Spotlight Talk: A Pennsylvania Hill House – Building and Exhibiting the Wharton Esherick Studio

Wharton Esherick began building his Studio one-hundred years ago, in 1926. In celebration of the Studio centennial, WEM is launching a year of programming that explores acts of breaking ground. Esherick is best known as a modernist furniture maker, yet he had an abiding interest in architecture—in particular, the old barns that stood throughout the Pennsylvania countryside where he lived. When the time came for him to construct his Studio, he modeled the building on these vernacular forms. In this way, Esherick participated in the broad currents of regionalism that swept through American art and design.

Join us for a program exploring Esherick’s regionalism—as he built the Studio, and as he exhibited aspects of the building in the autobiographical model room, “A Pennsylvania Hill House” at the 1940 New York World’s Fair. In this 20-minute program, we’ll look at photographs, archives, and a rarely-seen Esherick lamp from the WEM collections.

This is a free online event; advance reservations are required. There will be time for Q&A at the end of the conversation. Please register to receive instructions on how to join us! If able, please consider a $5 donation to support our ongoing programs.