Upcoming Event: The Arts & Crafts Movement from Europe to America

The Industrial Revolution brought forth a wave of protest from tastemakers and critics, most notably the Englishman John Ruskin. As a response to the “evils of the machine,” the Arts & Crafts Movement sought a return to the appeal of handcrafted objects and the satisfaction of the designer-craftsman in making his own creations.

In this lecture, Historian and NYSID Professor Judith Gura will discuss this period in design history, its distinctive characteristics, main figures such as William Morris and Gustav Stickley, and their enduring influence on American design in the 21st century.

As a specialist in the history of interiors and furnishings with a focus on the past century, Judith applies her skills in lectures, books and articles that have established her reputation as a scholar with a lively, accessible style. She combines strong academic credentials with practical marketing experience as an authority on period styles, Scandinavian furniture, interior design and the contemporary design market.

The event will take place on December 21, 2010 from 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. at the DDB's Astra Cafe with a $50 fee. There will be a reception to follow.

For speaker information and reservations please call NYSID 212-472-1500 ext. 209 or visit www.ddbuilding.com

Photo Credit: www.william-morris.co.uk

NYSID Professor Reflects on Green Design

Green Design is the current buzzword, applied to virtually every design project, and many products of varying degrees of environmental-consciousness. But is the idea really such a new one? After all, William McDonough has been proselytizing the need for architects and designers to show concern for sustainable development decades… almost from the founding of his eponymous architectural firm back in 1981. His “Cradle to Cradle” book is almost a decade old.
But this kind of thinking goes back much further. More than a century ago, Adolph Loos, in his iconic essay Ornament and Crime, said that. And Frank Lloyd Wright spoke about it. Weren’t they making some of the same points? So are we finally beginning to listen?
-- Judith Gura, Professor of Design History and Theory, New York School of Interior Design

Some design is never out of date…..

Some design is never out of date…..new students at NYSID are just starting to learn the basics of the Greek and Roman classical orders. They really get caught up in the idea of recognizing Ionic and Corinthian columns, caryatids and gargoyles, on the buildings they walk by and never looked at closely before.

How many of us are too busy to stop and look carefully at what’s around us? In New York or anywhere else, notwithstanding the bad design we gripe about, there’s plenty to admire if we take the time for a closer look.

The Metropolitan Museum isn’t looking its best these days, with all the restoration going on. Same for the Public Library. But landmarks like these, Grand Central Station and others remind us just how beautiful historicist design and architecture are, even in this 21^st-century-modern world.

Judith Gura

Judith Gura, NYSID

The new term is under way, and I asked the first-year students in Historical Styles class to write a paragraph on why they want to be designers. I was struck by how many used the word “passion” in describing their interest. Isn’t it nice to think that people enter this profession with such enthusiasm? On the other hand, they have no idea what they’re getting into. Many seem to think it’s all about shopping for beautiful things – little do they know that it’s also about staying up nights to finish assignments, learning about specifications and codes, and cramming for the NCIDQ exam. And out in the business world, they’ll face the day-to-day routine of collecting samples, writing up orders, juggling budgets and dealing with temperamental clients. On the other hand, they can still get excited about helping to improve people’s lives by making their environments more comfortable, and more beautiful. I think most of them will be pleased with their career choice.

Here are some of my favorite comments:

“I think that to create spaces is to be one part of society and one part of history.”

“To me, design is a creative form of expression.”

“There’s no more meaningful medium in which to explore the creation of beauty than in the spaces we inhabit.”

Judith Gura, Professor and Coordinator of Design History and Theory Program
New York School of Interior Design