47th Annual Roycroft Winter Festival to be held December 2 & 3 at The Park School in Amherst
The Roycrofters-at-Large Association (RALA) is pleased to announce that this year’s Roycroft Winter Festival, held on December 2 and 3, 2023, will have an exciting and significant change in venue. This year’s Winter Festival, a long-standing tradition in East Aurora, will be held on the grounds of The Park School in Amherst.
Founded in 1912, The Park School of Buffalo is WNY’s only co-ed, PreK – Grade 12 and Montessori school, and was also ranked #1 Best Private K-12 School in Buffalo and Erie County by Niche for its second consecutive year. Park was founded by a group of Buffalo parents who had met with the influential philosopher John Dewey. Under Dewey’s guidance and with the leadership of his star student, Mary Hammett Lewis, Park began educating children in 1912 implementing Dewey’s key insight that deep learning occurs through constant experimentation and problem-solving. The curriculum has always been interdisciplinary, as such, the arts are integrated into all academic subjects. Park students are academically and socially prepared problem solvers equipped with confidence, critical thinking skills, and a desire to make the world a better place.
Earlier this year, RALA was approached with the opportunity to collaborate with Park School, and subsequent conversations revealed considerable mission overlap and a shared history in the Arts & Crafts movement, making the decision to hold this year’s Winter Festival on the grounds of the school an easy one. This temporary change in venue is an exciting opportunity to connect the Roycroft Renaissance and the modern Roycroft Artisans with a broader segment of Western New York Arts & Crafts collectors who may have been prevented from traveling East Aurora in previous years, and the Roycroft Artisans are looking forward to sharing East Aurora’s proud Arts & Crafts traditions with the larger WNY arts community. This will be the first Roycroft Winter Festival held outside of East Aurora in the organization’s history. Park School’s proximity to both the northtowns and the City of Buffalo is in keeping with RALA’s mission to promote and further the evolution of Roycroft.
The school has three visual art studios and a woodworking shop. Therefore, Park’s partnership with the Roycroft Winter Art Show is a natural outgrowth of the school’s history and mission.
“We are thrilled to partner with the Roycroft to host their winter art show. Art education is core to the Park educational experience and our students, families and teachers are very lucky to have the opportunity to learn from and be inspired by the wonderful artists who will be showing their work, “ said Keith Frome, President of Park School.
This year’s festival will feature 20 Roycroft Artisans and Artists representing the strongest qualify of fine art in wood, metal, fabric, jewelry, clay, glass, book arts, prints, drawing, painting, and photography. These Artisans have been accepted by the Roycrofters At Large Association’s Master Artisans based on their high standards of work through a Juried process. The Roycrofters At Large Association was founded in 1976 with the mission to keep the Arts & Crafts Movement alive guided by principles set forth by founder Elbert Hubbard. Artisans proudly display the registered “double R mark” representing the quality of their work and are the only modern working artists permitted to represent themselves as Roycrofters, honoring the design core values of Hubbard and the founding artists of South Grove Street. We are proud to carry this tradition forward.
The Roycroft Winter Show is a traditional opening of gift-giving season and offers a wonderful selection of handcrafted items made with the highest standards in craftsmanship. This year’s festival will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Dec. 2 & 3, 2023 in Clement Hall on the grounds of Park School, located at 4625 Harlem Road in Amherst, with ample and convenient parking. A nominal admission fee of $1 will be charged for adults.
Raffle tickets for the RALA “Goodie Box” will also be available. The Goodie Box is a tradition of the organization for over 20 years and is the backbone of its non-profit fund-raising initiatives. This year’s box contains items created by Roycroft Artisans and Master Artisans valued at over $6,000. The drawing will be held in February 2024, at the 37th National Arts and Crafts Conference, at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC. The winner need not be present.
The 48th Roycroft Summer Festival will be held on June 29 and 30, 2024 at the Classic Rink on Riley Street in East Aurora.
Information on the Roycrofters-at-Large and membership options can be found online at www.ralaweb.com. Follow the Roycrofters-At Large Association’s social media pages on Facebook and Instagram, @roycroftartisans, for updates and information on the 2023 Winter Show and to experience the Roycroft Artisans’ exceptional work.