Together we made it happen!

Thanks to your gifts and the gifts of hundreds of generous supporters like you, we met our December goals and were awarded the $7,500 challenge grant!  Overall 2011 annual fund donations totaled $94,000 in support of educational programs, building care and maintenance, and the day-to-day operations of the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms.

 Your 2011 support:

•  Helped protect and preserve a National Historic Landmark;
• Introduced thousands of children to a world of history and culture;
• Gave visitors with limited mobility opportunities new ways to participate;
• Offered emerging scholars an opportunity to present original research;
• Produced original research;
• Developed an all-day symposium;
• Brought visiting scholars;
• Created the Stickley Design Invitational for talented teens;
• Welcomed bus tours from senior centers;
• Piloted an artist’s residency program;
• Sustained a high-quality cultural resource;
• Helped us receive the New Jersey Historical Commission’s 2011 Award of Recognition!

 We couldn’t have done it without you!

 Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!

Thank you! Our Challenge Grant Was a Success! is a post from The Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms

Did you think everything gets quiet here when winter comes and we are only open on weekends?  You’d be surprised! Yes, of course we are still open for group tours and scout programs — but the Log House has been bustling with activity all week.  Volunteers are busily decorating for our annual Holiday Open House, taking place on the first two weekends in December.   During this event, the Log House will be decked out for the holidays in period style and with a focus on Stickley’s own ideas.  Utilizing holiday greens, pinecones, and the home’s forest palette, the decorations will bring nature indoors and spotlight the Arts and Crafts movement’s emphasis on finding beauty in simplicity and in simple materials.

For Stickley, a rich family life was a key part of his Arts and Crafts ideas, and this event addresses his values by providing a peek into Christmas preparations that would have been typical for a family like the Stickleys, including blending Victorian traditions — like making treat-bearing cornucopia and giving handmade gifts–with more modern trends. One vignette imagines Mrs. Stickley preparing to wrap a kimono, a fashionable gift–as was anything related to Japanese culture–for ladies at the time. The Christmas tree itself is a blend of Victorian and modern times, as it is wrapped with a short string of electric lights, which were the latest thing and quite expensive, but in a nod to custom, the tree also includes candles, which were traditional and still the most popular method for lighting a Christmas tree.

While celebrating the holidays, the Holiday Open House is also meant to provide respite during a hectic time of the year. On the porch of the Log House visitors will be invited to relax and enjoy hot cider and cookies, perhaps take a minute to work on a jigsaw puzzle or send holiday greeting to a friend.

 Join us for the Holiday Open House December 3-4 and 10-11 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Or come for a sneak peek at the holiday décor during our annual trunk show, which opens at 11 a.m. on Black Friday, November 25.

What’s Behind the Closed Doors? is a post from The Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms

Oil lamp as it appeared in "the Craftsman" magazine 100 years ago.

One of the rare objects on view right now is the Grueby oil lamp that we believe was original to the Log House. The oil lamp must have been a favorite of Gustav Stickley. It appears in several times in The Craftsman magazine photos of the Log House (see one photo above), and is shown in more than one location. The vase base was donated to the Stickley Museum in 2007 by Stickley great-granddaughter Barbara Fuldner, but it has not been on view until now.

It is now fully restored to its original appearance, thanks to later donations of a burner, font, brass lampshade supports, glass chimney, and a wicker lampshade. Sometimes called Japanese brown wicker and sometimes called Japanese split bamboo, lampshades such as this one were made in Japan and sold by Stickley. They are shown in Chips from the Craftsman Workshop from 1906. The shade is lined with Habutai silk, just as it was in Stickley’s day. This newer lining is stained with tea to give it the original appearance.

The brass font and Bradley & Hubbard duplex burner are real treasures. Stickley seemed to like these burners which feature two wicks. A talented craftsman made the brass shade-holder (the wire frame that sits on the burner and holds the shade in place) for us based on an original one found at Crab Tree Farm in Illinois.

Both this original oil lamp and the reproduction oil lamp are on view at this time and they make for an interesting comparison.

Oil lamp on table as it appears today

2007.02.01 Grueby Lamp Base
Grueby Faience Company oil lamp base believed to be original to Craftsman Farms.
c.1910
Gift of Barbara Fuldner

2011.17 Lampshade and Burner
Split bamboo shade, imported from Japan.
Bradley & Hubbard Duplex Burner
c. 1907
Gift of Bettina and Joe Gleason

Original Oil Lamp on View is a post from The Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms

What great news! Saturday’s gala raised over $100,000 for the day-to-day operations of the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms. Many thanks to photographer Mike Peters for these gala images of some of the wonderful people who made that success possible.

Catch the Spark Gala: Oh What a Night! is a post from The Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms

Dr. Jonathan Clancy will speak at our Forging Ahead Forum on Saturday, October 15 at Mountain Lakes Community Church. His talk, entitled Forging a Useable Past: Scholars, Scholarship, and the Arts and Crafts, will consider the potential for scholarship to inform the present as it illuminates the past. His presentation will include information about the Emerging Scholars Symposium. This annual conference, launched in 2011, is devoted to the work of up-and-coming scholars and is a collaboration between Sotheby’s Institute of Art and the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms. Clancy will discuss the objectives of the conference and its direction for 2012.

Dr. Jonathan Clancy is Director of the American Fine and Decorative Arts Program at Sotheby’s Institute of Art. His publications include The Beauty of Common Things: American Art Pottery from the Two Red Roses Foundation (2008), Warman’s Rookwood Pottery (2008), and numerous articles in journals such as Modern Craft, The Journal of Design History, and Style 1900. His recent work has spanned a variety of subjects including: John Singleton Copley’s Watson and the Shark, Martin Johnson Heade’s early career, and Gustav Stickley’s metal wares. At present, he is directing a cataloging project for the paintings at the Redwood Library and Athenaeum in Newport, Rhode Island.

Dr. Jonathan Clancy to Speak About Arts & Crafts Scholarship is a post from The Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms

The piano lamp is back in place, bringing a warm glow to the living room. It had been removed as part of a massive structural engineering project begun in January of 2011 but was returned to its rightful place today.

Member and friend Michael Lehr purchased it from someone who originally bought it 20-30 years ago in New Jersey. “It might be the one from The Farms, but I am not sure.”Michael says, “I knew when I purchased it, there were only two or three known examples. If I didn’t arrange for The Farms to have this one, they would probably never get one.” So he donated it to The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms nearly nine years ago.

The chandelier had been neglected over the decades and was missing its canopy and chain, and was also missing any lighting components (oil font). The patina was in poor condition with corrosion on copper as well as an overall dullness. The iron hooks and banding were rusty. The material used for the panels had been replaced with a paper material that did not allow any light through the cut-outs. There were not very many lengths of the small decorative chain hanging around the fixture. And of course, it was a bit out of shape and no longer really round. The chandelier was sent to Aurora Studios in the fall of 2002 for a complete restoration. The good news was that the patina could be restored. Often, original patinas are either long gone (sometimes polished) or irreversibly damaged. Dawn Hopkins and Michael Adams of Aurora Studios were able to remove the corrosion, enhance the original patina and restore the iron work. The main problem was the missing canopy. Because the fixture hung from around log, the curve appeared to be accommodated with what they referred to as a “can” with a more typical Gustav canopy attached to it. They visited the Farms and did some profile measurements to properly fit the canopy to the log and then fabricated a canopy with a similar “can” shape.

They had one rather fuzzy photograph of the original piano fixture for reference. Fortunately, there were other references to use to fabricate the proper chain the fixture hung from and the small decorative chain around the perimeter of the fixture. They replicated the original Gustav hardware that attaches the chain to the canopy and also made new panels of mica to finish the main body of the fixture.

There was one more delay in the Farms receiving the fixture. It languished at the studio for some time waiting for an original oil font to be found. Although there were many people looking for one, it did not materialize. The decision was made for the studio to fabricate a hammered wiring assembly that would mimic a font with the glass hurricane. At last, when the lamp was ready, Board member Dave Rudd picked it up from the studio and then drove more than four hours to personally assure its safe delivery to the Museum, where it was installed in the winter of 2009.

During the recent structural repairs on the staircase and foundation the lamp was removed and carefully stored in the collection room. After nine months it has now been reinstalled in its place of honor over the piano where it graces the living room with its cozy glow.

If you’d like to learn more about it, be sure to be here on Sunday, October 16, when Dawn Hopkins and Michael Adams will be here to answer questions and demonstrate their craft as part of Catch the Spark weekend.

Piano Lamp is Back in Place is a post from The Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms

L & J G Stickley's Corporate Historian Mike Danial

L. & J. G. Stickley’s corporate historian, Mike Danial, will speak at our Forging Ahead Forum on October 15.  Using turn-of-the-century marketing strategies, sales techniques and advertising campaigns as a springboard for discussion, Mike will consider Arts and Crafts as a business from the Stickley brothers to today.

Mike’s firsthand knowledge of his topic is extensive.  He began his career at the L. & J. G. Stickley Furniture Co. in 1974.  In his 37 years at Stickley, he has seen the company grow from 26 employees in 1974 to approximately 1500 employees today.  Mike’s great-uncle, Vinchenzo Mellache worked for Leopold Stickley in the 1940′s-1959.  Mike has worked in every department including Rough Mill, Fine Mill, Sanding, Cabinet Room, and Finishing Department.  He even managed the Customer Service Department. In 1988 he became the project director of the Mission Oak Collection which now accounts for approximately 70% of company sales.   

Today, Mike serves as Stickley’s corporate historian and travels throughout the country lecturing on Stickley Furniture and the American Arts and Crafts movement.  He is also the restoration specialist for the firm’s corporate museum.  When not lecturing, Mike is the author of “Ask Sadie!” the Stickley Answer Desk for the corporate level learning and information systems  He holds a degree in Business Management from New Hampshire College and a degree in Wood Technology from SUNY Morrisville.

The Forging Ahead Forum is a full-day symposium taking place as part of Catch the Spark Weekend, October 15 and 16.

Mike Danial to Present “Marketing the Arts & Crafts of Stickley” is a post from The Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms

Welcome to the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms!  
 

This 30-acre National Historic Landmark is the centerpiece of Gustav Stickley’s early 20th century country estate.  The Stickley family’s home, known as the Log House, was built in 1911 and is one of the most significant landmarks of the American Arts and Crafts movement.  It has been restored to its 1911 appearance and is operated by the Craftsman Farms Foundation as a historic house museum.  Tours of the Log House are available year round, as well as group tours for clubs, churches, special interested groups, schools, scouts, etc.  

The Museum also offers lectures, workshops, and numerous educational programs, plus two family days each year.   Off-site exhibitions are mounted and exhibition catalogues, which include new scholarship, are produced annually.   

The Museum’s growing collection includes numerous Stickley furnishings, many which are original to the Log House, plus textiles, pottery, metalwork, and archival materials.  In addition to these priceless objects on view in the Log House, an original Stickley bungalow has been furnished with touchable Arts and Crafts furnishings.  A visit to this bungalow, known as North Cottage, allows visitors the opportunity sit in the chairs and fully experience Arts and Crafts living.  Tours of North Cottage must be books in advance. 

The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms is committed to assuring that all individuals can participate in our programs. If you require the use of assistive listening devices or other special assistance please call at least two weeks in advance.   Five handicapped parking spaces are available opposite the Museum entrance, and the building is equipped with a fully handicapped accessible bathroom.  The historic Log House walkways are gravel, but have been graded to make wheel chair access possible.

Visitor amenities include the well-stocked Museum Shop, which carries handmade Arts and Crafts style pottery, tiles, jewelry, as well as books, magazines, and Stickley Museum souvenirs.  A guidebook to the history of the site has been produced and is available on-line and in the Museum Shop.  Beverages and packaged snack food are available for purchase and picnic tables are situated throughout the site.

About is a post from The Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms

Travel Everywhere! discusses the Must-See Museums in Morris County, NJ, including the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms:

Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms is the only house Gustav Stickley, the foremost spokesman for the American Arts and Crafts Movement, designed and built for himself. Stickley, known for his Mission furniture, revolutionized American decorative arts.

The log house, built in 1911, is one of the most significant landmarks of the American Arts and Crafts movement, and the site, which consists of 30 acres of the original 650-acre tract, has been designated a National Historic Landmark. The focal point of Stickley’s “Garden of Eden” was a large log house constructed of round, hewn chestnut logs that were cut from the property’s woods and local stone also found on the property.

Via 3 Marvelous, Must-See Museums in Morris County, New Jersey | Travel Everywhere!

Must-See In Morris County is a post from The Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms

NorthJersey.com talks about our recent gala!

The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms marked its 20th anniversary with a black-tie fundraising gala, the Celebration Ball, at the Mountain Lakes Club on Saturday, Oct. 3. The Honorary Co-Chairs included U.S. Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen; N.J. Senator Richard Codey; and California philanthropist, Max Palevsky. The eventincluded a live auction led by David Rago, of Rago Arts, who is well-known for his frequent appearances on Antiques Road Show.

The museum is a 30-acre National Historic Landmark and former country estate of noted turn-of-the-century designer Gustav Stickley, a major proponent of the “Arts and Crafts” style in home building and furnishing. The Celebration Ball raised over $80,000 to support the educational programming of the museum and the care of the site.

Guests traveled from many states across the nation including Texas and California. Gustav Stickley’s great granddaughter, Barbara Fuldner was among four attendees who traveled from Wisconsin. Notable New Jersey attendees included U.S. Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen, Assemblyman Alex DeCroce, former Senator Leanna Brown, and Parsippany Mayor Michael Luther.

Via NorthJersey.com: The Stickley Museum celebrates its 20th anniversary in style

Our Celebration Ball is a post from The Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms