John Prip (b. 1922) is a fourth generation metalsmith, born in New York and raised in Denmark. At the age of 15 he began his apprenticeship at his father’s silversmithing factory. At the age of 26 he immigrated back to America with his wife and son and began teaching at the School for American Craftsmen at Alfred University, New York. Later he taught at the Rochester Institute of Technology and while there co-owned Shop One, a retail outlet for high quality handmade objects.
In 1957 Prip worked at the Reed and Barton Company, a hollowware and flatware company in Massachusetts, as an “Artist in Residence.” Some of his designs are still in production there today. The technical skill he acquired apprenticing in Denmark, along with the American qualities of innovation and experimentation have given Prip a unique and distinguished place in metalsmithing. He has taught at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and currently at the Rhode Island School of Design.
John Prip, Dimension, Tea and Coffee Service, c. 1960, Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, Erik Gould photograph
