In 1901, Stickley launched The Craftsman periodical, which promoted Arts and Crafts nationwide. Another pivotal American figure, Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915), founded Roycroft in East Aurora, New York. The Roycroft community produced some of the finest furnishings and metalwork of the era.

California quickly embraced and created its own regional variations of Arts and Crafts. A number of leading artisans called the state home; many of them lived and worked in San Francisco.  Dirk van Erp (1862-1933), considered the finest coppersmith of the Arts and Crafts era, crafted table lamps with hand-hammered copper bases accented by mica shades, which produced a warm, amber glow when lit.  Harry St. John Dixon (1890-1967) trained under van Erp and later worked for Lillian Palmer (1871-1961), who lent a considerably feminine air to Bay Area copper.

At Home with Arts and Crafts is located pre-security in the International Terminal Main Hall Departures Lobby, San Francisco International Airport. This exhibition is accessible to all airport visitors from April 22, 2017, to December 10, 2017.

The online version of this exhibition is viewable at: http://www.flysfo.com/museum/exhibitions/home-arts-and-crafts.

 

SFO Museum

SFO Museum was established by the Airport Commission in 1980 for the purposes of humanizing the Airport environment, providing visibility for the unique cultural life of San Francisco, and providing educational services for the traveling public. The Museum was granted initial accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums in 1999, reaccredited in 2005, and has the distinction of being the only accredited museum in an airport.  Today, SFO Museum features approximately twenty galleries throughout the Airport terminals displaying a rotating schedule of art, history, science, and cultural exhibitions, as well as the San Francisco Airport Commission Aviation Library and Louis A. Turpen Aviation Museum, a permanent collection dedicated to the history of commercial aviation. To browse current and past exhibitions, research our collection, or for more information, please visit www.flysfo.com/museum.  Follow us on www.facebook.com/SFOMuseum, www.twitter.com/SFOMuseum, or www.instagram.com/SFOMuseum.
 

About San Francisco International Airport

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) offers non-stop flights to more than 46 international cities on 39 international carriers. The Bay Area's largest airport connects non-stop with 80 cities in the U.S. on 13 domestic airlines.  SFO is proud to offer upgraded free Wi-Fi with no advertising. For up-to-the-minute departure and arrival information, airport maps and details on shopping, dining, cultural exhibitions, ground transportation and more, visit www.flysfo.com. Follow us on www.twitter.com/flysfo and  www.facebook.com/flysfo.