School for American Crafts

School for American Crafts
EstablishedJanuary 14, 1945; 79 years ago (1945-01-14)
FounderAileen Osborn Webb, American Craftsmen's Council
Websitewww.rit.edu/artdesign/school-american-crafts
Formerly called
School for American Craftsmen (1945–1992)

The School for American Crafts (originally the School for American Craftsmen, SAC) was founded by Aileen Osborn Webb and the American Craftsmen's Council (ACC) in the 1940s. It sought to provide training in traditional crafts and "to develop and raise the standards of the hand arts in the United States."[1][2][3]

The objective of the school was to train students who would be able to earn an independent living with their craftsmanship skills, whether as a craftsman, a designer of handmade objects, a teacher, or an industrial worker using fine skills.[1] Initially, potential students included those affected by the Great Depression and World War II.[1] Ceramics and other craft arts were seen as both profitable and therapeutic for soldiers returning from the war.[4]: 16 

The School for American Craftsmen officially opened on January 14, 1945, at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire.[5] It moved to Alfred University in Alfred, New York in July 1946,[6] before finding a permanent home in 1950 within the Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York.[1] In 1992, the name was shortened to the School for American Crafts.[4]

By affiliating itself with universities, rather than vocational schools, the School for American Crafts placed itself in a context of liberal and creative arts, not just technical ability.[7] It was the first American school to create a complete professionally-based curriculum focused specifically on craft, rather than including craft as part of a broader course of study.[1] It has been described as "the blueprint for contemporary fine craft education in the United States".[8]

  1. ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference Norton was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Lauria was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Edwards, Julie Eldridge (March 21, 2019). "Historic Champion of the Craft Movement". Shelburne Farms. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Lynn, Martha Drexler (January 1, 2015). American Studio Ceramics: Innovation and Identity, 1940 to 1979. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-21273-0.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Dartmouth was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Alfred was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Alfoldy, Sandra (2005). Crafting Identity: The Development of Professional Fine Craft in Canada. Montreal, Quebec: McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP. p. 59. ISBN 978-0-7735-2860-4. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
  8. ^ Bargmann, Kara (April 23, 2018). "Mind the Gap". Art Jewelry Forum. Retrieved February 8, 2023.