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Helen Drutt English | |
|---|---|
| Born | Helen Williams November 19, 1930 Winthrop, Massachusetts, U.S |
| Occupation | curator, educator, lecturer, author |
| Language | English |
| Education | Tyler School of Art |
Helen Williams Drutt English (born November 19, 1930) is an American gallerist, educator, and author who is best known for her efforts to raise the perception of the so-called craft arts (jewelry, ceramics, wood, fiber) to the same level as fine art through her gallery, teaching, and lectures.[1] As a result of her national and international exhibits, lectures, and catalogs, she has been called the "godmother"[2] and "queen" of crafts[3]. She has received many honors, including a Lifetime Achievement in Crafts award from the National Museum of Women in the Arts (1993) and a Lifetime Achievement award from the Society of North American Goldsmiths (2003).
Early life, education
[edit]Helen Williams Drutt was born on November 19, 1930, in Winthrop, Massachusetts, and moved to Philadelphia as a child[4]. She earned a B.F.A. degree from Tyler School of Art in 1952.[1]
Career
[edit]Drutt was a founding member of the Philadelphia Council of Professional Craftsmen, where she served as executive director and organized exhibits from 1967[5] to 1973. She founded the Helen Drutt Gallery in 1973 at 1625 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, and held her inaugural exhibit in 1974[6]. At the same time, Drutt was invited to teach a college course,"20th Century Crafts", at Philadelphia College of Art[6]. By 1979, Drutt's gallery was compared in influence and importance to Alfred Stieglitz's 291 Gallery[7].
In need of larger exhibit space, in 1982 the Helen Drutt Gallery moved to 305 Cherry Street in the Old City neighborhood of Philadelphia,[8], and in 1984 to 1721 Walnut Street, Philadelphia[9]. In 1988 a Manhattan branch of the gallery opened at 724 Fifth Avenue, New York.[10] In 1995 Drutt was invited by the City of Philadelphia to serve as its first cultural ambassador[11].
Although the Helen Drutt Gallery closed as a physical space in 2002, Drutt has continued lecturing, writing, and curating[12]. Major exhibits since then include Ornament as Art: Avant-Garde Jewelry from the Helen Williams Drutt Collection, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (2007)[13], Gifts from America: 1948–2013, comprising 74 works given to the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia[14], and Bracelets, Bangles, & Cuffs, 1948-2024: An Exhibition Conceived by Helen Drutt, 2024, at the Metal Museum in Memphis, Tennessee[15].
Personal life
[edit]Drutt has been married four times: first to Lawrence Weiss, then to William Drutt (both marriages ended in divorce). Her third marriage was to poet Maurice English, and her fourth to H. Peter Stern (1928-2018), co-founder of the Storm King Art Center. She has a daughter, Ilene, and a son, Matthew Drutt[16].
Awards and honors
[edit]Most of the honors listed here are sourced from "A Passionate Observer: A Tribute to Helen Drutt", the Clay Studio, 2009[17].
- 1990: honorary doctorate of fine arts, Moore College of Art and Design[17]
- 1991: Tyler Alumni Fellow, Tyler School of Art, Temple University, Philadelphia PA[17]
- 1992: honorary fellow of the American Craft Council[17]
- 1993: Lifetime Achievement in Crafts award, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington DC[17]
- 1994: Fleisher Founder’s Award, Samuel S. Fleisher Art Memorial, Philadelphia PA[17]
- 1994: Mayor’s Arts and Culture Award, Philadelphia PA[17]
- 1995-1999: appointed Cultural Ambassador for the City of Philadelphia by the Office of Arts and Culture[17]
- 1999: Visionaries! Award, Museum of Arts and Design, New York NY[17]
- 2001: honorary doctorate of fine arts, University of the Arts, Philadelphia[17]
- 2002: Award of Merit, Philadelphia Art Alliance, Philadelphia PA[17]
- 2003: Lifetime Achievement award, Society of North American Goldsmiths[18]
- 2004: Hall of Fame, Goldsmith's, University of London, London, England[17]
- 2006: Philadelphia Craft Medal, Philadelphia Museum of Art[17]
- 2018: Distinguished Educator's Award, James Renwick Alliance, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC[19]
- 2019: honorary doctorate of fine arts, Alfred University, Alfred, NY[17]
Publications
[edit]- Strauss, Cindi; Drutt, Helen Williams (2007). Ornament as art: avant-garde jewelry from the Helen Williams Drutt collection, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Stuttgart, Germany: Arnoldsche Art Publishers in association with the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. ISBN 9783897902732.
- Drutt, Helen Williams; Dormer, Peter (1995). Jewelry of our time: art, ornament, and obsession. New York: Rizzoli. ISBN 9780847819140.
- Drutt, Helen Williams (2024). Bracelets, bangles, & cuffs, 1948-2024: an exhibition conceived by Helen Drutt. Memphis, TN: National Ornamental Metal Museum. ISBN 9798218419783.
- Helen Drutt Gallery (1998). Brooching It Diplomatically: A Tribute to Madeleine Albright. Stuttgart, Germany: Arnoldsche Art Publishers. ISBN 9783897901520.
Lectures and Interviews
[edit]- "Craft in America: Home: Helen Drutt English". PBS: Craft in America. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
- "Oral history interview with Helen Williams Drutt (English), 1991 July 5-October 20". Archives of American Art.
- "Peter Dormer Lecture, October 7, 2024: Helen Drutt: 'A Passionate Observer, Five Decades'". Royal College of Art, London. 26 November 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Helen W. Drutt English's (BFA '52) Gift to Temple". Tyler School of Art and Architecture. Temple University. Tyler Art and Architecture. 6 October 2020. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
- ^ "Craft in America: Home: Helen Drutt English". Craft in America. PBS. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
- ^ Glentzer, Molly (Oct 7, 2007). "Jewelry Still Makes Collector's Eyes Sparkle". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
- ^ McClelland, Jim. "Helen W. Drutt English: Ceramics' Champion". Ceramics Monthly. 53 (5 May 2005): 37–40.
- ^ Donohoe, Victoria (March 5, 1967). "Craftsmanship Takes a Turn for the Better". Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, PA. p. 122.
- ^ a b Donohoe, Victoria (March 3, 1974). "Hoped-For Turning Point for Crafts". Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, PA. pp. 11–H.
- ^ Wieder, Laurance. "The Gallery: Helen Drutt". American Craft. 39 (4 (Aug/Sep 1979)): 30–31.
- ^ Donohoe, Victoria (July 9, 1982). "Drutt Gallery: A Shot in the Arm for the Old City Neighborhood". Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, PA. p. 106.
- ^ Donohoe, Victoria (April 28, 1984). "On Galleries". Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 4-D.
- ^ Katz, Ruth J (September 15, 1988). "Arts, Fine and Applied, in Philadelphia Tradition". New York Times. New York, NY. pp. C15.
- ^ Donohoe, Victoria (March 12, 1995). "Artist and Promoter of Crafts is Honored". Philadelphia Inquirer. p. MD-9.
- ^ Greenbaum, Toni (18 Nov 2016). "Contemporary Jewelry Takes a Stand". Art Jewelry Forum. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
- ^ Strauss, Cindi (2007). Ornament as art: avant-garde jewelry from the Helen Williams Drutt collection, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. ISBN 9783897902732.
- ^ Fulk, Marion (9 February 2015). "Helen Drutt: The State Hermitage Museum Exhibition". Art Jewelry Forum. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
- ^ "AJF Live with Helen Drutt". Art Jewelry Forum. 16 October 2024.
- ^ Rosenberg, Amy S. (29 March 2009). "A Discerning Eye, A Diva's Fervor: Helen Drutt Lifted Craft out of Obscurity into Artistry". Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "A Passionate Observer: A Tribute to Helen Drutt". The Clay Studio. 2009. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
- ^ "Lifetime Achievement Award". Society of North American Goldsmiths. Retrieved 21 February 2025.Society of North American Goldsmiths
- ^ Nye, Naomi Shahib (15 December 2020). "Helen Drutt English on the Essentialness of Creating by Hand". Literary Hub. Retrieved 21 February 2025.