Name
Smith, Paul (Interviewee)
Polsky, Richard M (Interviewer)
Title
Oral history interview with Paul Smith 1990
Abstract
Born 1931, childhood Bennington, NY; education: attended Art Institute of Buffalo and the School for American Craftsmen in Rochester, NY, 1987 awarded Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts by the New School University, Parsons School of Design; career: work for the American Craftsmen's Council, Director American Craft Museum, juror in numerous international craft competitions, work with numerous foundati ons, work with numerous craft, art and design organizations; interview: early 1950s education and work with craft organizations, late 1950s joined the staff of the American Craftsmen's Council in NY, importance of Dave Campbell and Aileen Webb to the American craft movement and museum, assumed directorship of the American Craft Museum in 1963, process of designing exhibitions and building museum attendance, national craft work, movement of museum to new space in 1979 and 1986, changes in administration of museum through the 1980s, move to director emeritus, CRAFT TODAY: Poetry of the Physical, overview of craft art and enterprise.
Collection Name
American craftspeople project
Subjects
Museum directors; Decorative arts--History--20th century.--United States; Handicraft--History--20th century.--United States; Smith, Paul; American Craft Museum (New York, N.Y.)
Format
oral histories; sound recordings
Genre
Interviews
Date
1990
Note (Biographical)
Director Emeritus, American Craft Museum (now Museum of Arts & Design)
Note
Interviewed by Richard Polsky on August 28, 1990 and September 11, 1990.
Note (Provenance)
Paul Smith, Gift 1990
Language
English
Library Location
Columbia Center for Oral History, Columbia University
Browse Location’s Digital Content
Catalog Record
13673327
Also In
Oral History Archives at Columbia
Time-Based Media
Time-Based Media
Persistent URL
https://dx.doi.org/10.7916/d8-mdv0-8s17
Related URLs
Available digital content for this interview.