Azalea Thorpe

Azalea Thorpe
1961
Born Azalea Stuart Gray
(1911-04-10)10 April 1911
Peebles, Scotland
Died 29 December 1988(1988-12-29) (aged 77)
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Nationality Scottish / American
Other names Azalea Stuart Thorpe, Azalea Thorpe New
Occupation fashion designer, weaver
Years active 1953–1970

Azalea Thorpe (10 April 1911 – 29 December 1988) was a Scottish-born American weaver and textile designer. Known for her innovative experimentation with both natural and synthetic materials, Thorpe was a featured instructor and lecturer throughout the United States. She has weavings in the permanent collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. An annual award given in her honor is presented by the Institute of American Indian Arts for fiber arts.

Early life

Azalea Stuart Gray was born on 10 April 1911 on her family's estate, "Blinkbonnie", in Peebles, Scotland to Marion R. "May" and Andrew Gray.[1][2][3] She immigrated in 1916, with her mother to the United States, joining their father in Flint, Michigan,[4] where he was employed as a machinist in an automobile plant.[5] After the family arrival, another daughter, Marcia was born. The girls attended public schools in Flint and at the age of eighteen, Gray was working in the automobile industry.[1][6] By the mid-1930s, she had married Alfred E. Thorpe, moved to Ohio and in 1937, the couple had their daughter, Sheila.[1][7] After Thorpe divorced, she moved to Europe, where she traveled extensively and studied French for eighteen months. Returning to the United States, she enrolled in a textile design course at Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan,[1] studying with Marianne Strengell.[8]

Career

Upon her graduation from Cranbrook, Thorpe began teaching weaving techniques and by 1953, was conducting a speaking tour with exhibits on weaving.[9][10] After several years of teaching at Cranbrook, she moved to Deer Isle, Maine, where she taught at the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts before moving to New York City around 1953.[8] In New York, Thorpe opened a design studio in Manhattan at 10th Avenue and 57th Street,[1] where she experimented with a range of both natural and synthetic fibers.[10] She continued with her own education at the Scottish Woollen Technical College in Galashiels, Scotland and taught at the Fashion Institute of Technology in the 1950s.[11]

Thorpe was interested in textile manufacture for both industrial and home use. She designed fabrics for use in coats, drapery, rugs, and wall covernings as well as a special fabric for use with speakers which would not distort the transmission of sound.[10][12] She participated as a technical advisor, along with Jack Lenor Larsen and Russel Wright, to the International Cooperation Administration.[10] She was interested in varied dyeing techniques and conducted in-depth research on new types of materials, such as the natural protein fiber Vicara[13][14] and corn fiber to determine its adaptability for both design and manufacture. Her research was conducted as a collaboration with the architect Kent Cooper.[13] Displaying her work at craft fairs and exhibitions,[10] in varied locations like Texas and Florida,[12][13] she also juried events for the National Conference of American Craftsmen and the annual International Women's Exhibition, among others.[10][15]

In addition to her design work, Thorpe, who was a jazz enthusiast, wrote as a columnist at Downbeat Magazine. Meeting many of the noted musicians in the field, she worked as a personal manager for such artists as the De Paris Brothers, Sidney and Wilbur; Miles Davis; and Abby Lincoln.[1] She exhibited works at the Brussels World Fair in 1958 and toured Europe with the United States Information Service Exhibit. Her works were featured in major museum collections, such as a 1954 weaving in the permanent holdings of the Victoria and Albert Museum.[16] In 1960, she was part of a New York State Education Department television series Adventures in Art where she discussed weaving.[10][17]

In 1962, Thorpe moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico and began teaching weaving at the newly founded Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA).[18][Notes 1] She served as the chair of the fiber and textile arts department of IAIA,[20] but continued to work on research projects in New York, like a 1964 study of South and Central American textiles.[21] On 11 November 1966, Thorpe married Lloyd Kiva New,[20] a Cherokee fashion designer.[19]

Thorpe left the IAIA in 1966, returning east to conduct seminars and study Southeastern weaving techniques.[20][22] She published articles on the school and in 1967, co-authored the book Elements of Weaving with Jack Lenor Larsen[23][24] and the following year returned as head of the fiber department at IAIA.[25] In 1969, she designed the paraments for the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Los Alamos, New Mexico. The initial hanging representing the Trinity was woven in browns, greens and rust hues. Additional hangings in red for Pentecost, violet for Advent and Lent, and a third in white for Christmas and Easter were also commissioned.[26] That same year, she published a review of the exhibit Young Americans 1969, stressing that weaving was able to be both art and craft.[27]

Death and legacy

Thorpe died on 29 December 1988 at her home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, after a lengthy illness with cancer.[1][28][2] The Institute of American Indian Arts established the Azalea Thorpe New Memorial Award in her honor to recognize excellence in fiber arts.[29]

Selected works

  • Thorpe, Azalea (21 September 1955). "Exciting Detroit Bash". DownBeat. Chicago, Illinois: Maher Publications. ISSN 0012-5768. [30]
  • Thorpe, Azalea (July–August 1965). "The American Indian Student: Two Educational Programs—Institute of American Indian Arts, Santa Fe". Craft Horizons. New York, New York: American Craftsmen's Council. 25 (4): 12–13, 40. ISSN 0011-0744. [31]
  • Thorpe, Azalea (January–February 1966). "Schubert's Shards". Craft Horizons. New York, New York: American Craftsmen's Council. 26 (1): 18. ISSN 0011-0744. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  • Thorpe, Azalea Stuart; Larsen, Jack Lenor (1967). Elements of weaving: a complete introduction to the art and techniques (Revised (1978) ed.). Garden City, New York: Doubleday. ISBN 978-0-385-12540-6. [24]
  • Thorpe, Azalea (July–August 1969). "Young Americans 1969". Craft Horizons. New York, New York: American Craftsmen's Council. 28 (4): 9–14, 52. ISSN 0011-0744. Retrieved 21 January 2018. [27]

Notes

  1. ↑ Jessica Metcalf identifies Thorpe as Cherokee in her thesis on Native American fashion designers.[18] No other documentation indicates that she had Cherokee heritage,[1][8] though her second husband was Cherokee.[19]

References

Citations

Bibliography

  • Adams, Alice (January–February 1961). "Azalea Thorpe: weaving as total design experience". Craft Horizons. New York, New York: American Craftsmen's Council. 21 (1): 14–16. ISSN 0011-0744. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  • Bjorn, Lars; Gallert, Jim (2001). Before Motown: A History of Jazz in Detroit, 1920–60. Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0-472-06765-6.
  • Hood, Julia Elizabeth T. (2011). Furniture that Winks: Wit and Conversation in Postmodern Studio Furniture, 1979–1989 (Master's). Washington, D.C.: Corcoran School of the Arts and Design. 1506359. Retrieved 21 January 2018 – via ProQuest. (Subscription required (help)).
  • Kleinfeld, Judith S.; Wescott, Siobhan (1993). Fantastic Antone succeeds!: experiences in educating children with fetal alcohol syndrome. Fairbanks, Alaska: University of Alaska Press. ISBN 0-912006-71-4.
  • Kulp, Karel; Ponte Jr., Joseph G., eds. (2000). Handbook of Cereal Science and Technology, Second Edition, Revised and Expanded (2nd, revised ed.). New York, New York: Marcel Dekker Inc. ISBN 978-0-8247-8294-8.
  • Metcalfe, Jessica RheAnn (2010). Native Designers of High Fashion: Expressing Identity, Creativity, and Tradition in Contemporary Customary Clothing Design (PhD). Tucson, Arizona: The University of Arizona. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  • Slivka, Rose, ed. (January–February 1966). "Our Contributors". Craft Horizons. New York, New York: American Craftsmen's Council. 26 (1): 9. ISSN 0011-0744. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  • Thorpe, Azalea (July–August 1965). "The American Indian Student: Two Educational Programs—Institute of American Indian Arts, Santa Fe". Craft Horizons. New York, New York: American Craftsmen's Council. 25 (4): 12–13, 40. ISSN 0011-0744. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  • "1920 U. S. Census: Flint Ward 4, Genesee County, Michigan". FamilySearch. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. 10 January 1920. p. 13-A. NARA microfilm #T625, roll 765. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  • "1930 U. S. Census: Flint Ward 4, Genesee County, Michigan". FamilySearch. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. 3 April 1930. p. 3-A. NARA microfilm #T626, roll 986. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  • "1940 U. S. Census: Washington Township, Lucas County, Ohio". FamilySearch. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. 3 May 1940. p. 63-B. NARA microfilm #T627, roll 3106. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  • "...and in Art". Art Education. Reston, Virginia: National Art Education Association. 12 (9): 19–22. December 1959. ISSN 0004-3125. JSTOR 3184428.
  • "Artisans Attend Crafts Assembly at Lima, Peru". Albuquerque, New Mexico: The Albuquerque Journal. 17 September 1968. p. 21. Retrieved 21 January 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  • "Azalea Thorpe New". Santa Fe, New Mexico: The Santa Fe New Mexican. 6 January 1989. p. 4. Retrieved 20 January 2018 – via Newspaperarchive.com.
  • "Craft Show Will Display Varied Design Examples (pt 1)". Lubbock, Texas: Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. 25 January 1959. p. 50. Retrieved 20 January 2018 – via Newspaperarchive.com. and "Craft Show (pt 2)". Lubbock, Texas: Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. 25 January 1959. p. 51. Retrieved 20 January 2018 – via Newspaperarchive.com.
  • "Ellis Island Passenger Arrival Lists". Liberty-Ellis Foundation. New York City, New York: The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc. 8 September 1916. pp. 584–585. passenger id #103059010492, line #28. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  • "Indian Art Institute Classes Start on 21st". Santa Fe, New Mexico: The Santa Fe New Mexican. 13 September 1964. p. 6. Retrieved 21 January 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  • "Keene Valley Women Attend Craft Show in the Metropolis". Au Sable Forks, New York: Adirondack Record Elizabethtown Post. 19 November 1959. p. 1. Retrieved 20 January 2018 – via Newspaperarchive.com.
  • "Lloyd Kiva New, 86, Teacher of Indian Artists". New York City, New York: The New York Times. 10 February 2002. Archived from the original on 17 February 2016. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  • "Lutheran Sanctuary Notable for Contemporary Design". Santa Fe, New Mexico: The Los Alamos Monitor. 17 July 1969. p. 9. Retrieved 20 January 2018 – via Newspaperarchive.com.
  • "New, Azalea Thorpe". Santa Fe, New Mexico: The Santa Fe New Mexican. 5 January 1989a. p. 4. Retrieved 20 January 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  • "New book offers Guide on weaving". Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Philadelphia Inquirer. 25 August 1967. p. 25. Retrieved 20 January 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  • "One Week Left to Catch the Exciting Show....Winners Announced". Ft. Lauderdale, Florida: The Fort Lauderdale News. 9 November 1958. p. 70. Retrieved 20 January 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  • "Social Security Death Index". FamilySearch. Alexandria, Virginia: United States Social Security Administration, National Technical Information Service. 29 December 1988. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  • "Speaker for Weavers". Indianapolis, Indiana: The Indianapolis Star. 7 March 1953. p. 7. Retrieved 20 January 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  • "Thorpe, New Vows Repeated". Santa Fe, New Mexico: The Santa Fe New Mexican. 13 November 1966. p. 22. Retrieved 20 January 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  • "Thorpe Weave". vam.ac.uk. London, England: Victoria and Albert Museum. 2017. Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
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