BR DYWINE BRANDYWINE
CATALYST SPRING–SUMMER 2022. VOLUME 50. NUMBER 1
BRANDYWINE LAUNCHES NEW COMMUNITY PASS INITIATIVE Funded by our friends at PECO, the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art recently launched the Brandywine Community Pass membership program for neighboring public and university libraries and community organizations. Just like a library book, families can now visit their local participating library and check out the Community Pass for a visit to the Brandywine! Each pass is valid for up to four guests (adults and children) and grants access to the Brandywine’s many special exhibitions, walking trails and educational programs. It’s a great way to share the beauty of our galleries and natural spaces with families and individuals of all ages. Brandywine thanks PECO for its steadfast support of the programs that bring us closer to our neighboring communities. In just the first few months of the program’s launch, more than 100 passes have already been sent to libraries and community organizations. To request a Brandywine Community Pass for your library or non-profit organization, please contact the Membership Office at 610-3888341 or email kleroy@brandywine.org. An electronic interest form is also available at brandywine.org/community-pass
IN THIS ISSUE: 4
Member Spotlight
5
The Laurels Preserve: Expanding into the Future
8
Iconic Horace Pippin Painting Donated
10
Gatecrashers: The Rise of the Self-Taught Artist in America
14
Dawoud Bey: Night Coming Tenderly, Black
15
Conservancy Pilots Innovative Stormwater Design at Local Farm
18
Events Calendar
21
Thank You to Our Donors
22
In Memoriam
23
Memorials & Tributes
Catalyst is published semi-annually by the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art, a public charity founded in 1967. It is sent free to all members. Questions may be directed to Marketing & Communications, P.O. Box 141, Chadds Ford, PA 19317. © 2022 Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art. Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art is registered with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania under the provision of Act No. 1990-202. Solicitation of Funds for Charitable Purposes Act. A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free, within PA (800) 732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.
100% recyclable
This publication is printed on paper manufactured from 10% recycled fibers certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT “I think as I came out of the womb, I asked my mother for a paintbrush.” — Carol Kardon
Brandywine member Carol Kardon is an
award-winning artist who currently lives in Wynnewood, PA. She grew up in Mt. Vernon, NY, and moved to the Philadelphia area in 1957. Carol’s mother was an artist, giving lessons to teens on the porch of their home on Saturday mornings. While Carol was not permitted to participate in these lessons, she got strength from this independence and instead pursued art in school and in her free time. In college, Carol studied stage design and was interested in pursuing it as a career in theater. However, when she graduated in 1956, women were not permitted in the United Scenic Artists union. While Carol didn’t pursue stage design professionally, she has designed stages for Philadelphia area theaters, like Hedgerow Theater in Media, PA. She has also taught art classes at the Wayne Art Center and Main Line Art Center, as well as given workshops for the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and other venues, but she never intended to be a teacher. “It was a total fluke!” Carol said. Carol’s favorite subject to paint has always been farm landscapes. She has especially been inspired by the Kuerner Farm, a
4
National Historic Landmark owned by the Brandywine. “If they would put a bed there, I would move in,” she said. Carol began participating in Brandywine’s programs about four years ago, including Drawing & Painting with Karl J. Kuerner and Kuerner Farm Plein Air Days. She has also always been a fan of the Wyeths, which has led her on many trips including a visit to Cushing, Maine, to see where Andrew Wyeth painted Christina’s World, and on tours of his studio here in Chadds Ford, PA. Painting en plein air, or the act of painting outdoors, is Carol’s preferred style of painting. She loves to paint in different areas throughout Chester County to capture the beauty of the rural landscapes. Carol doesn’t have just one type of medium that she uses to create her art. “I use pastel and oil, but my newest love is something called walnut ink.” This ink was originally derived from the green husk surrounding the nut of a walnut. The pigment is mixed with water and creates a sepia-colored ink when applied with a bamboo pen on paper. Utilizing this ink, Carol won first place in the Black and White exhibition at the historic Salmagundi Club in New York City— one of America’s oldest arts organizations.
Carol Kardon, Shed with Haybale, 2020
Her winning piece, Shed with Haybale (2020), features a section of Kuerner Farm done in walnut ink on paper. “I loved the old wire fences and where the haybale was in place in the shed,” noted Carol. “The light was wonderful that day.” Like the Wyeths, Carol will never stop drawing inspiration from the world around her when creating art. No matter the medium, she continues to capture the beauty of the familiar landscapes of the Brandywine and beyond. “The challenge of putting all these parts together is what, for me, painting is all about,” added Carol. “The eye becomes the lens of the heart.” n Want to share the spotlight? Contact Kaitlin LeRoy, Membership Manager, for details on how you can be featured in our next issue of Catalyst. Kaitlin can be reached at 610-388-8341 or kleroy@brandywine.org.
The Laurels Preserve
EXPANDING INTO THE FUTURE
The Laurels Preserve has been a refuge for
Brandywine members for over 35 years. Nestled in the center of 5,367-acres of conserved land protected during the King Ranch preservation project—the first largescale project of its kind in Pennsylvania in the 1980s—the 771-acre Preserve is also a refuge for important bird and other animal species, including bobolinks, eastern meadowlarks, and American bald eagles.
Top: Aerial view of a trail from the Roberts property addition. Bottom: A view from one of the trails along the Brown property addition.
In a time when member visitation to the Laurels has never been higher, the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art, with the help of preservation partners and members, expanded the Preserve in 2021 by 17% with two major acquisitions— the 85-acre Roberts Family property and the 51-acre Brown Family property. These expansions will provide increased member access and will transform the way Brandywine will steward the Laurels Preserve into the future.
The Roberts Property: Securing Perpetual Trail Access into the Laurels In September 2021, the Brandywine took possession of the Roberts Family property adjacent to the Preserve, officially adding 85 acres to the Laurels. The acquisition of this pristine land secured two trails, totaling about 6,900 feet, that serve as the main point of entry to the northwestern part of the Laurels. Since then, staff have worked diligently to improve both the carriage and walking trails that lead to the iconic Mary Ann Pyle Bridge for members to enjoy. While this exciting addition marked the first expansion of the Laurels Preserve since its formation, it ended up being the first of two major developments this past year.
5
Brown Property: A Dream Realized Since the establishment of the Laurels in the mid-1980s, the Brandywine has always wanted a physical presence in the Preserve to foster even stronger relationships within the community and to better— and more efficiently—steward the land itself. As an undeveloped natural preserve with no infrastructure, the Brandywine has historically relied on the generosity of Laurels-adjacent neighbors for equipment storage and other needs. That changed last year when the Brandywine was presented with a generous and unique opportunity to purchase Armisted Farm, owned by the Brown family. With 51 acres adjacent to the Laurels, Armisted Farm features trails; two first-order streams leading to the Buck Run, totaling 1,800 feet; and a striking, one-story residence that will allow Brandy-
6
wine staff to have some storage and office facilities—and finally, a permanent anchor in the Preserve. Armisted Farm was owned and lovingly created by the late Henry I. and Caroline S. Brown—better known as Jerry and Cookie. Cousins of the Brandywine’s late co-founder, George A. “Frolic” Weymouth, the Browns were deeply committed to the Brandywine’s mission. In 1989, Jerry, an architect, designed and constructed the family’s two-winged, single-story residence with a layout resembling the shape of a baseball diamond. Their inobtrusive site selection melds with and beautifully complements the surrounding landscape. The structure itself feels like part of the scenery and was designed with passive solar heating. It is a natural fit as the Brandywine’s base at the Laurels and a tribute to the Browns’ com-
mitment and sensitivity to the environment. In honor of both Jerry and Cookie’s dedication to Brandywine’s mission, their building will be named the Cookie and Jerry Brown Center at Armisted Farm. Now that the acquisition of this property is official, the Brandywine is currently working on the long-term plans for Armisted Farm—working closely with neighbors and community members—and we look forward to sharing our progress. With these two major additions, the Laurels Preserve now expands to a total of 908 acres, ensuring increased and expanded access for our members for generations to come. n Top: The Cookie and Jerry Brown Center at Armisted Farm. Right: Views of the Laurels accessed from the new property additions.
7
ICONIC HORACE PIPPIN PAINTING DONATED Through the generosity of The Davenport Family Foundation—in loving memory of
Peter D. Davenport—the Brandywine recently acquired Horace Pippin’s Gas Alarm Outpost, Argonne, a major early work by the artist and one of only seven paintings he created reflecting his experiences as a soldier during World War I.
Pippin served in France as part of the all-Black 369th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed the Harlem Hellfighters, who fought at the Battle of Argonne in 1918. The regiment was deployed overseas in late 1917 and—because American white soldiers then refused to fight alongside Black soldiers—it was reassigned to assist a French military unit along the German border. One of the few Black regiments sent into active combat, the Harlem Hellfighters were at the front longer than any other American unit: 191 continuous days in the trenches. The Battle of Meuse-Argonne remains one of the largest offensives in American military history. The 369th Regiment was celebrated for its bravery, and Pippin and his unit were awarded the Croix de Guerre by the French government and, more recently, a posthumous Congressional Gold Medal by the U.S. government in 2021. Pippin was one of almost 100,000 American soldiers wounded in this battle when he was permanently injured by a sniper shot to his right shoulder at Argonne. Several years after his return to his native West Chester, PA, Pippin—without formal training—began creating burnt wood engravings, and then a few years later he turned to painting in oil. In this haunting composition, now on view at the Brandywine, the artist depicts three soldiers on sentry duty near the front lines. They were assigned to sound the alarm—visible to the right of the door of the partially hidden shed—whenever the hiss of a gas cylinder was heard. The men 8
are outfitted with gas masks, contained in the canvas bags worn around their necks. Pippin reworked the color of the sky several times making it increasingly lighter. In adopting a brilliant shade of blue, he emphasizes two ominous details painted in dark contrast: relentless strands of razor wire and a soldier parachuting from one of the military planes passing overhead. This remarkable painting of Black history—the last of the artist’s war paintings still held in a private collection—was one of the most visible works in Pippin’s lifetime, being shown in exhibitions regularly beginning the very year it was completed. It also has a noteworthy connection to N. C. Wyeth who, along with art critic and collector Christian Brinton, helped organize and sponsor Pippin’s first solo exhibition in 1937 at the West Chester Community Center, which included Gas Alarm Outpost as one of the 10 paintings shown. This exhibition was critical in launching the artist’s career and his meteoric rise to fame. The addition of Gas Alarm Outpost, Argonne brings the number of Pippin works in the Museum collection to four, joining Birmingham Meeting House in Summertime (1941); Saying Prayers (1943); and Potted Plant in Window (1944). Together the group reveals the breadth of Pippin’s subject matter, allowing for a fuller telling of the artist’s career. The new acquisition is especially resonant given the profound effect the war had on Pippin as a man and artist. “When I was a boy I loved to make pictures,” he wrote in an undated letter, but it was World War I that “brought out all the art in me.” Pippin continued, “I can never forget suffering, and I will never forget sunset…so I came home with all of it in my mind and I paint from it today.”† n †
Undated letter from Horace Pippin, Horace Pippin War Memoirs, Letters, and Photographs, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
Image: Horace Pippin (18881946), Gas Alarm Outpost, Argonne, ca. 1931-37, oil on canvas. Purchased with funds given by The Davenport Family Foundation in loving memory of Peter D. Davenport, 2021
9
Josephine Joy (American, 1869–1948), Waterbirds Nesting (detail), ca. 1935–1939, oil on canvas. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from General Services Administration.
GATECRASHERS The Rise of the Self-Taught Artist in America On view May 28–September 5 Coming to the Brandywine this May, Gatecrashers:
The Rise of the Self-Taught Artist in America will celebrate two dozen early 20th century painters who fundamentally reshaped the notion of who could be called an artist in the United States. This exhibition examines how artists without formal training “crashed the gates” (as the newspapers of the day put it) of the elite art world after World War I, diversifying that field across lines of race, ethnicity, class, gender and ability. The exhibition is organized by the High Museum of Art and curated by Katherine Jentleson, the High’s Curator of Folk and SelfTaught Art. Included in Gatecrashers are over 60 works by renowned painters such as Horace Pippin, Anna Mary Robertson “Grandma” Moses and John Kane, as well as by artists who are lesser known now but were recognized in their day, including Morris Hirshfield, Josephine Joy, Lawrence Lebduska, Patrick Sullivan and 17 others. The exhibition expands upon Jentleson’s book of the same title and is organized into thematic sections that explore the rise of the self-taught artist in the era between the wars. AMERICAN MYTHOLOGIES explores the belief
that self-taught artists were considered to be proof of a creative excellence that was “uniquely American.” By virtue of being untrained, these artists were seen as free from the traditions and innovations that had made European artists dominant for centuries. The gatecrashing American artists—such as Kane and Patsy Santo—often rose from humble or marginalized beginnings and were praised for their originality and national character.
John Kane (American, born Scotland, 1860–1934), Scene From The Scottish Highlands, ca. 1927, oil on canvas. Carnegie Museum of Art, gift of G. David Thompson. Grandma Moses (Anna Mary Robertson Moses) (American, 1860–1961), Black Horses, 1942, oil on Masonite. Courtesy of Galerie St. Etienne, New York. © Grandma Moses Properties Co., New York.
11
WORKERS FIRST examines the way that
the framing of self-taught artists as workers became a powerful component of their popularity during the Great Depression, when the idea of the practical, multitasking American gained particular resonance. Whether it was Hirshfield’s rise through the ranks of Brooklyn’s textile factories, or Israel Litwak’s trade as a cabinetmaker, critics noted how these artists’ occupational histories influenced their subject matter and served as a nonacademic pipeline that helped shape artistic excellence. Many selftaught artists, such as Josephine Joy, were also at some point employed by the Federal Art Project—a Depression-era assistance program for artists that underscored the association of art with labor and the importance of government work-relief programs. NEGOTIATING NATIONAL IDENTITY out-
lines the ways in which self-taught artists often incorporated images and subjects that emphasized national identity in their work. Many artists were recent immigrants who painted memories and customs from their homelands, as well as the places, symbols and history of the United States. The Ukraine-born William Doriani, 12
for example, paid tribute to his new home with a panoramic view of a patriotic procession he saw on the day he returned to the United States after a 13-year absence. The Museum of Modern Art’s 1938 exhibition Masters of Popular Painting, which included a number of artists represented in this exhibition, presented them as “artists of the people,” showing how immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe were increasingly considered American patriots. This was a significant shift given that, just a decade earlier, immigrants from these areas had been the targets of prejudice and restrictive immigration policies. RELATED TRENDS IN AMERICAN PAINTING
points out the ways in which work by selftaught artists in this period related to that of the American Modernists. Alignments in style and subject matter led to exhibitions that integrated self-taught artists’ work with that of their trained peers, as in the Museum of Modern Art’s 1943 exhibition Realists and Magic Realists. That exhibition, for example, featured work by self-taught artists like Patrick Sullivan and highly trained artists such as Andrew Wyeth and Peter Blume. In Gatecrashers, the work of self-taught artists
Pippin and Cleo Crawford will also appear alongside formally trained modernists Jacob Lawrence and Hale Woodruff. All four were Black artists who achieved recognition in the pluralistic atmosphere of the period. Gatecrashers: The Rise of the Self-Taught Artist in America will offer a fascinating new perspective on how self-taught artists were perceived and elevated in the years after World War I. It will also provide a fascinating context to the Brandywine’s own holdings of self-taught artists, including Pippin and Moses, both of whom figure prominently in the exhibition and related publication. The exhibition is accompanied by Katherine Jentleson’s book of the same name, published by the University of California Press, and available for purchase from the Brandywine’s Museum Shop. n This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts and The Dorothea and Leo Rabkin Foundation. At Brandywine, Gatecrashers is sponsored by Chase. Additional support is provided by the Matz Family Charitable Fund; Mr. and Mrs. Anson McC. Beard Jr.; and the Fawcett Family Foundation.
Top: William Doriani (American, born Ukraine, 1891–1958), Flag Day, 1935, oil on canvas. The Museum of Modern Art, New York, The Sidney and Harriet Janis Collection. Digital Image © The Museum of Modern Art/Licensed by SCALA/Art Resource, New York. Lower left: Lawrence Lebduska (American, 1894–1966), Untitled (Horses and Rattlesnakes), 1946, oil on canvas. Collection of Carl and Marian Mullis.
Lower right: Morris Hirshfield (American, 1879–1946), Girl in a Mirror, 1940, oil on canvas. The Museum of Modern Art, New York, purchase. © 2021 Estate of Morris Hirshfield/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Digital image © The Museum of Modern Art/Licensed by SCALA/Art Resource, New York.
13
DAWOUD BEY Night Coming Tenderly, Black
Dawoud Bey (b. 1953), Night Coming Tenderly, Black: Untitled #24 (At Lake Erie), 2017, gelatin silver print, 44 x 55 in. Purchased with Museum funds, 2022. © Dawoud Bey, courtesy of Rena Bransten Gallery
On view at the Brandywine this May,
Dawoud Bey: Night Coming Tenderly, Black is a selection of photographs from Bey’s critically acclaimed series from 2017. Regarded as one of the most important photographers working today, Dawoud Bey (b. 1953) is recognized for his compelling, large-scale portraits and street photographs of marginalized people and communities that began in the 1970s. Inspired by artist Roy DeCarava (1919—2009), Bey has been photographing the Black community in Harlem where he was born, and Queens where he grew up, for over four decades. In Night Coming Tenderly, Black Bey imagines the flight of enslaved African American fugitives in the mid-nineteenth century traveling along the last part of an Underground Railroad network. He shot these landscapes (the artist’s first) in Ohio moving northward towards Lake Erie, on the other side of which lay Canada and 14
freedom. The artist presents a narrative that instills in the viewer a visceral sensation of moving surreptitiously through an unknown nocturnal landscape—what it would feel like to encounter thick forests, open creeks and marshes, and to come upon fenced property and houses—the only signifiers of human presence in these photographs. He imagines too the overwhelming sense of vulnerability. As Bey said about the series, “…the challenge of making history visible was different, because the exact movement of fugitive slaves across the American landscape had—for reasons of their very survival—to remain secret. This mystery allowed me the conceptual space to reimagine what that movement might have been, how it might have looked and felt.” Making silver gelatin photographs for the first time since the early 1990s, Bey created large-scale photographs printed in luscious black and
gray tones to convey nighttime and adopted a large-scale format to immerse the viewer in the landscape. The title of the series was inspired by Dream Variations (published 1926), a poem by Langston Hughes. In Untitled #24 (At Lake Erie), recently acquired by the Brandywine, the artist offers a distant glimpse of this enormous body of water. Shrouded by thick foliage, the Lake—the final obstacle on the route to freedom—is revealed. Bey described the location as one where he felt a visceral and spiritual connection to the past. On view in the Strawbridge Family Gallery from May 19 through August 31, 2022, Dawoud Bey: Night Coming Tenderly, Black will have particular resonance for the Brandywine region, given the many local sites that were active stations of the Underground Railroad network. n
CONSERVANCY PILOTS INNOVATIVE STORMWATER DESIGN AT LOCAL FARM
View of the biochar swale leading out to the stream.
As owners of a multi-generational horse farm
in West Grove, Pennsylvania, Hugh and Sally Lofting, and other family members collectively known as J. Renwick Kerr Trust, have always been passionate about being good environmental stewards of their land. Back in the 1990s, the Lofting farm was among the first in the area to plant a grove of trees and other hardy plants—known as a riparian buffer—alongside the stream that runs through their property and feeds into the White Clay Creek watershed. These buffers have numerous benefits, including the ability to help filter out contaminants found in stormwater runoff before they enter waterways—which is especially important for streams that run through agricultural lands. “When my grandmother Ida Kerr Lofting was still alive, she was very generous about supporting the family’s interest in prioritizing the ecological health of the property,” said Hugh Lofting. “For my grandmother, it was always about her deep love of the farm, and I think it was important to her that we wanted to keep it as a beautiful piece of land that we all can enjoy. That grounding in environmentalism, along 16
with the continued support of the family, has been fundamental as Sally and I have made infrastructure changes to the barn and horse operation. It is important that we uphold that legacy of being responsible ecological stewards and keeping the land in good condition for the future generations.”
wick Kerr trustees Hugh Lofting and Cintra Murray. Their property also had one of the first grassland reserve conservation plans in southeastern Pennsylvania, which provides ecologically important meadow-like conditions for wildlife habitat, water quality and soil health improvement.
This early work on the farm was just the start of the family’s conservation ethic, which has led to a decades-long partnership with the Brandywine Conservancy. Most notably, the Conservancy assisted the current trustees in placing an agricultural conservation easement on their farm in 2014 to preserve the land in perpetuity. A few years later, the Conservancy aided the family on a set of measures known as “whole-farm” Best Management Practices (BMPs) to help keep valuable soils in place on their property— reducing the need for chemical fertilizers and minimizing runoff—which ultimately improved sustainability and profitability of the farm operation.
Most recently, the Loftings were experiencing issues with previous stormwater retention work that was underperforming on their property near a stream. To address this, the Conservancy’s staff teamed up with Ecotone, Inc, a local Maryland-based company, to install an innovative stormwater system that utilized biochar in the problem area. Biochar is a carbon-rich, treated organic material that has a variety of environmental benefits. “In simple terms, the process of making biochar mirrors the production of charcoal, which is perhaps the most ancient industrial technology developed by humankind,” noted Chuck Hegberg, Vice President of Ecotone, Inc. “The use of biochar can help purify water, reduce the amount of soil nutrient leaching losses, and sequester carbon from the air back into the soil, all of which increase agricultural productivity and reduce environmental contaminants.”
“As stewards of our multi-generational farm, we are always looking for ways to protect our watershed,” said current J. Ren-
To begin work on the farm, the team dug out a large swale—or a drainage trench—in the ground and then lined it with woodchips mixed with biochar material. The swale acts as a catch basin for any runoff coming from gutters, pervious surfaces and overload flow, and then slows it down while the biochar absorbs contaminants before they can enter the stream. Put simply, enhanced with the biochar, this drainage trench essentially acts like a Brita water filter, removing contaminants before they can travel to the stream–which later becomes our drinking water. The biochar “recipe” utilized at the Loftings’ farm looks, and smells, like traditional shredded wood mulch. Based on the amount of contaminants and water flow that will process through the swale, the biochar “filter” has a lifespan of about 20 years. Once its lifespan has been exceeded, the biochar medium can either be replaced with a new “filter,” removed and used as a soil amendment, or it can even be left in place—with all the contaminants bound to the biochar rendered inert. To the best of our knowledge, this innovative biochar system installed at the Loftings’ farm is the first of its kind in southeastern Pennsylvania, but certainly not the last. The technology has been employed throughout the world and in neighboring states to address other water quality concerns, such as road and highway impaired stormwater runoff. Depending on the specific prescribed biochar recipe, different contaminants can be targeted such as nitrogen, phosphorous and even heavy metals—as indicated by wide interest for these types of biochar systems near roadways. As the enthusiasm for biochar continues to grow, more projects focusing on water quality are being designed to include this material. The Conservancy was recently awarded funding from both the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Growing Greener grant program to implement four new biochar projects in the coming year. These projects are being designed with assistance from Mowery Environmental consultants. The new projects will be implemented in the White Clay and Red Clay Creek watersheds, as well as in Honey Brook, PA, where the headwaters of the Brandywine River begin. All of these areas are in important geographies that the Conservancy has been working in to support the William Penn Foundation’s Delaware River Watershed Initiative (DRWI). Now in its ninth year, the DRWI has provided the Conservancy with funding and resources to explore more innovative biochar systems, in addition to land protection, municipal assistance and land restoration projects. In coordination with work being done alongside its DRWI partners, the Conservancy is excited to implement these new projects and continue its work with landowners like the Loftings to improve water quality in our region. “We greatly appreciate our partnership with the Conservancy,” added Lofting and Murray. “We look forward to future collaborations, operational recommendations, and innovations that restore and regenerate the ecological systems on the property for many years to come.” n
Photographs by Mark Gormel
WILDFLOWER, NATIVE PLANT & SEED SALE MOTHER’S DAY WEEKEND MAY 7 & 8, 2022 9:30 A.M. TO 4:30 P.M. Members Preview Sale: Friday, May 6, 1–4:30 p.m.
17
EVENTS CALENDAR May–September 2022
May 2022 13
15
Artist-Led Gallery Tour
Kuerner Farm Plein Air Day
2 p.m.^
9:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
A guided Museum tour led by a
An exclusive opportunity for artists to
professional painter.
explore Kuerner Farm.
4
13
23 & 24
Members’ Bus Trip to Chanticleer
Kuerner Farm Photography Evening
Virtual Gallery Talk with Victoria
9 a.m.–3 p.m.
4:30–8:30 p.m.
Wyeth: Thoughts on Paper
Explore the beautiful gardens of
An exclusive opportunity for photog-
7 p.m.
Chanticleer and enjoy lunch at a
raphers to explore Kuerner Farm.
Victoria Wyeth shares uniquely
Drawing & Painting with Karl J. Kuerner New classes starting May 24 Eight-week painting classes at Kuerner Farm.
local restaurant.
13
Children & Family
Virtual Event
Tours & Talks
personal perspectives on the art of
14
her grandfather Andrew Wyeth.
Historical Hike at Birmingham
Stroller Tour
Hill Preserve
26
10:30 a.m.^
9:30–11 a.m.
Gatecrashers Exhibition Members
A guided Museum tour designed
Join local historian Verne Weidman
Preview Party
especially for adults accompanied
on a hike through history at
6–8 p.m.
by babies.
Brandywine Conservancy’s first public preserve, Birmingham Hill.
Workshops & Classes
Members Only
Special Events
27 Member Appreciation Day 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Online Critter Shop Is Back! Get a head start on the holiday season with the return of our Online Critter Shop! Featuring a selection of new creations and traditional favorites, the online shop is updated frequently as additional Critters get made and are ready for sale. Critters can be shipped across the country; prices start at $15. Shop online at www.brandywine.org/critters
18
Event Information
Unless otherwise noted, all programs and events are ticketed and/or require advance registration. For more information, program descriptions or to register, please visit brandywine.org/events
† Registration required, but free admission * Free; no registration required ^ Free with Museum admission; no registration required
June 2022 5
10
16
22-24
Look – Explore – Create!
Stroller Tour
Meditative Walk in Waterloo Mills
Plein Air Painting Workshop
Family Activities presented
10:30 a.m.
10–11:30 a.m.
10 a.m.–4 p.m., daily
by PNC Arts Alive
A guided Museum tour designed
Connect with the sights and sounds
Three-day immersion into plein air
10 a.m.–2 p.m.
especially for adults accompanied
of Waterloo Mills.
painting along the Brandywine with
†
Art activities and gallery explorations for all ages. Free First Sunday admission is made possible by PECO.
^
by babies.
15
17 Studio Spotlight: Steph Fizer
“Evening at Kuerners” Plein Air
Coleman
4:30–8:30 p.m.
12 p.m.
Plein Air Day at Miller Farm
An exclusive opportunity for artists to
Discover the work and creative
9:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
explore Kuerner Farm.
practice of artist and children’s book
8
artist Fran Atkinson.
illustrator, Steph Fizer Coleman.
An exclusive opportunity for artists to capture the beauty of Miller Farm.
July 2022 13
28
Creative Escape: Handmade
“Evening at Kuerners” Plein Air
Books
4:30–8:30 p.m.
6–8 p.m.
An exclusive opportunity for artists
Unwind, mingle and make art. BYOB!
to explore Kuerner Farm.
20
30
Summer Garden Walk
Sensory-Friendly Saturday
10–11 a.m.
9–10:30 a.m.†
“Evening at Kuerners” Plein Air
A guided walk through the
Early access to the Museum and
4:30–8:30 p.m.
Brandywine’s campus gardens.
activities for visitors with autism or
Museum Explorers Family Workshops Thursdays, July 7-28 10 a.m.–12 p.m. Creative workshops for children ages 3 to 10 accompanied by their grownups.
7 An exclusive opportunity for artists to
ARTZ at Brandywine Free; registration required A monthly program for visitors with dementia and their care partners with opportunities to participate in-person and virtually. Learn more about upcoming dates and how to register at brandywine.org/events
sensory-processing sensitivities.
explore Kuerner Farm.
8 Stroller Tour 10:30 a.m.^ A guided Museum tour designed especially for adults accompanied by babies.
Stewardship Walks at the Laurels Preserve Twice a month, May–December † Guided by Brandywine staff, enjoy leisurely hikes around the Laurels Preserve and learn more about recent stewardship projects.
19
August 2022 7
17
Look – Explore – Create!
“Evening at Kuerners” Plein Air
Family Activities presented
4–8 p.m.
by PNC Arts Alive
An exclusive opportunity for artists to
10 a.m.–2 p.m.†
explore Kuerner Farm
Art activities and gallery explorations
September 2022 Drawing & Painting with Karl J. Kuerner New classes starting September 13 Eight-week painting classes at Kuerner Farm.
21 Fall Garden Walk 10–11 a.m. A guided walk through the Brandywine’s campus
for all ages. Free First Sunday
19
admission is made possible by PECO.
Concerts in the Courtyard:
9
Wicked Sycamore
Stroller Tour
Preview Party
6–9 p.m.
10:30 a.m.^
6–8 p.m.
12 Stroller Tour 10:30 a.m.^
17
A guided tour designed especially for
Bike the Brandywine
adults accompanied by babies.
Learn more at
23 Fragile Earth Exhibition Members
bikethebrandywine.org
Barks & Brews October 8, 12–4 p.m. An Oktoberfest celebration in the courtyard—canine friends welcome!
91st
Radnor Hunt Races May 21, 2022 Celebrate 91 years of horseracing on the Main Line. With everything from amazing tailgates and fancy hats, to the parade of antique carriages and thoroughbreds racing for the finish, Radnor Hunt Races is a day filled with excitement and fun. It’s also about Racing for Open Space as all proceeds benefit the clean water and open space programs of the Brandywine Conservancy. Reserve your tickets now!
ADVANCE SALE ONLY: PURCHASE PASSES BY MAY 11 RADNORHUNTRACES.ORG 610.388.8383
20
THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS
The following contributions were received for flood recovery and mitigation: $250,000 AND ABOVE
$1,000 AND ABOVE
Wyeth Foundation for American Art
Anonymous Mr. & Mrs. Francis H. Abbott Jr. Julie Bathon Mr. & Mrs. Herb Benson Mr. & Mrs. Terry Borton Mr. Thomas Bouchelle Ms. Dianne Bricker Mr. & Mrs. Roberts W. Brokaw III Mr. Robert G. Brown Mr. & Mrs. Christopher F. Buccini Mr. & Mrs. N. David Charkes Mr. & Mrs. John Clough Mr. & Mrs. Clay Constant Mr. & Mrs. Emery Davis Mrs. Betsy Dillon Mr. & Mrs. Sage Dorsey Mr. Donald Faix & Ms. Jenny Landis Dr. & Mrs. John B. Fawcett Mr. & Mrs. Joe Fisher Mr. Daniel Folmar Dr. Stephanie Fuller Mr. & Mrs. James Geiger Mr. & Mrs. G. Bernard Hamilton Mr. & Mrs. Douglas J. Hayes Mr. & Mrs. Glenn Heffner Ms. Frieda Hopkins Human Spirit Foundation – Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Krysiak Mr. & Mrs. Peter Hunsberger Mr. & Mrs. William H. Iredale Mr. & Mrs. Michael Landa Mr. & Mrs. David Linton Mr. & Mrs. Hugh MacDonald Mrs. Joan W. Mackie Meghan Madeira Manor Avenue Charitable Fund Mr. & Mrs. Douglas P. Marshall Mr. & Mrs. John P. McBride Mr. & Mrs. Richard M. McConnell Mr. & Mrs. Britton H. Murdoch Mr. & Mrs. R. Anderson Pew Mr. & Mrs. Blaine T. Phillips Mrs. Gail L. Pitone Mr. Charles Plymale Mr. & Mrs. James Przywitowski Cooper Robertson
$100,000 AND ABOVE
Mr. & Mrs. Anson McC. Beard Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Morris W. Stroud II Tsunami Foundation – Debra and Anson M. Beard Jr. and Family Welfare Foundation Inc. $50,000 AND ABOVE
Jean J. Beard Mary Alice Malone Ms. Claire Reid The Margaret Dorrance Strawbridge Foundation of PA I Inc. $25,000 AND ABOVE
Anonymous Sordoni Foundation Inc. $10,000 AND ABOVE
Ms. Helen C. Alexander Mr. & Mrs. Anson H. Beard Mr. & Mrs. William C. Buck Mr. & Mrs. Rodman W. Moorhead III Mr. Katsushige Susaki The Hamilton Family Charitable Foundation The Laffey-McHugh Foundation Mr. James H. Keyte & Ms. Deborah J. Weiker $5000 AND ABOVE
Elizabeth P. Carey V.M.D. Mrs. Margaretta B. Colt Ms. Joyce Creamer Davenport Family Foundation Mrs. Barbara D. Erskine Mr. & Mrs. Frank E. Fowler Mrs. Elizabeth Mellon Mr. & Mrs. Michael J. Moran Mrs. George M. Parker PECO Scott F. Richard & Mamie Duff The Honorable Chris Ross & Ms. Cecilia Ross Mr. & Mrs. George Strawbridge Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Schaeffer Barbara & Christopher Schmidt Mr. Edgar Scott Jr. Ms. Jennifer Seaver Mr. & Mrs. David D. Shields Ms. Janet Sidewater Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Simpson Mr. & Mrs. Michael Slough Mr. James Smigie & Ms. Katherine S. Ward Mr. Walter P. Smith Mrs. Margaretta K. Stabler Mr. & Mrs. Terrence A. Tobias Triangle Community Foundation Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Charles Ulmann Cuyler H. Walker Mr. & Mrs. William G. Walter Mr. & Mrs. Mark Wennell Mr. Bruce B. Wilson Mr. & Mrs. Hubert Wolf Mrs. M. Lynn Woods Ms. Teddi Wright Mr. & Mrs. Peter H. Zimmerman $500 AND ABOVE
Elizabeth Ator Ms. Kris Barone The Boronow-Kols Charitable Fund Mr. & Mrs. Scott Bruce Ms. Jane C. Burgarella Dr. Chien-Fu Lin & Miss Jane Chang Mr. Peter W. Chillingworth Mr. & Mrs. Robert C. Cole Jr. Mrs. Sarah H. Collings Mr. William Collins Mr. Charles S. Crompton Jr. Dr. Francine Cwyk & Mr. Gary Cwyk Ms. Jo Anne C. Debes Ms. Natalie L. Depman Michael Dudzenski Mr. James H. Duff Ms. Catherine Eells Mr. & Mrs. Jay Farrell Mr. & Mrs. Matthew Goodier Mr. & Mrs. Alan L. Goodman Dr. & Mrs. James R. Hagan Mr. Brian Harms Mrs. André Harvey
Ms. Lisa Hurd Marybeth Hurley Mr. Michael Imber Mrs. Patricia Jones Mr. Stephen P. Kelly Duane Kolterman Mr. & Mrs. Joseph W. Lurquin Jr. Mr. Timothy Lutz & Ms. Elizabeth Srogi Mr. & Mrs. Albert Mayer Gerald McHugh Mr. & Mrs. Donald C. Mell III The Harry Miller and Richard Guerrein Charitable Fund Mr. & Mrs. R. Thorpe Moeckel Mr. & Mrs. Ken Nachbar James and Sharon Nelson Mr. Alan B.B. Palmer Mrs. Margaret Parker Mr. & Mrs. David Perri Robert P. Rhodes Mr. John Richard Mr. & Mrs. Jesse D. Saunders Mr. & Mrs. C. Porter Schutt III Mr. & Mrs. Peter Silvia Ms. Edie Taylor & Mr. Christopher Price Mr. & Mrs. John H. Turner Ms. Mina H. Varney Mr. & Mrs. David E. Wetherford Ms. Martha M. White Mr. David Wickard Mr. & Mrs. N. Convers Wyeth
The 2021 Holiday Critter Display was made possible by in-kind donations of natural materials and Critter ornaments from Brandywine staff, volunteers, members and the community, including a significant contribution by Anna Marie Newman—a critter volunteer for over 30 years.
21
IN MEMORIAM Jane Brown Grimes (January 20, 1941–November 2, 2021)
Courtesy of the ITHF
had a long and impactful relationship with the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art. A dedicated trustee and generous donor to the Brandywine, Grimes was respected by the board and staff for her thoughtful and measured advice. She and her husband, Charlie, were fixtures at Brandywine events over the years and together helped shape the trajectory of our organization through their philanthropy.
Outside of Brandywine, Grimes was renowned in the world of tennis. A skilled player herself, The New York Times described her as a “rare female force in tennis,” referencing her tenures as president of the United States Tennis Association and executive director, and later president, of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. In those roles, and many others, her leadership and advocacy for female athletes earned her legions of fans and her own place in the Tennis International Hall of Fame—being inducted by Chris Evert in 2014. A lifelong learner, she earned a master’s degree in business administration from City University of New York - Baruch College - Zicklin School of Business in 2012, a master’s degree in international relations in 2015, and—at the time of her passing—had nearly completed her dissertation in history at Cambridge University in England. As in the tennis world, her legacy at Brandywine will be enduring, and she is missed both by her fellow trustees and by staff leadership.
Andrew L. Johnson (July 31, 1937–June 19, 2021) served as the Execu-
tive Director of the Brandywine Conservancy from 1970-1976. A prominent conservationist, Johnson was also the former president of Natural Lands Trust and later founded the North American Land Trust (NALT)—a national conservation organization that was said to be his “crowning professional achievement.” During his tenure at NALT, the organization protected more than 100,000 acres from development in 19 states. Johnson was a well-known leader and visionary in the conservation community. He dedicated his life to protecting open space and the natural and cultural resources of the land—the results from which we all will continue to benefit. While his presence will be missed, his vision and legacy will continue to live on for generations to come.
Nancy L. Mohr (February 16, 1933–August 14, 2021) was an avid con-
servationist and a longtime champion of the Brandywine Conservancy. A resident of Unionville, PA for 50 years, Mohr and her husband, John, were deeply involved in land preservation efforts in Chester County. Working with the Brandywine Conservancy, Mohr helped establish clean water programs focused on the headwaters of the Brandywine-Christina watershed, and she was also involved with the King Ranch project in the 1980s and the Buck & Doe Trust. She served 18 years on the Chester County Planning Commission and was an active volunteer in her community. A writer at heart, Mohr penned several books and articles for national magazines and was a frequent contributor to local newspapers. Her passion and dedication to her community will be missed, but not forgotten.
MEMORIALS & TRIBUTES The Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art gratefully accepts and acknowledges gifts in honor or in memory of family and special friends, and in appreciation of our staff and volunteers. Recent gifts include:
IN MEMORY OF ALICE ANDERSEN
IN HONOR OF JACK HINES
IN MEMORY OF CHARLES &
Ms. Donna M. Converse
Mr. & Mrs. William H. Iredale
MURIEL RUDERSHAUSEN
IN HONOR OF AMY & CRAIG BARRY
IN MEMORY OF MR. ANDREW L. JOHNSON
Ms. Barbara Barry & Mr. Michael Pacht
Dr. & Mrs. Donald Coats Dr. Cynthia Paris & Mr. Robert Lear
IN MEMORY OF BILL SELLERS
IN MEMORY OF MRS. TINA H. BECKER
IN HONOR OF HARRY LEWIS
IN HONOR OF DAVID D. SHIELDS
Ms. Laurie Rubincan Mr. & Mrs. William Ehrig Mr. Michael Snyder Ms. Charlotte Knighton Kris Ehrig Ms. Samantha Nelson Ms. Deborah Peeples Mr. Christopher Connolly
BAR MITZVAH
Ms. Mary Werner DeNadai
Mr. Craig M. Whitlock
IN HONOR OF AMANDA C. BURDAN
Crosslands Residents Association IN MEMORY OF ANNE GILBERT CURTIN
Mr. Andrew R. Juhl IN MEMORY OF MATTHEW JAMES DAVIS
Mr. & Mrs. James Davis IN MEMORY OF MR. JOSEPH DONAHUE
Ms. Bonnie Northeimer IN MEMORY OF MRS. ROSAMOND L. DU PONT-FELCH
Mrs. Cyndi Cahill Ms. Elizabeth J. Jenkins & Mr. John W. Day IN HONOR OF ELLEN M. FERRETTI
Ms. Rhonda Case IN MEMORY OF GEORGE H. & IN HONOR OF LIESL MAHONEY
DOROTHY STITELER
Mrs. Sally Aglidian
Mrs. Katherine Jiggins
IN HONOR OF MICHAEL MEMOLI’S
IN HONOR OF GEORGE & JULIA
BIRTHDAY
STRAWBRIDGE
Mr. & Mrs. Jack M. Hines Jr.
(in addition to previous gifts)
S & G Foundation IN MEMORY OF MRS. NANCY L. MOHR (in addition to previous gifts)
IN HONOR OF MORRIS W. STROUD
Hon. & Mrs. Lawrence E. Wood Dr. Betsy R. DeMarino & Mr. Edward E. Weisbrod Mr. Edward E. Weisbrod & Dr. Betsy R. DeMarino Mr. & Mrs. David C. Teetor The Buck Family Mr. William J. Price V Mrs. Audrey F. Donohue Mr. Robert Pearson Mr. & Mrs. Morris W. Stroud II
Hon. Stephen G. Milliken
IN MEMORY OF MRS. CORDELIA M. OVERHISER
(in addition to previous gifts) Mr. George Robert Overhiser Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Fleischmann V IN MEMORY OF MR. JEFFREY MICHAEL IN MEMORY OF MRS. JANE
PATRICK
BROWN GRIMES
(in addition to previous gifts)
Ms. Virginia A. Logan
Mr. & Mrs. Burriss G. Wilson Mrs. Kristie Depew Arlene Kellett & Eva Thomas Mrs. MacKenzie Twardis Mr. B. G. Wilson Jr. Ms. Susan Patrick
IN HONOR MARGOT ROWLEY & CHUCK GUPTA
Ms. Jeanette Stevens
Alyssa Sellers
IN MEMORY OF ROBERT & MOLLY HERSHEY
IN MEMORY OF MR. MAYNARD
Mr. Michael L. Hershey Dr. & Mrs. Stephen L. Hershey
PEARLSTINE
IN HONOR OF EDIE TAYLOR’S BIRTHDAY
Mrs. Susann Ciorletti IN MEMORY OF MR. GILBERT A. TOON
Mr. & Mrs. James Geiger IN MEMORY OF MR. EDWARD TRAHAN
Ms. Susan B. Trahan IN MEMORY OF LOUIS C. & BARBARA R. WASHBURN
Ms. Elizabeth W. Pesce IN MEMORY OF GEORGE A. “FROLIC” WEYMOUTH (in addition to previous gifts)
Mr. & Mrs. Anson H. Beard Ms. Meemie Sullivan Cuyler H. Walker IN HONOR OF THE MUSEUM & OUR WEDDING
Mr. & Mrs. Francis Wiechecki IN HONOR OF VICTORIA WYETH
Ms. Eugenia Drobit & Mr. James Blair
Max & Hiroko Warshauer Mr. Steve Schaeffer
23
P.O. Box 141, Route 1 Chadds Ford, PA 19317
MUSEUM HOURS Visit www.brandywine.org/hours INFORMATION brandywine.org/museum information@brandywine.org 610.388.2700 FOLLOW THE MUSEUM @brandywinerivermuseum @brandywinerivermuseum
EXHIBITIONS Gatecrashers: The Rise of the Self-Taught Artist in America May 28–September 5, 2022
PRESERVE HOURS The Laurels, Waterloo Mills & Birmingham Hill Preserves Visit www.brandywine.org/preserves
Dawoud Bey: Night Coming Tenderly, Black May 19–August 31, 2022
INFORMATION brandywine.org/conservancy information@brandywine.org 610.388.8340
Fragile Earth: The Naturalist Impulse in Contemporary Art September 24, 2022–January 8, 2023
@branrivermuseum Cover: William Doriani (American, born Ukraine, 1891–1958), Flag Day (detail), 1935, oil on canvas. The Museum of Modern Art, New York, The Sidney and Harriet Janis Collection. Digital Image © The Museum of Modern Art/Licensed by SCALA/Art Resource, New York.
Brandywine Railroad November 25, 2022–January 8, 2023
FOLLOW THE CONSERVANCY @brandywineconservancy @brandywineconservancy @branconservancy