Evelyn and Jerome Ackerman

California Mid-Century Designers

By Laura Ackerman-Shaw

Contributors: Glenn Adamson, Danielle Charlap, Dale Carolyn Gluckman, Jeffrey Head, David A. Keeps, Jo Lauria

Principal Photography by Dan Chavkin

Jerome and Evelyn Ackerman, the prolific artist-couple, were central to the development of mid-century design in Southern California. They combined modernist craft - in weaving, carving, ceramics, tapestries, hookings, and mosaics—and made it accessible to the middle class.

Their works were celebrated for their combination of bright colors and craftsmanship, with an artisanal attention to detail. In Evelyn and Jerome Ackerman: California Mid-Century Designers, Laura Ackerman-Shaw, their daughter, who has expanded their legacy with both commercial and institutional recognition, takes the reader through her parents’ unique impact on post-war design in America. Because of the success of Hand-in-Hand, Pointed Leaf Press is publishing a new book, in a much larger format, with 80% new material, much of it discovered by Ackerman-Shaw in her parents’ archive. By showcasing their output through Jenev Design Studio, ERA Industries, and their involvement in the prestigious California Design exhibitions from 1954 to 1976, readers can see how they translated their ideas into the varied materials of their choosing. Unlike the previous monograph, this book focuses less on their personal lives and more on the Ackerman’s impact on the world, a must-read for collectors and connoisseurs. With new and updated essays by scholars, as well as numerous never-before-seen drawings, photographs, and archival materials, Evelyn and Jerome Ackerman: California Mid-Century Designers is the indelible story of a lifetime of artistic partnership.

Part I: Evelyn and Jerome

• Growing Up Ackerman
• Multiple Choice: The Interdisciplinary Ackermans
• A Love Story
• California Design Exhibitions
• A Marriage of Art and Commerce

Part II: Building A Business

• Jenev Design Studio
• Era Industries

Part III: Exploring Materials

• Material Curiosity By Design
• Ceramics
• Mosaics
• Handwoven Tapestries
• Hooked Rugs and Hangings
• Silk Screens
• Woodcarvings
• Metal and Hydrastone
• A Return to Studio Craft

Pointed Leaf Press, 2025, hardcover, 9.25 x 12 inches, 257 pages.