Taught by David Rago

Arts & Crafts Movement US

£45
Level: Peer






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Level: Peer

Course overview

David Rago has appeared as an appraiser on the US Antiques Roadshow for 20 years and he is the author of six books on 20th century design. He has dealt in Arts and Crafts for 44 years and together with his wife owns David Rago Auctions.

On this online course David paints a fascinating picture of The Arts and Crafts Design Movement and how this revolution has impacted collectible arts and crafts in the US. David includes real world examples and brings the social and political context behind key pieces, so you come to recognise the signature style of the movement and specific influential individuals.

David draws on his experience and his very personal perspective of the Movement, of living with objects in your own home that carried the spirit of creativity. He takes each of the three main ingredients of Arts and Crafts material step-by-step - mud, copper, and oak. With his infectious enthusiasm about the creative process David will share with you how the Arts and Crafts Movement changed these base materials, into golden objects, and who were the key arts and crafts designers, manufacturers and artists in America.

Whether you're an enthusiastic collector or a dealer David will teach you how to spot good arts and crafts design movement objects and decorative arts pieces for collection or for resale.

This is a unique opportunity to interact with a real world expert. But please remember he won't be able to provide a valuation service for your objects.

You'll learn

  • how the arts and crafts movement reached America
  • leading potters and ceramic works across the USA
  • key wrought metal schools
  • influential furniture manufacturers and their style

Time to complete this arts and crafts movement USA course:

Every student is different but in general we think the whole course will take around 7 hours 10 minutes to complete including:

  • Video lessons: 2 hours 10 minutes in total
  • Assignment: at least 1 hour per lesson
  • Tutor feedback review (Expert level): 15 minutes per lesson

The course includes:

  • On-demand video lessons - presented by David Rago
  • lifetime access to the video, notes and interactive class
  • flexible classes - join and learn when and where you like
  • downloadable lesson notes
  • practical (optional) arts and crafts design movement project
  • access on your mobile, PC, Mac or laptop
  • small interactive online classroom chat online to students from around the world

Ready to get started?

Just add the course to your basket above - choose the 'Expert' option for personal feedback from David on your arts and craft design movement assignments.

Any questions? Contact us by clicking on the orange speech symbol - we'd love to hear from you.

Lesson summary

Arts & Crafts Moves to America
In this first lesson David gives a fascinating perspective on the changes in society just after the Industrial Revolution and how this societal change had a very direct impact on craftsmanship. A whistle-stop tour through its British origins from William Morris and his contemporaries, before crossing the pond and seeing how seeds of the Arts and Crafts Design Movement branched out in America, and how it evolved from state to state.
Decorative Ceramics
David will take you on a regional tour, stopping to focus on leading potters and the progression from east to west as the movement matured. With over 200 artists producing art pottery during this period, David pulls on a wealth of examples, showing numerous pieces and you will become confident with the individual traits of some of the leading potters of their time. From the works of William Grueby that looks as much grown as it does potted; the animal designs of the Saturday Evening Girls; to the folk art influence of William Walley; or George Ohr, arguably the most important potter to come out of America at the turn of the century; and many, many more pioneering artists during this time.
Wrought Metal
From ceramics to wrought metal. In many ways the path that wrought metal took in America mirrors the path that decorative ceramics took moving from east to west. In this lesson David will deep dive into 3 particularly influential schools the New York School, Chicago School and the Bay Area California School with a focus on certain companies within; Gustav Stickley, Roycroft, Kalo, Dirk Van Erk amongst others
Furniture
The fourth and final installment focuses on furniture. David explores four furniture producers, their style and impact on the movement: the visionary Gustav Stickley; his brother and competitor L and JG Stickley; the Roycrofters and the Limbert Furniture Company. David brings these influential figures and their work to life, a unique opportunity to learn from the perspective of a true professional who has probably handled as much work from this period as anyone has. Finally David brings this all of these elements, mud, copper and oak, to look at the totality of the Arts and Crafts Movement – how these elements were meant to be integrated so that these objects have a unified impact on the home.

Get the most from peer knowledge

  • Start course whenever you like
  • Practise what you learn with your peers
  • Online classroom with up to 20 classmates
  • Lessons with videos & notes
  • Course assignments
  • Group chat & direct message classmates
  • Lifetime access to videos, notes & classroom

meet the expert

David Rago

Expert in American ceramics, co-founder of renowned auction house, lecturer, and Antiques Roadshow appraiser.

Read more

Why choose Learning with Experts?

Start whenever it suits you, and immerse yourself in motivational lesson tutorials with expert guidance.
Enhance your learning and personal growth with lesson assignments. Each course includes an optional assignment at the end of every lesson.
Drop a friendly message or respond to your assignment feedback. Our world-class experts are just a click away, ready to help you!
Stay informed about your own progress and those of your peers, and take joy in celebrating achievements along the way.
Chat and share ideas with passionate communities of learners from around the world.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between PEER and EXPERT options?

At Peer and Expert level, you get access to the same core content and features:

  • Video lesson tutorials led by your expert tutor
  • Downloadable lesson notes
  • Option to practise what you learn with lesson assignments
  • Group learning within an online interactive classroom of up to 20 classmates
  • Lifetime access to videos, notes and classroom

If you choose Expert level, you get all of the above plus the following:

  • Personalised assignment feedback and coaching from your expert tutor
  • Opportunity to interact with your expert tutor through a private messaging system
  • Certificate of completion.
What is an online classroom?

Our online classroom has been developed to allow you to learn from our experts in a sociable environment alongside up to 20 other students. After each video tutorial led by your expert, you will be encouraged to practice what you have learned with optional assignments - these can be seen by the other students in your class, who are free to share their own thoughts and questions with you.

You will be encouraged to take part in an ongoing class discussion where you can discuss ideas, post images or work, and comment on each other’s assignments. It’s a great way to learn from other like-minded people who share your passion from all over the world.

This means not only do you benefit from people who are outstanding in their field, but also from a close-knit group of like-minded people whom you can learn alongside. Group learning has shown to greatly improve not just the experience of studying, but also how well you retain the knowledge, and we have built our classroom experience around this fact.

When can I start my course and how long will it take?

You can start your course any time within 12 months after receipt of your purchase confirmation email. Once you start, you’ll have lifetime access — meaning you can revisit the lesson videos and notes whenever you want.

Our courses are designed so that you can study at your own pace, some prefer to binge learn while others like to spread their studying over a longer period of time - it’s completely up to you. To give you a rough time frame, each lesson video is approximately 30-40 minutes long, and we recommend that you spend around an hour on each assignment.

Support and full FAQs

If you need any help with a course, be it one you’ve started already, or one you are looking to purchase, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Support email address.

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Awards and accreditations