ROMANCE
“The Store for Arts and Crafts and People-Made Things”
Objects and Archives from Elizabeth Rockwell’s “the store,” Verona, PA, c. 1971
co-curated by Brittany Reilly
Works from the Collection of Contemporary Craft by: Jerome D'Angelo and the Sociable Workshop, Lenore Tawney, Fred Bateman, Robert Milnes, Peter Shire, Robert Levin, Nancy Jurs, Gary Trentham, David Tibbets, Jeanne Fleming, Kit-Yin Snyder, Frank Gehry, Laura Adasko, David Tisdale and Martha Holt. With archival reproductions.
The Store (for Art in Crafts) storefront, Verona, Pennsylvania, 1973. Courtesy of Contemporary Craft’s Archive.
Text by Brittany Reilly
In 1971 in Verona, Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh, two students opened ”The Store for art & craft and people-made things,” borrowing a modest amount from Betty (Rockwell) and Orin Raphael to finance it, with Betty then vital to advancing the concept. Initially a simple shop carrying household goods, pre-loved clothing and local craftwork evolved over the next several years into a program with studio-workshops, classes and diverse involvement. Sociable Workshop created an opportunity for emerging creatives and community to collectively produce artist designs (including some by Betty’s daughters) as saleable objects and collections.
An invitational in 1974 was The Store’s first exhibition followed by bi-monthly themed shows such as Wall Art (Other Than Painting), Crafts for Your Castle (do you need a Wendell Castle for your castle?) or Wearable Art. Engaging support from entities including the American Craft Council and Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the initiative also drew relationships with figures like Park B. Smith, legendary in the design industry. In 1978, the Carnegie Museum of Art exhibited the Raphael’s unique collection including numerous craft artists, leading to a concept for a traveling show: Art in Modern Handcrafts. Showcased at multiple venues across the United States with an unique crating system and display guidance, it cultivated the beginnings of the organization’s permanent collection. By 1979, the newly named Society for Art in Crafts became a nonprofit, later evolving into Contemporary Craft, the venue for craft thriving in Pittsburgh today.
In 1971 in Verona, Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh, two students opened ”The Store for art & craft and people-made things,” borrowing a modest amount from Betty (Rockwell) and Orin Raphael to finance it, with Betty then vital to advancing the concept. Initially a simple shop carrying household goods, pre-loved clothing and local craftwork evolved over the next several years into a program with studio-workshops, classes and diverse involvement. Sociable Workshop created an opportunity for emerging creatives and community to collectively produce artist designs (including some by Betty’s daughters) as saleable objects and collections.
An invitational in 1974 was The Store’s first exhibition followed by bi-monthly themed shows such as Wall Art (Other Than Painting), Crafts for Your Castle (do you need a Wendell Castle for your castle?) or Wearable Art. Engaging support from entities including the American Craft Council and Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the initiative also drew relationships with figures like Park B. Smith, legendary in the design industry. In 1978, the Carnegie Museum of Art exhibited the Raphael’s unique collection including numerous craft artists, leading to a concept for a traveling show: Art in Modern Handcrafts. Showcased at multiple venues across the United States with an unique crating system and display guidance, it cultivated the beginnings of the organization’s permanent collection. By 1979, the newly named Society for Art in Crafts became a nonprofit, later evolving into Contemporary Craft, the venue for craft thriving in Pittsburgh today.
