A celebration of Pasadena’s unique contribution to the American Arts & Crafts Movement
The annual Craftsman Weekend event, organized by Pasadena Heritage, a historic preservation nonprofit, recently took place so I thought I’d share the experience with you.
Pasadena Heritage is dedicated to the preservation of Pasadena’s architectural and cultural resources. It is one of the oldest historic preservation groups in Southern California ohnerezeptfreikauf.com writes and the second-largest preservation group in the state.
Craftsman Weekend is the largest and most comprehensive tribute to the Craftsman Movement in the Western United States. Established as aresource for enthusiasts of the Arts & Crafts style, it’s always a crowd-pleaser.
You may not realize it, but for those of us who love the charm of Pasadena, we owe a big thanks to this organization. Without Pasadena Heritage there would be no Old Pasadena, no Colorado Street Bridge and countless historic sites, homes and neighborhoods would no longer exist. They have made it their mission to preserve the architecture and history of Pasadena for the past 35 years.
The 2012 Craftsman Weekend
This year’s event marked the 21st year people have gathered from across the nation to celebrate the Arts & Crafts style (I’m just lucky it’s in my own backyard). It’s been said this annual event has been in existence longer than the Craftsman period itself (this has been attributed to Arts & Crafts historian Robert Winter and often repeated).
Attend Craftsman Weekend because…
It’s the best way to step inside the beautiful historic homes of Pasadena! If you love home tours, the event offers Craftsman-era gems you wouldn’t otherwise get the chance to see. This alone makes it worth the trip to Pasadena each year.
Craftsman Weekend offers a variety of bus and walking tours, exclusive evening receptions at historic sites, an exposition show and sale, lectures, presentations and workshops.
Almost every Greene and Greene house in Pasadena has been featured in some portion of past Craftsman Weekends. Often, one of the more significant houses is the “star” for the weekend, featured on the promotional poster, the site of an opening reception or an extra in-depth tour.
In the years I participated in the Exposition, I designed and fabricated unique frames to complement the year’s promotional poster. For instance, when the Robinson House was the featured home, I crafted a frame
that reflected its style. The framed posters were auctioned during the event to raise money for Pasadena Heritage.
Don’t forget the Craftsman Exposition
Weekend Exposition booth
The Craftsman Exposition is the antique and contemporary furnishings and decorative arts show and sale held as part of the event. Pasadena Heritage hosted more than 70 exhibitors across the U.S. in the two-day show and sale, bringing a broad spectrum of Craftsman-era and period-inspired works: furniture, textiles, pottery and tiles, metal work, wallpapers and stencils, and books to tempt both the novice and collector.
All exhibitors are juried to ensure the highest quality sources for antique and contemporary work in the style of the period.
I have been fortunate enough to be invited to participate in the Craftsman Weekend Exposition in the past. It’s quite a big job to put together a display, which is moved in on Friday, before the festivities begin, and moved out in the blink of an eye on Sunday evening.
It’s always enjoyable to talk to people who have an interest in what I’m doing, and to make new connections among like-minded individuals. I look forward to seeing you there in the future.