DEER ISLE – The founding director of Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Francis Merritt, and his wife, Priscilla, a longtime teacher and administrator of the nationally known school, were awarded the prestigious Visionaries! award by the American Craft Museum in ceremonies earlier this year at the Plaza Hotel, New York City.

Honorees are recognized each year for their contributions to their respective fields and for their work in promoting excellence in the arts. The museum also honors recipients for achievements, which have “helped the American Craft Museum to further its mission of exploring the changing definition of craft …”

In announcing the award, the ACM said the Merritts “first altered postwar craft education when they were engaged to direct the summer courses at Haystack,” and that they were “creators and builders” of a pre-eminent art school whose students constitute a major force in the American craft world.

Before joining Haystack, Francis Merritt taught for 15 years at the secondary and college level, while pursuing a career as a printer-printmaker. He exhibited in national shows at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Chicago Art Institute and the Museum of Modern Art, among others. After nearly 30 years of service at Haystack, Merritt retired in 1976 to pursue a studio art career. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Art and of the American Craft Council.

Priscilla Merritt worked for seven years as a free-lance fashion artist and later organized the weaving department at Haystack. She assisted with the school’s operations and taught classes. She established Centennial House, an art gallery on Deer Isle that has exhibited works of world-recognized artists.

, including glass artist Dale Chihuly of Seattle.

Haystack Mountain School of Crafts was founded in 1950 by Mary Beasom Bishop at Montville with a small group of professional Maine craft makers. Merritt then “spearheaded a revolution in craft education by augmenting four-year curricula with summer programs … ” the AMC said.