From the beginning, the community of Arden has embraced art and equality. That spirit is distilled in the pottery, poetry, painting and other creative expressions in Women Artists of the Ardens 1900–1960, an exhibit at the historic Arden Craft Shop Museum.
It’s a jewel box of a museum, open only two days a week for a total of 3.5 hours. But like morning glories that bloom briefly yet spectacularly, the show offers a rare glimpse into an artist colony that transcended the social and gender norms of the early 20th century.
Witness a window crafted by Elena Darling, a stained-glass artisan whose utilitarian yet artistic creations are still found—and functioning—in homes throughout the community. The exhibit also includes a black-and-white photograph of Darling at work in the Craft Shop and a large bust of her by Frank Stephens, the sculptor who co-founded Arden with architect Will Price as a utopia where citizens worked collectively for the common good.
For museum curator Abby Harting, Darling is a favorite, along with Margaret Wood, the village silversmith.
“They were both working in mediums that were unusual for women,” she says. “Equality is a founding tenet of this community.”
Established as a single-tax village in 1900, Arden was a cheap place for artists to settle, especially unmarried women like Darling, who often were economically disadvantaged. The system calls for taxes only on the land, with no tax on income, sales or improvements such as houses.
“It cost next to nothing to live here,” says Barbara Macklem, a museum volunteer.
If the verdant watercolor painted in 1918 by Vera Pierce looks familiar to the locals, it’s because the artist found inspiration in the natural landscape that is an integral part of the community.
“If you walk down the road to the woods, it looks just the same today,” Macklem says.
Edith “Jimmie” Ware was a gifted gardener whose watercolors of flowers reflect her connection to the soil. Miriam Hetzel Donovan ran Arden Pottery while working in Dravo shipyards during World War II. Louise Roberts started a greeting card business with her husband in 1916, during the Golden Age of Illustration.
The Craft Shop remained open until the 1930s, when it was converted to apartments. Renters operated studios there through the 1990s. Reimagined as a museum in 2004, it celebrates the history of Arden and sister villages Ardentown and Ardencroft and is staffed by volunteers from all three Ardens.
“The craft shop remained open until the 1930s, when it was converted to apartments. Renters operated studios there through the 1990s. Reimagined as a museum in 2004, it celebrates the history of Arden and sister villages.”
The museum’s abundant artifacts come from diverse sources. Some are bequests from longtime residents. Magnolia, an oil painting by Clara Finkelstein, who studied with N.C. Wyeth, is on loan from collectors and longtime Arden residents Rodney Jester and Sadie Somerville. Others have been donated by residents who believe their pieces of Arden history deserve a wider audience.
“There are times when someone is cleaning out after a loved one dies and calls us and says, ‘Would you be interested in taking a look?’” Macklem says.
Women Artists of the Ardens, 1900–1960, runs through September 15 at the Craft Shop Museum, 1807 Millers Road. Hours: 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesdays and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays. Group tours by appointment. Visit ardencraftshopmuseum.com.
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