Wharton Esherick (July 15, 1887 – May 6, 1970) was an American sculptor who worked primarily in wood, especially applying the principles of sculpture to common utilitarian objects. Consequently, he is best known for his sculptural furniture and furnishings. Esherick was recognized in his lifetime by his peers as the “dean of American craftsmen” for his leadership in developing nontraditional designs and for encouraging and inspiring artists and artisans by example. Esherick’s influence is evident in the work of contemporary artisans, particularly in the Studio Craft Movement. His home and studio in Malvern , Pennsylvania , are part of the Wharton Esherick Museum , which has been listed as a National Historic Landmark since 1993.
24-534: Wharton Esherick Studio , now housing the Wharton Esherick Museum , was the studio of the craftsman-artist Wharton Esherick (1887–1970), in Malvern, Pennsylvania . The studio was built between 1926 and 1966, reflecting Esherick's evolving sculptural style—from Arts and Crafts , through German Expressionism , ending with the free form Modernist curves that marked his later work. There are five structures on
48-528: A successful relocation in terms of fundraising and ongoing financial support. In January 2009, the Museum of Contemporary Craft integrated with the Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA), making the joint institution one of the largest organizations devoted to the visual arts in the state of Oregon. It was hoped that the merger would stabilize the Museum of Contemporary Craft, which became known as
72-462: Is filled with more than 300 of Wharton Esherick's works, including sculpture, furniture and furnishings, paintings and prints. The Wharton Esherick Museum was incorporated as a non-profit corporation in 1971, it opened for visitors in 1972, and in 1973 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The studio was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1993. Under the direction of
96-819: Is in the permanent collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the Metropolitan Museum of Art , the Whitney Museum , the Museum of Fine Arts of Boston , and many other museums and galleries. Most of his work remains in private hands. His home and studio, outside of Valley Forge, Pennsylvania , were his largest piece of art. The buildings evolved over forty years as Esherick lived and worked there. He continued working on
120-672: The University of Oregon , as did ceramicist Victoria Avakian (later Ross). After graduating in 1927, Hodge went to Paris. After her return, Hodge founded the University Alumni Art League, which opened its first exhibition on April 1, 1935. In 1937, she founded the Oregon Ceramic Studio, which was later renamed the Museum of Contemporary Craft. The studio's building first opened in 1938. Other early organizers included Victoria Avakian and Katherine Macnab . Their intent
144-691: The Wolfsonian Museum in Miami, Florida. In 1940 the architect George Howe used Esherick’s Spiral Stair (1930) and Esherick furniture to create the “Pennsylvania Hill House” exhibit in the New York World’s Fair “America at Home” Pavilion. Esherick’s work was featured in a 1958 retrospective at the Museum of Contemporary Craft and in the 1972 “Woodenworks” exhibition at the Renwick Gallery . He exhibited hundreds of times during his life, and his work
168-558: The Works Progress Administration (WPA) and others. Located at 3934 SW Corbett Avenue at its founding in 1937, the museum was relocated to 724 NW Davis Street, in downtown Portland's Pearl District , as of July 2007. The museum housed a permanent collection of over 1200 objects, all of them gifts, that documented the history of craft in the Pacific Northwest for over seven decades. Lydia Herrick Hodge studied at
192-539: The Works Progress Administration (WPA). For much of its life, the organization was run by volunteers, most of them women. Lydia Herrick Hodge was the studio director from 1937 until her death in 1960. Artist-in-residence Ken Shores became the first paid director in 1964, changing the organization's name in 1965 from The Oregon Ceramic Studio to the Contemporary Crafts Gallery . He diversified its collections, and initiated an active project for Craftsmen in
216-604: The Pennsylvania Museum School of Industrial Art (now the University of the Arts ) and at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts . He married Leticia Nofer (1892–1975) in 1912. In 1913 the couple moved to a farmhouse near Malvern, Pennsylvania , to pursue his painting career, grow their own food, and raise their children in accordance with the precepts of the progressive education movement. They became immersed in
240-456: The Schools. By 1971, he was succeeded as director by interior designer Gordon Smyth. Smyth was interested in encouraging new artists, such as textile artist Bonnie Meltzer. Smyth was succeeded by Marlene Gabel in 1978. Gabel reached out to the glass-blowing community, holding annual glass exhibitions and group shows. In 1987 the organization celebrated its fiftieth anniversary, which was marked by
264-597: The Wharton Esherick Museum). He was the uncle of American architect Joseph Esherick . Museum of Contemporary Craft The Museum of Contemporary Craft (1937-2016) in Portland, Oregon was the oldest continuously-running craft institution on the west coast of the United States until its closure in 2016. The museum's mission was "to enliven and expand the understanding of craft and the museum experience." It
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#1732852008409288-412: The late 1920s he abandoned carving on his furniture, focusing instead on the pure form of the pieces as sculpture. In the 1930s he was producing sculpture and furniture influenced by the organicism of Rudolf Steiner , as well as by German Expressionism and Cubism . The angular and prismatic forms of the latter two movements gave way to the free-form curvilinear shapes for which he is best known. His work
312-585: The museum curator, the Wharton Esherick Museum holds an annual Thematic Woodworking Competition and Exhibition as a means to encourage creative thinking, and to encourage the development of new and imaginative designs for items of everyday use. The Diamond Rock Schoolhouse , which served as Esherick's painting studio during the 1920s, was acquired by the Wharton Esherick Museum in 2019. Wharton Esherick Born in Philadelphia, Esherick studied at
336-614: The progressive education movement while visiting the Marietta Johnson School of Organic Education in Fairhope , Alabama , in 1919. It was Marietta Johnson who first suggested that Esherick explore woodcarving. He began carving decorative frames for his paintings in 1920, which led to making woodcut prints and finally to sculpture. Esherick’s early furniture was derived from the Arts and Crafts style and decorated with surface carving. In
360-555: The publication of 3934 Corbett: Fifty Years at Contemporary Crafts by Jane Van Cleeve. The building underwent several renovations, most notably in 1998 when the Marlene Gabel Gallery was built, designed by Northwest Regional style architect William Fletcher. The Marlene Gabel Gallery served as the permanent collection space. In 2002, David Cohen became executive director and the Contemporary Crafts Gallery
384-508: The sale of craft works. The new building was designed by Richard Brown Architects and provided the institution with nearly twice its previous space. Costs of transforming the organization were estimated at $ 6.5 million. Sale of the original Corbett Avenue site only resulted in $ 2 million. The new 15,000 square foot location increased foot traffic and visibility for the museum. It was the site of many exhibitions that featured local, national and international artists. However, it did not prove
408-427: The site: his home and studio, the 1956 workshop designed with Louis Kahn , the 1928 German Expressionist log garage which now serves as the museum visitor center, his woodshed, and the recently reconstructed German Expressionist outhouse . The buildings, from their structural forms down to the door handles and light pulls, were designed and built by Wharton Esherick to create a complete artistic environment. The studio
432-517: The studio until his death in 1970. In 1972 the studio was converted into the Wharton Esherick Museum. The site, known as the Wharton Esherick Studio , was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1993. The Diamond Rock Schoolhouse , which served as Esherick's painting studio during the 1920s, was acquired by the Wharton Esherick Museum in 2019. Esherick was the father of Ruth Bascom (wife of architect Mansfield Bascom, curator emeritus of
456-519: Was also part of the painting event in the art competition at the 1932 Summer Olympics . From furniture and furnishings he progressed to interiors, the most famous being the Curtis Bok House (1935–37). Though the house was demolished in 1989, Esherick’s work was saved and the fireplace and adjacent music room doors can be seen in the Philadelphia Museum of Art , and the foyer stairs in
480-591: Was known as one of the few centers in the United States to focus on the relationships between art and craft , programming robust shows exploring a wide variety of artists, materials and techniques. The organization was founded by Lydia Herrick Hodge in 1937 as the Oregon Ceramic Studio and led by her until 1960. The original art deco building was designed pro bono by Henry Abbott Lawrence for Lawrence, Holford, & Allyn, and built with assistance from
504-533: Was renamed the Contemporary Crafts Museum & Gallery . Namita Gupta Wiggers became Curator in 2004, continuing in that position until 2012, then as Director and Chief Curator until 2014. In 2005, the museum board decided to move the museum's location, in response to concerns that it was hard for people to visit its location. In 2007, the organization relocated to 724 NW Davis Street in the historic DeSoto Building on Portland's North Park Blocks , and
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#1732852008409528-463: Was renamed the Museum of Contemporary Craft . As part of the grand opening at its new location, Portland artist Tom Cramer was commissioned to paint an unofficial BMW Art Car . The museum's collections were profiled in Unpacking the collection: selections from the Museum of Contemporary Craft (2008) marking a shift in emphasis on the organization as a museum, not just a space for the making or even
552-437: Was strongly supported by Ellis Lawrence , the first dean of the University of Oregon School of Architecture and Allied Arts . The art deco style building was designed pro bono by architect Henry Abbott Lawrence , working for his father's firm, Lawrence, Holford, & Allyn. Ellis Lawrence also raised funds for the project and convinced university vice-president Burt Brown Barker to apply for construction grants for it from
576-542: Was to augment the educational programs offered by local institutions, working with students and teachers and offering artists the use of their large kiln. They also sought to enable artists to show and sell their work. The Museum of Contemporary Craft's first location, 3934 SW Corbett Avenue, was home to the museum for 70 years. Land for the project was donated by the Portland Public School district on condition that it would serve local teachers and classes. Hodge
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