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  • Transcendent: Landscapes of the Hudson River School

    Transcendent: Landscapes of the Hudson River School

    Transcendent: Landscapes of the Hudson River School – Delaware Art Museum (Wilmington, DE)

    The Delaware Art Museum is closed on Monday and Tuesday

    Dates: October 10, 2026 – January 10, 2027

    Price: Free with museum admission

    Location: Gallery 10, Delaware Art Museum, 2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington, Delaware

    Discover the power of nature through American landscape painting in Transcendent: Landscapes of the Hudson River School, an exhibition at the Delaware Art Museum that explores the artistic and spiritual ideas behind one of the most influential movements in 19th-century American art. Drawn primarily from the collections of The New York Historical, the exhibition presents iconic works that reflect the philosophy of Transcendentalism, which emphasized a deep spiritual connection between humans and the natural world.

    Emerging in the 1850s and reaching its height in the 1870s, the Hudson River School represented a defining moment in American landscape painting. Artists associated with the movement viewed nature as a reflection of the divine, creating dramatic scenes of mountains, forests, rivers, and skies that conveyed both beauty and spiritual meaning.

    The exhibition brings together significant paintings and studies from public and private collections, introducing visitors to the artistic tradition that flourished across the United States during the mid-19th century. Through these works, visitors gain insight into how artists, writers, and theologians of the period understood the natural world as a place where the divine could be experienced.

    Exhibition Highlights

    • Landscape paintings from the influential Hudson River School movement
    • Works exploring the philosophy of Transcendentalism and spirituality in nature
    • Artwork primarily drawn from The New York Historical collections
    • Additional loans from public and private collections
     
     
  • Transcendent: Landscapes of the Hudson River School Guided Tours

    Transcendent: Landscapes of the Hudson River School Guided Tours

    Transcendent guided tours take place each Saturday from 1:00 pm to 1:45 pm. Led by a trained Museum Educator, the tour examines exhibition highlights and pays close attention to the ways featured artists pictured nature as the primary locus of the divine.

    Image: Donner Lake from the Summit, 1873. Albert Bierstadt (1830–1902). Oil on canvas. The New York Historical, gift of Archer Milton Huntington, 1909.16.

  • Early November At Longwood Gardens

    Early November At Longwood Gardens

    Fall at Longwood & Chrysanthemum Festival 2026

     

    Open Wednesday–Monday. Closed Tuesdays except for special events.

    This fall, nature picks up her brush and transforms Longwood Gardens into a living canvas of amber, crimson, and gold. Towering trees ignite in color, ornamental grasses shimmer in the breeze, and late-season blooms hold their own against the crisp blue sky. It’s the season when artistry and agriculture meet—when master gardeners, designers, and scientists showcase what careful planning and bold imagination can achieve.

    Wander the Flower Garden Walk, where autumn perennials and textured foliage create layered ribbons of color. Explore the Hillside Garden, a quieter, contemplative space where horticultural rarities and thoughtful plant pairings reveal subtle beauty. In the expansive Meadow Garden, sweeping fields of goldenrod, asters, and native grasses glow in the afternoon light, creating one of the most photogenic landscapes in the region.

    The Ornamental Kitchen Garden offers another kind of bounty. Here, edible crops mix with decorative plantings, proving that productivity can be beautiful. Heirloom vegetables, vibrant peppers, and richly colored greens demonstrate that form and function aren’t rivals—they’re partners.

    Chrysanthemum Festival 2026

    Beginning October 16, 2026, Longwood’s artists and scientists stretch horticultural limits during the celebrated Chrysanthemum Festival. This isn’t a simple flower show. It’s a feat of botanical engineering.

    Expect:

    • Cascading chrysanthemum towers
    • Intricate trained forms
    • Sculptural displays cultivated over many months
    • Rare varieties grown exclusively for the exhibition

    Longwood has cultivated chrysanthemums for nearly a century, building a reputation for precision growing techniques and dramatic presentation. Each plant is trained, pruned, and shaped to create architectural forms that seem almost impossible—proof that patience is powerful.

    Tiny trivia: Some chrysanthemum specimens are trained for nearly a full year before they bloom on cue. Talk about sticking to a growth plan.

    October 2–25, 2026

    Gardens Open

    10:00 am–6:00 pm

    Monday, Wednesday, Thursday

    10:00 am–9:00 pm

    Friday, Saturday, Sunday

    October 26–November 15, 2026

    Gardens Open

    10:00 am–5:00 pm

    Wednesday–Monday

    Autumn at Longwood blends sweeping landscapes with fine detail. From golden meadows to meticulously trained chrysanthemums, the season offers both grand vistas and intimate discoveries. If summer dazzles with fountains, fall answers with fire—this time in the leaves.

  • Living in the Present

    Living in the Present

    Living in the Present honors Indigenous Peoples’ Month by celebrating the vibrant, living lineage of Indigenous nations across the Americas. Featuring contemporary works by Indigenous artists, the presentation bridges ancestral legacy with modern existence—honoring the past while firmly anchoring itself in the present.

    Too often, mainstream narratives relegate Indigenous identity and cultures to history. Indigenous people represent thriving contemporary communities whose roots extend far beyond colonization. They continue to speak their native languages, practice ancestral traditions, and shape the modern cultural landscape.

    Through this exhibition, art serves as a dynamic medium for self-expression, storytelling, and the processing of historical and contemporary trauma. Living in the Present invites visitors to experience the world through the eyes of Native artists, offering a profound understanding of modern Indigenous life, vision, and resilience.

    Artwork: Immaculata (detail). Ayala. Oil on Canvas, Genuine 24k Gold Leaf.

  • The Worlds of Betsy James Wyeth By Design

    The Worlds of Betsy James Wyeth By Design

    By Design: The Worlds of Betsy James Wyeth

    Open Wednesday–Monday. Closed Tuesdays except for special events.

    June 27, 2026 – January 3, 2027

    Curated by William L. Coleman, Ph.D.

    Wyeth Foundation Curator and Director, Andrew & Betsy Wyeth Study Center

    By Design: The Worlds of Betsy James Wyeth offers the first in-depth exploration of Betsy James Wyeth (1921–2020) as a designer of complex environments whose influence extended far beyond her well-known role as Andrew Wyeth’s wife and manager.

    Rather than focusing solely on painting, this exhibition examines Betsy Wyeth’s work in architectural restoration, environmental design, collecting, and interior composition. Over decades, she shaped immersive environments across hundreds of acres in Pennsylvania and Maine — spaces that became both living works of art and creative catalysts.

    Designing Environments Across Two States

    Betsy Wyeth’s projects included:

    • Southern Island, Maine
    • Broad Cove Farm
    • Allen and Benner Islands
    • Brinton’s Mill in Chadds Ford

    Through restoration and adaptive reuse, she transformed historic buildings while preserving their structural integrity and layered histories. Her work blended eighteenth-century architectural associations with modern sensibilities, particularly at Brinton’s Mill — a site that became central to Andrew Wyeth’s artistic production.

    Her approach was neither purely preservationist nor purely decorative. She constructed environments that were cohesive, curated, and deeply intentional — spaces where architecture, objects, and landscape worked together as unified compositions.

    Interior Worlds and Artistic Partnership

    Betsy Wyeth was also an avid collector whose choices shaped highly original interiors. Objects were not arranged casually; they were composed. Many of Andrew Wyeth’s paintings were created within or in response to these carefully constructed spaces.

    Drawing from largely unexhibited holdings of the Wyeth Foundation for American Art, the exhibition includes:

    • Works by Andrew Wyeth influenced by Betsy’s environments
    • Rare archival materials
    • Photographs and design documentation
    • Original furnishings and objects from these interiors

    Through these materials, the exhibition reframes Betsy Wyeth as a creative partner whose environmental designs informed Andrew Wyeth’s artistic vision.

    A Multi-Institution Collaboration

    By Design is co-organized by:

    • Brandywine Museum of Art (Chadds Ford, PA)
    • Colby College Museum of Art (Waterville, ME)
    • Farnsworth Art Museum (Rockland, ME)

    Each institution presents a distinct component of the broader narrative.

    On view concurrently:

    • Brandywine Museum of Art: June 27, 2026 – January 3, 2027
    • Colby College Museum of Art: June 12 – November 2, 2026
    • Farnsworth Art Museum: May 2 – December 31, 2026

    The exhibition is accompanied by a hardcover catalogue published by Rizzoli Electa, featuring essays from curators and scholars examining Betsy Wyeth’s design legacy.

    For decades, Betsy James Wyeth was recognized primarily as a steward of the Wyeth family legacy. By Design expands that understanding, presenting her as a designer whose architectural and environmental projects shaped both physical landscapes and artistic output.

    In the Brandywine Valley — where landscape and art are deeply intertwined — this exhibition reframes a familiar name within a broader creative context.

  • Birding Walk

    Birding Walk

    Join us to explore some of the hotspots for birds at Winterthur, including wetlands, meadows, and the woodlands along Clenny Run. Observe resident birds as well as migrating raptors, warblers, and sparrows. For beginning or experienced bird watchers. Bring your binoculars. Be sure to dress for the weather and wear walking shoes. $20; $10 for Members. Park in the Visitor Parking Lot and meet at the Picnic House (the small building at the far end of the lot). Walks start promptly at scheduled time. In case of inclement weather, an update message will be left at 302.888.4864 by 7:00 am on the morning of the walk. Come prepared for a long walk.

    Register now.

    Photo by Bob Leitch

  • Introduction to T’ai Chi Chih

    Introduction to T’ai Chi Chih

    Exclusively for Members! This introductory level, easy-to-learn set of twenty movements helps dissolve tension, reduce chronic pain, and improve balance. Based on the ancient Chinese principles of activation and circulation of energy (chi), T’ai Chi Chih is an easily adaptive and enjoyable program that can be done by anyone, regardless of age or physical ability. Classes are led by Jessica Lewis, accredited T’ai Chi Chih instructor. Classes meet outside the Picnic House in the rear of the Visitor Parking Lot and take place in the garden, weather permitting. In inclement weather, location will move indoors. Members only. $135. Registration is for all eight sessions. Capacity limited. Register by September 15. No class on October 22.

    Register now.

  • Wellness Yoga

    Wellness Yoga

    Activate your internal energy and strengthen your body and spirit as you practice slow, easy motions to get into the rhythm of nature. Led by Beth Sheehy. Bring a yoga mat, small towel, and a water bottle. Wear layers appropriate to the season.

    Drop-in classes; held in the garden, weather permitting. In inclement weather, location will move indoors. Locations will be posted by the main gate and outside Brown Horticulture Center. Members only. $15 per Member per class; cash only. For more information, contact Beth Sheehy at [email protected].

     

     

     

     

  • City Streets & Safety Advisory Committee Meeting – 12 Nov 2026

  • Creative Connections: Memory Café featuring Transcendent

    Creative Connections: Memory Café featuring Transcendent

    This program is designed specifically for visitors with early-stage Alzheimer’s or dementia and their care partners. Led by a specially-trained guide in an environment that encourages conversation, exchange, and storytelling. Join us from 1-1:30pm in East Court for snacks and social time. At 1:30pm, we will head into the galleries for a discussion-based tour. Themes change monthly. 

    South American Landscape, 1873. Frederic Edwin Church (1826–1900). Oil on canvas, 31 x 48 1/2 inches. Delaware Art Museum, Gift of the Friends of Art, 1964.

  • Rooted in Wellness: Eco-Friendly Holidays

    Rooted in Wellness: Eco-Friendly Holidays

    Join Winterthur’s Delaware Master Naturalists and get ideas for hosting the perfect holiday soirée. Practice eco-friendly gift wrapping, try your hand at making a lush nature-inspired tablescape, share ideas for preparing delicious and healthy charcuterie boards, and shake up a cocktail using our signature recipe—then raise a toast to a successful evening together. You’ll leave with multiple ideas for creating your own nature-inspired, Mother Earth–approved holiday celebration at home. Registration required; capacity limited. $35; $25 for Members.

    Register now.

  • Chesapeake Chapter Community Associations Institute Delmarva Expo

    The Chesapeake Region Chapter CAI is hosting an expo at the Convention Center.

  • Member Bonus Shopping Days

    Member Bonus Shopping Days

    Members receive an additional 10% off purchases at the Museum Store, Friday–Sunday. Some exclusions apply.

  • Planning Commission Regular Meeting – 13 Nov 2026

  • EGL Entertainment Concert

    EGL Entertainment and Arts is hosting a concert. Find tickets and details here.

  • Scrooge

    Scrooge

    SCROOGE. This timeless musical, an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, has enchanted generations with the transformative power of the Christmas spirit.  With book, music, and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse, Scrooge brings an Academy Award-nominated score to the beloved tale of a curmudgeonly miser who finds redemption and the true meaning of kindness and love.  Based on the hugely popular 1970 film starring Albert Finney, Scrooge is the perfect way to kick off your holiday season. 

    Times and dates vary. See the website for the latest schedule

    November 14 – December 21, 2026