LongHouse is enlivened this year by the exhibition Things That Look Like Magic: Cheryl R. Riley and Wharton Esherick. It is an intriguing juxtaposition, showcasing two furniture artists who not only represent different generations, but the very beginning and ultimate destination of the American studio craft movement (in which Jack Lenor Larsen played a crucial leading role). In this talk, historian and curator Glenn Adamson will not only discuss the work of Riley and Esherick in relation to one another, but also situate their two stories within the larger one of studio craft, and the transformative impact it has had on American life.
