emergence: student-craftsmen 737.6873 1963 MCC Box ACC TRUSTEES MRS. VANDERBILT WEBB Chairman of the Board KENNETH CHORLEY Vice-Chairman WILLIAM J. BARRETT Secretary/Treasurer MRS. B. D. ADAMS ALFRED AUERBACH THOMAS D'ARCY BROPHY RENE d'HARNONCOURT MARK ELLINGSON VIVIKA HEINO MRS. JOHN HOUSEMAN WALTER H. KILHAM, JR. V. LADA-MOCARSKI JACK LENOR LARSEN DOROTHY LIEBES HARVEY K. LITTLETON FRANCIS S. MERRITT FORREST D. MURDEN, JR. RUTH PENINGTON DE WITT PETERKIN, JR. FRANK STANTON JOHN B. STEVENS MRS. R. PETER STRAUS MAY E. WALTER EDWARD WORMLEY emergence: student-craftsmen/museum of contemporary crafts MUSEUM STAFF PAUL J. SMITH Acting Director SAM RICHARDSON Art Director AUDREY GUTHRIE ANC:r.?1, ROBERT NUNNELLEY 1:1 C:1AFfS COUNCIL BEN E. WATKINS RESEARCH & EDUCATION DEPT. Printed by The Michael Press emergence: student-craftsmen 24 may 8 september 1963 The renewal of interest in crafts education in this sional instructor. Often such a school is open only country has had two important results. First, a part of the year or is a cooperative venture of large number of courses are now being offered as several craftsmen. The number of programs open part of the general curriculum in many colleges to the craftsman at various stages of his career and universities, where training in the crafts is allows him a great deal of choice in the specific recommended to students in education curricula educational environment best suited to his needs. as well as to those in the fine arts and in industrial The result is revealed in the variety and con- and graphic design. Second, the stature of and sistently high quality of work produced by young recognition for professional training of craftsmen graduates. has increased tremendously. Programs offering The American Craftsmen's Council feels such training have traditionally been restricted particular pride in having been a part of this almost entirely to an apprenticeship system. development. Chartered in 1943 by the Regents Though there are still isolated examples of this of the University of the State of New York as system, the apprentice-master relationship has an educational institution exclusively, ACC has largely been transformed to fit into programs maintained this role as its activities have ex- offered in the departments of major universities panded. In 1946 the Council sponsored the and in independent institutions where the student founding of the School for American Craftsmen; may earn academic degrees as a craftsman. The during 1951-52, ACC cooperated with the Com- demand for advanced courses has led to the mittee on Art Education of the Museum of Mod- formation of a large number of independent ern Art in a study project of the Crafts in Gen- schools and workshops across the country, offer- eral Education; since 1957 the Council has held ing the dedicated craftsman an opportunity to National Conferences, designed to bring together specialize in his chosen medium under a profes- craftsmen to exchange ideas, which have been attended by many educators; and in 1960 the Re- In charge of gathering material and information search Service was established through a Rocke- from their respective schools were: Harry X. Ford, feller Foundation grant as a department of the President, Trude Guermonprez, and Louise Gray, Council devoted to gathering information on the California College of Arts and Crafts; Joseph W. crafts for educational institutions and the general McCullough, Director, Cleveland Institute of Art; public. Zoltan Sepeshy, President, Glen Kaufman, and In assembling this exhibition the Museum of Howard Brown, Cranbrook Academy of Art; Har- Contemporary Crafts has chosen the six schools old J. Brennan, Dean, The School for American represented as indicative of the general high level Craftsmen; Frederick S. Wight, Chairman, and of instruction in the crafts, rather than for the Bernard Kester, Department of Art, University of outstanding contribution each school has certainly California at Los Angeles; and Boyer Gonzales, made to progress in this field. Many other schools Director, School of Art of the University of could have been selected. It was felt, however, Washington. that the nature of the educational environment of To Charles H. Sawyer the Museum is deeply the craftsman could be shown better through in- indebted for so generously offering his knowledge tensive coverage of a few schools rather than and experience, gained through years of activity token representation of many. All of the work and observation in the field of art education, and exhibited has been done by students in studio for his perceptive and comprehensive introductory courses at the schools. statement to this catalog. Without his contribution The Museum of Contemporary Crafts is grate- the work involved in assembling this exhibition ful to the administrations of each school for their could not have been such a rewarding experience cooperation in assembling this exhibition and to for all concerned. the students for allowing their work to be shown. Paul J. Smith, Acting Director education of the craftsman To one who has observed education in the arts Education in the crafts exhibits a strong ten- and crafts over the past twenty-five years, a major dency toward such an integration of the arts. A development is apparent. The barriers which for- generation ago, the independent craftsman was merly separated "Art" from "Craft" have largely either largely self-taught, or the product of an disappeared; the ancient distinction between the apprenticeship system or of a folk tradition in- "Fine Arts" and "the useful arts" has lost much herited from his native land. Today, the typical of its meaning as more art has entered the crafts young craftsman is, as the current exhibition and, more recently, as craftsmanship has ceased demonstrates effectively, the product of either a to be an ugly word when associated with the college or university campus or of an independent poetic or expressive arts. Admittedly not every school of art or craft or design. It is frequently artist or craftsman will acknowledge or welcome difficult to distinguish the artist-craftsman in mo- the union, but this overwhelming tendency to tivation and basic training from his fellow artists merge and lose specific identity seems obvious as in painting and sculpture on the one hand or in we see sculpture become architecture, painting industrial and advertising design on the other. In and ceramics both drawn towards the dimensions some degree he represents a bridge between them. of sculpture, and the materials and techniques of In general, any differences between inde- one craft overlapping and impinging upon an- pendent and university affiliated art schools in other. We may view all this as part of a general philosophy or curricular structure seem today tendency in our culture for boundaries between more apparent than real. Every good school of the arts and sciences to become less distinct, re- art or craft has certain areas of strength and tradi- flecting a philosophical change in our value sys- tion which provide some hallmark and sense of tem from the absolute to the relative. continuity. Upon analysis, however, it is usually the strong influence and imprint of an individual exemplars, have two general common denomina- teacher which account for such differences as tors. They generally have orientation courses exist, rather than contrasts in direction and aim listed under "basic design," "visual fundamentals," of the schools themselves. Except where the par- and similar titles where the differences appear ticular stimulus and influence of such a teacher semantic rather than directional or philosophical. can be identified, it may be difficult for the visitor They have as a common aim a shared technical to separate the work of one school from that of and visual experience for students in all branches another without benefit of an identifying label. of the arts. Most of them reveal in some degree Perhaps we should welcome this merging of the influence of the Bauhaus, and the laboratory- standards, values, and identities. Certainly the workshop type of course whose impact on educa- general standard of performance of the individual tion in the arts has been as profound in its way as student-craftsman is infinitely higher than it was that of John Dewey and his disciples in the field a generation ago. Also, the school or college of of primary and secondary education. In both in- art or craft is much more closely attuned to the stances the danger, of course, is that it is the form problems and realities of living in and with in- or formulae of the prototype which may be dustrial civilization. In a growing number of such adopted rather than its spirit, and in these in- schools courses in marketing, salesmanship and stances, standardization leads to sterilization of other forms of business practice are interlarded experience. with the art curriculum. Equally striking is the The other prevailing common denominator, increasing emphasis on a general or liberal educa- affecting course offerings in almost all schools of tion as an adjunct to a specifically technical art art or craft is the drive for national and regional curriculum. Cultural and historical perspective is accreditation and degree-granting privileges. In a sought in a wide variety of survey courses in his- period when a degree of any kind has become tory of art, literature and other humanistic studies something of a status symbol, it is obvious why and in the basic sciences. The bewildering variety the independent school of art, for purposes of its of titles of such courses gives evidence of the own survival, has had either to come under the struggle toward creating "The Whole Man," if not umbrella of existing academic institutions or to a sense of complete success in the effort. Ironi- find acceptable means of establishing degree- cally, the independent schools of art or craft, if granting programs of their own.