See His Art at the Brandywine River Museum
Grand opening for studio tours is July 3
Building also served as Wyeth's home for two decades
 Photo: Carlos Alejandro |
An intensely private man, Andrew Wyeth's studio was his retreat from the world, its doors open to a very few close friends and family. Many of his most important works of art were painted in the studio, including Winter 1946, Groundhog Day and Trodden Weed.
Wyeth and his wife Betsy moved in shortly after their marriage in 1940, and lived there until 1961. They had two sons, Nicholas and Jamie. The building also served as Jamie's first studio where he painted many of his early works, including Draft Age and his posthumous portrait of John F. Kennedy.
The tour offers insights into Wyeth's life, his working methods and sources of inspiration in the private space where he created many of his masterworks. Visitors will learn about his creative process and see his library, photos, film collection, fencing gear, military miniatures collection, costumes and props. The studio was given to the Brandywine River Museum by Betsy James Wyeth in 2010.
The youngest child of renowned artist N.C. Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009) was born in Chadds Ford, and except for summers in Maine, spent his life in the village. Throughout his career, he painted the farms, open space and the Brandywine River itself, making the countryside internationally famous.
Tours take place Tuesday through Sunday at 10, 10:45, and 11:30 a.m. and 12:15, 1, 1:45, 2:30 and 3:15 p.m., from July 3rd through November 18. Tours are approximately one hour long and are for ages 6 and older. Children under 6 are not permitted on the tours. Advanced ticket purchase is recommended.
In celebration of the opening of the Andrew Wyeth studio, the Brandywine River Museum presents A Painter's View: The Andrew Wyeth Studio, on view through October 28, 2012. This exhibition features the artist's own view of his studio in paintings and drawings lent from private collections. These works, created between 1943 and 2005, reflect the artist's interest in the building's spare and aged interior and reveal informal moments with individuals who often posed there. The gallery also features many of the major works painted by Wyeth in the studio over his 70-year career.
The Brandywine River Museum also offers tours of other properties associated with the Wyeth family. These include the N.C. Wyeth House and Studio, and the nearby Kuerner Farm.
On special "Art of Andrew Wyeth" tours, visitors tour the studio, take a docent-led tour featuring "Three Generations of Wyeth Art" from the Museum's renowned collections, and enjoy a leisurely lunch in the Museum restaurant overlooking the scenic Brandywine. The cost, which includes lunch, museum tour and admission fees, is $30 for adults, $25 for seniors and $20 for Brandywine Conservancy members. Tours will take place on July 17 and 31, August 14 and 28, September 11 and 25, October 9 and 23, November 6 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Please click here to purchase tickets, or call 610-388-8326.
To purchase tickets
Advanced, timed tickets are recommended and may be purchased online. The cost is $8 per person in addition to Museum admission. Visitors must be age 6 and older. Tours will take place at 10, 10:45, and 11:30 a.m. and 12:15, 1, 1:45, 2:30 and 3:15 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday, through November 18. For complete details, please visit www.brandywinemuseum.org or call 610-388-2700.
Visitor Information
The Brandywine River Museum is located on U.S. Route 1 in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. The Museum is open daily, except Christmas Day, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is $12 for adults; $8 for seniors; $6 for students and children ages 6 to 12; and free for members and children under six. Tickets for the Kuerner Farm and the N.C. Wyeth House and Studio tours cost an additional $8 each (free for members). For more information, including tour schedules, please call 610-388-2700 or visit www.brandywinemuseum.org.
About the Brandywine River Museum
The Brandywine River Museum is a program of the Brandywine Conservancy. Founded in 1967, the Brandywine Conservancy preserves art and the environment, including the open space and countryside painted by many artists in the Museum collection. It holds more than 440 conservation easements and has protected over 45,000 acres in Pennsylvania and Delaware. Through its nationally recognized Environmental Management Center, the Conservancy provides services to landowners, farmers, municipalities and developers tailored to the character and function of the land, goals of the landowner, and interests of the community. In 2008, the Brandywine Conservancy was among the first land trusts in the country to be awarded accreditation by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission.