Crafts Study Centre facts for kids
The Crafts Study Centre is a special museum for modern crafts. It's located right next to the University for the Creative Arts in Farnham, Surrey. This centre collects and looks after amazing British crafts from the 20th and 21st centuries.
The museum mainly focuses on four types of crafts: beautiful handwriting (calligraphy), pottery (ceramics), furniture and wood items, and textiles (like woven fabrics). They also have smaller collections of jewellery, art on paper, and other interesting pieces. Along with the crafts themselves, the Centre keeps important records like diaries, letters, photos, and notes from the artists. Sometimes, they even have "source collections" – items artists collected from around the world for their own ideas and learning.
Many of the items in the collection were given as gifts or left in wills. You can see work by famous artists like Bernard Leach, Lucie Rie, and Hans Coper (pottery). In textiles, there's art by Ethel Mairet, Phyllis Barron, and Dorothy Larcher. For calligraphy, you can find pieces by Edward Johnston and Irene Wellington. And for furniture, there are works by Ernest Gimson and Edward Barnsley.
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How the Centre Started
The Crafts Study Centre began in 1970. A small group of craft makers and teachers decided it was really important to save and celebrate the best British crafts from the 20th century. One of these people was Muriel Rose, who became a founding trustee. She gave her own collections and records to the Centre.
This idea led to a successful partnership with the University of Bath. The Centre first opened to the public in 1977, and its collections were kept at the Holburne Museum of Art in Bath.
Moving to Farnham
In 2000, the Crafts Study Centre moved to Farnham in Surrey. This happened because the Surrey Institute of Art & Design, University College (now the University for the Creative Arts) offered to build a brand new, special home for the Centre. The Centre officially opened in its new three-storey building in June 2004.
The Centre is a registered charity, which means it's a non-profit organization. It's run by a Board of Trustees, and the current chairperson is the potter and writer Alison Britton. It's also an officially recognized museum by Arts Council England.
What You Can Do There
The Crafts Study Centre often has exhibitions. These shows feature items from its own collections, as well as new work by artists and makers today. They also host many events like talks, lectures, workshops, and open days where you can meet artists.
Explore the Shop and Library
The Crafts Study Centre has a shop. Here, you can buy books about their past and present exhibitions. They also sell craft magazines like Ceramic Review and Selvedge. You can also find unique craft items made by artists from all over the UK.
The Centre also has a Library. It's full of books and magazines about crafts. There's also a Research Room where people can book an appointment to study the collections in more detail.