Collection Highlight: Byrdcliffe Art Colony

We are pleased to unveil an updated installation of the Byrdcliffe section of our furniture gallery, focusing on two artists, Zulma Steele and Hermann Dudley Murphy, who made significant contributions to the utopian art colony.

Byrdcliffe, located in upstate New York, was one of the first American utopian artist colonies at the turn of the 20th century. The picturesque rural environment allowed artists to create without distraction, surrounded and inspired by untouched nature, while reflecting the teachings of John Ruskin and William Morris- fathers of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Craftspeople at Byrdcliffe dabbled in almost every art form associated with the movement- metalwork, frame-making, pottery, weaving, jewelry, woodworking, painting, photography, and furniture.

Zulma Steele is considered one of the pioneering women of the Arts and Crafts Movement and an influential artist for the Byrdcliffe Colony. She practiced for twenty years at Byrdcliffe creating many designs in different mediums and was eventually thought of as the lead designer.

Hermann Dudley Murphy was one of the first instructors at the Colony and taught multiple subjects including painting and frame-making. His Boston company, Carrig-Rohane, specialized in making custom frames that complemented the art. Believing his frames were works of art in their own right, Murphy is the first American frame-maker to sign his work.

Stop by and admire the talented and beautiful works of Zulma Steele, Hermann Dudley Murphy, and the other artists of the Byrdcliffe Colony on the fifth floor in the Byrdcliffe corner of the furniture gallery.