Carmel's Midcentury Modern Arts and Crafts Movement?
Most folks that live near or in Carmel know that it was founded during the Arts and Crafts movement by artists of that era. After the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 many artists and writers moved to Carmel. Mary Austin, Jack London, George Sterling to name a few of the artists/writers who settled there. Carmel still proudly flies it's freak flag, by refusing to have street addresses and street lights, anywhere.....
But what many people don't know is that Carmel had a Midcentury Modern Arts and Crafts movement there as well. Carmel in the 1940's to the 70's was mostly small shops of artisans. Painters, potters, handmade jewelry and clothes artists took up most of Ocean Ave. where t-shirt shops, restaurants and high-end galleries are now. Fred Kleppich ran the rather large art supply store on San Carlos and if you were an artist you knew Fred. Fred would always give an artist a deal. The Doud Arcade at San Carlos and Seventh Ave. was originally an artist's studio cooperative until the 1970's. There was an art school right on Ocean Ave.; the Carmel Art Institute. The famed artist, Alexander Archipenko, taught classes there one summer in the mid 1950's.
Here are some examples of Carmel midcentury-modern pottery for sale at our mall:
One of our dealers, Paige Robertson ,is one of the last of those artisans still around. He was a leather smith and owned North Country Leathers on Ocean Ave. for many years. His shop made belts, purses and clothes all by hand. As late as the 1970's Carmel still had it's vestige of artistic characters and small artisanal shops. Like the arts and crafts movement of Carmel, Paige has moved on to antiques and is the locally famous radio/TV personality, Rama P. Jama. If you want to enjoy his quirky view of the world he can be seen live on Monterey Alive and Wild on Thursdays at 11am on www.ampmedia.org. Or stop by his space at the Cannery Row Antique Mall, upstairs to see his quirky selection of art, handmade signs, musical instruments, folk art and more.
But what many people don't know is that Carmel had a Midcentury Modern Arts and Crafts movement there as well. Carmel in the 1940's to the 70's was mostly small shops of artisans. Painters, potters, handmade jewelry and clothes artists took up most of Ocean Ave. where t-shirt shops, restaurants and high-end galleries are now. Fred Kleppich ran the rather large art supply store on San Carlos and if you were an artist you knew Fred. Fred would always give an artist a deal. The Doud Arcade at San Carlos and Seventh Ave. was originally an artist's studio cooperative until the 1970's. There was an art school right on Ocean Ave.; the Carmel Art Institute. The famed artist, Alexander Archipenko, taught classes there one summer in the mid 1950's.
Here are some examples of Carmel midcentury-modern pottery for sale at our mall:
Late 1950's, early 60's Carmel Clay cache pot
Incised Carmel Clay mark
Late 1950's - early 1960's Carmel Clay pansy vase
Wyn, Carmel pottery creamer, 1950's, handpainted
One of our dealers, Paige Robertson ,is one of the last of those artisans still around. He was a leather smith and owned North Country Leathers on Ocean Ave. for many years. His shop made belts, purses and clothes all by hand. As late as the 1970's Carmel still had it's vestige of artistic characters and small artisanal shops. Like the arts and crafts movement of Carmel, Paige has moved on to antiques and is the locally famous radio/TV personality, Rama P. Jama. If you want to enjoy his quirky view of the world he can be seen live on Monterey Alive and Wild on Thursdays at 11am on www.ampmedia.org. Or stop by his space at the Cannery Row Antique Mall, upstairs to see his quirky selection of art, handmade signs, musical instruments, folk art and more.
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