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Influential English craftsman, designer, artist, and writer William Morris (1834-1896) once told an audience, "...if you want a golden rule that will fit everybody, this is it: ‘HAVE NOTHING IN YOUR HOUSES THAT YOU DO NOT KNOW TO BE USEFUL OR BELIEVE TO BE BEAUTIFUL.’"

The multitude of transatlantic exchanges that involved William Morris, the Pre-Raphaelites, and the Aesthetic and Arts and Crafts movements of the late 19th century is the focus of a conference and related exhibitions to be held October 7 to 9, 2010, at the University of Delaware (Newark, DE) and at the Delaware Art Museum and the Winterthur Museum & Country Estate (Wilmington, DE).

Organized with the assistance of the William Morris Society in the United States, “Useful & Beautiful: The Transatlantic Arts of William Morris and the Pre-Raphaelites” will highlight the strengths of the University of Delaware’s rare books, art, and manuscripts collections; Winterthur’s important holdings in American decorative arts; and the Delaware Art Museum’s superlative Pre-Raphaelite collection (the largest outside Britain).

In addition to sessions featuring internationally known scholars and experts, there will be a keynote lecture by noted biographer, Fred Kaplan; demonstrations by leading practitioners who make and design Arts and Crafts objects; special exhibitions; an early music recital; and a performance of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest by the University of Delaware’s critically acclaimed Resident Ensemble Players/Professional Theatre Training Program.

The conference fee is $150, $75 for students, and no charge for University of Delaware faculty, staff and students. To register or learn more, click here.