Douglass Crockwell — Arts in education

When it comes emphasizing the arts in education, it helps to have a nationally-recognized artist/illustrator on the school board.

“Glens Falls High School has initiated the first in a series of displays intended to bring its students, and members of the community, in direct contact with the work of renowned artists,” The Post-Star reported on May 19, 1955. “This project, sponsored by the Board of Education and made possible largely through the energetic efforts of Douglass Crockwell, is unusual in that painting brought into the classroom are not prints, or commercial duplicates, but authentic originals.”

Crockwell, a school board member, and Joseph J. Dodge, curator of The Hyde Collection, and a close Crockwell friend, arranged for two New York art dealers to loan the school district 12 paintings by 20th Century French artists.

An evening open house was held so that the general public could view the paintings that high school classes studied and appreciated.

“There probably is no other high school in this or any other state that can boast of a loan exhibit valued at $40,000 (the equivalent of $417,681 in 2022 dollars) — the worth of the present exhibit.”

Crockwell and Dodge arranged a second temporary exhibit of 14 paintings by 19th century American artists in December.

Crockwell was elected to the school board in May 1951 and served on the board through 1958.

He was on the board when the new senior high building opened.

Click here to read my most recent previous Douglass Crockwell history post.