Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement — Attraction in Saint Petersburg

This building is a disgusting slap in the face of all persons (both living and deceased) who have ever held the American Arts and Crafts Movement in high esteem. No matter how fine a museum is contained within its walls, the building itself is an outright insult to the legacy of its purported subject; far from being built in any variant of the noble American Arts and Crafts style, this heinous crime against architecture was built as a revolting international modernist monstrosity. Even if I had any respect for the modernist style (which, being in touch with humanity, I do not), I would surely note that this building - erected as it was to house an institution educating the public on the virtues and legacy of the American Arts and Crafts Movement - violates the modernist tenet stating that ‘form must follow function.’ Truly, if the function of this building was to be a Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement (as its name necessarily implies), then it follows that the building itself must be built according to the stylings of that movement rather than in some ghastly and soulless contemporary style. Nevertheless, it crossed the mind of neither architect nor client to make the building itself a tribute to its subject - a simply unforgivable lapse of judgement that earns this establishment the generous rating of a single star. If, by any chance at all, some person involved in the design and construction of this edifice reads these words, know this: if you ever wish to atone for this egregious architectural sin, the only right thing to do is for you to tear the whole thing down and rebuild the museum in the Arts and Crafts style. Only then shall your transgressions...

Just had a disappointing experience at the Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement about a week ago, and I can’t stop thinking about it. We went in, excited to use our membership from the Morean Arts Center, which, like MAACM, is part of the NARM program. Usually, these memberships give you free or discounted admission to other museums. But nope! Turns out MAACM has a special rule: they don’t accept memberships from institutions within 15 miles of them.

The normal admission fee is $25 per person. This honestly is quite pricey, especially for a family. Unfortunately, the staff member who delivered this news was condescending and very rude, which left an even worse taste in our mouths.

Here’s the thing: why have a program that’s supposed to encourage cultural exchange and exploration if you’re going to slap restrictions on it? This 15-mile rule feels like it’s punishing locals who are already invested in the arts. And that steep ticket price? It’s just not accessible to everyone.

Other cities—hello, Washington, D.C. and London—offer FREE access to their museums because they understand that art and history should be for everyone, not just people who can afford it. If a museum aspires to be a true cultural pillar, it needs to welcome its local community with open arms, not create barriers.

So here’s a thought: maybe it’s time MAACM rethinks its policies and remembers that the arts are meant to bring people together—not make them feel unwelcome. Just...

I am a former executive at the Stickley factory. I've written an illustrated book about the Arts & Crafts movement and the Stickleys called CRAFTSMEN ON A MISSION: The Brothers Who Invented the American Home. And I have toured most of the best existing collections of Arts & Crafts artifacts.

And this museum astounded me. It is amazingly impressive in its scope. It possesses a rich, deep, and varied collection of beautiful objects. It doesn't have holes or blindspots. It neatly encapsulates one of our country's foremost contributions to the world of art and design.

In addition to displaying some of the very greatest pieces of classic furniture (like the sideboard from Gustav Stickley's own Syracuse home), this museum presents an amazing panoply of gorgeous pottery, metalwork, light fixtures, paintings, books, etc., wonderfully linked in context to each other. All of the many branches of the American Arts & Crafts explosion, including some obscure ones, are represented.

The curating is subtle and savvy, and the descriptive texts and historical framing are helpful but never intrusive. To top it off, the building is a perfect vessel for the treasures within—handsome, tasteful, practical, without the "look at me" showoffery found in so many modern museums.

Bless the enlightened donor who put all of this together, and his many colleagues who labored to polish thousands of details. They have created one of the best specialized museums...