To usher in the holiday season, the Museum of the American Arts & Crafts Movement (MAACM) hosted a special event this past Tuesday. I was excited about the evening because it’s one of the few museums here in St. Pete that I had not yet visited.

The five-story, 137,000 square-foot museum was founded and designed by Rudy Ciccarello to house his private collection of fabulous pieces from the American Arts and Crafts era (1890 into the 1930s).

As the Industrial Revolution gained steam, and mass production took over, there was an intentional movement by craftsmen (and notably women) to create beautiful, yet still functional, objects for daily life instead. The basic tenets were simplicity in design, honesty in materials, and hand craftsmanship while depicting the natural world.

I arrived early so I could enjoy my time wandering through the exhibits. I’ve long been an admirer of what I call functional art, if you’ve been out exploring with me you know that I’ll stop on the street to photograph a decorative gutter spout or lamppost and some of my favorite household furnishings are nature-inspired (though admittedly, not always handcrafted, my budget doesn’t stretch quite that far).

The evening was delightful, filled with masterpieces, music, and even some delicious holiday treats. I was very glad I attended. Plus I learned that the museum is already undergoing an expansion, quite impressive considering it only opened in 2021. Sounds like I’ll soon have another reason to visit!