“[Timberline Lodge] was to be a monument to the skill and
industry of the unemployed and it is a monument the world
will have to acknowledge.” — E.J. Griffith, State WPA Administrator
Craft in the Classroom
Investigate
Have students research the Works
Progress Administration, which
commissioned Timberline Lodge.
Discuss the quote with students,
focusing on the reasons why Timberline Lodge is a monument to
the skill and industry of the unemployed. Have students find and list
other WPA-funded projects that
employed artists, such as the murals
created for the United States Postal
Service.
Have students visit the National
Trust for Historic Preservation
website ( www.nationaltrust.org/his-toric_artists) to learn more about the
historic homes and studios of artists
in their region. Have them choose
and research one place. In what ways
did the artist make this site special?
Visit the Craft in America website
( www.craftinamerica.org/artists_
wood/ story_159.php) and, if possible,
view the companion DVD to watch
and hear craftspeople talking about
the restoration of the objects of Timberline Lodge. Why is it important
to preserve the authenticity of these
objects rather than just buy new
items?
Make
Wharton Esherick filled his home
with items made by his hand and
the hands of others. When building his home, he and four friends
heard the song of bird who lived in
a nearby tree. Esherick commemorated the event by carving six coat
hooks—four in the likenesses of his
friends, one of himself, and one of
the bird—to include in his house.
Consider an ordinary functional
object like a coat-hook. How might
you use metal, fibers, wood, or clay
to craft a functional object in a special way? Draw your design and if
possible, create it using an available
craft medium.
Craft in America is a monthly feature in SchoolArts magazine. Article and educator
guides by Marilyn Stewart, professor of art education, Kutztown University, Kutztown,
PA; and Kathleen Walck, art educator, Kutztown, PA, for Craft in America, Inc.
Wharton Esherick, Studio, M. Bascom photograph; Wharton Esherick, Staircase, M.
Bascom photograph, Courtesy of Wharton Esherick Museum.
Ordering the DVD and Companion Book
To order the Craft in America DVD for long-term viewing
and in-classroom use, or to order the companion book
Craft in America: Celebrating Two Centuries of Artists
and Objects contact PBS Video at 1-800-752-9727, or
www.shoppbs.com/teachers.
Timberline Lodge Interior (Fireplace),
Courtesy of Timberline Lodge.
Craft in America: The Series
Craft in America’s nationally
broadcast PBS documentary series
seeks to celebrate craft by honoring the artists who create it. In
three episodes entitled “
Memory,” “Landscape,” and “
Community,” Craft in America television
viewers travel throughout the
United States visiting America’s
premier craft artists in their studios to witness the creation of
handmade objects, and into the
homes, businesses, and public
spaces where functional art is
employed and celebrated. The primary objective of the series is to
convey to a national audience the
breadth and beauty of handmade
objects in our culture.
Educator Guides
Three Educator Guides accom-
pany Craft in America. Each
guide—Memory, Landscape,
and Community—relates to and
reflects the core ideas, artists, and
art forms presented in the corre-
sponding series episode. Educator
Guides are available at www.pbs.
org/teachers.
