In the market for lace curtains that work with your Arts & Crafts decor? Then cruise over to Fair Oaks Workshops website to see their wide selection of Cooper Lace Curtains made of 100% cotton Madras weave scrim woven in Scotland. Finished in a natural white, these beautiful curtains grant privacy while allowing the maximum amount of light. More here.
Image via fairoak.com
John A. sends word of a new book titled Redux: The Arts and Crafts Revival, 1972-2012 about the history of the Movement's modern day renaissance that was released at this year's Grove Park Inn Arts & Crafts Conference. Find out more here.
Image via Amazon.com
Interested in seeing the Arts and Crafts treasures of the UK and saving money? Well you're in luck! The The Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust is saving travelers $500 for a limited time if they book a spot by March 31, 2013 on the Travel Wright fall excursion, "From Morris to Mackintosh: British Arts and Crafts", a spectacular journey Sept. 5-14, 2013 through England and Scotland. More after the jump...
John A. sends a link to a news item from artsandcraftscollector.com that David Rago's magazines, Style 1900 and Modernism, have suspended publication and may go the way of the dodo. It would be a shame to lose these quality magazines, but anything print is having a hard time these days. Read more here.
Image via artsandcraftscollector.com
Rob B. sends word that he recently wandered into the Century Studios in St. Paul, MN and was blown away at the wonderful stained glass work that they do. Check out the beautiful craftsmanship of their reproduction Tiffany lamps and other goodies here.
Image via centurystudios.com
The annual December auction at the John Toomey Gallery in Oak Park, Illinois is always a fantastic one, with plenty of rare and wonderful Arts & Crafts, Prairie and Modern pieces for sale. This year's auction on December 1, 2012 is no exception. In addition to a rare art glass window from the Wright-designed Oscar Steffens House (built 1909, destroyed 1963) is plenty of Teco pottery. One piece that caught my eye was a monumental floor vase with inscribed floral motif that might have a connection to another lost architectural masterpiece: G.W. Maher's 1912 E.L. King (aka "Rockledge") estate (formally found near Winona, Minnesota). The vase was sold back in the 1980s at the same sale where most of the Rockledge's contents were sold—but it's not entirely known if this vase was from the house as well. Anyone out there know more? See all the auction listings here.
Image via John Toomey Gallery
It seems Thanksgiving weekend and shopping go together like turkey and stuffing.
Avoid the headaches of long lines and crazy shoppers this Friday and get some cool Arts & Crafts-inspired gifts for everyone on your list online at Fair Oak Workshops annual "After Thanksgiving Sale."
Check out the bountiful selection of gifts here.
Image via Fair Oak Workshops
News reaches us that iconic Arts & Crafts author, publisher, and collector Stephen Gray passed away on October 27, 2012. John A. sends a few links from Bruce Johnson's artsandcraftscollector.com about the impact that Stephen had on the rise and appreciation of the Arts & Crafts Movement over the last several decades. Read more here and here.
Image via artsandcraftscollector.com
Larry Zgoda, who worked with legendary Modernist Edgar Miller, has created a work of art that combines stained glass, fused glass and mosaic. The composition draws inspiration from Van Gogh’s Starry Night and invites the question: “Is this an original technique?” More after the jump...
Art glass artisan, Larry Zgoda and his beautiful work was recently reviewed by Chris Miller for New City Art. Read the review here and then check out more of Larry's work here.
Image via art.newcity.com
Just a reminder that the Vale Craft Gallery Summer Group Show takes place on Friday, July 13th from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. Enjoy some wine and cheese, mingle with local artists, and browse the selection of works in clay, glass, metal, fiber, wood, and mixed media. See new work by local artists including Larry Zgoda, Michelle Sales, Joyce Rebora, Steve Rebora, Mary Alexis Fox, Nanette Loeff Allen, Judy Petacque, John Showalter, and Linny Freeman. Details here.
Image via Larry Zgoda
Cobre Copper, the artisans known for their hand-hammered Arts & Crafts inspired wares, recently announced a brand new reproduction of a 1906 Gustav Stickley 12" plaque. This beautiful piece is being offered at a special introductory price of $110. Get yours here.
Image via Cobre Copper
The Chicago Architecture Foundation is offering a special Behind-the-Scenes Tour of Ragdale and Crab Tree Farm Saturday, July 21, 2012 from 9 am - 4:30 pm. This exclusive daylong program explores the Arts and Crafts collection of Crab Tree Farm together with the Arts and Crafts architectural features of the Ragdale House, built in 1897 by Howard Van Doren Shaw. Get details and tickets here.
Images via architecture.org
PrairieMod reader, Dave Johnson, sent us a fantastic summary of his recent visit to The Stickley Museum in Fayetteville, NY. If your heart beats faster at the sight of quartersawn white oak, then read about his experience after the jump...
Also on deck this weekend in Chicago, it's the 7th annual Arts and Crafts-Chicago Show and Sale, which will take place at the Geiseman Gym on the campus of Concordia University in River Forest Illinois Saturday, June 2 from 10 AM - 7 PM and Sunday, June 3 from 10 AM - 4 PM. Admission is only $7. The show will feature antique and reproduction furniture and accessories from the American and English Arts and Crafts Movement and always has something interesting to offer collectors and enthusiasts of all stripes. Get more info and a discount admission coupon here.
Image via artsandcraftschicago.com
Fair Oak Workshops, purveyors of the finest in Arts & Crafts era gifts and decor recently introduced their new line of Edward S. Curtis Native American prints. Original Edward S. Curtis photographs depicting the American West landscape and its indigenous people are rare and very expensive. Fair Oak's fine art prints provide the opportunity to affordably own a Curtis image and add that perfect touch of Arts & Crafts charm to your home. See all the offerings and options here.
Image via fairoak.com
We received word that Toms-Price in Lincolnshire, IL will be hosting a "Stickley Museum on the Road" event on May 17, 2012 from 7 to 9 pm. Sarah Lanigan, curator of the Fayetteville, New York, Stickley Museum will talk on the history of Stickley. She will also present in Skokie, IL on May 18, 2012 and Wheaton, IL on May 19, 2012. Attendees can see more event details and sign up online by visiting the Toms-Price website here and clicking on an event.
Image via stickley.com
Ephraim Pottery is excited to announce that in addition to their Lake Mills, Wisconsin gallery, they are opening a new store on the West Coast that will feature their limited edition pottery and tile.
The new outlet will be located at 728 Main Street in Cambria, CA. Cambria, known as “one of America’s prettiest towns,” is about halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, along scenic coastal Highway 1. The new store is scheduled to open in mid June, 2012. Check out Ephraim’s website for more information about their galleries, artists, and pottery.
Images via Ephraim Pottery
Speaking of the Pleasant Home Foundation, word comes in that they will be offering a tour of the stunning Crab Tree Farm in Lake Bluff, Illinois on June 30, 2012. This event is not to be missed — enjoy a guided tour of this amazing Arts & Crafts collection and working farm! Details will be available soon — so stay tuned!
Image via crabtreefarm.org
Support Pleasant Home and be among the first to view La Hacienda: The John L. Jerome Collection of Gustav Stickley. Set aside Friday, May 11th for a special preview reception at the John Toomey Gallery to see this important private collection before it opens to the public. Tickets are $50 and include a wine and cheese reception and a silent auction benefiting Pleasant Home Foundation.
Purchase two tickets to this event and receive a $100 Pleasant Home Foundation "Friend" level membership.
Among the items to be auctioned are: an afternoon tea at Pleasant Home, dinner for six at a beautiful condo overlooking Millennium Park, and a copy of the hardbound La Hacienda book and a one-year Treadway/Toomey catalog subscription. For reservations call (708) 383-2654 or email lthompson@pleasanthome.org.
Friday, May 11, 2012 6:00 - 8:00pm John Toomey Gallery 818 North Blvd, Oak Park, IL. Tickets, $50 each. For membership information, visit Pleasant Home's website here.
Image via John Toomey Gallery
The Arts & Crafts icon, the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC, is getting a new owner and some much needed renovations (to the tune of $25 million) in time for its 100th anniversary in 2013. Read more about it here.
Image via citizen-times.com
News reached us last week that the Treadway/Toomey Auction partnership has been entrusted to handle the sale of the The La Hacienda Collection of Decorative Arts, one of the most important private collection of early Gustav Stickley furniture ever to go to auction, on Sunday, May 20, 2012 at 10AM. We thought PrairieMod readers would be interested to learn and see more of this landmark Arts & Crafts auction, so we reached out to the John Toomey Gallery in Oak Park, IL for images and details. See them after the jump...
Who do you think of when I describe the following architect: He rejected the staid values of the Victorian era; utilized huge pitched roofs, horizontal bands of windows and natural materials in his architecture; was consumed with designing every aspect of his houses including textiles, cabinetry, and furniture; was a master designer who created stunning works of pattern, color and form; loved nature and went to it constantly for inspiration; and above all was a fierce individualist who stubbornly followed his own path. Likely, as a reader of this blog, your first instinct might be to say "Frank Lloyd Wright." But, in this instance, I was actually describing a British architect working out his individualistic theories of architecture and design years ahead of Wright: C.F.A. Voysey.
Surprised? I was too. But thanks to the recently published book C.F.A. Voysey: Architect, Designer, Individualist by Anne Stewart O'Donnell and published by Pomegranate, I was able to explore the world of this fascinating and early Modernist. More after the jump...
Continue reading "Book Review: C. F. A. Voysey: Architect, Designer, Individualist" »
Park Ridge's Kalo Foundation, the organization that saved and is now restoring the Iannelli Studios, is offering several opportunities to learn about the Artists’ Colony which helped to establish the city’s reputation a century ago. Read and find out more here.
Image via triblocal.com
Elbert Hubbard and the Roycrofters are familiar subjects for many American Arts & Crafts enthusiasts. The various printed items, metal pieces, furniture, tooled leather objects and other handicrafts produced at the East Aurora, New York artistic enclave have been the subject of a host of books, exhibits and studies over the years. Yet, one area that has received scant attention is the topic of graphic design and the important role it played making the Roycroft experiment a success. A new book by Lawrence Kreisman and published by Pomegranate titled Dard Hunter: The Graphic Works seeks to shine a spotlight on the life and work of the finest graphic designer to come out of the Roycrofters. More after the jump...
Continue reading "Book Review: Dard Hunter, The Graphic Works" »
The Pleasant Home Foundation recently announced their free lecture series titled "Inside the Arts & Crafts Home". This year's series is sponsored by the John Toomey Gallery and will begin February 23, 2012 at the Oak Park Public Library. To see the list of lectures and find out more, follow the link.
Image via The Pleasant Home Foundation
Here's a link to an article on oakpark.com about Frank Lloyd Wright's great-grandson, S. Lloyd Natof (a woodworker), and his recent relocation to Oak Park, IL. Read more here.
Images via oakpark.com
I came across Whether Bags a few weekends ago at Chicago's Randolph Street Antique Market and thought they looked simple, Mod and well-crafted. Turns out that what's especially great about the bags is that they are constructed from sustainable materials and each one is crafted locally in Chicago, IL (with all of the materials sourced and purchased within the USA). Check out more info here and shop online here.
Image via whetherbags.myshopify.com
Looking to decorate a little more "crafty" this season? Then you'll want to check out the wide variety of holiday themed kits from the Paper Source. You can deck the halls with paper garlands, paper wreaths and even cute paper gnomes. Get inspired here.
Image via paper-source.com
Heartland House Designs, creators of officially licensed cross stitch kits based on the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, have released two new designs crafty PrairieMod readers should enjoy. One kit features an Ennis House Concrete Textile Block and the other is based on Wright's Organic Commandments. Check out Heartland House Designs website for more info on these and more kits.
Image via Heartland House Designs
If you live near San Francisco and love 20th Century Progressive design, then plan on attending this year’s SF Modernism show and sale, August 13 & 14, 2011. From Mission to Modern and more—there's a little bit of something for everyone to collect and enjoy. Details here.
Image via sfmodernism.com
Over the weekend, a couple of PrairieMod Squad members had a chance to see a stunning example of one of Edgar Miller's handmade homes. Portoluz, a Chicago-based non-profit dedicated to preserving the city's progressive cultural identity, hosted a lecture by craftsman Larry Zgoda which took place in the original Edgar Miller-designed Sol Kogen Studio located in the Old Town neighborhood of Chicago. We had a chance to explore this magical home afterwards to everyone's delight. Take a virtual photo tour of some of the things we saw after the jump...
Crafted Systems by Aurelie Tu produces some of the most unique home decor items I've seen in awhile. Handmade from interlocking pieces of felt, the beautiful textural vases, rugs, table runners and more will definitely dress up a home in PrairieMod style. Check out all of the options and wares here.
Image via crafted-systems.com
Here's something a little different for the PrairieMod etsy store. I'm trying my hand at creating some unique collectibles for lovers of progressive design. My first offering is the "PrairieMod Pooch" which is a laser-cut wood and hand painted doggie inspired by the graphic art of Margaret Iannelli. Find out the details here.
Image via PrairieMod
If you're in Chicago and looking for something to do, then check out the 6th Annual Arts & Crafts Chicago Show in River Forest, IL. The event takes place May 14-15, 2011 and admission is $7. Get all the details here.
Image via eastwoodgallery.com
Call it a comeback! Fair Oak Workshops recently announced the acquisition of the popular Helen Foster line of Arts & Crafts revival stencil designs. Check out all of the designs and order your favorites here.
Image via fairoak.com
Here's an article about woodshop students at Michigan's Lakeview High School creating "Lincoln Logs" from scratch, packaging them and selling them in the community as a fundraiser. John Lloyd Wright (Frank's son and the inventor of Lincoln Logs) would probably be pleased that his simple building toy is inspiring America's youth to earn some money for their education. Hasbro—present owner of the "Lincoln Logs" trademark—probably not so much. Read more here.
Image via princetonol.com
Our friends at Fair Oak Workshops sent us word of a very special way to support the relief effort for the people of Japan hit by the recent devestating earthquake and tsunami. Yoshiko Yamamoto of the Arts & Crafts Press is offering a very special block print to raise funds for the relief effort. Read more after the jump...
Continue reading "Japan Relief Effort Block Print By Yoshiko Yamamoto" »
Thanks to PrairieMod reader Larry Z. for letting us know that the T. C. Steele State Historic Site in Brown County, Indiana,is hosting an new exhibit now through March 30, 2012 titled "Arts & Crafts Moments: Simplicity in Design."
The T.C. Steele home, garden and art studio is famous for its rich history, picturesque surrounds and unique artistic and intellectual atmosphere, just west of Nashville, Indiana in the heart of artistic Brown County. Get more details here.
Image via www.indianamuseum.org/sites/tcstspec.html
This year's Grove Park Inn Arts & Crafts Conference will begin February 18, 2011 in Asheville, NC. It's always filled with great lectures and lots of Arts & Crafts-related vendors and dealers. Any PrairieMod readers going this year? if so, drop us a line, tell us if there was any cool Prairie School stuff there, share some photos and let us know how it was! Details here.
Image via arts-craftsconference.com
The group behind the recent effort to save the Iannelli Studios in Park Ridge, Illinois has a connection to a rich artistic heritage itself. The Kalo Foundation of Park Ridge was established in 2006 as a nonprofit organization and dedicated itself to preserving the rich artistic legacy of the city through education, advocacy, and preservation, as well as promoting the arts & crafts as an integral part of our modern lives.
The name derives itself from The Kalo Arts Crafts Community, an early 20th century Arts & Crafts colony located at 322 Grant Place in Park Ridge. Established as a “school within a workshop,” the facility trained men and women artisans, while producing hand wrought sterling silver, metalware, jewelry and craft items that were sold in the Kalo Shop.
Find out more about Kalo, its history, current programs and preservation efforts here.
Images via chicagosilver.com
Jason Taylor is a wizard at cleverly transforming junk into design gems. Case in point: his Mod tin can tea light. With a few thoughtful cuts, "peaches in light syrup" turns into just a light! Get one of these illuminating items at his etsy.com shop.
Image via Jason Taylor
Randall Kramer recently sent a round-up of his "Best of 2010" projects and designs for us to admire. Looking good, Randall! Check out more of his work at his website and see what he can dream-up for you for 2011.
Image credit: Randall Kramer
Get the ultimate iPhone accessory and go back to the future with the hand-sculpted iRetrofone Base By Artist Scott Freeland. Details after the jump...
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