DOI issue:
American section
DOI article:Best, Alice Mary Leveque: The Art-Crafts Society of Denver
DOI Page / Citation link: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.28250#0495
Deliver A rts and Crafts
ABNAKEE RUG BY MARGARET VAN WAGENEN
much toward working out the plan submitted by
Mr. C. S. Robinson, the civic artist who visited
Denver about a year ago. His chief idea was the
remodelling of the city on a practical as well as an
artistic basis, and building in the future with
thought and attention given to what already exists.
With the carrying out of this plan, Denver will soon
take rank among the best-built and equipped cities
in the country. To the present time its growth has
been very rapid and has spread over miles of terri-
tory, leaving much unimproved property in the
heart of the city; but for the past two summers, with
the work of the “ Outdoor Art League ” in the culti-
vation of idle land, where the gardening is done by
school children, much interest has been aroused and
possibilities seen for beautifying the city as a whole.
In the recent exhibition were represented many
more branches of craft than before. Naturally, the
majority of entries were local, but a large share were
sent from all over the country. Among the Denver
exhibitors Margaret Van Wagenen gained a great
deal of merited praise for her two Abnakee rugs,
both of them good in design and carried out in
delightful soft colours. Wood-carving and furniture
both made good showings. In the latter, Mr. G. W.
Murdock’s little folding tea-table and library-table
were noticeably good examples. A beautiful collec-
tion of bookbindings from England, France and
Germany were kindly loaned by the owner who had
just received them, and made a welcome addition to
the exhibition. In metal, not so much small work
was entered as last year, but several larger and more
ambitious things. Richard Enter had one of the
largest exhibitions of metal work, the most attract-
ive of his pieces being two lanterns entered as
“bungalow lanterns,” and a large lamp carrying
out a pine-tree design. Both the base and shade of
the lamp were pine trees silhouetted in copper
against stained glass, the colours of which repre-
sented a sunset, the whole being distinctly Western
in conception and development. Sculpture was
contributed by only two artists—Miss Elizabeth
Mason, whose Indian Mother and Child was a bet-
ter piece of modelling than the monks which she
does with such charming bits of detail; and Miss
Caroline Ball, who sent two little figurines, The
Student and Bashjul Boy, both fascinating repro-
ductions of childhood. There was a large collection
of book-plates, many of them very interesting, espe-
cially those done by Miss Leota Woy and C. Valen-
tine Kirby. The jewellery case was, as usual, the
most interesting to the greatest number of people.
Mabel Wilcox Luther sent some pieces of enamel-
FOLDING TEA-TABLE BY G. W. MURDOCH
CXV
ABNAKEE RUG BY MARGARET VAN WAGENEN
much toward working out the plan submitted by
Mr. C. S. Robinson, the civic artist who visited
Denver about a year ago. His chief idea was the
remodelling of the city on a practical as well as an
artistic basis, and building in the future with
thought and attention given to what already exists.
With the carrying out of this plan, Denver will soon
take rank among the best-built and equipped cities
in the country. To the present time its growth has
been very rapid and has spread over miles of terri-
tory, leaving much unimproved property in the
heart of the city; but for the past two summers, with
the work of the “ Outdoor Art League ” in the culti-
vation of idle land, where the gardening is done by
school children, much interest has been aroused and
possibilities seen for beautifying the city as a whole.
In the recent exhibition were represented many
more branches of craft than before. Naturally, the
majority of entries were local, but a large share were
sent from all over the country. Among the Denver
exhibitors Margaret Van Wagenen gained a great
deal of merited praise for her two Abnakee rugs,
both of them good in design and carried out in
delightful soft colours. Wood-carving and furniture
both made good showings. In the latter, Mr. G. W.
Murdock’s little folding tea-table and library-table
were noticeably good examples. A beautiful collec-
tion of bookbindings from England, France and
Germany were kindly loaned by the owner who had
just received them, and made a welcome addition to
the exhibition. In metal, not so much small work
was entered as last year, but several larger and more
ambitious things. Richard Enter had one of the
largest exhibitions of metal work, the most attract-
ive of his pieces being two lanterns entered as
“bungalow lanterns,” and a large lamp carrying
out a pine-tree design. Both the base and shade of
the lamp were pine trees silhouetted in copper
against stained glass, the colours of which repre-
sented a sunset, the whole being distinctly Western
in conception and development. Sculpture was
contributed by only two artists—Miss Elizabeth
Mason, whose Indian Mother and Child was a bet-
ter piece of modelling than the monks which she
does with such charming bits of detail; and Miss
Caroline Ball, who sent two little figurines, The
Student and Bashjul Boy, both fascinating repro-
ductions of childhood. There was a large collection
of book-plates, many of them very interesting, espe-
cially those done by Miss Leota Woy and C. Valen-
tine Kirby. The jewellery case was, as usual, the
most interesting to the greatest number of people.
Mabel Wilcox Luther sent some pieces of enamel-
FOLDING TEA-TABLE BY G. W. MURDOCH
CXV