Alphonse Mattia
Born1947 (1947)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedApril 10, 2023(2023-04-10) (aged 75–76)
Alma materPhiladelphia College of Art,
Rhode Island School of Design
Occupation(s)woodworker, furniture designer, professor
MovementAvant Garde Furniture, American Studio Furniture
Websitealphonsemattia.com

Alphonse Mattia (1947 – April 10, 2023)[1] was an American furniture designer, woodworker, sculptor and educator. In 2005, Alphonse Mattia was elected a Fellow of the American Craft Council (ACC).

Biography

Alphonse Mattia was born in 1947 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[2][3] He was raised in an Italian American, Catholic family.[4][5] He attended Philadelphia College of Art (now known as the University of the Arts) and graduated with a BFA degree. Mattia has a MFA degree in 1973 in industrial design from Rhode Island School of Design, where he also studied furniture under Tage Frid.[2]

Mattia taught at Virginia Commonwealth University (from 1973 to 1976); Boston University (from 1976 to 1985); the Swain School of Design (from 1985 to 1988); and at Rhode Island School of Design (starting in 1990).[5][6] Mattia was instrumental in the establishment of the Boston University Program in Artisanry [Wikidata] in 1975, which was later purchased by the Swain School of Design in 1985.[4][7] The Program in Artisanry had emphasized art over craft.[4] Mattia's notable students included Emi Ozawa.[8]

Mattia's work can be found in museum collections including at the Smithsonian American Art Museum,[9] Museum of Arts and Design,[10] Museum of Fine Arts, Boston,[11] Philadelphia Museum of Art,[12] Rhode Island School of Design Museum,[13] and at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.[14]

References

  1. ^ "Remembering: Alphonse Mattia". American Craft Council. April 19, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Halper, Vicki; Douglas, Diane (2009-05-15). Choosing Craft: The Artist's Viewpoint. Univ of North Carolina Press. p. 180. ISBN 978-0-8078-8992-3.
  3. ^ Fitzgerald, Oscar P. (2019-01-01). Studio Furniture of the Renwick Gallery: Smithsonian American Art Museum. Fox Chapel Publishing. ISBN 978-1-60765-489-6.
  4. ^ a b c Fitzgerald, Oscar P. (2017-12-22). American Furniture: 1650 to the Present. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 549. ISBN 978-1-4422-7040-4.
  5. ^ a b "Reminiscences of Alphonse Mattia: Oral History, 1985". Columbia University Libraries, Columbia University Libraries Digital Program Division, Oral Histories Portal. 2010. Archived from the original on 2021-12-14. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
  6. ^ "Alphonse Mattia". American Craft Council. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
  7. ^ "Boston University Program in Artisanry records, 1974-1985". Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Archived from the original on 2014-01-23. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
  8. ^ Fitzgerald, Oscar P. (2009-10-01). New Masters of the Wooden Box: Expanding the Boundaries of Box Making. Fox Chapel Publishing. ISBN 978-1-60765-034-8.
  9. ^ "Alphonse Mattia". Smithsonian American Art Museum. Archived from the original on 2017-09-28. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
  10. ^ "Collections". MAD Museum. Archived from the original on 2021-12-14.
  11. ^ "Architect's Valet". Museum of Fine Arts (MFA). Archived from the original on 2021-12-14. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
  12. ^ "Side Chair". philamuseum.org. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
  13. ^ "Architect's Valet Chair". RISD Museum. Archived from the original on 2020-09-27. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
  14. ^ "Alphonse Mattia". FAMSF Search the Collections. 2018-09-21. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
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