The Folly Cove Designers were a mid-20th-century group of American artists block printing in Gloucester , Massachusetts , on Cape Ann . Their blocks were made of linoleum, and they primarily printed on fabric.
30-519: The Folly Cove Designers grew out of a design course taught by Virginia Lee Burton . She lived at Folly Cove, the most northerly part of the Lanesville neighborhood of Gloucester, Massachusetts. Burton was an accomplished artist in her own right, as well as a talented author and illustrator of several children's books. Her design course at Folly Cove began with a simple agreement she made with her neighbor Aino Clarke. Clarke would teach Burton's two sons
60-766: A Saturday morning drawing class taught by sculptor and artist George Demetrios at the Boston Museum School . By spring, Burton and Demetrios artists were married. For a year, the couple lived in Lincoln , where their first son Aristides (called Ari) was born. They moved to the Folly Cove neighborhood of Gloucester . Their second son Michael was born in nearby Groton on Burton's birthday in 1935. Burton said her first published book, Choo Choo (1935), about an anthropomorphic train engine, reflected strategy she learned from reactions to her first book, which
90-497: A linoleum block and print it as an official Folly Cove Design. The design course started in 1938. In 1940 they had their first public exhibition (in the Burton studio). The following year they officially adopted the name "The Folly Cove Designers". Every year they had an opening to present new designs, and everyone enjoyed coffee and nisu (Finnish coffee bread, popular among the largely Finnish population of Lanesville). They established
120-738: A relationship to wholesale their work to the America House of New York which had been established in 1940 by the American Craftsman Cooperative Council. In 1944 they hired Dorothy Norton as an executive secretary to run the business end of the successful young enterprise. In 1945, Lord and Taylor bought non-exclusive rights to five designs which pushed the reputation of the group, and began some national publicity and diverse commissions for their work. The Home Industries shop in Rockport, Massachusetts , owned by
150-622: A state scholarship to the California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco, where she studied both art and dance. Living in Alameda across the bay while attending art school, she used the long commute by train, ferry boat and cable car "to train myself in making quick sketches from life and from memory of my unaware fellow passengers." In 1928, after a year at art school, Burton moved to Boston, Massachusetts, where her father
180-751: The Caldecott Medal . She also illustrated six books by other authors. Burton founded the textile collective Folly Cove Designers in Cape Ann, Massachusetts , which had numerous museum exhibitions. Some of its members' works are held today in the collections of Boston's Museum of Fine Arts , the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts , the Cape Ann Museum , and New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art . Virginia Burton
210-399: The "numerous preparatory sketches, the reworking of illustrations that had not proven personally satisfactory to [her], and the demands for quality reproduction of the artwork [that] indicate her meticulous attention to detail." Her books were known for their themes of "importance of teamwork, environmental awareness, perseverance, and adapting to change while still recognizing the importance of
240-639: The Folly Cove Designers, Princeton Architectural Press (NY) 2023. ISBN 978-1-7972-2428-2 42°36′53.8″N 70°39′43.4″W / 42.614944°N 70.662056°W / 42.614944; -70.662056 Virginia Lee Burton Virginia Lee Burton (August 30, 1909 – October 15, 1968), also known by her married name Virginia Demetrios , was an American illustrator and children's book author. She wrote and illustrated seven children's books, including Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel (1939) and The Little House (1943), which won
270-578: The Tolfords, sold the Designer's work to the public starting in 1943. It wasn't until 1948 that the Designers opened "The Barn" in Folly Cove as their own summer retail outlet. In the late 1950s they extended the season to ten months. Virginia Lee Burton died in 1968. The following year the group disbanded, ending a period of unique creativity and cooperation. Some Designers were with the group for only
300-443: The design was accepted, then the graduate would carve it into a linoleum block and print it as an official Folly Cove Design. The design course started in 1938. In 1940 they had their first public exhibition (in the Burton studio). The following year they officially adopted the name "The Folly Cove Designers". Every year they had an opening to present new designs, and everyone enjoyed coffee and nisu (Finnish coffee bread, popular among
330-409: The fabric itself. Over time, the small neighborhood classes began to legitimize and take on more of the look and feel of a guild. Upon completion of the course, the graduate was permitted to submit a design to a small jury of designers. Selected designers who had established themselves began to rotate this responsibility starting in 1943. If the design was accepted, then the graduate would carve it into
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#1732790926337360-639: The group disbanded, ending a period of unique creativity and cooperation. Some Designers were with the group for only a season and others continued with the group for decades. In 1970 the sample books, display hangings and other artifacts from the Folly Cove Designer's Barn were given to the Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester, Massachusetts who are now the primary source for information about the Folly Cove Designers. • Sarni, Elena M., Trailblazing Women Printmakers; Virginia Lee Burton Demetrius and
390-462: The group." The group sold some of their textiles to major retailers such as Lord & Taylor , F. Schumacher , Rich's of Atlanta and Skinner Silks . The collective had 16 museum exhibitions and some of their works are held in the collections of Boston's Museum of Fine Arts , the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem , and New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art . Burton died on October 15, 1968, of lung cancer . Aristides Burton Demetrios
420-414: The home industries/arts and crafts movements of the past. Apart from design theory, her classes focused on the practicality of hand-producing decorations for the home. The idea of fine art for home use was one of the main factors driving and maintaining the popularity of the movement within the neighborhood. To this end her design course helped members to refine their abilities to see the elements of design in
450-419: The largely Finnish population of Lanesville). They established a relationship to wholesale their work to the America House of New York which had been established in 1940 by the American Craftsman Cooperative Council. In 1944 they hired Dorothy Norton as an executive secretary to run the business end of the successful young enterprise. In 1945, Lord and Taylor bought non-exclusive rights to five designs which pushed
480-410: The most northerly part of the Lanesville neighborhood of Gloucester, Massachusetts. Burton was an accomplished artist in her own right, as well as a talented author and illustrator of several children's books. Her design course at Folly Cove began with a simple agreement she made with her neighbor Aino Clarke. Clarke would teach Burton's two sons the violin, and in exchange, Burton would teach Clarke about
510-509: The past." In 1941, Burton founded the textile collective, Folly Cove Designers , in Cape Ann, Massachusetts , and designed some of the textiles. Its works were included in arts and crafts exhibitions of the 1940s and 1950s. It reflected the earlier Arts and Crafts Movement of the 19th century, "both in its union of design and production and in the formation as a cooperative guild. The linoleum block print designs for domestic items were innovative and unique, bringing recognition and accolades to
540-429: The practicality of hand-producing decorations for the home. The idea of fine art for home use was one of the main factors driving and maintaining the popularity of the movement within the neighborhood. To this end her design course helped members to refine their abilities to see the elements of design in the world around them. Also important was the attention to the craftsmanship of carving the linoleum, and then printing on
570-453: The principles of design. Before long, more and more neighbors began to attend each Thursday night, and the group was born. Burton's strength lay in her comprehensive ability to clearly relay a thorough understanding of design and its principles to a group with no prior artistic training or inclination. Her block printing thesis grew out of the home industries/arts and crafts movements of the past. Apart from design theory, her classes focused on
600-459: The reputation of the group, and began some national publicity and diverse commissions for their work. The Home Industries shop in Rockport, Massachusetts , owned by the Tolfords, sold the Designer's work to the public starting in 1943. It wasn't until 1948 that the Designers opened "The Barn" in Folly Cove as their own summer retail outlet. In the late 1950s they extended the season to ten months. Virginia Lee Burton died in 1968. The following year
630-416: The seven books which Burton wrote and illustrated: Folly Cove Designers The Folly Cove Designers were a mid-20th-century group of American artists block printing in Gloucester , Massachusetts , on Cape Ann . Their blocks were made of linoleum, and they primarily printed on fabric. The Folly Cove Designers grew out of a design course taught by Virginia Lee Burton . She lived at Folly Cove,
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#1732790926337660-400: The story over and over, watching their reaction and adjusting to their interest or lack of interest ... the same with the drawings. Children are very frank critics. Burton was known for designing the whole work: design, illustration, typeface, and space. She said first she made her drawings or preliminary sketches, then she wrote the story, as it came first to her in images. Her papers include
690-405: The violin, and in exchange, Burton would teach Clarke about the principles of design. Before long, more and more neighbors began to attend each Thursday night, and the group was born. Burton's strength lay in her comprehensive ability to clearly relay a thorough understanding of design and its principles to a group with no prior artistic training or inclination. Her block printing thesis grew out of
720-469: The world around them. Also important was the attention to the craftsmanship of carving the linoleum, and then printing on the fabric itself. Over time, the small neighborhood classes began to legitimize and take on more of the look and feel of a guild. Upon completion of the course, the graduate was permitted to submit a design to a small jury of designers. Selected designers who had established themselves began to rotate this responsibility starting in 1943. If
750-750: Was 30 years his junior. They were married in 1906, having met on a walking trip in France. Notably, Burton's father served as the first Dean of Student Affairs for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1902-1921). Burton had an older sister, Christine, and younger brother, Alexander Ross Burton, in addition to their father's first two sons, Harold Hitz Burton and Felix Arnold Burton. She recounted their boisterous holiday celebrations, and singing, dancing and theatrical productions as children. Harold became an attorney, politician and Supreme Court Justice ; and Arnold an architect. When Burton
780-767: Was a sculptor of figurative and abstract works, ranging from large public commissions to private pieces for gardens. Aristides died December 12, 2021, in Santa Barbara, California, at the age of 89. Michael Burton Demetrios was a businessman, leading Marine World Africa in its numerous locations in the United States. Since 1998 he had been president of Intra-Asia , a US company with two amusement parks in China and plans for five additional. Michael died August 5, 2016, in Orlando, Florida. Houghton Mifflin published
810-646: Was about 8 years old, her family moved to San Diego, California , as the New England winters were hard on her mother's health. Her father, close to his retirement in 1921 after 40 years at MIT, took a leave of absence. A year later the family settled 450 miles north in Carmel-by-the-Sea , then a small, artistic community. Burton and her sister took dance and art lessons, performing in local productions. Her parents divorced in 1925, and her father returned to Boston. After attending local schools, Burton won
840-486: Was born in Newton Centre, Massachusetts . As a child, she was called "Jinnee". Her mother was Lena Yates, a lyric poet and artist from England whose poetry was first published at age 20. Yates later published children's books under the name Lena Dalkeith. Later, she went by the moniker Jeanne D'Orge . Virginia Burton's father, Alfred Edgar Burton , married Lena Yates after he had been widowed with two sons. Yates
870-643: Was living. It was also closer to her sister, by then a dancer in New York City, who invited Virginia to join her. Their father broke his leg, and Burton stayed in Boston to help him. She found work as a "sketcher" for the Boston Evening Transcript (now defunct). For two-and-a-half years, she worked under its drama and music critic. Portraying actors and other performers, she signed her drawings as "VleeB". In fall 1930, Burton enrolled in
900-409: Was not published: My first book, Jonnifer Lint , was about a piece of dust. I and my friends thought it was very clever but thirteen publishers disagreed with us and when I finally got the manuscript back and read it to Aris, age three and a half he went to sleep before I could even finish it. That taught me a lesson and from then on I worked with and for my audience, my own children. I would tell them
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