The Society of Arts and Crafts of Boston

Society of Arts and Crafts
Formation1897 (1897)
Location
Acting Director
Karina Burston
Websitesocietyofcrafts.org
Formerly called
The Society of Arts and Crafts Boston (SACB)

The Society of Arts and Crafts is one of America's oldest arts and craft nonprofit organization.[1][2] The Society moved to Boston's Seaport District in 2016 after being located on Newbury Street for over 40 years.[3] The Society was incorporated by twenty-one individuals on June 28, 1897, and was then known as the Society of Arts and Crafts in Boston.[4] The small group was representational of Boston's elites in the fields of teaching, art-making, architecture, and craft. The original Society began with the agreement to "develop and encourage higher artistic standards in the handcrafts."[4]

Frederic Allen Whiting was the Director at the Society until 1912, when Humphery J. Emery took over. He would serve on the board of directors until the 1930s.[5]

Mission

The Society's mission is to support and celebrate craft makers and their creativity. Through its various programs, the organization strives to inspire the creation, assemblage, and promotion of the work of contemporary craft makers. The advancement of public appreciation of fine art has been a lifelong goal of the Society. The Society of Arts + Crafts sponsors exhibitions, the Artist Awards Programs,[6] the John D. Mineck Furniture Fellowship,[7] and educational programming in order to promote the work of contemporary craft artists. Prior to moving fully online in 2020, its retail and exhibition galleries featured nearly four hundred craft artists.[8]

Exhibitions

The following is a list of SA+C's exhibitions since 2012.[9]

Exhibition Title Date Notes
Executive Order 9066, Wendy Maruyama September 8 - November 3, 2012
Our Cups Runneth Over November 16, 2012- January 19, 2013 Biennial
Contemporary Folk February 15 - April 13, 2013
Rethinking Tradition: Portraits in Glass by Joseph Cavalieri April 26 - July 20, 2013
Creative Minds, Disciplined Hands: Selections from the New Hampshire Furniture Masters August 3 - October 19, 2013
From Minimal to Bling: Contemporary Studio Jewelry November 1, 2013 - January 11, 2014 Biennial
Floral Fictions: Recent Work by Jessica Calderwood January 31, 2014 - April 19, 2014
SAC Artists Awards Exhibition May 2 - July 19, 2014
William Daley: 14 for 7 August 2 - October 25, 2014
Our Cups Runneth Over: Sculptural & Functional Cups November 8, 2014 – January 10, 2015 Biennial
Collisions & Collaborations: Kathy King, Kevin Snipes and Brian R. Jones January 30 - April 11, 2015
Alchimia: An Anthology May 1 - July 11, 2015
Stay in Touch: Seven Years of the John D. Mineck Furniture Fellowship August 1 - October 17, 2015
From Minimal to Bling: Contemporary Studio Jewelry November 6, 2015 - January 10, 2016 Biennial
Radius October - November 2016 Opening exhibition at new Seaport District location
Our Cups Runneth Over November 2016 - February 2017 Biennial
I.M.A.G.I.N.E. Peace Now February - June 2017 Traveling show in collaboration with artist Boris Bally[10]
Archipomorphic: Tim Ian Mitchell February - March 2017
Artist Awards June - October 2017 Award recipients: Tanya Crane, Janice Jakielski, Julie Morringello
Fantasy Architectures: Jay Rogers October 2017 - January 2018
From Minimal to Bling: Contemporary Studio Jewelry November 2017 - February 2018
All Things Considered IX: Basketry in the 21st Century March - June 2018 Traveling show presented by the National Basketry Organization[11]
The Cover Up: Donna Rhae Marder May - August 2018
Infinite Vibration: Niho Kozuru June - September 2018
Landscapes, Crafted August - October 2018
Elizabeth Cohen: Life Cycle October 2018
Adorning Boston + Beyond: Contemporary Studio Jewelry Then + Now November 8, 2018 - February 17, 2019 In conjunction with the Museum of Fine Arts exhibit Boston Made,[12] guest-curated by Heather White
Our Cups Runneth Over November 8, 2018 - February 17, 2019 Biennial, guest-curated by Mary Barringer
Rebecca Welz: Inner + Outer Spaces February 2019 - March 2019
Pulp + Process February 21 - April 21, 2019 Curated by Sam Aldrich, 2019 Emerging Curator
Peter T. Bennett: The Lure of Aluminum March 14 - May 5, 2019
PRIED April 25 - June 30, 2019 Guest-curated by Izzy Berdan and Dave J Bermingham, co-founders of the Boston LGBTQIA Artists Alliance [13]
Linda Huey: Dark Garden and other works May 9 - July 21, 2019

Annual events

Every year, the Society of Arts + Crafts hosts two promotional events for local and international artists, CraftBoston Spring[14] and CraftBoston Holiday.[15] CraftBoston is a show of contemporary art, craft and design, and is well known for its advancement of both the arts and craftspeople. These events are held at popular venues and convention halls in Boston biannually.[15][16]

Publications

References

  1. ^ Roberta Smith (June 8, 1997). "American Crafts, Cause and Effect". The New York Times. Retrieved January 22, 2017. prominent art-oriented Bostonians ... in 1897, founded the Society of Arts and Crafts of Boston -- the first such organization in America
  2. ^ Cathers, David (2003). Gustav Stickley. New York, New York: Phaidon Press, Inc. p. 82. ISBN 978-0-7148-6111-1. The founding of the Rochester [New York] Arts and Crafts Society was announced on 13 March 1897...In May 1897, it held an exhibition...
  3. ^ "Location & Hours | The Society of Arts and Crafts". societyofcrafts.org. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
  4. ^ a b Brandt, Beverly (2009). The Craftsman and the Critic. Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press. pp. 57–60. ISBN 978-1-55849-677-4.
  5. ^ "Summary of the Society of Arts and Crafts records, 1897-1960 | Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution". aaa.si.edu. Retrieved 2015-10-12.
  6. ^ Artist Awards Programs
  7. ^ John D. Mineck Furniture Fellowship
  8. ^ "Mission & History | The Society of Arts and Crafts". societyofcrafts.org. Retrieved 2015-09-19.
  9. ^ "SAC Exhibition Gallery: Past Shows | Boston Art Gallery". societyofcrafts.org. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
  10. ^ "Home". imaginepeacenow.org.
  11. ^ "Home". nationalbasketry.org.
  12. ^ "Boston Made".
  13. ^ "Home". blaa.us.
  14. ^ CraftBoston Spring
  15. ^ a b "CraftBoston Holiday Show & Ticket Information". societyofcrafts.org. Retrieved 2015-10-12.
  16. ^ "CraftBoston Spring Show Information". societyofcrafts.org. Retrieved 2015-10-12.
  17. ^ Copley Hall (Boston, Mass.); Allston Hall (Boston, Mass.); Society of Arts and Crafts (Boston, Mass.) (1907). Exhibition of the society of arts & crafts together with a loan collection of applied art: Copley & Allston Halls, Boston, Mass., February 5 to 26, 1907. Boston, MA: The Heintzemann Press. OCLC 773833372.


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