Teacher, pewtersmith, master weaver - Ivan H. Crowell (1904-2003) distinguished himself in all his chosen careers. A native of Caledonia, Nova Scotia, he launched his first career in 1922 teaching manual training in Nova Scotia public schools. After three years he enrolled in the University of New Brunswick and earned a BSc in forestry before pursuing graduate studies at Miami and Harvard Universities.
Dr. Crowell taught botany for several years before his career path changed course. In 1940 he became director of handicrafts at McGill University. He held that post until 1946 when he moved to Fredericton to become director of handicrafts for New Brunswick. A key player in the local arts community, he established the New Brunswick Craft School and served as director for over 20 years.
Following retirement in 1969, Dr. Crowell studied pewtercraft in the United States and England, and then embarked on another career. Over the next five years he designed and created pewter objects and instructed dozens of artisans from across North America in the techniques of pwetersmithing. His skill and dedication won him recognition as a modern pioneer of the craft in Canada. In 1973 he was named a member of the Order of Canada for his services in fostering handicrafts throughout New Brunswick.
In the 1970s, Dr. Crowell was inspired by Nel Oudemans, an accomplished weaver, to develop his earlier love of another ancient craft, tapestry weaving. Since then he has woven over 250 tapestries depicting scenes of New Brunswick history, architecture, local legends, nursery rhymes, and airy tales. One of his last projects involved preserving child art by weaving a number of children's drawings as tapestries. Dr. Crowell's wool images decorate churches, hospitals, libraries, museums, schools, and universities in New Brunswick and elsewhere. He generously donated more than 90 tapestries to his alma mater, including the bicentennial series of UNB buildings, the student residence series, and the heraldic series represented here. Dr. Crowell died at Fredericton in May 2003.
Sources:
- Cook, Janice. Ivan H. Crowell - Heraldic Tapestries of the University of New Brunswick (pamphlet), University of New Brunswick, December 2000.