Harold Brennan Art and Industry digital audio recording

Collection — Folder: 1

Identifier: RITArc-0626

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of audio recordings in which Harold Brennan discusses nature and the role of the artist, the artist and society, the artist in American life, changing attitudes toward the arts in this century, patronage, how business or industry should become a patron, examples of this concept, and the role for art in industry in the community. He encourages the listener to seek to find the means to find the good life.

Original cassette recordings were digitized on 2/20/2015.

Dates

Creation: 1964

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open to researchers.

Biographical / Historical

Harold James Brennan (1903-1989) integrated the School for American Craftsmen into RIT. He became the first dean of the College of Fine and Applied Arts in 1960. Brennan was made an honorary fellow by the American Crafts Council in recognition of his work in making the School for American Craftsmen preeminent in its field of learning.

He was responsible for hiring many of the best-known artists, including Albert Paley, Frans Windenhain, Wendell Castle, William Keyser and John Prip.