Livable Modernism

The “livable modernism” movement of the 1930s brought artistic design and craft into average American households. During this period, the United States began to create its own aesthetic identity through the Americanization of emerging design schools. Modernist, Art Deco, Mission, and Arts and Crafts influences made their way into the homes (and on to the dinner tables) of Americans from California to New York by making design approachable, functional and appealing. Modern manufacturing techniques enabled a new era of mass craftsmanship, allowing artists to produce their work on a wider scale. Delve into a unique period in our history when function and form of everyday items intersected with massive social and cultural change.