Paul Smith, 1931-2020
With his unexpected death April 26 at his home in New York City, Smith leaves behind a monumental legacy of contribution to art, craft, and design. As director from 1963 to 1987 of the Museum of Contemporary Crafts – which later became the American Craft Museum, and is today the Museum of Arts and Design – he presented a spectacular range of exhibitions and programs that told the story of contemporary craft and helped redefine the role of museums. As an independent curator, author, and consultant, he remained a high-profile, influential presence, involved in a variety of pursuits that increased awareness and appreciation of craft.
Beyond objects and aesthetics, Smith was interested in ideas, what the act of creation meant in society. He was a serious documentarian for whom history and context were essential to understanding the age-old human instinct to make things by hand. At the same time, he had a keen eye for the innovative and avant-garde. He sought out the new and the now, presenting his findings with discernment and flair. At the time of his death he was eighty-eight years old, and still enthusiastically engaged with the field.
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