Kurt J. Matzdorf, also known as Kurtheinz J. Matzdorf (1922 – 2008), was a German-born American jewelry designer, metalsmith (which included silversmith, goldsmith) and an educator. He was

Professor Emeritus ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

State University of New York at New Paltz The State University of New York at New Paltz (SUNY New Paltz or New Paltz) is a public university in New Paltz, New York. It traces its origins to the New Paltz Classical School, a secondary institution founded in 1828 and reorganized as an a ...

and he founded the metals department. Matzdorf was known for his religious objects in metal.

Early life and education

Kurt J. Matzdorf was born May 26, 1922 in

Stadtoldendorf Stadtoldendorf is a town in the center of the Holzminden district, Lower Saxony, Germany. Stadtoldendorf is the seat of the ''Samtgemeinde'' ("collective municipality") Eschershausen-Stadtoldendorf. Government Allocation of seats in the loca ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, to parents Alice Frank and Wilhelm Matzdorf. His family was

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

. In 1939, he was brought to England on a

kindertransport The ''Kindertransport'' (German for "children's transport") was an organised rescue effort of children (but not their parents) from Nazi-controlled territory that took place during the nine months prior to the outbreak of the Second World ...

. His mother was either murdered in

Chełmno extermination camp , known for = , location = Near Chełmno nad Nerem, ''Reichsgau Wartheland'' (German-occupied Poland) , built by = , operated by = , commandant = Herbert Lange, Christian Wirth , original use = , construction = , in operation ...

near Ljublin on 20 April 1941 or

Hadamar Euthanasia Centre The Hadamar killing centre (german: NS-Tötungsanstalt Hadamar) was a killing facility involved in the Nazi "involuntary euthanasia" programme known as ''Aktion T4''. It was housed within a psychiatric hospital located in the German town of Had ...

on 11 February 1941. His father was murdered in Sachsenhausen labour camp on 28 January 1942. During World War II, he attended

Slade School of Fine Art The UCL Slade School of Fine Art (informally The Slade) is the art school of University College London (UCL) and is based in London, England. It has been ranked as the UK's top art and design educational institution. The school is organised as ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

and studied with the sculptor

Benno Elkan Benno Elkan OBE (2 December 1877, Dortmund, Westphalia - 10 January 1960, London) was a German-born British sculptor and medallist. His work includes the big Menora standing in front of the Knesset in Jerusalem and also numerous monuments, busts ...

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

. In 1949, he moved to the United States, where he studied goldsmithing and metalsmithing at the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is org ...

. He was married to Alice Elinor (née Litt) and together they had two children.

Career

After completing his studies, he taught crafts at

Kansas State University Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public instit ...

Manhattan, Kansas Manhattan is a city and county seat of Riley County, Kansas, United States, although the city extends into Pottawatomie County. It is located in northeastern Kansas at the junction of the Kansas River and Big Blue River. As of the 2020 cen ...

from 1955 to 1957. Matzdorf founded the metals program and taught at State University of New York at New Paltz (SUNY New Paltz), from 1957 until 1985. He was a Professor Emeritus of Gold and Silversmithing. In 1970, thirteen years after starting the metals program, he was joined by

Robert Ebendorf Robert Ebendorf (born September 30, 1938) is an Americans, American metalsmith and jeweler, known for craft, art and studio jewelry, often using found objects. In 2003–2004, the Smithsonian American Art Museum organized an exhibition of 95 piece ...

. Matzdorf had notable students, including

Barbara Seidenath Barbara Seidenath (born 1960) is a German-born American jewelry designer, metalsmith, and educator. Biography Barbara Seidenath was born in 1960 in Bavaria, near Munich, Germany. Her father worked in forestry and her mother was a school doctor ...

and

Lisa Gralnick Lisa Gralnick (born 1956) is an American contemporary metalsmith, studio jeweler and academic.Smithsonian Archives of American Art, Oral Interview She works in the field of craft and art jewelry. Gralnick says: "I have chosen to make jewelry, whic ...

. Matzdorf was known for his contemporary Judaica silversmithing and goldsmithing, and he created objects like

menorahs The menorah (; he, מְנוֹרָה ''mənōrā'', ) is a Candelabra, seven-branched candelabrum that is described in the Hebrew Bible as having been used in the Tabernacle and in the Temple in Jerusalem. Since antiquity, it has served as a sy ...

, kiddush cups, and synagogue jewelry. In 1992, Matzdorf was awarded the title Fellow by the

American Craft Council The American Craft Council (ACC) is a national non-profit organization that champions craft based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded in 1943 by Aileen Osborn Webb, the council hosts national craft shows and conferences, publishes a quarterly maga ...

(ACC). In 2006, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the . He also designed and created a series of ceremonial maces and chains of office for colleges and universities in the United States. His work is included in public museum collections such as at the

Jewish Museum A Jewish museum is a museum which focuses upon Jews and may refer seek to explore and share the Jewish experience in a given area. List of Jewish museums Notable Jewish museums include: *Albania ** Solomon Museum, Berat *Australia ** Jewish Muse ...

, Jüdisches Museum Berlin,

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), is an art museum located in the Houston Museum District of Houston, Texas. With the recent completion of an eight-year campus redevelopment project, including the opening of the Nancy and Rich Kinder Build ...

, among others.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Matzdorf, Kurt J. 1922 births 2008 deaths Alumni of the Slade School of Fine Art University of Iowa alumni State University of New York at New Paltz faculty People from New Paltz, New York Jewish American artists American metalsmiths American people of German-Jewish descent German emigrants to the United States 20th-century American Jews 21st-century American Jews American jewelry designers