Richard Mohr Speaks About “The Splendid Disarray of Beauty”

Author Richard Mohr’s recently released book, The Splendid Disarray of Beauty, documents both the importance of Cathedral Oaks, an early 20th Century Arts and Crafts Movement school in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and the ground-breaking same-sex couple who founded it. Cathedral Oaks was the first summer-only arts school of its kind in the region and inspired the creation of three other summer art programs. It followed the aesthetic principles of Arthur Wesley Dow, the dean of American Arts and Crafts design, and grew the impact of Dow’s principles on architectural design in Northern California and beyond.

The founders of Cathedral Oaks artists Frank Ingerson (1879–1968) and George Dennison (1873–1966) are two of the most fascinating and admirable people you may have never heard of—until now. Married in substance one hundred years before California law caught up to their speed, they not only founded an important design school, but, after a fire destroyed the school in 1915, they also pursued successful careers as interior designers in Hollywood and Europe. The Boys, as they were affectionately known in their community, are the earliest known transparently common law gay couple in America. They were together for fifty-five years.

The Splendid Disarray of Beauty: The Boys, the Tiles, the Joy of Cathedral Oaks—A Study in the Arts and Crafts Community, written by Richard D. Mohr and published by RIT Press, shares their story and that of their honeymoon project, the Cathedral Oaks School of Art.

General Admission: $20Students: Use Discount Code "STUDENT" for $10 ticket

Beverages and snacks available for puchase