David Rago on American Arts & Crafts Collections

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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. Listed here are the best of these, with description of what kind of experience you can expect during a visit.

1. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

This is a first-rate collection at a first-rate museum. In addition to a broad selection of items handpicked by the American Decorative Arts department, the Met boasts a complete room from Frank Lloyd Wright's Little House, right down to the original furniture. The American Wing of the museum is under construction right now, so the room won't be on public display until next spring, but in the meanwhile, visitors can see masterworks by important decorative artists such as George Ohr and Adelaide Robineau, in addition to lesser (but still entirely relevant) examples by their contemporaries. The display juxtaposes these pieces with works by some of the masters of concurrent styles — such as American Art Nouveau's Louis Comfort Tiffany — providing a trenchant view of our country's rise to artistic prominence. Plan to spend at least a few hours in this spacious gallery. The Met displays that rare confluence of money, taste, and accessibility.

2. Craftsman Farms, Parsippany, New Jersey

The Arts and Crafts movement intended to revolutionize society from the inside out, beginning with lofty ideals of the hearth and home. One was encouraged to surround his family with handmade, well-designed, purposeful furniture and decorative art instead of machine-made, mass-produced alternatives. There is no better place to "feel" this than the country home of Gustav Stickley, a furniture-maker and architect who helped lead the movement. One hour west of Manhattan, Craftsman Farms is a rustic trip back in time that showcases the Arts and Crafts environment as it was lived, including the idea of inviting nature into the home, via a bank of mullioned windows overlooking the great yard. Expect a few hours of quiet charm, and plan to walk around what's left of the once-sprawling estate to look at the secondary period buildings.

3. Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative Art, Denver

Originally founded to house the collection of 20th-century American painter Vance Kirkland, this museum opened to the public five years ago under the directorship of Hugh Grant. In addition to showcasing Kirkland’s works, the museum has assembled an extensive collection of 20th-century decorative arts and furniture, from Arts and Crafts to Wiener Werkstätte to midcentury modern. Their commitment has focused on decorative ceramics, and they boast one of the premier collections on public display in the country. This assemblage offers the rare chance to compare, side by side, decorative wares from various periods. The setting is at once professional and unintimidating, and the staff go out of their way to provide a visit that is educational but without attitude.