Posted by Carly Ayres | Date Posted: 02 November, 2010
If you find yourself in the mood for some master metalsmithing this month, you should probably get yourself over to Didi Suydam Contemporary gallery on 25 Mill Street in Newport, Rhode Island. On display there is the John Prip Heritage Collection, a beautiful display of Prip’s personal work in silver, brass, and other sheet metals. The collection is that of his children, Peter and Janet Prip. The show opened Saturday, October 30th, and showcased other metalworks created by Robin Quigley and Didi Suydam, as well as work by all three Prips
John Prip began working in metal at fifteen, when he started an apprenticeship at a Danish silversmithing factory. Raised in Denmark, Prip immigrated back to the U.S. where he took a job at the School for American Craftsmen. He established himself in the American craft circuit for the standards of excellence he brought to the field of metalsmithing. With his formal background, he was able to take his strong education in Danish design and integrate it into his new American environment, which fostered in him a sense of innovation and exploration that became a motif in the work on display.
In 1963, Prip took his skills to the Rhode Island School of Design where he started the Department of Contemporary Jewelry and Metalsmithing Design six years later. Prip built the program up into one of the best graduate and undergraduate degree programs in the U.S., retiring in 1981. In addition to starting the Jewelry Department, he started the first year metals curriculum in RISD’s Industrial Design program where his son, Peter Prip, is a member of the adjunct faculty.
The John Prip show gives visitors an amazing view of some of the works that revolutionized American metalsmithing, as created by a master metalsmith and mentor in the artistic community. Call 401-848-9414 for more details.
Great job on the site! Thank you for your hard work!! Best Adam
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