Reynolda Guide: Spring/Summer 2023

For Members & Friends

Throughout this guide, you will see references to “Members” and “Friends.” Members support the educational mission of Reynolda. They receive a variety of perks, like being first in line to see exhibitions, Members-only invitations to special programs and events, unlimited free admission throughout the year, and a Museum Store discount.

Friends of Reynolda Gardens help sustain the day-to-day operations of maintaining Reynolda’s outdoor grounds, including the Formal Gardens, meadow, and trails. Benefits for Friends include early access to plant sales and other events, a subscription to Cultivate, and more!

If you are not yet a Member or Friend, please visit reynolda.org/support for more information.

Instances of “WFU” refer to faculty, staff, and students of Wake Forest University.

On the cover: Stephen Towns (born 1980), I am the Glory, 2020. Acrylic, oil, metal leaf on panel, 48 x 36 inches. Collection: Gregory and Alyssa Shannon, Houston, TX.

Director’s letter

Dear Members and Friends,

Lately, I find myself pausing. I stop to admire detail in a work of art I’ve scurried past hundreds of times on the path to my office. I slow my steps through the Gardens, taking in their crisp winter beauty. I linger after a meeting, chatting with colleagues about their weekend plans. These intentionally unhurried moments are rejuvenating and revealing. On your next visit to Reynolda, I have a task for you.

Pause near something that catches your eye. It could be a favorite work of art from the Museum’s collection, something new in the Babcock Wing Gallery, a special spot in the Greenhouse, or a favorite view as you wind down the long driveway. What do you find yourself thinking of? Do you feel a spark of joy, of contentment, of belonging? Take some time to connect with Reynolda, and with each other. Reynolda invites us to slow down every day, to savor our time with art and nature. We only have to accept the invitation.

These relationships between art and life are present in the soon-to-open exhibition Stephen Towns: Declaration & Resistance, where the life and labor of Black Americans have inspired the artist’s figurative paintings and story quilts. During a summer residency in Winston-Salem, Stephen Towns paused to hear stories that shaped our vibrant community; a community largely built on the Black labor he depicts in his work. His connection with those stories inspired a new painting, Flora and Lillie, that memorializes two women who lived and worked at Reynolda (see pg. 6). I am thrilled that we will have the opportunity to see Flora and Lillie included among Towns’s glorious works of art when the exhibition goes on view February 18.

The beauty in the slow work of connection is that we don’t come to Reynolda as empty vessels waiting to be filled. Our lived experiences shape how we will experience belonging in this place and how we will choose to share it with others. I hope you will enjoy discovering these moments of connection and inspiration this winter, and in the abundant spring that awaits.

Allison Perkins

Executive

Director, Reynolda House

Wake Forest University Associate Provost for Reynolda House & Reynolda Gardens

SET YOUR SIGHTS ON

Reynolda’s Virtual Tour

Set your own pace and travel step by step through the Reynolds family’s 1917 bungalow. Take in architectural details and explore the American art collection with a voiceover guide. The Reynolda House virtual tour offers a new perspective for curious minds to journey through the Museum from the comfort of their own home.

reynolda.org/virtual-tour

WHILE YOU’RE ONLINE

The Pop-Up Studio Series offers more than twenty family-friendly art activities, inspired by Reynolda’s collection of art and fine objects. Each activity includes a video guide, transcript, and instructions in a downloadable PDF. Choose from bubble wrap printing, candied flowers, paper sculpture masks, and many more: reynolda.org/pop-up-studio

Table

Exhibitions

Stephen Towns: Declaration & Resistance BABCOCK WING GALLERY

Stephen Towns: Declaration & Resistance examines the American dream through the lives of Black Americans from the late eighteenth century to the present time. Using labor as a backdrop, Towns highlights the role African Americans have played in building the economy, and explores how their resilience, resistance, and perseverance have challenged the United States to truly embrace the tenets of its Declaration of Independence.

Towns has created paintings and story quilts that expand the historical narratives of enslaved and free people who toiled under the most extreme hardships, yet persevered through acts of rebellion, skillful guile, and self-willed determination. Within this arresting body of work, Towns also shows the beauty and love that Black people possess beyond the grips of white supremacy.

The exhibition will also premiere a new work, inspired by Towns’s summer 2022 residency in Winston-Salem. Flora and Lillie is a depiction of Flora Pledger and Lillie Hamlin, residents of Reynolda’s Five Row.

Stephen Towns (born 1980), Flora and Lillie, 2022. Acrylic, oil, metal leaf on panel, 48 x 36 inches. Courtesy of the Artist.

Photograph of Flora Pledger and Lillie Hamlin courtesy Reynolda Archives.

Stephen Towns: Declaration & Resistance is organized and toured by The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, Greensburg, PA, with curator Kilolo Luckett.

Support for this exhibition has been provided by: Eden Hall Foundation; Arts, Equity, & Education Fund; De Buck Gallery, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Hillman Exhibition Fund of The Westmoreland Museum of American Art. This exhibition is completed in partnership with the Rivers of Steel Heritage Area with funding provided in part by a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation, Environmental Stewardship Fund, administered by the Rivers of Steel Heritage Corp.

REYNOLDA IS GRATEFUL TO THE FOLLOWING EXHIBITION SPONSORS

Major Sponsors

Contributing Sponsors

Terrie and John Davis Pam and Fred Kahl

Exhibition Partner

This exhibition is supported by Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, and N.C. Arts Council, a Division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

Exhibition Opening Events

FEB

PREVIEW PARTY

5:30–7:30 p.m.

For exhibition sponsors, Sustainers, and Reynolda Society Members Invitations will be mailed

MEMBERS’ CELEBRATION

3:30–6:30 p.m.

For all Members Invitations will be mailed

The Robert and Constance Emken Fund of the Winston-Salem Foundation

MAY 28 through DEC 31 through

Prohibition Days: The Conservation of Thomas Hart Benton’s Bootleggers

NORTHEAST BEDROOM GALLERY

Like any organism or machine, works of art need to be maintained, protected from adverse conditions, and occasionally treated or repaired. The canvases of Thomas Hart Benton pose unique conservation challenges, because the artist often combined incompatible media, including egg tempera (in which pigment is mixed with egg yolks and water) and acrylic paint. With funding provided by the Bank of America’s Art Conservation Project, Bootleggers was recently restored to the sharply faceted, glowing, gem-like glory of its original appearance when it was completed in 1927. Benton’s painting remains an embodiment of the roaring twenties in all their restless energy, excess, and opposing forces. The economy of Benton’s storytelling and the expressiveness of his bristling, rippled, and elongated figures have given the work its enduring appeal, long after the folly of Prohibition ended. The painting is reunited with its oil study, on loan from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, along with several prints and a film documenting the conservation treatment of Bootleggers.

Still I Rise: The Black Experience at Reynolda EAST BEDROOM GALLERY

This exhibition examines the lives of the Black women and men who helped shape Reynolda as it evolved from a Jim Crow era working estate into an American art museum. Still I Rise has been extended through the end of 2023. Reynolda’s recent acquisition, Kwame Brathwaite’s Untitled (Garvey Day Parade – Harlem), is now on view in the exhibition.

From 1912 through the 1950s, during one of the most repressive climates for Black people in North Carolina history, Black men and women navigated Reynolda’s segregated spaces—farming the land, constructing buildings, and working as domestic staff. Discriminatory laws denied Black people their rights, subjected them to public humiliation, and perpetuated their economic and educational marginalization. Segregation, anti-Black laws, and the exploitation of Black labor affected the lives of everyone at Reynolda, where there was separate housing, separate schools, and jobs often divided along racial lines. While the struggle for equality did not end with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the story of Reynolda pivoted to one of a public cultural institution that invited artists such as Maya Angelou, Jacob Lawrence, and Romare Bearden to share their craft. Still I Rise highlights Reynolda’s first fifteen years as a museum for American art by examining the events that shaped the evolution of the Museum and the projects that uncovered the history of Reynolda’s past.

This exhibition has been made possible in part by the Winston-Salem (NC) Chapter of the Links, Incorporated and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

COMING SOON Black Mountain College: Seedbed of American Art NORTHWEST BEDROOM GALLERY

Black Mountain College, which operated in western North Carolina from 1933–57, was a site of collaboration among people, practices, disciplines, and performances that generated astonishing creativity and continues to spark innovation among contemporary writers and artists. It was a college for free spirits, where both faculty and students could explore new ways of learning and fresh approaches to the varied subjects that comprise the liberal arts.

This exhibition is curated by Thomas Frank. Dr. Frank is professor emeritus from Wake Forest University and an editor of the Black Mountain Studies journal. He has selected works by former students and faculty of the short-lived experimental college from the collections of Reynolda and Wake Forest, including Joseph and Anni Albers, Jacob Lawrence, Lyonel Feininger, and Robert Rauschenberg.

COMING SOON Coexistence: Nature vs. Nurture WEST BEDROOM GALLERY

This exhibition brings together works from Reynolda, Wake Forest University Print Collections, and Special Collections and Archives at Z. Smith Reynolds Library to examine the theme of interaction. What kinds of reciprocal relationships between human beings find expression in art? How has art commented upon the involvement that human beings have with the natural world? This exhibition navigates the negotiation of human interactions and how we interact with the reality around us, as the aftermath of the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic drastically shifted our perceived reality and interactions with others and the world. This exhibition is curated by Wake Forest students in Dr. Morna O’Neill’s class, Art 396: The Art Museum—History, Theory, Controversy: Brighid Biehl, Amanda Jones, Audrey Kim, Jillian Liu, Tsing Liu, and Olivia Wright.

ART IN THE GARDENS

As you stroll through the Formal Gardens this spring, look for a vegetable plot designed and planted by the Reynolda Gardens staff that is inspired by Stephen Towns’s I am the Glory (on the cover of this guide).

COMING SOON Smith & Libby: Two Rings, Seven Months, One Bullet BABCOCK WING GALLERY

Like most family homes, Reynolda House witnessed its share of tragedies, none more shocking than the death by gunshot of Zachary Smith (“Smith”) Reynolds, youngest child of R.J. and Katharine Smith Reynolds. Soon after midnight on July 6, 1932, Smith was shot on a sleeping porch at the family’s country estate. It was a brood year for cicadas in the Southern Appalachians, so the bullet of a Mauser pistol was heard only as a muffled pop by the night watchman. It was heard by Smith’s wife, Broadway star Libby Holman, who was with her husband on the porch. And it was heard by Smith’s childhood friend and secretary Albert “Ab” Walker, although exactly where Walker was at the time of the shooting is shrouded in mystery.

Smith died later that morning. Subsequent investigations made national news in the summer and fall of 1932 and led to a charge of first-degree murder for Libby Homan, with Walker named as accomplice. Then, in a stunning reversal, the case was dropped before coming to a trial that might have led to the death penalty. To this day, it is not known whether Smith Reynolds, twenty-year-old heir and renowned aviator, died by suicide, accident, or murder. This exhibition presents archival objects, news articles, and other primary sources to lay bare the mystery in all its fascinating complexity. There is more than one way for a house to be haunted, and this story has hung over Reynolda for ninety years, at once the most tragic and infamous day in its history. Smith & Libby draws back the curtain on an event that shocked the world and echoed down the generations, still inspiring speculation and curiosity in visitors of all ages today.

Zachary Smith Reynolds courtesy Reynolda Archives; Libby Holman courtesy the Libby Holman Collection, Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center at Boston University

Honoring 50 Years of the Volunteer Program at Reynolda

— Bari Helms, Director of Archives & Library

Reynolda’s volunteers have been dedicated and curious museum supporters almost from the very moment Reynolda opened her doors to the public. They work days and evenings, nights and weekends—leading tours, arranging flowers, offering a welcoming smile to visitors, and providing extra hands at special events. The volunteer program marked its fiftieth anniversary in 2021. Their roles have evolved through the decades and their experiences now are different, but the gift of their time, expertise, and support has always been vital to the work we do as a museum.

Reynolda docents prepare the costume collection for its 1972 exhibition. / Courtesy Reynolda Archives

When Reynolda hosted its first tour on September 15, 1965, the tour guides looked a bit different. Barbara Babcock Millhouse, Charlie Babcock, and Winifred Babcock offered tours of their former home. In the two months that followed, Reynolda was toured by more than 2,000 visitors, despite only being open to the public on Wednesday afternoons. In April 1971, at a special meeting of the Board of Directors, Executive Director Nick Bragg reported that Reynolda had “enlisted the services of forty-four ladies, called docents” to assist with tours. The program had two initial goals: to offer an in-depth study of American art to a group of interested people, and to encourage them to share their knowledge with the visiting public. Kay Johnson, one of the first docents, praised the program, saying, “One always leaves feeling that the time has been appreciated and acknowledged . . . [and] leaves with something to take home—a new idea or thought, a new way of looking at a painting, or new personal growth.”

By the fall of 1971, the docents had added “fifty-eight additional ladies and two gentlemen.” Docents were not only tour guides, but also volunteered in a variety of roles. Docents led school groups through the historic house, introduced the collection in classrooms, helped with special education programs, worked as aides in museum offices and the library, and volunteered at special events throughout the year. And, like today, no prior experience in the arts was required. Former Curator of Education Melrose Tapscott Buchanan shared: “Some of our most energetic volunteers are people with no previous introduction to the arts who simply sparked because they were able to relate this experience to their daily lives.”

A cornerstone of docent education was the discovery program that asked participants to study art through the examination of their own feelings and reactions. Docents selected one painting from the thirty-five works then in Reynolda’s collection for an intensive study. Docents presented their findings to the class and produced a final piece—a painting or sculpture of their own. Approximately 350 docents trained in this program throughout the 1970s. Popular works for study were Thomas Hart Benton’s Bootleggers and Martin Johnson Heade’s Orchid with Two Hummingbirds.

Early docents had a singular Reynolda experience. The first docent trip in 1971 featured a chartered flight to New York for a two-day tour of art museums and gallery experiences. There, they rubbed elbows with several artists including Nicky Wyeth and Robert Gwathmey. In 1972, docents were among the models donning Katharine Reynolds’s gowns when the costume collection was exhibited to the public in a fashion show. Held about a decade before it became the accepted museum standard not to wear historic costumes, the event was such a success that it led to the permanent installation of the costume collection in Reynolda’s attic.

Over the years, the docent-volunteer program adapted to the needs of the museum and community. In the 1980s, Reynolda’s history was woven into the educational offerings. In the 1990s, an emphasis on diverse and inclusive programming led to bilingual tours offered in Spanish, German, French, Danish, Norwegian, Greek, Portuguese, and Japanese. The 2000s introduced a bigger museum, and the

expertise and knowledge of the docent group expanded. Front desk greeters began providing a welcome and general overview of Reynolda to every person that walked through the doors. Programmatic tours like Christmas in 1917 were introduced. Docents and greeters expanded their learning to interpret and lead tours for traveling exhibitions. In 2017, volunteers helped to celebrate 100 years of Reynolda. In 2019, the Docent-Volunteer Association Statement of Purpose was approved by the Reynolda Board of Directors, thus broadening the understanding of the importance and professionalism of the group. In 2020, as we navigated a global pandemic, volunteers championed new technologies, participated in digital programming, and learned scripts and routes for outdoor walking tours when they couldn’t be offered inside the museum.

What volunteers have done and continue to do is to perform one of the most important tasks any museum has: to make visitors feel welcome.

On Location

Phil Archer, Betsy Main Babcock Deputy Director

In June 2022, Reynolda was the setting for the final scenes of an independent film written, directed, and produced by Winston-Salem native Angus MacLachlan. A Little Prayer stars the Oscar-nominated actor David Strathairn along with Celia Weston, Jane Levy, Will Pullen, and Dascha Palanco. Like Junebug, the Academy Award-winning film also written by MacLachlan, A Little Prayer is a comedic family drama filmed in Winston-Salem. The cast and crew filmed in the reception hall of the Reynolds’s 1917 bungalow as well as several locations on the grounds. In MacLachlan’s script, parallels are drawn between the panoramic vista of Frederic Edwin Church’s The Andes of Ecuador (1855) and the breathtaking panorama that visitors enjoy every day on the expansive front lawn of Reynolda. A Little Prayer was completed in the fall and will be screened at the Sundance Film Festival in January and the Santa Barbara Film Festival in February before a wider release.

Courtesy A Little Prayer production

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Children & Family

Family First Workshops

Join us on select Sundays to explore Reynolda’s art and to make your own! These two-hour workshops begin at 2 p.m. for children in grades 1 through 6 and an adult companion. We’ll spend time in the museum exploring a work of art or decorative art, and then create our own artwork in the Reynolda studio classroom. Locations may vary by workshop. Advance registration required.

FEB 5

Valentine Card Workshop

Do you love making art? Combine your love for art with your love for friends and family as you create unique, handmade valentines to share. A select number of take-home valentine kits with all you need to make multiple collaged and stenciled cards can also be purchased in the Museum Store for kids or adults.

Batik Silk Workshop

Have you ever wanted to paint designs on silk fabric? In this workshop, you’ll draw an outline of an image in a wax-like material then use fabric dyes to paint in color on the silk hoop.

10

Build a Birdhouse Workshop

Diverging from our normal workshop structure, participants can either register to each make their own cedar birdhouses from kit materials, or work together like the men in Jacob Lawrence’s Builders No. 2 to build one home for birds, then decorate the outside with paint. The cedar wood you’ll use to make a birdhouse once grew as a tree at Reynolda! This workshop has a special cost of $25 per birdhouse.

17

21

Reynolda Read-Aloud

26

16

10–10:30 a.m. Ages 2–5, accompanied by a caregiver; younger siblings are welcome Free

Join us for an outdoor storytime perfect for children who are emerging readers. Featuring a different theme each month, we’ll hear stories, sing songs, and participate in fingerplays. Leaders will suggest at-home activities for continued engagement. Themes include: February, Dinosaurs; March, Bears; April, Birds; May, Spring; and June, Counting. Read-Alouds are held in the Jordan Courtyard, next to the 1930s pool, unless noted otherwise. Visit reynolda.org/readaloud to find previous Read-Aloud videos.

MAR 16

Homeschool Day Registration available 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on day of event Activities available 10 a.m.–12 p.m. and 1–3 p.m.

$6 per student ages 5–15; one adult free per student ticket Additional adults pay general admission at time of visit (free categories apply) 20% discount for Members and Friends at the Dual/Family level and above

Homeschool students and teachers, join us for art and history-based learning. In this self-directed exploration of Reynolda, you can visit our feature exhibition, Stephen Towns: Declaration & Resistance, and explore the historic house. We’ll provide a guide booklet and questions to help you engage with the collections. Our museum guides will be available for questions and discussion. Visit the studio classroom to create an art project students can take home. Download our free app, Reynolda Revealed, for more Reynolda stories before, during, and after your visit. Activities will take place indoors. Families are welcome to explore the grounds and Reynolda Village before or after your visit. Advance registration is encouraged.

Mornings at Reynolda

10–11:30 a.m. Ages 3–5, accompanied by a caregiver

$15 per child per class

Register for Series 1 by March 1 or Series 2 by April 1 for early bird pricing of $10 per child per class

20% discount for Members and Friends at the Dual/Family level and above

To promote reading readiness and visual literacy, preschoolers and their caregivers will explore Reynolda through activities that encourage dramatic play, music, movement, and art-making. Students will interact with a work of art or item from Reynolda’s collection for inspiration. The program takes place in the museum and outside on the grounds (we encourage you to bring a blanket). Materials are provided; however, participants may collect their own natural items. In the event of inclement weather, programs held outdoors may be moved indoors, canceled, or rescheduled. In each series, lessons will build upon one another; however, families may choose to attend single sessions. MAR

Series 1

We will explore Jacob Lawrence’s Builders No. 2 , Lyonel Feininger’s Rainbow II, and portraits in Reynolda’s collection.

Series 2

We will explore Charles Sheeler’s Conversation Piece, Childe Hassam’s Giant Magnolias , and the Reynolda House organ.

APR 23

You Can Touch That: Sensory Bin Workshop

2–3 p.m. and 3–4 p.m. Ages 2–5, accompanied by a caregiver

$15 per sensory bin

In this workshop caregivers and children can together create a sensory bin inspired by a work of art in Reynolda’s collection. Sensory bins—created with a range of small, child-safe objects within a bin of dried corn, rice, or other material—allow young learners the opportunity to explore different textures and practice manipulative skills such as scooping or pinching. Sensory bins can also be thematically based to help encourage imaginative play or develop certain concepts and understanding of relationships. Advance registration is required.

JUNE 24

Lightning Bugs on the Lawn

7 p.m. Ages 2–7, accompanied by a caregiver; siblings are welcome

$6 per child 20% discount for Members and Friends at the Dual/Family level and above

In this intergenerational outdoor evening program at Reynolda, participants will hear stories about lightning bugs and learn about these fascinating bioluminescent insects. Practice scientific observation and learn how to share your data with the Firefly Watch Community Science Project of the Massachusetts Audubon Association. Registration includes an art activity to create and take home. Program will take place near the Reynolda boathouse. Advance registration required.

TAKE NOTE

Register for family programs online at reynolda.org/family-events. Contact Julia Hood, director of teaching and learning, at 336.758.5599 or julia@reynolda.org with questions. Outdoor classes will be held weather permitting. All in-person programs are subject to change.

Programs for young children are supported in part by the PNC Foundation.

Summer Adventure Camps

Creative Writing Workshop

9 a.m.–2 p.m.

Completed grades 6–9 $235; 20% discount for Members at the Dual/Family level and above

In the Creative Writing Workshop, young writers will hone their craft and learn the basics of prose and poetry through a variety of writing activities inspired by the art and history of Reynolda.

Participants will engage in each stage of the writing process, including pre-writing, drafting, revision, and publication. The workshop will also include art activities and glimpses behind the scenes of the historic house.

Writing Adventures

9 a.m.–1 p.m.

Completed grades 2–5 $195; 20% discount for Members at the Dual/Family level and above

Young writers will explore the basics of developing a story in this writing camp. Campers will study works of art as well as venture outdoors to gather inspiration for our writings throughout the week. Participants will learn about all stages of the writing process, focusing particularly on prewriting and revision—culminating in the publication of their own hand-made book.

Art Adventures

Session I: Monday–Friday, July 10–14 Session II: Monday–Friday, July 17–21

9 a.m.–1 p.m.

Completed grades K–5 $195; 20% discount for Members at the Dual/Family level and above

Inspired by the museum’s renowned collection of American art, young artists will produce their own original work of art each day during these half-day camps. Students will learn about the families who once lived at Reynolda by exploring the historic house and estate and will view and take inspiration from the art collection.

FEB

African American Read-In

1:30 p.m. Free

Join Reynolda as the Museum observes the annual African American Read-In to celebrate the writings of Black authors. This year, readings will focus on poetry of the Harlem Renaissance in recognition of Langston Hughes’s birthday. Then, using award-winning poet Nikki Grimes’s “golden shovel” technique from her books One Last Word and Legacy, we’ll create our own poems in response. The event is organized by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) in recognition of Black History Month. Advance registration encouraged.

Museum Members’ Swim Club

February 5, March 4, April 5, May 21

FEB 5

2–4 p.m.

$20 per adult Member/child pair; $5 per additional individual – up to a total of six

Introduction to Reynolda

Eight-class series: February 7, 14, 21, 28 and March 7, 14, 21, 28 3–4:30 p.m. $60; 20% discount for Members

Designed for lifelong learners who want to become better acquainted with Reynolda, this in-person class provides an exhilarating introduction to the estate, gardens, former working farm, and the fine art and object collections of Reynolda House. Each session will center on a specific theme and involve discussion with Reynolda’s educators, curators, and historians. A background in art and history is not required, only an interest in learning about Reynolda! Register by February 5.

Friends Insider Tour: Greenhouse Walk

5 p.m. Free for Friends

Friends of Reynolda Gardens will join Gardens Director Jon Roethling for an inside look at Reynolda’s iconic greenhouse. Space is limited; advance registration is required.

Healers, Guardians, and Nurturers

11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Free with Museum Admission

Painter and fiber artist Stephen Towns and curator Kilolo Luckett will discuss the inspiration for Stephen Towns: Declaration & Resistance, specifically the role African Americans have played in shaping the American economy. Moderated by Dr. Paul Baker, public historian and director of the Contemporary Art Museum in Raleigh, the panel discussion will explore how Towns’s work challenges the nation to truly embrace the tenets of the Declaration of Independence.

Stephen Towns, photographed by Jermaine Táron Bell, and Kilolo Luckett, photographed by Grace Roselli

Reynolda On the House

4–7 p.m. Free

Romance is still in the air the week after Valentine’s Day. Celebrate love and resilience with spoken word artists (and couple) LB the Poet & Ely B. Bring your partner for a date night “on the house” after hours at the Museum to explore Stephen Towns: Declaration & Resistance. Light hors d’oeuvres are included; adult beverages available for purchase.

Margie and Bill Imus, co-founders of Minglewood Farm & Nature Preserve, have farmed their property in Surry County for more than thirty years. Margie will share their story about how they transitioned their farm to a land preserve, with a mission to connect students of all ages to the natural world and inspire environmental stewardship through place-based learning.

MAR 7

American Wilderness: Hudson River School Guided Tour

March 2, 10 a.m. May 21, 3 p.m. $25; 20% discount for Members

Inspired by Barbara Babcock Millhouse’s American Wilderness: The Story of the Hudson River School of Painting, this intimate guided tour offers a close look at works in Reynolda’s permanent collection. Guests will gain a deeper understanding of landscape painters who created a new and quintessentially American style of art in the early and mid-nineteenth century. Ticket holders can continue the experience at home with their own signed copy of American Wilderness, included in the tour price.

TUESDAY GARDENING SERIES

Orchids are Not Difficult, Just Misunderstood!

12:30–1:30 p.m. $5; Free for Friends and WFU Reynolda Gardens Education Wing and Zoom

Before the upcoming Triad Orchid Society show, we’ll get some advice for those wanting to begin growing orchids. Linda Thorne, owner of Seagrove Orchids, has been immersed in orchids for a long time. She grows and sells them through her greenhouse in Seagrove, North Carolina, and serves as a judge for the American Orchid Society.

MAR 10 begins

Members’ Shopping Day

9:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

On this special shopping day, museum Members can save up to 20% in the Museum Store, plus 50% off one item. Some exclusions apply.

Triad Orchid Society Sale & Show

March 10: 1–5 p.m.

March 11 & 12: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. $5 admission, collected on site

Reynolda Gardens Greenhouse and Education Wing

Regional orchid societies and individual hobbyists will exhibit orchids in bloom, many in unusual genera, and recent hybrids that are not available at big-box or local grocery stores. There will also be plants for purchase from vendors. Treat yourself and friends to the delightful blooms and fragrances of this exceptional floral display!

Film Premiere: Landscapes of Exclusion

3–5 p.m. Free with Museum Admission

Reynolda will host the national premiere of Landscapes of Exclusion, produced by the Library of American Landscape History (LALH). The short documentary by Forster Films illuminates the seldomdiscussed history of segregated state parks during the Jim Crow era. William E. O’Brien, author of Landscapes of Exclusion: State Parks and Jim Crow in the American South, and Arthur J. Clement, an architect who experienced one of the segregated state parks included in O’Brien’s book, will discuss the many complexities inherent in these stories. Project partners will be joined by WinstonSalem preservationist and representative of the Friends of Odd Fellows Cemetery, Linda Dark.

TUESDAY GARDENING SERIES

Getting Your Roses Off to a Great Start

12:30–1:30 p.m.

$5; Free for Friends and WFU Reynolda Gardens Education Wing and Zoom

Larry Wise, second vice-president of the Winston-Salem Rose Society, will share rose growing basics—from selection to planting. He will also discuss the essentials to ensure a successful year-long rose growing experience, extra tips for increasing rose health and beauty, and “just plain and simple advice.” This Rose Care Week event is in partnership with the Winston-Salem Rose Society.

Rose Pruning Clinics

10 a.m.–12 p.m. Free Modern Rose Garden–Upper Garden

Experience hands-on learning with members of the Winston-Salem Rose Society. Participants are asked to bring pruners and heavy gloves. No registration required. This Rose Care Week event is in partnership with the Winston-Salem Rose Society.

Mindfulness and the Museum: Contemplative Viewing

10 a.m.–noon

$15; Free for Members and WFU

Through guided meditations, mindful walking, and spending enough time for a piece of art to speak to you, participants will learn the ancient art of quieting the mind, opening the heart, and engaging with the world more consciously. The invitation is to explore what these works of art might have to say to us today and how, through collective exploration, we may more carefully consider them. The Reverend Timothy L. Auman, Ph.D., MDiv, chaplain at Wake Forest University and founder and director of the MindfulWake initiative will join Julia Hood, director of teaching and learning at Reynolda House, to lead this workshop.

MAR 19 MAR 21

Reynolda On the House

1:30–4:30 p.m.

Free

All are invited to visit the Museum “on the house” (free of charge)! Enjoy self-touring Stephen Towns: Declaration & Resistance. Singer, historian, and educator Mary D. Williams will offer a special musical performance at 3 p.m. The participatory experience will feature songs of labor and worship inspired by the Towns exhibition. After visiting the Museum, guests are encouraged to stroll the Gardens and visit the Village.

Presenting Sponsor

Day Trip to Bartlett Arboretum

8 a.m.–5 p.m. $50; $40 Friends

Take an exclusive tour of this important research facility in Charlotte, North Carolina, and join Reynolda Gardens experts on a quest to catch the world’s largest collection of magnolia cultivars in bloom—along with rhododendrons, crabapples, camellias, and bulbs. A boxed lunch is included. Space is limited; register early!

Friends of Reynolda Gardens will have the first opportunity to register for this trip. Not yet a Friend of the Gardens? Call 336.758.5889 or email sarah@reynolda.org to join today.

TUESDAY GARDENING SERIES

Designer Genes: Twenty-four Years of Cercis

(redbud) Breeding

12:30–1:30 p.m.

$5; Free for Friends and WFU Reynolda Gardens Education Wing and Zoom

‘Ruby Falls,’ ‘Merlot,’ ‘Flamethrower.’ Hear from the breeder himself, Dr. Dennis Werner, about the art and science of breeding rebuds and the process of completely reinventing a beloved native tree. MAR

A Study of Self-Emancipation: Poetry

Workshop with Authoring Action!

9:30 a.m.–3 p.m.

$50; 20% discount for Members

Inspired by Ona Judge Escapes in Stephen Towns: Declaration & Resistance , workshop attendees will explore the theme of self-emancipation from past to present. Participants will gain transformative personal insight through reflection, conversation, and writing. Guests are encouraged to read Never Caught: The Washingtons’ Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge, but it’s not required. At the conclusion of the workshop, attendees will have created an original work of poetry. Price includes a boxed lunch.

Stephen Towns (born 1980), Ona Judge Escapes, 2021.

Natural and synthetic fabric, polyester and cotton thread, crystal glass beads, resin buttons, 50 x 45.5 inches.

Courtesy of the Artist and De Buck Gallery, New York, NY.

Reynolda Quartet

3 p.m. $25; $20 student; Free for WFU and UNCSA

The Reynolda Quartet returns to Reynolda House for a concert of works for string quartet. The Reynolda Quartet, consisting of UNCSA Music faculty-artists, was founded in 2019 as a partnership between two of Winston-Salem’s premier cultural organizations, Reynolda House Museum of American Art and UNCSA.

Friends Insider Tour: Beautiful Bulbs

9 a.m.

Free for Friends

Friends of Reynolda Gardens will join Gardens Director Jon Roethling to take in the array of blooming bulbs in the Formal Gardens. Space is limited; advance registration is required.

TUESDAY GARDENING SERIES

Spring Plant Sale Preview 12:30–1:30 p.m. Free Reynolda Gardens Education Wing and Zoom

Get an inside look at what’s included in this year’s Spring Plant Sale. Director Jon Roethling will share seasonal must-haves and identify those in short supply to scoop up early.

SAVE THE DATES!

Fundraiser for Reynolda House

Reynolda House’s annual fundraiser returns to the Museum in 2023! Guests will celebrate Reynolda with dinner, drinks, and dancing over two nights. Look for more information later this spring on how to be a part of these wonderful events.

TUESDAY GARDENING SERIES Container Workshop

5:30–6:30 p.m.

$50; $40 Friends Reynolda Gardens Education Wing

Bring a container from home (20” max. width) and join Lead Horticulturist Michelle Hawks in this interactive workshop. Soil and a selection of Michelle’s favorites will be available to choose from to make your own container for the summer.

Mindfulness and the Museum: Finding Stillness in the Forest

10 a.m.–noon

$15; Free for Members and WFU

In this workshop, we’ll explore a few mindfulness practices in the natural world. From a slow, walking meditation to forest bathing (a Japanese practice that is not about bathing, but rather “absorbing the atmosphere of the forest”), we will spend time on the grounds at Reynolda slowing down and listening to the natural world and how it can help ground us. The Reverend Timothy L. Auman, Ph.D., MDiv, chaplain at Wake Forest University and founder and director of the MindfulWake initiative will join Julia Hood, director of teaching and learning at Reynolda House, to lead this workshop.

Spring Plant Sale

8 a.m.–2 p.m. Front Lawn of Reynolda House

Shop specialty and hard-to-find annuals, perennials, tropicals, and other staff favorites. This annual sale features plants that have been thoughtfully selected by Reynolda Gardens horticulturalists for their performance in Winston-Salem and surrounding areas.

Friends of Reynolda Gardens can pre-order plants a week in advance of the sale. Not yet a Friend of the Gardens? Call 336.758.5889 or email sarah@reynolda.org to join today.

Introduction to Worm Farming

12:30–1:30 p.m.

$5; Free for Friends and WFU Reynolda Gardens Education Wing and Zoom

Paul Horner of Our Silent Partners, LLC, is a worm farmer and children’s book author based in Harrisburg, North Carolina. He will share the basic techniques of worm farming, vermiculture, and using chemical free soil amendments.

Community Day

9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Free

Celebrate self-expression and empowerment with Reynolda during Community Day, when museum admission is free for all. Performances and programming, including hands-on art activities, throughout the day will be inspired by the spring exhibition Stephen Towns: Declaration & Resistance.

MAY 4

Friends’ Night

Mark your calendars for an annual appreciation event for Friends of Reynolda Gardens. Invitations will be mailed.

Friends Insider Tour: Perennially Yours

6:30 p.m. Free for Friends

Friends of Reynolda Gardens will join Gardens Director Jon Roethling to wind down with a short walk through the Formal Gardens. Space is limited; advance registration is required.

MAY 18

Rose Pruning Clinic: First Deadheading of the Season

10 a.m.–12 p.m. Free Modern Rose Garden–Upper Garden

Join Gardens staff and members of the Winston-Salem Rose Society for a hands-on demonstration of proper techniques for the initial deadheading of the growing season.

MAY 18

Meet the Author – Art of the State

5:30 p.m. Free

Join journalist Liza Roberts as she presents Art of the State: Celebrating the Visual Art of North Carolina. The work illustrates the vitality and importance of North Carolina’s contemporary art scene, showcasing the creation, collection, and celebration of art in all its richness and diversity. Roberts also provides historical context of art museums across the state, including Reynolda House. You may purchase your copy during the event from local literary nonprofit Bookmarks.

Reynolda On the House 4–7 p.m. Free

After the school day ends, families are invited to visit the Museum “on the house” (free of charge)! Enjoy a performance by Big Bang Boom, a band that mixes genres to create music that is fun, parentfriendly, and educational. Established in 2007 in Greensboro, North Carolina, this rockin’ three-piece power pop band consists of longtime musicians Chuck Folds, Steve Willard, and Eddie Walker.

Presenting Sponsor

Members’ Travel: Day Trip to Reynolds Homestead

8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. $125 per Member and $225 per Member couple

Museum supporters will visit the Reynolds Homestead, formerly known as the Rock Springs Plantation, in Critz, Virginia. The group will have an in-depth tour of the home with behind the scenes access to the WPA Paintings of Tobacco collection, and will learn the latest research as they tour the historic landscape—including the cemetery for enslaved African Americans and agricultural fields. A boxed lunch is included.

Reynolda Reads – The Tobacco Wives: A Novel 11 a.m. Free

New to North Carolina, protagonist Maddie Sykes is dazzled by the wives of the powerful tobacco executives. A trail of misfortune follows many of the women, including substantial health problems. Though Maddie is quick to believe that this is a coincidence, she inadvertently uncovers evidence that suggests otherwise. Author Adele Meyers loosely based this dramatic novel on her childhood in Winston-Salem. This event will be held in the front lawn gazebo, weather permitting. Advance registration encouraged.

Friends Insider Tour: Boardwalk Bounty

9 a.m. Free for Friends

Friends of Reynolda Gardens will join Gardens Director Jon Roethling to stroll through the meadow and boardwalk plantings. Space is limited; advance registration is required.

Stewards of Reynolda

“Hunter and I are thankful to Reynolda for providing a place for our boys to learn and explore. They have an appreciation of art and gardens and trails and historic homes because of the time we have spent at Reynolda as a family. We are Stewards so that future generations of families are able to experience the Museum and Gardens in the same way I have throughout my life.”

—Sandlin Douglas

Stewards of Reynolda ensure that the Museum and Gardens will remain historical and educational resources for generations to come. With the variety of legacy giving opportunities available, everyone can provide long lasting support and create a meaningful impact on the future of Reynolda.

To begin a conversation about your legacy gift for Reynolda, contact Director of Advancement Stephan Dragisic at 336.758.5595 or stephan@reynolda.org.

Reynolda

Anonymous

Anne and Bruce Babcock

Frank and Gary Greer and Scott Cawood

John W. Davis, III

Hunter and Sandlin Douglas

Stephan Dragisic Frank Driscoll

Connie Gray Frank Borden Hanes

Clark Harper

Sue and Doug Henderson

Richard Earl Johnson

Cathleen and Ray McKinney

Blanche Miller

Barbara Babcock Millhouse

McLean Mitchell Scottie and David Neill Everdina B. Nieuwenhuis

Elizabeth Philips

Nancy Pleasants Debi and Noah Reynolds Debbie Rubin

Cyndi Skaar

Brian Speas and Jay Everette Susan and Michael Starr

Peggy Taylor

Louise Thomas

Anonymous Bynum Tudor Sue Wall

*In memoriam

is grateful to the following donors for including Reynolda in their estate plans:

Shops and Services

A Proper View

Thoughtfully curated eyewear, exceptional eyecare

Aeracura Salon An Aveda Concept Salon

All Through the House Gifts, home furnishings, and accessories

The Barn at Reynolda Village Private venue for weddings, social and corporate events

European Touch Full-service day spa

Gazebo Ladies’ designer fashions

Half Past Three Women’s contemporary clothing where classic charm meets boho vibes

J. McLaughlin

Men’s and ladies’ clothing and accessories

McCalls

Linens, fine lingerie, children’s wear, gifts, and accessories

Monkee’s Fine ladies’ clothing, shoes, and accessories

Naturopathic Health Clinic Natural, conventional, alternative, and integrative healing methods

Norman Stockton Men’s clothing and accessories

Painters’ Palette Art studio and gallery

Pure Barre Pure Barre technique classes and activewear

RingMaster Jewelers

Diamonds, custom jewelry, repair

Sfeer + Co. Furniture and home decor

stArt Gallery Quality student artwork for exhibition and sale

Uncorked Masterpiece A ceramic and canvas paint and party studio

Village Fabric Shop Fabric boutique and studio

Village Hair Designs Hair salon

Village Realty Boutique real estate services

Restaurants

Dough-Joe’s

Doughnuts & Coffee

Made-to-order cake doughnuts, baked goods, full coffee bar

May Way Dumplings Chinese noodles and dumplings

Penny Path Café & Crêpe Shop

Savory and sweet crepes, full coffee bar

Theodore’s Local bar and market; sandwiches, salads, and soups

Village Tavern Steaks, pasta, pizza, sandwiches, burgers, cocktails

2250 REYNOLDA ROAD WINSTON-SALEM NC 27106

Museum

HOURS

Tuesday—Saturday 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Sunday 1:30–4:30 p.m.

ADMISSION

Adult admission charged. Free with valid I.D. — Museum Members, children under 18, students, active or retired military personnel, EBT cardholders, employees of Wake Forest University and Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist

Gardens

HOURS Greenhouse Tuesday—Friday 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Gardens Dawn to dusk

ADMISSION Gardens and grounds are open free of charge. Village Hours vary by merchant.

at Reynolda House is sponsored by

STAY CONNECTED at REYNOLDA.ORG Reynolda House thanks its Annual Sponsor