Summary
Wharton Esherick Studio, now housing the Wharton Esherick Museum, was the studio of the craftsman-artist Wharton Esherick (1887–1970), in Malvern, Pennsylvania. The studio was built between 1926 and 1966, reflecting Esherick's evolving sculptural style—from Arts and Crafts, through German Expressionism, ending with the free form Modernist curves that marked his later work.
Wharton Esherick Studio | |
 Wharton Esherick Studio | |
   | |
| Location | 1520 Horseshoe Trail, near Malvern, Tredyffrin Township, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°5′1″N 75°29′36″W / 40.08361°N 75.49333°W |
| Area | 5.5 acres (2.2 ha) |
| Built | 1926 |
| Architect | Wharton Esherick; Louis Kahn |
| Architectural style | Bungalow/craftsman |
| NRHP reference No. | 73001615[1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | April 26, 1973[1] |
| Designated NHL | April 19, 1993[2] |
There are five structures on the site: his home and studio, the 1956 workshop designed with Louis Kahn, the 1928 German Expressionist log garage which now serves as the museum visitor center, his woodshed, and the recently reconstructed German Expressionist outhouse.
The buildings, from their structural forms down to the door handles and light pulls, were designed and built by Wharton Esherick to create a complete artistic environment. The studio is filled with more than 300 of Wharton Esherick's works, including sculpture, furniture and furnishings, paintings and prints.[3]
The Wharton Esherick Museum was incorporated as a non-profit corporation in 1971, it opened for visitors in 1972, and in 1973 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[4]
The studio was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1993.[2][5]
Under the direction of the museum curator, the Wharton Esherick Museum holds an annual Thematic Woodworking Competition and Exhibition as a means to encourage creative thinking, and to encourage the development of new and imaginative designs for items of everyday use.
The Diamond Rock Schoolhouse, which served as Esherick's painting studio during the 1920s, was acquired by the Wharton Esherick Museum in 2019.[6]
References edit
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ a b "Wharton Esherick House & Studio". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved February 8, 2008.
- ^ The Wharton Esherick Museum: Studio and Collection 1977, lists 126 individual pieces.
- ^ Gray, Ellen (December 11, 2020). "Wharton Esherick Museum in Malvern gets a $10 million gift out of the blue". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
- ^ Carolyn Pitts (October 19, 1992). "National Historic Landmark Nomination: The Wharton Esherick Studio" (pdf). National Park Service.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) and Accompanying 10 photos, 8 of the house's exterior and interior, from 1940, 1974, 1976, 1988, and 2 of the artist in 1933 and 1965. (1.64 MB) - ^ Wynne, Katie (June 24, 2019). "Wharton Esherick and the Diamond Rock Schoolhouse". Wharton Esherick Museum. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
External links edit
- Wharton Esherick Museum
- Wharton Esherick House & Studio, 1520 Horseshoe Trail, Malvern, Chester County, PA: 15 photos, 2 color transparencies, 6 data pages, and 2 photo caption pages at Historic American Buildings Survey