State of the Estate: Fall 2020

N E W S & N OT E S F R O M E X E C U T I V E D I R E C TO R A L L I S O N P E R K I N S

SUPPORT

of R E Y N O L DA

In response to reduced revenue due to the Museum’s closure, Reynolda received financial support from several private foundations, including Art Bridges, the Terra Foundation, Wells Fargo, and the Winston-Salem Foundation. Though Reynolda was not eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program due to our relationship with Wake Forest University, the Museum did receive support from the State of North Carolina Department of Commerce through CARES Act funding. Now, more than ever, your support is essential.

If you’d like to know how you can make a year-end gift to Reynolda, contact Stephan Dragisic at stephan@reynolda.org.

J O I N S T E WA R D S

of R E Y N O L DA

Soon you’ll be receiving an invitation to a digital event honoring our Stewards of Reynolda on December 3. This event will feature a conversation with Cristin Tierney (Wake Forest graduate, class of 1993), owner and founder of Cristin Tierney Gallery, about the joy and process of collecting art, with information about supporting Reynolda through a legacy gift. Cristin served on the Board of Directors and the National Advisory Council at Reynolda House. I hope you will be able to join us for this special evening!

R E Y N O L DA’ S H I S TO R I C L A N D S C A P E I N S P I R E S

Although the doors to the Museum were closed between March 13—October 1, 2020, the 150-acres of Reynolda’s historic landscape remained open. Our colleagues in Reynolda Gardens, who worked tirelessly to ensure the spring and summer seasons did not disappoint, reported seeing three times the number of walkers, runners, and families enjoying Reynolda than in prior average seasons. Throughout the pandemic, people have naturally sought accessible outdoor green spaces with room to safely stroll and exercise without fear of crowds. So, in essence ONE Reynolda was open and accessible to all!

And here is an example of how Reynolda Gardens inspired one of our most committed admirers, Claudia Zorn Schaefer, to commemorate an important personal milestone.

She composed an original musical tribute to Reynolda Gardens, and she engaged the talent of UNCSA alumnus Joshua Morgan for vocals and piano. To create the video, Claudia also tapped J.D. Wilson, former president of the Reynolda House Board, to utilize the photographs he has made from his daily walks through Reynolda Gardens during the last six months.

Board President David Neill has helped our staff team see the benefit of COVID time as an accelerator for entrepreneurial thinking at Reynolda. We are a creative group; our

WATC H T H E V I D E O

Reynolda team seeks ways to deliver engaging content through expansive use of Zoom and social media platforms. They are clever and inventive with their presentation of program content, making it accessible and inspiring. Some staff members have set up home recording studios to share art-making lessons or to assemble voice recordings and collection photography with evocative vintage content in our popular Call-a-Curator series. We are all challenged to think and work differently whether it is mastering the art of teaching from a remote setting or learning to have patience and grace when our normal faceto-face communication is thwarted by the challenges of the novel coronavirus. You can check out all of our digital offerings by visiting Reynolda at Home.

The past six months allowed time for new branded product development for the Museum Store; we’ve launched a new holiday ornament, and a different historic architectural structure will be celebrated each year.

Collect them all! The first ornament honors the signature Lord and Burnham greenhouse, one of the most iconic buildings at Reynolda.

Start your holiday shopping early by contacting museum store manager, Beth Warren at warrenb@wfu.edu; she’ll even take orders by phone for easy pick up.

RETURN

to an A R T- F I L L E D M U S E U M

Reynolda reopened to the public on October 6, with our postponed exhibition displayed brilliantly in the Babcock Wing gallery: Tiffany Glass: Painting with Color and Light. With increased safety measures in place, including a mask requirement, timed ticketing, and no group tours, we are thrilled by the response of our visitors. The exhibition closes on November 29th. If you’re comfortable, I hope you’ll make time to come visit. We’ve also offered a brand new digital tour of the exhibition, which you can find on reynolda.org.

New hanging locations have been added to the Reception Hall in the historic house, allowing paintings by Asher B. Durand and Jasper Francis Cropsey to round out the story of landscape painting in the nineteenth century. They are joined by representative works by Thomas Cole, Frederic Edwin Church, Albert Bierstadt, and Worthington Whittredge.

Additionally, extended labels have been composed and updated by curator Allison Slaby for all artworks where space allows for labels to hang. With this action, the permanent collection will now receive commentary and interpretation on par with works in the Babcock Wing exhibition gallery.

BUY TICKETS

TA K E T H E V I R T UA L TO U R

V I S I T F O R S O M E H O L I DAY C H E E R

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6

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11 and

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Christmas Cocktails with a Curator Presented by Fader RE

Enchanted Christmas Evenings at Reynolda Presented by Taylor & Taylor Attorneys at Law, PLLC

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18 and

19 DEC

Memories of A Christmas Memory

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Toast to 2021 with The Katharine Brasserie

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Sample picture of Prunus subhirtella ‘Pendula’ specimens from Moon Nurseries (Chesapeake City, MD).

Coming to a garden near you!

THE PROMISE

of C H E R RY B LO S S O M S in S P R I N G 2 0 2 1

What began as a plan to reintroduce the 19 weeping cherry trees in the East Garden has expanded to now bring back the full complement of 44 cherries that flanked the lower Formal Gardens. Work on this project should begin in a few weeks.

When the donation of Reynolda Gardens to Wake Forest University was announced in 1958, the Raleigh News & Observer reported: “Long a spot for spring sight-seers, the gardens are noted primarily for a profusion of weeping Japanese cherry trees.” Once again, spring will be marked in Winston-Salem by the scattering of millions of cherry tree blossoms. Soon you won’t have to go to D.C. for a cherry blossom festival! Special thanks goes to Chip Callaway for locating these fantastic specimens, and much gratitude goes to Barbara and Nik Millhouse for their support of this garden restoration. Along with the renewal of the cherry trees, look to see an enhancement of the planting beds under the cherries along with the cleaning, repair, and painting of all of the walls in the garden, and irrigation and drainage improvement. Electrical capacity will also be added to enable more programs and events.

LO O K I N G A H E A D

to the S P R I N G

Cross Pollination: Heade, Cole, Church and Our Contemporary Moment, opens February 19. The exhibition promises to be a beautiful, and timely, representation of the intersection of nature, art, science, and conservation.

The exhibition will be on view February 11­— May 23, 2021. Support for this exhibition is provided by Art Bridges, Patty and Malcolm Brown, Mercedes-Benz of Winston-Salem, and Parsec Financial.

Detail: Martin Johnson Heade, Orchid with Two Hummingbirds, 1871, oil on prepared panel.

A N OT H E R TO U C H O F JA PA N : T H E T E A H O U S E R E N E WA L

In mid November work began on replacement of the roofs on all the Tea Houses and shelters in the gardens. This project is made possible with the support of Wendy and Mike Brenner. Once the roof work is complete all structures will be cleaned and repainted. The structures will be repainted as weather permits this winter or early spring. In addition, the beds framing the Lion’s Head water feature are receiving a rejuvenation, including 9,000 grape hyacinths, anemones, glory-ofthe-snow, and candlestick tulips.