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

We were pleased to see the Daily Record mentioned Craftsman Farms, along with the Morris Museum, and the Morristown Green, in their article on Morris County attractions.

You can read the article here:  Take a trip through your own backyard | Daily Record

Morris County Attractions is a post from The Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms

Bill Wolfe at NJ.com recently wrote about the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms. His article begins:

Quietly tucked away, just off Route 10 in the belly of the beast of suburban sprawl of Parsippany, is an oasis, Craftsman Farms and the Gustav Stickley Museum.

Stickley is famous for his mission style furniture, but he is less well known as a leader in the arts and crafts movement and founder of the utopian community, Craftsman Farms.

Via Craftsman Farms – Oasis in a Wasteland – NJVoices: Bill Wolfe

The Craftsman Farms Oasis is a post from The Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms

Yesterday’s Star-Ledger had a piece on the cooperation between the Stickley Museum and the township of Parsippany, and the new successes at Craftsman Farms.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008
BY AL FRANK
Star-Ledger Staff

The nonprofit foundation that operates the Craftsman Farms national landmark in Parsippany said its fortunes have improved dramatically in the two years since it came to the township for help.

More visitors than ever are attending more programs focusing on the Arts and Crafts movement and its leading light, Gustav Stickley, said Davey Willans, president of the Craftsman Farms Foundation.

But the enclave off Route 10 “is not just for Arts and Crafts aficionados,” Willans told the township council last night. With nature trails and picnic tables, “it’s a little Eden. It’s a 30-acre park.”

The foundation can focus better on that mission because the increased support of the township — which owns the site — means the largely volunteer group no longer has worries of insolvency, he said.

Read the rest of the article at Historic site’s stewards thank town for its help – NJ.com

Parsippany Township And Stickley Museum's Success is a post from The Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms

Thanks to Style 1900 for including the Stickley Museum — and our new blog — in the Winter ’08-’09 issue!

Style 1900 is a post from The Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms

Our friend David Rago recently wrote about American Arts & Crafts and five places to see Arts & Crafts collections. He says:

The Arts and Crafts movement had a short lifespan, but its impact on American life has endured — remember that lumpy bowl you made in summer camp? Lasting only from about 1900 until changing tastes and World War I put an end to it, Arts and Crafts rebelled against the machinery of the Industrial Revolution by championing originality and simplicity in handcrafted art and design objects.

Because the movement was so brief, relatively little material was made during that time, and much of that was lost or destroyed in the ensuing decades. Fortunately, a handful of institutions across the United States understood both the social and aesthetic importance of the best work of that era and amassed meaningful collections.

Read on ARTINFO.com!

David Rago on American Arts&Crafts is a post from The Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms

Thanks to Bill Austin of Blog Of The Day Awards for featuring us as their Serendipity Sunday blog! If you’re visiting us for the first time through Bill’s blog, why not check out our museum’s main site or view some of Stickley’s creations in our collection?

Stickley Blog is a post from The Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms

Parsippany Focus has a great piece on our upcoming Fall Harvest Family Day!

The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms invites visitors of all ages to greet autumn’s arrival at its annual Family Day, on Saturday, September 20, from 12:00 Noon to 4:00 p.m. on the grounds of Craftsman Farms. A National Historic Landmark nestled on 30 pristine acres of woodlands, Craftsman Farms is the former home of visionary designer, Gustav Stickley and his family. Adults and children will delight in glimpses of early 20th century farm life. The special afternoon will feature a performance by the Ironia Reelers Square Dancers from Randolph, New Jersey, and include apple cider pressing, butter churning, and old-fashioned hayrides around The Farms. Families will also enjoy craft activities like pumpkin painting and old-fashioned, carnival–style games.

Via Parsippany Focus – All Local, All Parsippany

The Fall Harvest Family Day is partially funded by a generous grant from the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation.

Parsippany Focus on Fall Harvest Family Day is a post from The Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms