For the past century, the Brandywine Valley has been home to the Wyeth dynasty and the origin of their artistic inspiration. While all of the area’s breathtaking scenery has been a source of creativity, Kuerner Farm, with its 19th-century farmhouse and adjacent barn, fascinated Andrew Wyeth for over 70 years. A day-long visit to the Brandywine Museum of Art led by art historian Bonita Billman brings the landscape to life and offers an opportunity to explore a trio of special exhibitions, featuring works by Andrew Wyeth, Jamie Wyeth, and Karl J. Kuerner—plus the Andrew Wyeth house and studio and Kuerner Farm (open to public tours for only a few days of the year).
“Karl J. Kuerner: The Continuity of Creativity” marks the 25th anniversary of Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art’s acquisition of Kuerner Farm as well as highlighting Kuerner’s work there over the decades as he continues to mine the property’s power of creative inspiration. Kuerner has been offering art classes on-site for many years, part of Brandywine’s programmatic interpretation at the farm. Andrew Wyeth foresaw artistic possibilities at Kuerner Farm, which have been borne out in Kuerner’s work as well as in the work of the many art students whom he mentors on the property.
Also on view is “Jamie Wyeth: Unsettled,” which traces a vein of intriguing, often disconcerting imagery over the artist’s career. The exhibition, not intended as a retrospective, provides a focused look at Wyeth’s imagery and insights into the artist and the art of visual storytelling.
The third exhibition, “Every Leaf & Twig: Andrew Wyeth’s Botanical Imagination,” tells the story of Andrew Wyeth’s focus on the fragile rhythms and intimate dramas of plant life. Drawn from the holdings of the Wyeth Foundation for American Art, most of the 40 watercolors and drawings have never been exhibited before.
Travel offsite in small groups to tour Andrew Wyeth’s nearby home and studio as well as Kuerner Farm. Enjoy a boxed lunch at the museum’s Millstone Café.
The day ends with a private wine tasting at Chaddsford Winery, just down the road from the museum. The guided tasting features five of their signature wines, made from regionally grown grapes using eco-friendly production practices.
World Art History Certificate elective: Earn 1/2 credit*
Know Before You Go
- The tour departs by motorcoach from downtown Washington, DC with a designated secondary pick-up outside the city. Content delivered by the study leader on the way to the destination, after the secondary pick-up, is an integral part of the study tour experience. Meeting the group once the tour is en route is discouraged.
- Tour participants meet at and leave by bus bus from the Mayflower Hotel (Connecticut Ave. & DeSales St., DeSales St. side), with a pickup stop at I-495 exit 27 carpool lot at about 7:40 a.m.
General Information
- Registration for this tour will end by 2 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 9, 2024.
- Smithsonian Associates is a mask-friendly environment. Please feel free to bring and wear a mask at any time during a tour, both for your safety or the safety of others.
- For additional tour information:
*Enrolled participants in the World Art History Certificate Program receive 1/2 elective credit. Not yet enrolled? Learn about the program, its benefits, and how to register here.
