ML Centennial Resources

Ideas for ML Allied & Practical Arts, grades 6-12

Frank Sánchez & the ML100 Education Sub-committeeISSUE 1 June 1, 2010

http://ml100.org/ Stickley Museum @ Craftsman Farms

The Stickley Museum

Last week I joined the Mountain Lakes Centennial Committee for a lovely afternoon at the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms. Based on our meeting with Vonda Givens, the Director of Education, and a subsequent tour of the museum, the committee brainstormed some ways we at Briarcliff & MLHS can best exploit the great resources that are available there. I hope this only serves to spark some interest of just one of the great resources from the ML100 website that can help each of us celebrate the Mountain Lakes centennial with our students. Also, please share any of your ideas with colleagues and of course our committee so we can help!

http://ml100.org/ Stickley Museum @ Craftsman Farms

The Stickley MuseumGustav StickleyCraftsman Farms, located in and owned by the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills, is the former home of noted turn-of-the-century designer Gustav Stickley, a major proponent of the "Arts and Crafts" home building and furnishing style. The site, which consists of 30 acres of the original 650-acre tract, has been designated a National Historic Landmark.1

The Craftsman Stickley combined the roles of furniture designer/manufacturer, architect, publisher, philosopher & social critic. Based on his work & his writing of the Craftsman Magazine2, Stickley has made a lasting impression on American decorative arts.

Craftsman FarmsIn 1908 Stickley moved from Manhattan and designed Craftsman Farms to be self-sufficient, with gardens for vegetables and flowers, orchards, dairy cows and chickens. The property contains numerous support buildings including craft workshops, stables, a dairy barn, chicken coop, other farm buildings, and three cottage dwellings.

http://ml100.org/ Stickley Museum @ Craftsman Farms

1 The three passages are culled from the museum’s website “About Craftsman Farms” http://www.stickleymuseum.org/aboutcf.php

2 The entire Craftsman archive can be accessed at the University of Wisconsin’s website

Possible Curricular Connections

http://ml100.org/ Stickley Museum @ Craftsman Farms

Drafting & DesignStudents can take a tour of ML Hapgood homes (w/blueprints) & then compare the style with Stickley’s work @ Craftsman Farms. Plus, this article deals with one Bergen County family restoring a Stickley home.

Visual Art & DesignUsing The Craftsman digital CD-Rom, students can scan the magazine’s archive and contrast it with ads promoting ML homes. Plus, students can use the magazine & tour the facility to sketch interior designs.

Wood Shop & DesignOne of the tour’s highlights was the talk on Stickley’s use of articulated joinery. Students will love to take an up-close look at Stickley’s favored tenon-and-key joints and then look around the museum for examples.

Stickley’s Resources

http://ml100.org/ Stickley Museum @ Craftsman Farms

Ms. Vonda Givens, the Stickley’s Education Director, has several presentations for art, wood shop & design classes. You can call her at 973-540-0311. She also helped the current Newark Museum exhibit on Stickley’s work.

Ms. Givens can also speak to our students

about the Arts & Craft movement and

Stickley’s place in it. Then our students

can tour Craftsman Farms to apply what

they have learned. The gift shop also has

scores of treasures!

Finally, Ms. Givens was gracious enough to add two articles from their “Notes From The Farm” newsletter that focuses on ML history. I have added one PDF copy to this issue. Please check it out as you make your ML100 plans!

http://ml100.org/ Stickley Museum @ Craftsman Farms

http://ml100.org/ Stickley Museum @ Craftsman Farms

http://ml100.org/ Stickley Museum @ Craftsman Farms

http://ml100.org/ Stickley Museum @ Craftsman Farms