Deerfield Arts & Crafts home page

In Their Words

The Progress of Art in America

Read Aloud

Deerfield once again exemplified her claim as an art center to be a serious one by the brilliant show of local handicrafts in the Village Room. Here are gathered a display of objects of decorative art that a much larger community might feel a pride in showing; all products of the village people, and all made in the year that has passed since the last exhibit of work. In standard of merit it ranks favorably with the large shows of city Arts and Crafts societies, which draw upon large areas for contributions, and in variety, also, it is equally noteworthy. To bring together such excellent examples of the use of wood, iron, metals, enamels and semi-precious stones, of basketry, of embroidery and kindred materials, is an achievement that marks the movement toward a wider artistic appreciation and capacity that has lately become evident in America. It is not too much to say that Deerfield has become a considerable factor in the progress of art in this country.

"1901 Old Home Week: Exhibition of the Arts and Crafts in the Martha Pratt Memorial" History and Proceedings of the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, volume IV, pp. 274-275.