Seminar Speakers Prepare For Grove Park Inn

From its conception twenty-three years ago, the annual Grove Park Inn Arts & Crafts Conference and Antiques Show has always focused on the education of the Arts & Crafts collector – and this year will prove to be no exception.

A total of eight seminar speakers will be addressing the audience at the historic Grove Park Inn during the weekend of February 19-21 on a variety of topics. Each of the speakers is considered among the most knowledgeable in their particular field and have been working on their presentations since last summer.

The Arts & Crafts Revival: A Fresh Approach (Friday, 8pm) A relatively recent arrival on the Arts & Crafts scene, Jonathan Clancy has already made a name for himself as a respected author, speaker and director of the American Fine and Decorative Art Program at Sotheby's Institute in New York.

The Arts & Crafts Garden: Authentic, Livable, Ecological (Friday, 9pm) Author and professional photographer Rick Darke returns to the podium to address the fastest-growing topic of interest to Arts & Crafts collectors. Rick will also have copies of his latest book, The Wild Garden, with him as well.

Artistic Leather of the Arts & Crafts Era (Saturday, 9am) Author and avid collector Daniel Lees recently completed his comprehensive book by the same title. Long overlooked and under-appreciated, the leatherwork of the Arts & Crafts era remains one of the most affordable fields for collectors.

In Defense of Leopold Stickley (Saturday, 10am) Historian Mike Danial has been researching Leopold Stickley for more than twenty years and will be coming to the Grove Park Inn ready to make the case that Leopold should no longer have to stand in the shadow of his older brother.

A Potter’s Look at George Ohr (Saturday, 8pm) If it takes a potter to truly understand one, then Bill Clark is qualified to have undertaken the task of solving the mystery of how the eccentric George Ohr created his famous egg-shell thin, twisted and contorted works of art in clay.

The Arts & Crafts Home (Saturday, 8:45pm) Author Jane Powell has researched and written about nearly every room in the Arts & Crafts home, and will be coming to the Grove Park Inn to provide her audience with some insight into the Arts & Crafts home – past and present.

Secrets from the Masters: Art Pottery Glazes (Sunday, 9am) Art potter and ceramist Paul Katrich is known throughout the contemporary art pottery world for his unique luster glazes adorning his art pottery. He’ll take time away from his booth at the show to help collectors distinguish between the various glazes used during the Arts & Crafts era.

Rustic Furniture: A Square Peg in a Round Hole? (Sunday, 10am) Museum curator Lynne Poirier-Wilson tackles the question: what role does the rustic movement play in the Arts & Crafts movement – and in collections today?

The cost of the weekend seminar package at the 23rd national Grove Park Inn Arts & Crafts Conference is $145, which also includes the daily Small Group Discussions, demonstrations, special exhibits and daily entry to the three shows: Antiques, Contemporary Craftsfirms, and the Books, Magazines & More Show.

For additional information, please go to http://Arts-CraftsConference.com.