LEDERACH, Penn. — Henry Theodore Hallman, Jr. “Ted”, 92, of Lederach, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. He was the beloved husband of Michael Barnett.
Born in Quakertown, he was the son of the late Henry Theodore Hallman, Sr. and Mildred (Brumbaugh) Hallman.
Ted devoted his life to art, education, and the advancement of the crafts. He earned Master of Fine Arts degrees in Painting and Textiles from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and later received his Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley.
Ted had applied to Cranbrook Academy of Art for graduate work because his “Aunt Jule,” an amateur potter, saw that every important contemporary artist and craftsperson of the times studied there. He matriculated with Swedish-Finn weaver and designer Marianne Strengell, who recognized that Ted was Swedish-Finn, not just Pennsylvania Dutch, and ceramicist Maija Grotell. From the crystals that the Italian gardeners at Cranbrook used, Ted invented coloring and cutting plastics to place in his woven hanging screens like stained glass.
While Strengell went on sabbatical to India, Ted taught her summer classes. He was congratulated by Cranbrook alumnus, weaver/fabric designer Jack Lenor Larsen, when he was chosen for his teacher’s position, but the director was homophobic and Ted did not get the permanent job.
Ted won First Prize in Textiles in “Young Americans” at the Museum of Contemporary Crafts in 1958. As a result, he began collaborating with architects and designers on their projects. His woven pieces dressed Saks Fifth Avenue department store windows and the women’s shoe department at Neiman-Marcus in Dallas.
A distinguished college professor and educator, he taught at numerous respected institutions throughout his career, including Tyler School of Art at Temple University, Moore College of Art & Design, Philadelphia University, California College of Arts and Crafts, California State University, the University of California, Cranbrook Academy of Art, OCAD University in Toronto, and Sheridan College of Craft and Design in Ontario.
Ted’s artistic achievements earned him national and international recognition. Throughout his lifetime, he received numerous awards and honors, including the Louis Comfort Tiffany Award, the Edward Stone Award for Good Taste, the Kathryn Pew Prize, and recognition from the National Endowment for the Arts. Ted’s weaving and fiber art are renowned for their color and innovative twill and weaving techniques.
His creative work is in the permanent collections of 22 museums around the world, including the Smithsonian, Washington, D.C.; the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto; The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia; the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra; the Museum of Applied Arts, Helsinki, Finland; the Victoria and Albert Museum, London; and the National Museum of Sweden in Stockholm.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Ted was passionate about art, textiles, weaving, and the preservation of American craft traditions. He was an honorary member of the International Institute of Arts and Letters and remained an influential voice in the arts community throughout his life.
He is survived by his husband, Michael Barnett of Lederach; his niece, Jennifer Yerly of Midlothian, Virginia; and his niece, Gwen Miller of Midlothian, Virginia.
Ted will be remembered for his remarkable artistic vision, his dedication to teaching, and the lasting impact he made on generations of students, artists, and craftspeople around the world.
A graveside service was held Friday, July 3 at Whitemarsh Memorial Park, 1169 Limekiln Pike, Ambler, PA 19002.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Craft Council, 1400 Van Buren St NE, Unit 200 PMB 249, Minneapolis, MN 55413 or CraftNOW Philadelphia.