Working in museums, I often am asked about my favorite piece of art. The truth is, like an article of clothing, one’s favorite object varies on the season, day, or even minute. Especially with an expansive collection like WEM’s, staff are constantly finding new favorite things, whether spurred by research, a new life stage, or simply a change in heart. In WEM’s collection of over 3,000 unique sculptures, paintings, prints, and more, there is much to love. This special Valentine’s Day post asks staff which Esherick creation they have been admiring – some for a while, others totally new.
I’ll start. Although I’ve not been here long, I think Esherick’s Winnie (Winnie-the-Pooh), 1930 will be a long-term favorite of mine. He welcomed me to WEM’s campus when visiting for the first time, as he has done for thousands of others. I initially thought he was a strange penguin, with his cone-shaped head and long body. When I was told he was in fact Winnie-the-Pooh, I immediately thought of my mom, who is the biggest Pooh fan. She painted a Winnie-the-Pooh themed nursery for my sister and I – my first exposure to art. Esherick’s son-in-law Bob Bascom labeled Winnie as “pugnacious”, perhaps due to his dark coloring, burly stance, and hefty thirty-pound weight. However, I think it’s ridiculous to label Pooh as such. I see him as a shy greeter, embodying Esherick’s whimsical sensibilities. Maybe that combative essence can be traced to Esherick’s refusal to compromise his artistic vision despite his pacifist beliefs.
Read on to glean insight into our expansive holdings and see if your favorite piece is mentioned!
“What I love about this piece is that it looks deceptively simple — a seemingly rectangular box. Like the Studio itself, you cannot imagine what you find on the inside just looking at it from the outside. When you view the closed cabinet, it looks pretty plain. But the longer you look at it, you start to notice details – the beautiful sun burst pattern, the grain of the curly maple. Depending on the season, you might notice the robin egg blue peeking through the slats. Once opened, the cabinet reveals its cleverness. True, the cabinet serves as a desk and storage, which is impressive in and of itself. But what really gets me is Wharton’s ingenuity in creating a work that considers high functionality, the interaction between person and object, and artistic flair. This piece really makes me think about how I live with objects and furniture in my own space, inspiring me to find creative solutions in my life and bringing joy and a smile when I see it. You can sense Wharton’s process and creative approach looking at his pieces, especially the furniture. I think the Cabinet Desk is a brilliant example of that.”
Jennifer Koenig, Director of Development
“I’m always interested in ways Wharton engages with industry, whether he’s representing it in visual art like we see here in Alabama Wood Yard, or finding ways to creatively reuse materials such as wagon wheels, hammer handles, or canvas belting. However, what’s getting me the most excited recently about early paintings like this is the color palette Esherick is working with, which he maintained for the remainder of his career: purples, blues, greens, and oranges. Esherick takes these colors from the page and incorporates them beautifully into the furniture, sculpture, and buildings he creates in the years ahead. We’ll be exploring Wharton’s time as a painter and ways this training influenced his later work in three-dimensions in April for our Breaking Ground in the Arts program in April!”
Ethan Snyder, Public Programs & Collections Manager
“Lately I am loving Esherick’s bench seat in the dining room. I love how the bench is integrated into the architecture and the room itself, and how customized the spot is to how he used the space.
Katie Wynne, Deputy Director of Operations & Public Engagement
While an exact date is unknown, we suspect the bench was likely added in the late 1960s to pair with the table in the dining room that Esherick built in 1967. Esherick’s bench has a compartment below that echoes the built-in storage you find in sailboats, although in his case the bench also encases a large section of stone. The space behind the back of the bench also hides storage space accessed by lifting off the top board. This board doubles as a shelf and is beautifully scribed to follow the contours of the stonework. As we’ve been thinking about the founding of the Studio 100 years ago, I think it’s so compelling that Esherick left a portion of that exterior stone wall exposed when adding the dining room, and that this bench is so incorporated into it. The stonework is at his back as he designs furniture from his dining room table or gazes out at the hillside. It’s a moment that, to me, really reveals Esherick’s care and consideration of the Studio as an ever-changing sculptural space.”
“A collection object I’ve been loving lately is this photograph of the Studio interior taken by Joseph Esherick, Wharton’s nephew who worked for his uncle in the summer of 1937. It shows the carved birds on the building’s double doors as a backdrop for a work in progress: a massive sculptural window frame for the Curtis and Nellie Lee Bok House. I’m drawn in by this rare record of Wharton’s unfinished work. He took few process photographs, tending toward the type of carefully composed, aesthetic images that would build out his portfolio. Joseph’s eye to the Studio feels spontaneous, full of wonder, pausing on the details that fascinated him.”
Holly Gore, Director of Interpretation and Associate Curator
“I’m obsessed with Esherick’s staircase in the studio. Every time I interact with it my mind is boggled. I think it’s a stunning example of form dancing with function. I love the spiral so much that I put a picture of it in my kitchen!”
Casey Chew, Visitor Engagement & Facilities Manager
“Wharton Esherick’s oven mitt — decorated with a cheerful chicken — is one of my favorite objects in the collection because it is so utterly endearing. It feels wonderfully relatable and human, a small domestic artifact that invites curiosity and imagination. I love wondering how it came into his life and how it fit into his daily routines. Like so many personal objects, it gently reminds us that behind this iconic, important work was a person just like us — someone who made dinner, tended daily routines, and lived a full, ordinary life alongside extraordinary creativity.”
Julie Siglin, Executive Director
And there you have it! There is lots of love here at WEM. Even if you are not the biggest Valentine’s day fan, in the bleak winter, it’s nice to remind ourselves of the beauty and wonder in our lives. Sometimes, all it takes is a look around. Esherick knew this, which is why he surrounded himself with fantastic, animated objects. Often, these creations are a love note to the natural materials they’re made of. We hope you have found a bit of joy in our various voices gushing about favorite pieces, and that you’ll come out this spring and share what you love about the Esherick Museum with us!
Post written by Manager of Visitor Experience & Interpretation, Jenna Gilley
February 2026