Wharton Esherick Studio

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 / 40.08361; -75.49333Coordinates: 40°5′1″N 75°29′36″W / 40.08361°N 75.49333°W / 40.08361; -75.49333
Area 5.5 acres (2.2 ha)
Built 1926
Architect Wharton Esherick; Louis Kahn
Architectural style Bungalow/craftsman
NRHP Reference # 73001615[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP April 26, 1973[1]
Designated NHL April 19, 1993[2]

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.

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 200 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, and opened for visitors in 1972. The Museum is open for tours Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Group tours (minimum of 5 people) can be arranged Monday through Friday, from 10 p.m. to 5 p.m. All tours require a reservation. Reservations can be made by calling 610-644-5822 during business hours. Tours last approximately 1 hour. Admission is $12 for adults and $6 for children under 12.

The studio was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1993.[2][4]

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.

References

  1. 1 2 Staff (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. 1 2 "Wharton Esherick House & Studio". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved 2008-02-08.
  3. ↑ The Wharton Esherick Museum: Studio and Collection 1977, lists 126 individual pieces.
  4. ↑ Carolyn Pitts (October 19, 1992). "National Historic Landmark Nomination: The Wharton Esherick Studio" (pdf). National Park Service. 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. PDF (1.64 MB)

External links

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