David R. Campbell, President of
ACC 1959-63The Current Newsletter...
American Craft Council by David R. Campbell
History of Utah Designer Craftsmen
New Millennium and Udca by David Pendell
Letter from the President by Kerri L. Buxton
Udca General Membership Meeting
Art Access Show by Cynthia Oliver
American Crafts Council David R. Campbell, President of
ACC 1959-63
The following statement was taken from a speech by David R. Campbell, President of the American Craftsmen Council 1959-63 which was delivered over the Voice of America program on the Visual Arts:
"With lines of communication shortened by the jet age and industrialization spreading to all parts of the world, a study of the crafts movement in America might well serve as an inquiry into the place of handcrafts in our present-day civilization. Today man is preoccupied with scientific research, looking for ways to supply the production demands of ever-expanding populations. The resulting changes in the social, economic, and aesthetic structure of our society could hardly have been predicted. Yet, the fact remains that in the very areas of greatest industrial and commercial development there is a practical and vital craft movement not only surviving but growing stronger.
This resurgence in the crafts within the framework of the industrial age is not without profound implications. Today's professional craftsman, as an artist designer working directly in materials, has regained the time-honored respect which craftsmen before the Industrial Revolution commanded. His works are sought as true art forms, expressing our own time, not dependent upon the cliché of the past. While widespread and serious participation in the crafts as an avocation is of vital significance socially, and although its level of artistic and technical achievement is rising, it is the professional craftsmen and craft teachers who are largely responsible for this new development. For it is the professional craftsman who has pointed the way and set the standards of excellence for others to emulate.
The emergence of the contemporary craft movement as a cultural force today is not a nostalgic return to the hand-made. The crafts have discovered their own unique and rightful place, coexisting with industry but not absorbed by it. The urge to create is born in every person. It is an expression of his natural desire to relate as a human being to the environment in which he lives. While these desires may be stifled by the social and economic pressures of our time, there will always be those who have an inner compulsion to create in spite of every obstacle. If educators can inspire and help students to retain this innate urge to create, we will never lack for fine artists and designer-craftsman.
To be a craftsman is to find a way of life, one in which ultimate values are determined by the degree to which man's enjoyment of life can be increased by bringing beauty into it. There are many important values that are inherent in the craft movement, the most important of which is its determination to break down racial and national barriers and to unite civilization itself.
The Beginning: Utah Designer Craftsmen
By Dorothy Bearnson
Organization meeting
of UDC 1960, Dorthy Bearnson Uof U, Franz Johnson BYU
"Is anyone here from Utah?" called the speaker during the roll call of the states at the American Craftsmen's Council Conference in 1960, at the University of California at Santa Barbara.
I stood up and said, "Yes, I am from Utah." (And as the only one from Utah.) I was appointed as Utah State Representative to the Southwest Regional Assembly of the American Craftsmen's Council, and was told to, "Go home and organize Utah craftsmen" to participate in the First American Craftsmen's Exhibition to be held at the Museum of Contemporary Crafts in New York City in 1961; and also the First Western Craftsmen's Exhibition at the Seattle Worlds' Fair in 1962.
"Mrs. Vanderbilt Webb (Ailleen O. Webb) was Chairman of the Board of the American Craftsmen's Council (later American Craft Council). She was a leader whose personal interest (as a potter), and dedication to crafts are shown in the number of institutions she created for the craftsmen of America. She founded the School for American Craftsmen, America House, Craft Horizons Magazine (now American Craft), the Museum of Contemporary Crafts, and in 1943 the American Craftsmen's Council. She also initiated a Craftsmen's Library of books and slides. The regional and national crafts conferences and an international organization for craftsmen, the World Crafts Council, where she was president." (Outlook; June 1968 Volume 9 No. 4)
I was excited to be part of the craft movement sweeping America, and could agree on the objectives of ACC: 1. to inform, 2. to educate, 3. To stimulate inventive design and high standards, 4. To promote a means of exchanging ideas through exhibitions, shows, and conferences.
The rush to organize Utah Designer Craftsmen in 1960, was to be ready to participate in the First American Craftsmen's Exhibition in New York City in 1961.
We needed a Utah craft organization, a Utah craft exhibition, and an out-of-state juror (Ben Goo of Arizona), who would award prizes and select merit award work which would be sent to ACC in NYC to be exhibited in the First American Craft Exhibition in the Museum of Contemporary Craft in 1961, and would be sent to the Worlds' Fair in Seattle to be exhibited in the First Western Crafts Exhibition a regional show of southwest and northwest regions of ACC. The late Professor Larry Elsner, Utah State University, merit-award work was published in the August 1961 issue of Craft Horizon.
Angelo Caravaglia, University of Utah, was elected First President of UDC, but his sabbatical request in Italy was approved, and Brent Wilson, Salt Lake City Schools took his place. Angelo was the next president when he returned to Utah. Warren Wilson, Brigham Young University and Max Weaver, BYU, were third and fourth presidents. Dorothy Bearnson was the fifth President, and ended her term as Utah State Representative with Timmy Burton succeeding her, and Gaylen Beazer the president elect.
In the S.W. Regional Assembly it was stated that the University of Colorado had defaulted on its plan to host S.W./N.W. Regional Conference of ACC in 1970. I said our new Art and Architecture Complex was on schedule to be completed September 1960, and would check to see if interest in Utah existed for the Conference. I asked, it did, and we submitted a request for the Conference in March 1971.
That year, we hosted the S.W. Regional Conference of the American Crafts Council in Utah at the new AAC Complex on the University of Utah Campus, also the Object Makers '71 Exhibition in the new Utah Museum of Fine Arts. Twelve states were represented including 7 entries of Utah; 365 objects were exhibited from over 5000 entries, and $2,500 in prize money was awarded.
Workshops, which were limited to 200 participants, included: Sam Maloof wood, Walter Knottingham fibers, Ken Ferguson clay, John Prip metal, Joel Meyers glass, Carol Small electro-forming, Jess Grant plastics. Twenty-five tuition grants were available for students who assisted.
In 1993 the American Crafts Council asked Utah to join the 1993 National Year of American Crafts. David Pendell, Professor of Art at the University of Utah and I organized the Utah Crafts 1993 Exhibition, for the first event of the year. The only date available for the Gittens Gallery was January. It made the time short, but we took the date.
As luck would have it, someone contacted the new Governor Michael Leavitt. For his first Declaration in office he issued "Celebrating the Year of American Crafts, Utah Crafts 1993," and he met with some of the artists whose work was in the Exhibition. (See photo page four).
This exhibition later traveled to Brigham City, Utah by the last President of Utah Designer Craftsmen, J. Steven Hansen. Steve kept the tax-exempt status of the Organization alive after it went dormant in the early 90's until it was re-awakened last year, and is now transferred to the new name of Utah Designer Craft Alliance in 2001.
In answer to the 1960 ACC question, "Is anyone here from Utah?" My answer is resoundingly "YES, I'd say so!"
Dorothy Bearnson, March 5, 2001
Professor Emeritus; University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
Founder of Utah Designer Craft Alliance
The Beginning: Utah Designer Craftsmen
By Dorothy Bearnson
by David Pendell
My first encounter with U.D.C. came, unknowingly, in 1971 with my inclusion, as a graduate student at Long Beach State University, of a hammered dulcimer in the A.C.C. Objects '71 exhibition. Traveling to Salt Lake City and participating in the associated workshops was exciting and invigorating. Six years later I accepted an offer to teach at the University of Utah impart because the quality of that U.D.C. supported event.*
My second encounter with U.D.C. came shortly after my arrival here when friends on the U.D.C. board and Dorothy Bearnson, with her usual knack of getting people involved, suggested I go to a meeting. Apparently it was election night because I came home president. Our major emphasis in those days was to establish exhibition opportunities. When the State agreed to sponsor crafts and sales spaces became more available, the need for the organization waned. The A.C.C. and local organizations like U.D.C. had successfully raised the visibility and value of the new applied arts movement. Under the Carter Administration crafts even had a high profile in the White House.
Today, crafts and craftsmen, (craftsmen is a non-sexist, inclusive and monumental term in my book!), are widely accepted and exhibited. Evidence can be seen in the volume, prices and quality of objects displayed in galleries, auctions and magazines across the country. Unfortunately, that national trend is slowing. Here in Utah there are fewer opportunities for seeing, purchasing and/or learning various crafts than 15 years ago. Contemporary glass arts, metalsmithing and woodworking are in demand nationally but are rarely seen or taught in Utah. We are losing craft diversity. The public does not see it; it is not taught in the schools. To learn these disciplines requires leaving the state. Ceramics is alive and well but little else.
We now find ourselves in an age where increasing amounts of time and value are placed and spent in front of computers. The need to involve oneself in the manipulation and presence of "real" materials and process is increasing. The need to balance our lives with our history and relationship to the physical world is becoming essential. While building a contemporary U.D.C. that works again to support and enhance our lives, vocations and occupations, let us remember as "keepers of the fire" to re-introduce and affirm the value and esthetics of the individuals relationship to materials, self expression and the life style it embodies. They need it. Utah needs it! We all need it!!
David Pendell
Artist/Craftsman
* See Dorothy Bearnson's article on the beginnings of U.D.C.
Year of American Craft 1993
Committe members (l. to r.): Glen Blakely, Andy Glantz, David Cox, Jen Shurtliff, David Pendell, Martha Klein, Jennifer Walker, Sharon Alderman, Von Allen, Dorothy Bearnson, Catherine Kuzminski, Sherrill Sandberg, John Neely, with Gov. Michael Leavitt.
craft noun; an occupation, trade or pursuit requiring manual dexterity or the application of artistic skill.
craft verb; to make or produce with care, skill, or ingenuity.
1. Websters's Third International Dictionary
2. Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition
Kerri Buxton, President & Exhibition Chair
Andy Glantz, Vice-President & Fundraising Chair
Sharon Alderman, Secretary
J. Steven Hansen, Treasurer
Jenkyn Powell, Website Chair
Dean Petaja, Open-Studio
Heidi Smith, Membership Chair
Cynthia Oliver, Newsletter Chair
Dear Members and Friends,
Utah boasts a strong population of artists making works, which are thoughtfully conceived, and skillfully crafted. As an organization we embrace the breadth of intent in this artwork, to include the esoteric as well as the functional, the contemporary as well as the traditional. Whether our works are functional or conceptual, our search for critical discussion, our fascination with "craft" media, and our goals for impeccable craftsmanship, are a few of the common links which bring us together. We are a community of artists hailing from both academic, and studio perspectives; we are potters, sculptors, weavers, metal-smiths, wood-workers, book-artists, glass-artists, educators and so much more. The breadth of our membership makes the most interesting of cross-media dialogues possible. I am excited by the promise of these interactions, and am committed to helping create those opportunities.
Art is often a solitary profession; and it is my hope that the re-emergence of this organization, which works to unite us as a community, makes shared growth, education, and opportunity possible.
I am so pleased to present to you our accomplishments of the last six months! I have many thanks for all of the time, and effort, which made it possible. This newsletter gives us a perfect overview; it speaks to our history, our goals for the present, and our hopes for the future. I hope that you will join us in appreciation for the events and energies which have brought us here, and our excitement for all that we will accomplish in the future.
We have an exhibition, "Utah Designer Craft Alliance, the Re-Emergence of Utah Designer Craftsmen" opening on the 16th of March at the Art Access Gallery. I am very pleased with the enthusiastic response from you, and the keen eye of our jurors: Lennee Eller, and Martha Klein. Lennee Eller, most recently, acted as curator for an exhibition of furniture for the Furniture Societies' Annual Conference in Phoenix this March. She showed a clear appreciation and understanding of our work. Martha Klein will be giving a Gallery Talk at 7 p.m. during the opening of the show, and I hope that you will all take the opportunity to meet her. Her strong background in craft-media; both as an educator and artist, and her incomparable eye, have made her a highly-respected resource in our community for many years. I would also like to thank Mike S. Green, without whose help I could never have put together all of the digital information for the jurors.
We have arranged for two exhibitions during the Olympics time period, and we are checking into other possibilities as well. We will have a members show at the Brigham City Museum; it is an impressive space. We also have an exhibition opportunity at the Utah Arts Council's new exhibition space. It is located in their Rio Grande Station offices. I am amazed at our good fortune, as most other spaces have been booked for well over a year we must be living right!
We are pursuing a relationship with the new Utah Museum of Fine Art, and their new Museum Shop. We hope to have a solid opportunity to announce in the next few weeks.
Our Website is virtually finished, and it will be up and running in only a couple of weeks. We will soon have our own dot.org. - Please check in at our e-mail to be informed of our URL which should be available any day now. Jenkyn Powell has spent countless hours, and we all owe him a huge thank you.. thanks Jenkyn!
We are continuing work on our Open-Studio Program, and have an enthusiastic group putting it together. We hope to have it up and running for the Olympic time period, and consider it an important on-going program. It will be a tremendous opportunity to educate the community at large to the value and vitality of the Arts in Utah; while at the same time, allowing us greater understanding and exposure to the work of our fellow artists.
Thanks to our Newsletter Committee. This effort far exceeds my greatest expectations! Thanks to Kathleen Royster for her design work on our behalf.
All of these opportunities have been made possible by the hard work of our Member Volunteers. If you are not currently a member, please join. I would like to ask you all to participate to the fullest extent of your abilities. It is only by this combined effort that we will be able to achieve our goals. Every hour volunteered is deeply appreciated, and noticed. We have a large number of opportunities on the calendar, but without your individual help, we will be unable to take full advantage of them. Please, volunteer for a committee, we really need your help!
Enthusiastically, and with great hopes toward our future,
Kerri L. Buxton, President
UDCA TO SPONSER OLYMPIC OPEN STUDIO TOUR
UDCA will be the sponsoring organization for an open studio tour during the Olympics. While still in the planning stage, it will be held in conjunction with the curated group show at Utah Arts Council's gallery inside the Rio Grande depot January 18 through March 1, 2002. Open to all media, both events will be juried and limited to current UDC members. Any fees associated with the open studio tour will be separate from regular UDC membership dues. The two events will be coordinated and include such things as a portfolio of participating artist's to serve as an introduction to the artist's and studios scattered about the city.
A steering committee has been formed to start planning the specifics of the open studio tour event. Those interested in participating, or in further details as they develop should contact Dean Petaja at 355-2721 or dean@petajasculpture.com
by Kevin Kingdon
Jenkyn Powell, Chairman of the Website Committee, is working with Xmission to provide a free website for UDCA. As soon as the address is established, it will be e-mailed to members and published in the next newsletter.
The homepage will contain the UDCA Mission Statement as well as links to officers, chairs, and by-laws. There will also be a list of artists sorted by media, with links to individual artists and photographs of their work.
The following editions of this newsletter will be available on the web, as well as a listing of current events. Thanks to Jenkyn for his hard work and commitment to a demanding project.
We want to share in our members successes and victories, and the contributions you make in our community.
Please e-mail information to:
CONGRATULATIONS Cynthia Oliver! She has a
new Glass Art Studio at 1600 E. Stratford Ave.
This new space will act as her studio and glass
gallery. Works from other artists will be dis-
played and sold in the retail space. 486-4785
Brad E. Taylor and Kerri L. Buxton installed
their collaborative Public Art piece in
Park City. The opening reception will be
Friday, March 23rd at the Old Town Transit
Center. Their piece, a copper sculpture titled
'Clio' is part of a group sculpture arrangement
titled, 'The Muses.' Other UDCA artists involved are
Willy Littig and Darl Thomas.
Taylor and Buxton are also invited artists in
August at the Watershed Center for the
Ceramic Arts. Brad will also be teaching a
sculpture workshop at Peters Valley Center
for the Crafts in Layton, New Jersey next June.
Kathleen Royster has been invited to participate in an exhibition called 'The Yixing Effect' sponsored by The Art Complex Museum, located in Duxbury, MA. This exhibition will juxtapose contemporary work with older Yixing pottery tradition. Exhibition dates are May 20-September 16, 2001.
Royster's work was recently acquired by the Los Angeles County Museum to be included in the museum's exhibition, 'Color and Fire: Defining Moments in Contemporary Ceramics 1950-2000.' Venues following LACMA's exhibition: Kemper Museum, Kansas City; the Tucson Museum of Art, April 1 - May 30, 2001; the Memorial Art Gallery, University of Rochester July 29 - October 7, 2001. Catalogue available.
Lily Havey was awarded a Public Art Commission. Her stained glass work is located at the new Liberty Senior Center. There are four pieces each containing a lopsided square in the center, which symbolizes a sanctuary. As many of the members are immigrants, this theme seemed appropriate. The panels, mostly abstract, were constructed as one of the four seasons: winter, spring, summer, and autumn. They are unusual in that they depend on reflected light rather than the usual transmitted light for their sparkle.
March/April/May
MARCH
16 UDCA juried exhibition Utah Designer Craft Alliance/Inaugural Exhibition: The Re-Emergence of Utah Designer Craftsman to be hosted at the Art Access Gallery, 339 West Pierpont Avenue.
Artists reception 6-9 pm.
Gallery talk by Martha Klein
at 7 pm.This exhibition is
in conjunction with the monthly gallery stroll.
APRIL
2 Application deadline
for summer shows of the
Mountain Artists Rendezvous in
Jackson Hole. For more info write: Box 1248; Jackson, WY 83001
9 UDCA will host it's next General Membership Meeting at the Salt Lake City Public Library; Monday April 9, 2001 at 6:30 pm in the meeting room located on the second floor.
MAY
4City Arts Grants deadline set
for 2001/2002 from the SLC Arts Council. Applications will be available April 9th.
Call 596-5000
20 Entries due for the 16th Biennial Show of the Mary Meigs Atwater Weaver's Guild "Wild About Fiber" to be held at the Tippets Exhibit Hall, Chase Fine Arts Center; USU, Logan UT. July 3-22nd. Registration cards due two weeks earlier. For more information contact:Connie Denton, 801-943-4717 or e-mail: cdenton222@aol.com
21-24 Utah Arts Festival at the Fairgrounds.
26 Pottery open house show and sale, during the Spring City Heritage Celebration. There will also be other crafts people on Main Street selling their work on that date. Tours of historic buildings in the town will be provided. It will be in Spring City, Utah. The address is 480 East 400 South.
We would like to keep our members aware of important information, deadlines, shows, and exhibits that are coming up in the next quarter. Any dates or info you would like to submit should be e-mailed to: oliverarts@yahoo.com.
UDCA GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
At the last meeting held in October, 2000, a change of name for Utah Designer Craftsmen was instigated. By a resounding vote of the membership, UDCA will be know as Utah Designer Craft Alliance.
UDCA will host it's next General Membership Meeting at the Salt Lake City Public Library; Monday April 9, 2001 at 6:30 pm in the meeting room located on the second floor.
The agenda will include voting on board nominations, and discussing current and future business. Please come and meet other members. This is your opportunity to voice your concerns and participate in the governance of a non-profit organization. Nominations should be members in good standing and willing to serve. All nominations should be submitted to Steve Hansen <steve@hansenjewelry.com> by April 1st.
INTERESTED IN BECOMING A MEMBER? CLICK HERE OR CONTACT THE FOLLOWING:
Membership dues are $36/year and apply October through September. Dues are payable to UDCA.
Send to UDCA
c/o J. Steven Hansen, Treasurer
PO Box 481
Brigham City, UT 84302
For Information about UDCA, contact:
Heidi Smith, Membership Chair
e-mail: 3smiths@xmission.com
phone: 435-649-3856
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