Spotlight Talk: Wharton Esherick and Industrial Arts Education after the Centennial Exposition

2026 marks the centennial year of Wharton Esherick’s 1926 Studio—a building Esherick himself called an “autobiography in three dimensions”—and the nation’s semisesquicentennial. With the celebration of important milestones abounding, the Wharton Esherick Museum is honoring the incipient act of breaking ground.

Join us on Tuesday, January 27th at noon as we roll back the tape and explore the ways that another national milestone—the 1876 Centennial Exposition—influenced Esherick as he broke ground on his artistic career. We’ll explore how Esherick came of age during a time when industrial arts education was increasingly important on a national stage and how his early education as a high-schooler and college student in Philadelphia was informed by these developments.

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 below to receive instructions on how to join us! If able, please consider a $5 donation to support our ongoing programs. Donate HERE.