Some of the biggest art events on the Brandywine Valley calendar are ready to get into full swing! This includes the highly anticipated return of the Spring Gallery Walk in Downtown West Chester the evening of May 6th. Businesses around town turn into art galleries for the evening, each with a different artist or exhibit on display. And don’t forget to save the dates for…
The Wyeth Foundation for American Art has announced that it has established a collection-sharing arrangement managed by the Brandywine River Museum of Art, an approach that will ensure Andrew and Betsy Wyeth’s extensive collection of works by the artist is available to the public. The foundation’s collection—assembled primarily by Betsy, who was Andrew Wyeth’s muse and who also carefully documented his career—is deeply personal and…
If you have walked by the David Katz Gallery recently, you may have seen the artist himself hard at work on a large-scale painting that, at first, seemed like an abstract mosaic. But as it has come together, if you thought it looked familiar, you are not alone. “The view of West Chester is almost a fairy tale,” Katz says. The artwork, which will debut…
The Kennett Library, in the process of building a new facility, is hosting its first arts fundraiser this fall. The family-friendly Kennett Arts Festival will be held on Oct. 15 and 16 and will benefit the library. “The event will showcase more than 100 local and regional artists’ work in an array of mediums, across palates and price points. Patrons may purchase artwork as well…
Art springs into motion this weekend at the West Chester Film Festival. Returning for their Sixteenth Festival, the WCFF celebrates the art of independent short film. Throughout the weekend, over 70 short films will be shown, representing over 30 countries. “Each block is compiled to be eclectic,” says Carol Quigley, President of the WCFF. That is the appeal for many people. In a single two-hour…
There is no doubt that we live in interesting times. Perhaps a touch too interesting, depending on the day. But that does mean that stories abound for those who experience those interesting times, and those stories are being told in every format available, from movies to books, television to poems, and especially, all types of art. The Square Pear Gallery in Kennett Square is gathering…
Rough winds certainly have been shaking, even though we are barely edging into April! But Spring is showing up no matter what, both in our gardens and in gallery windows. New shows abound, bringing fresh faces and familiar favorites to art galleries throughout the Brandywine Valley. Remember to check ahead for updated safety guidelines for each venue. Pastel landscapes and familiar scenes take centerstage at…
The COVID-19 pandemic forced many to find creative new approaches to their daily lives from suddenly turning dining tables into schoolrooms, to Zoom meetings in a button-down shirt and pajama pants, to family gatherings socially distanced across parking lots (BYO chair and beverages!). For Pia De Girolamo, a local artist, that reflection is visible in her new show Garden, which opens April 6th. De Girolamo’s…
Coming to the Brandywine River Museum of Art this May, Gatecrashers: The Rise of the Self-Taught Artist in America will celebrate two dozen early-20th century painters who fundamentally changed the art world. These artists, all without formal training, diversified the field across lines of race, ethnicity, class, gender, and ability. Featuring more than 60 works, this exhibition examines how self-taught artists “crashed the gates” of…
The new exhibit at the Baker Gallery at West Chester University, Homeward Arts Fest, is a comprehensive, encompassing, multi-disciplinary art experience that exceeds expectation and defies definition. Proclaiming “What is Art? We are Art!” with gusto, the show is set to raise awareness of the various forms art can take. The exhibit provides opportunities for local artists and art lovers alike to promote community engagement…
The words most often used by multiple artists and one principal were, “It’s great” and “It’s fantastic.” “It” refers to the 73rd annual Art Show and Sale at Chadds Ford Elementary School. The event opened Friday night, and it was the first time the show was live and in-person in three years. The last time was 2019, pre-COVID. The show is a major fundraiser for…