Reynolda: Feature Stories from the Estate Vol. II

S P R I N G

F E A T U R E

S T O R I E S

F R O M

T H E

E S T A T E

2026

v o l . 02

JOIN US THIS SPRING FOR...

PRESENTED BY

MARCH 10 — J U LY 1 9 , 2 0 2 6

HOURS

AND

ADMISSION

Welcome Center

Ga rdens

T U ES DAY

CONSERVATO RY

—

SAT U R DAY

9:30 AM—4:30 PM

T U ES DAY

—

ADMISSION

SAT U R DAY

9:30 AM—4:30 PM

S U N DAY

1:30 PM—4:30 PM

GARDENS

Grounds are open free of charge

MUSEUM

S U N DAY

Special Pricing For Spring 2026

1:30 PM—4:30 PM

Adults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 1 4 Youth (Ages 3-18) . . . . . . $ 5

Museum*

GAR D ENS

SALES TAX INCLUDED

D AW N — D U S K

F R E E W I T H VA L I D I . D .

Reopening March 10, 2026

Museum members, students,

T U ES DAY

and employees of Wake Forest

—

SAT U R DAY

9:30 AM—4:30 PM S U N DAY

1:30 PM—4:30 PM

Village

University and Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist.

H O U R S VA R Y B Y M E R C H A N T

Visit reynolda.org for additional free admission categories.

* Historic House will close effective January 5, 2026 to begin HVAC preservation work. The Babcock Wing will reopen March 10 with Layered Looking on view.

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&

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VILLAGE

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Director’s Letter

ALLISON PERKINS Executive Director of Reynolda House Wa k e Fo r e s t U n i v e r s i t y A s s o c i a t e P r o v o s t for Reynolda House & Reynolda Gardens

DEAR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS

E

ach spring, the gardens remind us how

what they might have missed, and to discover

time moves here. Sweeps of daffodils signal

that there is no single way to enter a work of

a promise of winter’s end, transforming what

art. The same eyes that linger over a painting

we think we know into something momentarily

learn, in time, to meet the world outside with the

astonishing. They remind us that lasting things

same curiosity—to read the light on a branch, to

change gently, and in doing so, they endure.

recognize play in the movement of air. In learning

This second issue of our new publication reflects the full breadth of Historic Reynolda,

to look, we learn to belong.

Spring is when Reynolda Gardens are at

where art, history, and community are

their most picturesque. The weeping cherry trees

intertwined in a living landscape.

lean into bloom, their pale branches brushing

That sense of renewal extends beyond

the paths as if checking whether winter has

the gardens this year. In January, the historic

really left. The borders answer with color, and

house closed to begin a seven-month HVAC

the familiar rhythms of the season emerge

rehabilitation project, part of the ongoing care that

once again. Even as one part of the estate rests,

keeps Reynolda strong. More than a century ago,

another reaches its full expression.

Katharine Reynolds understood the importance

Reynolda has always balanced care and

of fresh air, light, and comfort. We’re carrying that

change. Every season, every exhibition, every

same sensibility forward, ensuring the museum

act of preservation carries the same intention: to

remains a place where art and history can thrive

keep this place alive for those who come after us.

for you and for those who will follow.

In that spirit, I live for the future and trust that

In March, we will introduce Layered Looking: Making Sense of Art, an exhibition that

what we nurture now will bloom again in ways we can’t yet imagine.

invites us to reconsider how we experience

I hope you’ll spend time here this spring, to

art. Curated by Julia Tanner, our director of

walk the gardens and trails, to experience art in

teaching and learning, it draws from Reynolda’s

a new way, or simply to notice how a place can

permanent collection and features works

grow ever more itself over time. •

by Louise Nevelson, Red Grooms, Kwame Brathwaite, and Nam June Paik, among others. It encourages visitors to look more slowly, to notice WA R M

W I S H E S [3.]

FO R B E N E FAC TO R M E M B E R S A N D A B OV E

The Practice of Preservation A D I S C U S S I O N WITH J O S E P H K . O P P E R M A N N

APRIL

• 2026 •

6:00 – 8:00PM AT REYNOLDA HOUSE

I

n this talk, Joseph Oppermann will draw on his experience to explore why architectural preservation matters and how it continues to shape the future of historic places like Reynolda. Join us for an engaging conversation on the importance of preservation and the permanence of historic structures.

* F O R MU S EUM M EM BER S AT T HE BENEFA C T O R L E V EL O R H I G H ER . T O UP G R A D E YO UR M EM BER S H IP, C O N TA C T T HE A D VA N C EM EN T O F F I C E AT 3 3 6 .7 5 8 . 3 8 8 5 O R A DVA N C EM EN T @RE Y N O L DA .O R G.

JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN is a nationally recognized preservation architect with more than thirty years of experience leading acclaimed restorations of historic buildings. Having played a vital role in the restoration of Reynolda's century-old Ludowici tile roof and the recently-restored Brown Family Conservatory, he is currently part of the team overseeing the HVAC restoration project.

pg. N O .

I N T H I S I SS U E

Layered Looking: Making Sense of Art

8

The Subtle Art of Seeing: A Q+A with Julia Tanner, Layered Looking curator

10

A D i gi tal Renaissanc e

12

P re se rvation in Prac t ic e

14

Si ght L i nes: The Andes o f Ecuado r

18

Re y nolda G ardens: An Ext ended Fam ily

21

Re y nolda in Com m unit y: Bloom s of Th anks

22

Allé e Onc e Again

24

Be fore th e House, Th ere Was Wat er

26

Re y nolda Ret ail: Top Pic ks f or Spring

28

Comin g Fall 2026: Ar t & D emo cracy

30

Vi llage Direc t ory

LOOKING FOR A COMPLETE CALENDAR OF EVENTS?

FIND UPCOMING PROGRAMS AND EVENTS ONLINE

CONTENTS

6

M A R C H 1 0 – J U LY 1 9 BABCOCK WING GALLERY

W H AT I F L O O K I N G AT A R T F E LT M O R E L I K E P L AY I N G A G A M E , O R S O LV I N G A P U Z Z L E , O R T U R N I N G O N A S O N G YO U F O R G O T Y O U L O V E D?

L

ayered Looking: Making Sense of Art invites you to experience Reynolda’s collection not

with a guidebook or a lecture, but through sound, touch, memory, movement — even making things with your own two hands. It’s an exhibition about what happens when we give ourselves permission to engage art with our full curiosity.

Instead of spotlighting one artist, period, or theme, the exhibition is organized around different ways of appreciating art — looking closely, listening deeply, striking a pose, building a bridge between your own life and what you see.

In one space, hear a saxophone solo as you reflect

A B O V E : Audrey Flack (1931 - 2024), Bounty, 1978.

Oil and acrylic paint on canvas. © AUDREY FLACK / LOUIS K. MEISEL GALLERY

on brushstrokes. In another, you might sketch a mystery scene left unfinished by a painter two centuries ago. Around every corner, you’ll find playful provocations and gentle invitations to deepen your engagement.

T H E R E ’ S N O O N E R I G H T WA Y I N .

T H AT ’ S T H E P O I N T .

Whether you are a first-time visitor or a lifelong art lover, you will walk away with a set of tools for seeing — tactile, sensory, reflective — that you can carry into any museum (and, frankly, any moment of daily life). As G.K. Chesterton once

MEMBER OPENING EVENTS

MARCH

MARCH

EXHIBITION PA R T Y

MEMBER C E L E B R AT I O N

5:30 - 7:30 PM

3:00 - 6:00 PM

FOR SUSTAINER MEMBER LEVELS AND ABOVE

ALL MUSEUM MEMBERS INCLUDED

12

13

P R ES E N T E D BY:

said, “The true object of all human life is play.”

We believe art is asking the same of us: Show up curious. Stay long enough to be inspired. •

CONTRIBUTING

SPONSORS:

Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County Pam and Fred Kahl [6.]

A B O V E : James Rosenquist (1933–2017), Off the Continental Divide, 1973 - 74. Lithograph.

Reynolda House Museum of American Art, gift of Barbara B. Millhouse. © 2026 JAMES ROSENQUIST FOUNDATION / LICENSED BY ARTIST RIGHTS SOCIETY (ARS), NY, USED BY PERMISSION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

JOIN US FOR O P E N S T U D I O S AT U R D AY S INCLUDED WITH MUSEUM ADMISSION*

On select Saturdays throughout the season, our studios will be open for visitors of all ages to engage with art through yet another layer: creating.

Visitors can drop in and make their own work of art to take home, inspired by art in the exhibition.

SPONSORED

BY:

Fader Real Estate

*MUSEUM PRICING fo r S P R I N G 2 0 2 6 A B O V E : Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze (1816 - 1868), Worthington Whittredge in his Tenth Street Studio, 1865. Oil on canvas.

Adults . . . . . . $ 1 4

Youth (Ages 3-18) . . . . . . $ 5

SALES TAX INCLUDED

[ 7. ]

The Subtle Art of Seeing C U R ATO R A N D D I R E C TO R O F T E AC H I N G A N D

rec en t ly s hared t he Jos hu a C. Taylor Q You pas s ag e: “t o look at a work of ar t i s t o t hi n k .”

L E A R N I N G , R E V E A L S T H E M A N Y “ WAYS I N ”

Beyon d s i mple look i n g, what k i n d s of t hi n k i ng

T O L O O K I N G AT A R T A N D H OW R E Y N O L DA’ S

d o you hope t hi s ex hi b i t i on i g n i t es ? Can you

J U L I A TA N N E R, L AY E R E D LO O K I N G

S P R I N G E X H I B I T I O N H O L DS S PAC E F O R CURIOUS LEARNERS OF ALL AGES.

point to a moment or artwork where you imagine v i s i t ors mi g ht b e s u r pri s ed by t he k i n d of men t al ac t i v i t y i t prov ok es ?

art exhibitions emerge from a spark—some Q Some little moment or itch that gets it rolling. What was

an undergraduate, I studied psychology, fine art, A As and modern dance. I was drawn both to the workings of

the spark for Layered Looking: Making Sense of

the human mind and to the way the arts express ideas.

Art? Did it begin with a particular artwork, an idea

Eventually, these interests gelled for me as a museum

you couldn’t let go of, or something else entirely?

educator. I’m forever intrigued by the way art–regardless of when it was made–communicates something about

A me with an idea for an exhibition. He had been reflecting

In the fall of 2023, Deputy Director Phil Archer approached

[8.]

what it is to be human. Teaching in the galleries with art, I get to explore those ideas with people and hear what

on Reynolda’s long history of introducing people to art

they think. It’s not boring to teach with the same work

museums and offering experiences that inspire visits at

of art over and over, because I’m genuinely curious about

other museums. He knew that in the spring of 2026 we

what the group in front of me is thinking about what they

would have an exhibition that focused on the permanent

are seeing, and where our collective conversation might

collection and he invited me to imagine an interactive

go. Visual art offers an especially accessible starting point:

exhibition with Reynolda’s art objects—an experience open

eight to ten people can stand before a painting and take it

to curiosity at every age. I was thrilled at the opportunity.

in together. Discussing a novel is rewarding, but people

As an educator, my responsibility is to help people of all

can’t hold it in their gaze all at once. Visual art offers that

ages take time to look at art and guide them in the process.

immediacy there, while still inviting careful thought.

This exhibition felt like a fabulous opportunity to do that

I hope this exhibition sparks a range of thinking

for every visitor, not just those who signed up for a tour

for our visitors. I hope that people are able to make an

or a class. As the idea evolved, I knew I wanted to use the

emotional connection with a work of art. I hope visitors

exhibition as a chance to teach people about some different

experience the reward of really slowing down to look at a

approaches to looking at and thinking about works of art.

work of art in depth, and from some new angles.

e ti tl e s u g g e s t s t ha t t he re a re mu l t ipl e layers If Laye re d L ookin g plan t s a s eed for Reynolda’s Q Th Q to l o o k i n g. Ca n y o u s ha re a n e xa mpl e f ro m t he ed u c at i on al prog rammi n g, what d o you hope per m an en t co l l e c t io n whe re y o u a n t ic ip a t e

g rows ? How mi g ht i t c han g e t he way you teach

v i s i to r s di s co v e r ing mo re t ha n o ne “ w a y in ” ?

wi t h t he c ollec t i on g oi n g for ward ?

with art is much like learning—people benefit A Engaging from having different “ways in.” Some connect through

exhibition grows out of years of teaching with A This the collection—my own fourteen years, those of my

the artist’s story, others by thinking about how a work was

predecessors, and the learning shared with volunteers

made, or by hearing someone else describe why they love

and colleagues. In many ways, the whole exhibition is an

it. In Layered Looking, we’re offering visitors several paths

experiment, and I’m curious to see what it may suggest for

to try. A tactile station will pair textures with works of

our future practices in structuring spaces and exhibitions.

art to spark the senses; some works invite imagining an

This season, we’ll pilot drop-in studio programs on

auditory soundtrack and others encourage kinesthetic play.

selected Saturdays in March, April, and May. Instead of

For example, Abraham Walkowitz’s drawing of dancer

scheduled programs with pre-registration, these sessions

Isadora Duncan practically begs viewers to move—he was

invite any museum visitor to create a work of art to take

so captivated by her that he created thousands of images.

home. We hope this proves to be a valuable engagement

Striking her pose can open up new insight into what

tool. Hands-on components in the gallery may also inspire

Walkowitz wanted to convey with his crayon.

gallery-safe teaching items for docents to carry into tours.

en v i s i to r s l e a v e L aye red L o o k i n g, wh at Q Wh d o y o u h o pe the y c a r r y w it h t he m— no t j u s t

museum dedicated to interactive learning experiences like

Ultimately, my dream is a permanent space in the

as m em o r i es of t he e xhib it io n, b u t a s t o o ls or

those in Layered Looking. I’m eager to see what emerges from this exhibition! •

h abi ts th ey might u s e t o e nc o u nt e r a r t (a n d m ay be th e w i d e r w o rl d ) d if f e re nt l y ? are three big things that I hope this exhibition A There will do. First, I hope visitors practice slowing down and giving art time, the way reading and contemplating a poem takes time. Second, I hope they practice a newto-them approach and find that they get some new piece of information or thought out of the experience. Third, I hope people gain confidence about looking at art and bring that to future exhibitions at Reynolda and at other museums (or even other disciplines). I hear a lot of insecurity from people about art, a feeling that they need to have studied art history to be able to make anything out of it. Sure, having research-based information can add to your understanding of a work of art, but that is only one layer. You have everything you need to look at a work of art and consider what it is communicating to you, based on what you perceive and your life experience to date.

That also means that if you look at a work of art when you are five and then again at twenty-five, you’ve had a different set of life experiences, so the work of art will likely say something new to you. That said, I’m personally in favor of revisiting books and works of art with more frequency than twenty years!

[9.]

A

Digital Renaissance R E STO R I N G N A M J U N E PA I K ’ S A R T

W H E N N A M J U N E PA I K ’ S L E O N A R D O DA V I N C I F L I C K E R S T O L I F E , I T D E L I V E R S A J O LT . T H E R U S H O F M O V I N G I M A G E S G I V E S WAY T O SURPRISE:

THE

ANTHROPOMORPHIC

ROBOT

FIGURE

MADE

FROM

V I N T A G E R A D I O S A N D T V S WA S H I D D E N I N P L A I N S I G H T . P A I K ’ S W O R K I S A N A R R E S T I N G M A R R I A G E O F A R T, S C I E N C E , A N D T E C H N O L O G Y— T H E O N L Y O N E O F I T S K I N D I N R E Y N O L D A’ S P E R M A N E N T C O L L E C T I O N .

B U T A S M O D E R N A D VA N C E M E N T S W O U L D H AV E I T , T H I S B E L O V E D 3 D W O N D E R N E A R LY F O S S I L I Z E D — I T S V I N TA G E M O N I T O R S F A I L I N G O N E BY O N E , I T S V I B R A N T V I D E OS FA D I N G TO B L AC K .

R

estoring it meant more than swapping

Conserving a work like this meant stepping outside

parts. It meant honoring the intent of the

traditional methods. Paintings tend to follow a predictable

artist often referred to as “the father of video art.”

path—examination, treatment proposal, restoration. This

For Collections Manager Katie Womack

project required someone fluent in both preservation and

and Preparator Shane Carrico, this restoration

outdated media tech. That search led to Raphaele Shirley of La

would prove to be quite the adventure—even

Paix Management.

for this duo with forty-five years of experience between them.

Originally, Leonardo da Vinci ran on two

Lui of CTL Electronics in New York,” said Womack. “Paik

laser disc players feeding a fleet of cathode-ray

worked closely with Lui over the years, and Lui had also been a

tube televisions. As these became harder to

source for equipment for museums and collectors with video-

find, staff turned to secondhand sources and

based works in their collections. It was CTL that put us in

temporary fixes. By 2018, too many screens had

touch with Raphaele.”

failed to preserve Paik’s vision. The challenge

Remove the guts of the original cathode-ray tube TVs

wasn’t just replacing parts, but doing so in a way

and install custom LCD monitors into them; this was Shirley’s

faithful to the artist’s intent.

original proposal, and one that far exceeded budget.

Paik, born in Korea and working internationally, understood that the technology

[10.]

“I started by researching Paik conservation efforts at peer institutions and learned that most collaborated with Chi-Tien

Another hurdle.

Since the shells of the TVs weren’t an essential part

he used would become obsolete. A letter

of the composition of Reynolda’s Paik (and hardly visible),

accompanying Reynolda’s 1993 acquisition

Womack recommended­—and was granted permission to—

granted permission to replace equipment with

remove the TVs altogether and replace them with plain LCD

newer models as needed.

monitors that would match the scale of the originals. Carrico

THE MISSING PIECE One particularly thrilling moment came in the midst of the research. After studying Leonardo da Vinci’s documentation, staff knew that the work originally contained two distinct videos, but after a long-ago tech update from original laser discs to DVDs, only one DVD was played on the TVs. Where was the second video? Did we ever have it or were both laser discs the same?

After hours of searching, staff discovered a second DVD. After many attempts to download the old file, the eureka moment finally came when staff were able to watch enough seconds of the DVD to confirm that we did indeed have two distinct videos. The team was able to digitize the laser disc and now, with all new, working monitors, both videos will once again animate the glowing figure, just as Paik intended.

then engineered a mount for each monitor and its respective location in the artwork.

“Though Paik said in his letter that changes could be made to the interior structure, we chose to work with the existing shelves as much as possible,” said Carrico. “We were also able to secure a tiny monitor for Leonardo da Vinci’s Watchman held in the hand of the Leonardo robot, bringing it back to life. That was a very exciting day for us!”

What makes this restoration significant is not just the successful repair of a beloved artwork, but what it represents.

“Leonardo da Vinci is the largest three-dimensional work in Reynolda’s collection and the only one to incorporate video,” said Womack. “It speaks of the enduring impact of immigrant artists like Paik and the timeless dialogue between artistic imagination and technological discovery.”

This spring, when the switch is flipped and Leonardo da Vinci blazes back to life, visitors will witness more than a restored artwork. They will see a collaboration across time— between artist and conservator, past technology and present

DON’T MISS OBJECT OF THE MONTH

innovation, and between a museum’s commitment to care and

W I T H T H E E X H I B I T I O N C U R AT O R A N D

an audience’s enduring curiosity. • A B O V E : Nam June Paik, Leonardo da Vinci, 1991. Two-channel video sculpture, color, silent. © NAM JUNE PAIK ESTATE

COLLECTIONS TEAM MEMBERS ON JUNE 2, 2026

[1 1 . ]

Preservation in Practice R E Y N O L D A H O U S E M E E TS B L E N H E I M PA L A C E

TOP: Lady Henrietta SpencerChurchill (L) tours Reynolda House with Museum Founder Barbara Babcock Millhouse (R).

I

n Blenheim’s Great Park, once a royal hunting

of Marlborough, who oversaw every last detail

years, their branches splayed wide, their roots

of Blenheim’s construction between 1705 and

sunk deep. They’ve outlasted storms and wars,

1712, driving her architect, Sir John Vanbrugh,

generations and fortunes, and still they stand,

nearly to madness. She was, as Lady Henrietta

like monuments of survival. Last fall, when Lady

writes, “in many ways, the worst possible client

Henrietta Spencer-Churchill visited Reynolda

an architect or interior designer could have.”

to speak about her family’s estate, the parallels

Her force of will has an echo across the Atlantic.

felt immediate. Reynolda’s gardens are younger,

In Winston-Salem, Katharine Reynolds was

more deliberate, but they carry the same

meticulous, thoroughly knowledgeable, and

pulse—plantings still turning toward the sun, a

equally relentless as she shaped Reynolda with

landscape that remembers its maker.

Philadelphia architect Charles Barton Keen and

Here’s the truth: Reynolda and Blenheim have more in common than one might guess. One

[1 2 . ]

Consider Sarah Churchill, the first Duchess

ground, oaks have stood for nine hundred

landscape architect Thomas Sears. Different temperaments, same iron resolve.

is a Baroque palace in Oxfordshire, wrapped in

Both houses tell, in their own ways, the

the Great Park and crowned a UNESCO World

story of how art lives within a family’s life.

Heritage Site. The other is the largest bungalow in

At Blenheim, masterpieces were alternately

the world, a grand American country estate in North

paraded and hidden—objects of both pride and

Carolina built in 1917 with stucco walls and green

embarrassment. The 7th Duke, John Winston

tile rooflines. Yet both houses survive because of the

Spencer-Churchill, famously kept the Titians out

people who refuse to let them fade. That conviction

of sight; all that Venetian light and flesh felt too

is at the heart of Blenheim: 300 Years of Life in a

indecent for Blenheim’s corridors. At Reynolda,

Palace, the new book by Lady Henrietta Spencer-

art wasn’t hidden away but reimagined: in the

Churchill, who shares stories of her ancestral home.

1960s, Barbara Babcock Millhouse transformed

With a designer’s eye and a daughter’s memory, she

the family home into a museum devoted to

shows how a place can be both fragile and resilient.

American art, tracing a lineage from the luminous

landscapes of the Hudson River School to the bold experimentation of the twentieth century and beyond. And now, in a gesture that almost closes the circle, Blenheim itself is reaching toward the art world again, through Lady Henrietta’s half-brother, Edward Spencer-Churchill, who since 2014 has welcomed contemporary artists such as Ai Weiwei, Cecily Brown, and Maurizio Cattelan into its gilded halls and historic grounds.

This event was made possible through the leadership of event co-chairs MARGARET TOWNSEND and K A T E C L E G G and the generous support of our sponsors.

Of course, families also leave their eccentric fingerprints behind. At Blenheim, there was Gladys Deacon, who became duchess after marrying the 9th duke and later withdrew from the world in the early 1920s following

PRESENTING

a plastic surgery procedure gone wrong. She filled the palace with forty-five

SPONSORS

spaniels (and all that implies for upholstery). Reynolda’s story has its own dark chapter in the sensational 1932 death of Z. Smith Reynolds that made

Ashley & Richard Wimmer

national headlines and brought into question the future of the estate.

CONTRIBUTING SPONSORS

Cassandra & Jerry Baker LEFT: Lady Henrietta pictured in the House Library

But alongside these dramas are stories of determination that changed the fate of both estates. At Blenheim, Consuelo Vanderbilt, the American heiress from the Gilded Age, and Lady Henrietta’s great-grandmother,

Nella Purrington Fulton Margaret & David Townsend

BENEFACTOR SPONSORS

Betty & Jim Becher

brought not only fortune but focus. Respected by servants and tenants alike,

Patty & Malcolm Brown

she turned her energy toward the less fortunate and ensured that Blenheim

Claire & Hudnall Christopher

remained in family hands. At Reynolda, Mary Reynolds Babcock—Katharine

Stuart Parks

Reynolds’s daughter—came into not just a house but a calling. She added

PNC

playful facilities for “rainy day fun” among family and friends, then turned outward, giving hundreds of acres to bring Wake Forest College (now Wake Forest University) to Winston-Salem and establishing a foundation of her own devoted to social and economic justice across the South. Her span was short, her vision long: the song her mother began, carried on a new breath.

The parallels run wide, from the stately to the whimsical. Each estate has its own boathouse, uncannily alike despite the ocean between them.

Each houses an organ built on a monumental scale, as if music itself were part of the architecture. And both look to their gardens for renewal— Reynolda’s Brown Family Conservatory, a contemporary counterpoint to Blenheim’s grand Orangery.

Reynolda’s gathering with Lady Henrietta was a chance to glimpse that parallel endeavor. Across the Atlantic, two houses, each formidable yet requiring constant care, continue to persist. They survive because people— whether dukes or designers, widows or visionaries—refuse to let them fade.

And they remind us that great houses, however stately, are also profoundly

EVENT

PARTNERS

Shelmer Blackburn Grace & Jimmy Broughton Stewart Butler Kate & Alex Clegg Shelby & Lee Chaden Luci & Dek Driscoll Lisbeth Clark Evans Gene Foster & Tate Foster Jane & Redge Hanes Trouvaille Home Melissa & Richard Lewis Barbara Babcock Millhouse Drs. Vincent & Melinda Paul Nancy & Ed Pleasants Gwynne & Dan Taylor Sheila Johnston & Kay Triplett Patricia Vaughn Amy & Hayes Wauford

human. Their endurance is never guaranteed. What keeps them alive isn’t perfection, but the fact that, over and over, people decide they’re worth loving into the future. • [1 3 . ]

Sight Lines

from palm trees to grasslands to snow-clad peaks. All the details are bathed in glowing light.

These details essentially connect Church to his

R E D I SC OV E R

The painting’s elevated perspective allows the viewer to see an expanse of climate zones:

contemporary, Charles Darwin, as well: each influenced by the German naturalist Alexander von Humboldt, the painter and the scientist developed similar methods—a keen, even obsessive, sense of observation, a desire to collect natural facts—as sketches or specimens—and a need to put them all together into a single work or theory.

The painting’s success gave Church aesthetic

ALLISON SLABY

freedom. He would no longer have to rely solely

Curator

on commissions or patrons and their specific demands. The artist would also be able to exhibit

F

his subsequent works how and where he chose. rederic Edwin Church’s The Andes of

He began to display his major works alone, often

Ecuador, completed in 1855, was the

spotlit in a darkened gallery space, swathed in

culmination of the artist’s 1853 trip to South

jewel-toned fabric. Visitors would be charged

America. It debuted in the spring exhibition

an admission fee, and the paintings would travel

at the Boston Athenaeum and was purchased

around the country, and even across the Atlantic,

by Church’s friend and patron William Henry

to be exhibited in different cities. Tens of

Osborn. The painting was a breakthrough for

thousands of people came to see these works, and

the artist. It was executed at a new larger scale,

it is reported that the average time people spent

represented a new wilder subject, and received

looking at one of his most popular paintings was

new levels of critical praise and popular interest.

one hour! Today, museum-goers spend about

In this two-hundredth anniversary of the year of

three seconds looking at a work of art. •

Church’s birth, it is worth taking time to revisit this important painting.

Critics raved about the piece when it appeared at the National Academy of Design in 1857. One wrote, “The picture before which perhaps the greatest number of art-critics will congregate is the masterly landscape, by Church, of the Andes of Ecuador. Wonderful hazy ridges of mountain peaks, flooded with tropical sunlight. Sharp pinnacles just tipped with the eternal snow, soaring like white birds to heaven.

Vast, distant torrents, dashing over rocky ledges into bottomless ravines that gape for the silver waters. Faint gleams of tropical vegetation reddening the foreground, with all detail, all shape lost in the vastness of the gorges, but shedding a delicious neutral bloom over lonely places. Grandeur, isolation, serenity! Here, there is room to breathe.” Another wrote: “Amazing in its effects of atmosphere and light. It almost blinds the eye of the spectator.”

[14 .]

A B O V E : Frederic Edwin Church (1826 - 1900), The Andes of Ecuador, 1855. Oil on canvas.

ON VIEW IN LAYERED LOOKING: MAKING SENSE OF ART March 10 - July 19, 2026

W

h en F red eri c C h u rc h st u d i ed wi t h h i s m en t o r, T h o m a s

Co l e, C h u rc h l e a rn e d h ow t o m a ke s ke t ch es i n t h e f i e l d a n d a n n o t a t e t h e m wi t h c o l o r n o t e s o r t h e n a m e of a pl an t . W h i l e t rave l i n g i n C o l o m bia an d Ec u a d o r i n 1 85 3, h e c o n t i n u ed t h i s pra c t i c e, a s yo u c a n s ee i n t h ese s ke t ch es. To c re a t e t h e va st , d et a ile d s ce n e The An d e s o f Ec u a d o r, C h u rc h wo r ke d i n h i s st u d i o - n o t i n t h e f i e l d. He c o m b i n ed t h e s e s ket c h es in a co mp o s i t e v i e w.

LAYERS OF LOOKING WITHIN THE ANDES

OF ECUADOR

1

A B O V E : Drawing, Rugged Mountain Range, Colombia or Ecuador. Oil and graphite on tan paperboard. Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Gift of Louis P. Church; 1917-4-820 B E L O W : Drawing, Llama near Chimborazo, San Juan, Ecuador.

Oil and graphite on brown wove paper. Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Gift of Louis P. Church; 1917-4-750-b

Wh e n yo u t u rn t h e p a ge, st a rt by l e tti n g yo u r eye s wa n d e r a ro u n d Th e An d e s o f Ec u a d o r. Ma ke a m e n t a l ( o r w r i t t en !) l i st o f s o m e o f t h e de tai l s yo u n o t i c e.

2

Ch o o s e a d e t a i l t h a t st a n d s o u t t o yo u . W hy d o yo u t h i n k C h u rc h i n cl u de d i t ? How d o e s h e f o c u s you r at te n t i o n o n t h e d et a i l ( i f h e d o e s )?

3

Re - re ad A l l i s o n S l a by ’s a rt i c l e ab o u t t h i s m a st erp i e c e a n d exp l o re Ch u rch’s p re p a ra t o ry s ke t c h es. Do yo u h ave n ew t h o u gh t s o r q u est i o n s ab o u t The And e s o f Ec ua d o r ?

OBJECT OF THE MONTH

M AY

19 THE ANDES OF ECUADOR

BY F R E D E R I C E DW I N C H U RC H W I T H A L L ISO N S L A BY

A B O V E : Drawing, Church Domes, Colombia or Ecuador. Oil and graphite on tan paperboard. Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Gift of Louis P. Church; 1917-4-380

11:00 AM - NOON

[1 5 . ]

[16 . ]

Frederic Edwin Church (1826 - 1900), The Andes of Ecuador, 1855. Oil on canvas.

[1 7. ]

An Extended Family AMY DIXON

Assistant Horticulturist

& R E Y N O L D A G A R D E N S S TA F F A B O V E : Wake Construction crews begin framing for the cobblestone planter in the herb garden.

P E R H A P S T H E M O S T S AT I S F Y I N G PA R T O F W O R K I N G AT R E Y N O L DA G A R D E N S I S H O W O F T E N V I S I T O R S S T O P T O S H A R E A N U N E X P E C T E D I N S I G H T, A Q U I C K W O R D O F E N C O U R A G E M E N T, O R A K I N D N E S S T H E Y D I D N ’ T P L A N O N G I V I N G . A L O T O F G R AT I T U D E C O M E S B AC K T O T H E G A R D E N S S TA F F, A S T H E B E A U T Y A N D T R A N Q U I L I T Y O F T H I S P L A C E R E S O N AT E D E E P LY W I T H T H O S E W H O V I S I T . A S A S M A L L A N D M I G H T Y S TA F F, W E C E R TA I N LY C A N ’ T TA K E A L L T H E C R E D I T .

W

ith each passing season our 135 acres of formal and greater gardens change

This past year the Formal Gardens has

just a little bit more, whether that means a new

seen several new projects come to fruition,

structure, a cluster of native plants, or another

many of which were completed by the

addition to the Early Childhood Education

talented crew in the Wake Forest University

program—all with the goal of expanding our

Construction department. Led by Ben Venable,

reach in the community.

WFU Construction tackled improvements to

So when local partners and our colleagues

the Children’s Garden, building a three-bin

at Wake Forest University continue to answer

compost structure, two wooden-framed raised

every call for help, they start to feel like

beds and a covered arbor seating area. In the

extended family. No matter the request or

herb garden, they used their masonry skills

how frequently it arrives, they’re there—

to build a spiral-shaped, natural cobblestone

working alongside us to improve the safety,

planter, which will be filled with an eclectic

sustainability, accessibility, and beauty of these

mix of aromatic and textural herbs

grounds. That’s what family looks like to us:

and perennials.

people who show up and keep showing up.

[18 . ]

IN THE FORMAL GARDENS

The biggest (and tallest) structural

AROUND THE GROUNDS

addition to the Formal Gardens is a 16’ hops

In addition to the Wake Forest Construction

tower, which satisfies the growing demands

team, Reynolda Gardens also works closely with

of this vining plant. Hops is a perennial plant,

the WFU arborist and tree department. Because

grown for the cones it produces which are used

a large portion of the Gardens is wooded, we

to brew beer. The vines are most productive

are constantly dealing with downed trees from

when they have sufficient structural support,

storms. We also proactively assess the health of

growing 20-30’ each season.

existing mature trees and make decisions as to

Reynolda Gardens Horticulturist Joey

whether they need to be removed for the benefit

Martin knew that if he wanted to grow hefty

of the tree or the safety of our visitors. And

crops of hops, he had to get a strong trellising

no matter the urgency, the WFU arborists are

system in place. That’s when he turned to WFU

always there to help.

Construction to make it happen.

“Ben and his crew from Wake construction

While Reynolda Gardens staff is able to cut up and fell smaller trees, we rely on the Wake

have helped me elevate the vegetable garden

tree crew to tackle the bigger trees. They have

to new heights I could only dream of,” Martin

impeccable training and skills that provide an

explained. “When I first saw them erecting

invaluable resource for the Gardens’ tree canopy.

the tower, my mouth dropped in awe, as they

Tony McGee of Round Rock Design is also part

went above and beyond my expectations. The

of the Reynolda Gardens extended family. Tony

structure encourages vigorous upward growth

has improved, rerouted and expanded many of the

that allows more hops to form and thrive.

trails throughout the Greater Gardens, creating

This has led to a bountiful hops harvest that

safer footing and better water drainage.

has been brewed into our own Reynolda beer,

Tony is a priceless resource to Reynolda

thanks to Stuart Barnhart at Fiddlin’ Fish

Gardens, Winston-Salem and the surrounding

Brewing Company.”

areas of the Northwest Piedmont. He has

[1 9. ]

designed and built trails for Piedmont Land

T H R O U G H E D U C AT I O N &

Conservancy, NC State Parks and numerous

PROGRAMMING

school campuses. His sustainable mindset

Going beyond the tangible scope of

has helped us achieve a higher standard of

plants, arbors and stone, our Early Childhood

walkable paths throughout Reynolda.

Education program is a facet of the Gardens

“It has been an honor to work on the

that has garnered a huge extended family of

trails in the outer garden of Reynolda,”

community partners. Led by Early Childhood

McGee commented. “These legacy trails are

Education Coordinator Janie Bass, our

an important part of the landscape and are

education program includes Young Naturalists

obviously well used and loved by all members of

Camp, WS/FC school field trips, community

the community, functioning as a central park for

outreach and numerous family programs.

the city. There are no other trails that I work on

“It truly takes a village to bring our

that see the level of activity as these. Our work

education programs to life,” Bass said. “Our

at Reynolda is ongoing, to help maintain and

extended Reynolda family makes experiences

conserve this important landscape.”

possible for our programs. Just a few examples

One of Reynolda’s many long-term goals

include local vendor Tea & Toast blending a

includes implementing new native plant

custom cherry blossom tea for our family event,

installations throughout the Greater Gardens.

the City of Winston-Salem and Keep Winston-

And while we may have the vision for these

Salem Beautiful’s environmental educators

areas, we rely on support to cover the cost

guiding children as they explore our waterways

of plants. This is where a very important

and Trader Joe’s providing flowers so Title I

community partner has stepped up, time and

students can dissect and diagram blooms.”

time again.

“Partners like the WFU Center for Literacy

The Garden Club Council of Winston-

Grant—which provides travel vouchers to help

Salem/Forsyth County has shown support to

new families access the Gardens—show how

the Gardens through awarding us grants for

collaboration removes barriers and opens

numerous projects. Most recently, they gave

doors. Together, this community helps us

the Gardens a generous grant to cover plant

nurture curiosity, connection and joy in every

material for a newly cleared area.

child and family who visits.”

“It seems every year the Garden Club

This extended family that we’ve

Council has always risen to the occasion of

embraced—these campus and community

supporting the Gardens by helping with the

partners—are invaluable to Reynolda Gardens,

cost of plant materials,” Reynolda Gardens

keeping us on track for progress, horticulture

Director Jon Roethling explained. “This has

advancement, sustainability and community

ranged from plants for the Blue and Yellow

connectivity. They help us every single day,

Garden, the initial stocking of the Brown

so that the Gardens can keep this community

Family Conservatory, to most recently, the

green space looking beautiful, cohesive and

future planting in the Greater Gardens along

safe. For that, we are forever grateful. •

the spring.”

[20.]

D

ay in and day out, elementary educators around the county wake up with a

passion to make a real difference in the lives of our youngest learners. Beyond teaching academics, they nurture curiosity, kindness, and resilience, guiding each child with patience and care. Though the work can be challenging and recognition limited, they choose to do it all over again—every day, even in the midst of uncertain times.

So when Reynolda volunteers asked, “How can we help?” the community answered. With

Blooms

just a few phone calls, Janie Bass, coordinator of early childhood education for Reynolda, secured floral donations from Trader Joe’s and dozens of doughnuts from Dough-Joe’s. Within weeks, the Blooms of Thanks program was born.

OF

Thanks

Volunteers trimmed and prepped bucketfuls of stems for a pop-up flower bar that welcomed the entire school staff—including teachers, bus drivers, and support staff—at Title I elementary schools within a one-mile radius of Reynolda.

Boxes of doughnuts were piled high alongside the flowers, so that every staff member could enjoy a small gesture of appreciation.

What began as a simple question quickly grew into a movement of gratitude, community support, and celebration of the everyday heroes shaping our youngest learners. •

[2 1 . ]

Allée Again ONCE

S P R I N G I N T H E A I R

Y

ou know spring has arrived in Winston-Salem when the Cherry Allée transforms into a cloud of soft pink petals that sprinkle over your head.

The season’s awakening at Reynolda is nothing short of breathtaking.

While we can’t circle an exact date on the calendar—the trees keep their own schedule—their delicate blossoms usually appear in early March and last into early April.

In 1912 the Mayor of Tokyo gifted 3,000 cherry trees to the United States–a gesture of friendship between Japan and America. Five years later Katharine, likely inspired by her sister Ruth’s descriptions of the trees, made the decision to add the pink blossoms to her formal gardens.

By 2019, time had taken its toll. The last of the original trees was gone, and the Allée had become a patchwork of mismatched varieties. Thanks to a generous gift from Barbara Babcock Millhouse, Reynolda began the careful restoration of this beloved feature in 2020. The team replaced all the trees with graceful weeping cherries (Prunus subhirtella ‘Pendula Plena Rosea’), restoring the uniform beauty Katharine once envisioned.

[22.]

A B O V E : Cherry Allée on the Reynolda grounds circa 1930

Today, the Cherry Allée once again lines the outer edges of the Lower Formal Garden—an irresistible invitation to welcome spring.

We invite you to savor the season and join us at one of our beloved Cherry Blossom events. Each year Reynolda hosts a family friendly Cherry Blossom Tea, along with a modified version for adults only. At each, participants are invited to learn more about the history of Reynolda’s cherry trees, the cultural traditions rooted in the art of making and sharing tea, and an introduction to local partner, Tea & Toast, who harvested the cherry blossoms from Reynolda to create a custom blend that is bright and perfect for a spring afternoon soaking up the sun.

Whether you join us for a Cherry Blossom Tea or to capture the perfect photo beneath the blooms, this is a season to cherish at Reynolda. •

L E A R N M O R E A B O U T C H E R RY B L O SS O M P R O G R A M S A N D E V E N T S AT

R E Y N O L DA . O R G /C H E R R Y- B L O S S O M S

[23.]

WAT E R WAY S O F R E Y N O L D A

BEFORE THE

“

YO U R M OT H E R N OW H A S 4 0 , 0 0 0 G A L LO N S OF

RUNNING

HOUSE,

SPRINGS.

WAT E R

PER

WAT E R

SHOOTS

THE

D AY

AT OUT

G R AY OF

A

T WO - I N C H P I P E T E N F E E T A BOV E T H E L E V E L OF THE BRANCH AND CAN BE PIPED TO THE LAKE

AND

PUMPED

HIGH

WITHOUT

ANY

TWO

HUNDRED

COST

OF

FEET

O P E R AT I N G

THE PUMP. R . J . R E Y N O L D S in a letter to his four-year-old son, Dick, on September 24, 1910

THERE WAS

WATER. [24.]

B

efore there was a house—before the land quickened with irrigation and bloom—there was

water: rushing, rising, generous. Reynolda began not as a home but as a promise of abundance, as Katharine Reynolds envisioned when she began planning the farm estate in 1908 to “heal the land itself, much of which had been eroded through poor agricultural practices.”

R.J. Reynolds’s letter reads like a hymn to possibility, the words carrying the same current that would one day shape a farm, a family, a way of living beside water.

A B O V E : Dick Reynolds and nurse Henriette “Bum” van den Berg fishing at the Lake Katharine spillway, circa 1915

Katharine Reynolds, ever the architect of well-being, found in the water the first trace of something larger. Though determined to provide for her family’s health and education, Katharine also welcomed the wider community to her demonstration farm and large-scale performances and celebrations. Water was her collaborator—an invisible and faithful presence in the life of the estate.

Beneath the soil, Katharine discovered an underground reservoir of artesian wells capable of producing a generous volume of fresh water each day, “a running stream,” as R.J. Reynolds wrote, that shot ten feet above the bank from the meadow’s Gray Spring. Those wells became the lifeblood of a water system that, over the next decade, would grow into a complex network of wells, pipes, cisterns, and LEFT: Boat House and Lake Katharine, circa 1920

pumps serving the home, gardens, and Five Row community.

The land offered its own inheritance, the FORSYTH CREEK WEEK

S AT U R D AY MARCH 21; 10:30 AM - NOON Each March during Forsyth Creek Week, families return to the waters of Reynolda with Janie Bass, coordinator of early childhood education, to listen for frogs, trace paths of minnows, and learn that stewardship begins in wonder.

same gift the Moravians recognized in the springs and creeks around Salem. Long before them, the Saura and Tutelo peoples knew this water as kin, alive in its own right and deserving of respect.

Silas Creek wound through the property, and soon Lake Katharine took shape: a sixteen-acre mirror catching the clouds. Both practical and poetic, it provided water for irrigation, reflection, and renewal. The Boathouse still lingers at its edge, stone and stucco memory of summer mornings when everything seemed briefly at rest, as if the land were gathering itself again.

WA T E R WA Y S O F R E Y N O L D A GROUP TOUR

W E AT H E R P E R M I TT I N G U P TO 2 0 P E O P L E

•

90 MINUTES

Beneath the estate ran a network of pipes and tunnels—the veins of a self-sufficient organism. Pumps sent water to a cistern, the cement sentinel still standing near Reynolda Road. The same water that cooled the air, heated

Explore Reynolda’s grounds on this guided outdoor tour to discover how water shaped the estate’s design, history, and daily life. Learn how Katharine Reynolds’s vision for “pure water and healing the land” continues to flow through Reynolda today. Dress for the weather. Tour includes walking over uneven terrain.

the radiators, and cleansed the lungs of the great

$ 2 0 + T A X pe r P E R S O N

patience of the land. •

R E Q U E S T A G U I D E D T O U R AT REYNOLDA.ORG/ TOURS

house also nourished the tulips and lawns outside.

Today, the lake has become a wetland. Its waters move slower now, quieter, alive with reeds and herons. If R.J. Reynolds could stand here now, he might recognize the same promise he once wrote of to his son: water rising from

A BOV E : Aerial view of Reynolda House, circa 1927

the earth, doing its quiet work, holding us in the

[25.]

R E Y N O L DA R E TA I L

Top Picks Spring FOR

1

I N S P I R E D BY T H E S E A S O N O F R E N E WA L , O U R C A R E F U L LY C U R AT E D S P R I N G S E L E C T I O N S B R I N G R E Y N O L D A’ S B E A U T Y I N T O E V E R Y D AY L I F E . W H E T H E R YO U ’ R E A D D I N G TO YO U R C O L L E C T I O N OF HAND-BLOWN ORNAMENTS OR INVITING A BIT OF LUXURY WITH R E Y N O L D A’ S S I L K S C A R V E S , E A C H ITEM CAPTURES THE CHARM AND E L E GA N C E O F R E Y N O L DA .

– From This Historic Home To Yours

BLOWN GLASS ORNAMENTS Now wit h six orn a me n t s in it s colle ct ion , Re yn old a ’s blown gla ss orn a me n t s a re min ia t u re re p lica s of icon ic st ru ct u re s loca t e d a cross the 1 70- a cre hist oric e st a t e. Ava ila ble t his ye a r a re : t he Bu n ga low, t he G re e n hou se, t he Ba rn , t he Boa t hou se, t he C hu rch a n d t he n e we st a d d it ion – t he P layhou se.

REYNOLDA SCARVES At f i r st g l an ce, t h e s e s i l k s c a rves a re sim pl y a l ove l y a d o rn m en t t o a ny spr i n g wardro b e o r a c c es s o ry b u t take a cl o s e r l o o k a n d yo u ’ l l s p o t a few f ami l i ar de ta i l s, l i ke t h e v i b ra n t c h e r r y t re e i n f u l l b l o o m , t h e c a b i n , or t h e l i o n ’s h e ad f e a t u re f o u n d th ro u g h o u t th e e st a t e.

[26.]

2

3

DECORATIVE TRIVETS K a t ha rin e Re yn old s a n d Ma ry Re yn old s Ba bcock love d t o e n t e rt a in a t Re yn old a a n d t he y ove rlooke d n o d e t a il in t he ir p la n n in g– eve n d own t o t he t rive t s. Ad d a bit of sp rin g fla ir t o you r kit che n wit h d e cora t ive,ye t fu n ct ion a l, gla ze d p ot t e ry t rive t s.

S E A S O N A L R E TA I L P I C K S

4

THE HOMEFRONT After the discovery of a trove of letters written by Mary Reynolds Babcock during World War II, her daughter, Barbara Babcock Millhouse, founding director of Reynolda House, was motivated to develop this book. It captures Mary ’s insightful and amusing descriptions of family life under wartime conditions while her husband Charlie was on duty in Europe.

5

CANDLES A lmost t oo p re t t y t o bu rn a n d t oo t e mp t in g n ot t o, t he se 1 00% be e swa x ca n d le s offe r u p a p le a sa n t su rp rise t o hou se gu e st s. You ’ll fin d t he m t o be t he p e rfe ct home a cce ssory t o u sher in t he be a u t y a n d roma n ce of sp rin g. •

PUZZLES Elevate your next game night with a new puzzle. Choose your design, gather around the table with light bites and refreshing cocktails, and you’ve got yourself the perfect wind-down activity amongst friends. Each a work of art in its own right, these sets both challenge and inspire.

6

[2 7. ]

• Jasper Johns (b. 1930), Flags, 1967 – 1968. Color lithograph on paper. Mark H. Reece Collection of Student-Acquired Contemporary Art, Wake Forest University. © JASPER JOHNS AND ULAE / ARTISTS RIGHTS SOCIETY (ARS), NY. PUBLISHED BY UNIVERSAL LIMITED ART EDITIONS

A R T AND D E M O C R A C Y 1776 to 2026

I N T H E F A L L O F 2 0 2 6 , Reynolda House will mark the occasion of the nation’s

semiquincentennial with two exhibitions exploring pivotal movements in American art and history. In the Babcock Wing, F L A S H P O I N T : T H E C I V I L R I G H T S P H O T O G R A P H Y O F D A N N Y L Y O N will be on view from September 17, 2026 to January 3, 2027.

Opening in the historic house on September 17, A R T & D E M O C R A C Y will assemble the museum’s collection as a visual chronicle of the nation since its founding and will remain on view for a year.

R I G H T T O P : Danny Lyon (b. 1942), Demonstration at an all-white swimming pool, Cairo, Illinois, 1962. Gelatin silver print, printed later. Promised Gift of James P. Agah and Wendy S. Agah (P’26, P’28) to the Wake Forest University Print Collection. © DANNY LYON / MAGNUM PHOTOS. WWW.BLEAKBEAUTY.COM. INSTAGRAM: @DANNYLYONPHOTOS2 [28.]

R I G H T C E N T E R : (after) Richard Caton Woodville (1825 - 1855), Mexican News, 1851. Hand-colored engraving.

Reynolda House Museum of American Art, gift of Barbara B. Millhouse.

FLASH PO IN T T H E C IVIL R IGH TS P HOTOGRAP HY

A RT & D EMO CR ACY

O F DA N N Y LYO N

S E PT E M B E R 1 7 , 2 02 6 - J A N U A RY 3 , 2 02 7

O P E N I N G S E PT E M B E R 1 7 , 2 02 6

BA BC O C K W I N G GA L L E RY

H ISTO R I C H O US E GA L L E R I ES

Danny Lyon (born 1942) joined the movement for civil rights

The works in Reynolda’s art collection were assembled for

in the early 1960s as the official photographer of the Student

artistic merit, yet they address many common themes in

Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). The young staff

American society and culture. Most artists share the concerns

at SNCC organized peaceful direct-action protests, leading

of their eras and reflect them, consciously or unconsciously,

lunch counter sit-ins, freedom rides, and voter registration

in their creations. To commemorate the 250 years since

drives, for which they were frequently jailed, beaten, and, on

the Declaration of Independence, the 1917 bungalow will

occasion, murdered. He represented a new

reopen as an immersive gallery of national

breed of documentary photographer, for

development through an experience only

whom the camera was more than an objective

art can afford: suggestive, emotional,

recorder; he was a witness to and implicated

unconventional, and inconclusive.

in the action, and potentially endangered. In

Temporary galleries will be dedicated

his commitment to the cause, Danny Lyon

to various themes. “A Nation on Paper” will

realized that “my camera could be a sword

reaffirm the radical principle that power

for justice.”

should be held not by theocrats, autocrats,

In 1962, Lyon—then a University of

or hereditary monarchs but rather by

Chicago student with a borrowed camera

representatives elected to uphold laws and

and

rules of governance. The works in these

a

historian’s

instincts—hitchhiked

south and embedded himself in the thick of

galleries will explore the declarations that

nonviolent planning and protest. Within a

were inscribed, treaties that were honored

week of crossing the Mason-Dixon line, he

or broken, and Constitutional provisions

was jailed in Albany, Georgia, in a cell across

that were observed or amended. They also

from Martin Luther King, Jr. His personal

demonstrate how artists have cherished the

commitment, rather than press credentials or

First Amendment’s provision that “Congress

newspaper assignment, gave him unfettered

shall make no law…abridging the freedom of

access to the movement. He marched when

speech, or of the press.” In another gallery

the students marched, he slept where they slept, and his

titled “Landscape as National Anthem,” paintings and prints

images were reproduced on SNCC posters and pamphlets and

from the nineteenth century will embody artistic reverence for

in newspapers throughout the country, revealing the depth of

the natural environment. In that era, landscape painting also

injustice and helping to shift public perception.

aspired to a unifying, democratic sentiment, a patriotic ideal

Flash Point will debut more than fifty gifts promised to

available to all citizens in a wilderness already vulnerable to

Wake Forest University by James and Wendy Agah, parents of a

the encroachment of the railroad and the plow. Lastly, “Parade

current student and a recent alumus. The collection represents

of All Stripes” will explore twentieth century developments

the largest single gift of photographs in the university’s history

in abstract art. Though closely connected to modern trends in

and allows a comprehensive understanding of the civil rights

Europe and elsewhere, abstract painting became associated

movement in the early 1960s. Lyon photographed the violence,

in the popular imagination with the post-war triumph of the

but he was also able to elevate the organizers, planners,

American model of individual expressive liberty, though the

orators, scribes, and publicists of a complex national network

reality often lagged far behind the propaganda.

of youthful patriots engaged in direct, nonviolent action. For

Art & Democracy will offer a pilgrimage to the past, within

their own sake—and the nation’s—they courageously pursued

the convenience and comfort of a single museum visit. The

a course charted by Dr. King: “The way of nonviolence leads to

collection will be supplemented by loans from Old Salem

redemption and the creation of the beloved community.”

Museums & Gardens and Wake Forest University. •

Flash Point is co-curated by Phil Archer, Betsy Main Babcock Deputy Director, and Ashley Givens, adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Art at Wake Forest University [29.]

Reynolda Village

SHOPS & RESTAURANTS

120

stArt Gallery

A Proper The View Bookhouse

European Touch

116

to WAKE FOREST U NIVERSITY

122

Penny Path Café & Crêpe Shop

Village Realty

Uncorked Masterpiece

119

Village Tavern

J. McLaughlin Naturopathic Health Clinic

Theodore’s

117

Dough-Joe’s

113

May Way Dumplings

Village Hair Designs

221

Sfeer + Co

111

114 106

RingMaster Jewelers McCalls

111

Village Fabric Shop Painters’ Palette Pure Barre

Half Past Three The Barn at Reynolda Village

217

107

Monkee’s

Gazebo

99 101 Norman Stockton

Aeracura Salon to MUSEU M and MUSEU M STORE

104

to GARDENS

100

[30.]

REY N OLDA WELC OME C EN T ER and BROWN FAMI LY C ONS ERVATORY

All Through the House

SHOPS AND SERVICES

AERACURA SALON

McCALLS

RINGMASTER JEWELERS

An Aveda Concept Salon

Linens, fine lingerie, children’s wear,

Diamonds, custom jewelry, repair

ALL THROUGH THE HOUSE

gifts, and accessories

REYNOLDA WELCOME

Gifts, home furnishings, and

MONKEE’S

CENTER AND BROWN

accessories

Fine ladies’ clothing,

F A M I LY C O N S E R VAT O R Y

shoes, and accessories

Reynolda merchandise and plant shop

REYNOLDA VILLAGE

N AT U R O PAT H I C

SFEER + CO.

Private venue for weddings, social

H E A LT H C L I N I C

Furniture and home decor

and corporate events

Natural, conventional, alternative,

T H E B A R N AT

THE BOOKHOUSE

Independent bookstore EUROPEAN TOUCH

Full-service day spa GAZEBO

Ladies’ designer fashions H A L F PA ST T H R E E

Women’s contemporary clothing where classic charm meets boho vibes J. MCLAUGHLIN

Men’s and ladies’ clothing

and integrative healing methods NORMAN STOCKTON

Men’s clothing and accessories

S TA R T G A L L E RY

Quality student artwork for exhibition and sale UNCORKED MASTERPIECE

PA I N T E R S’ PA L E T T E

A ceramic and canvas paint and

Art studio and gallery

party studio

A PROPER VIEW

VILLAGE FABRIC SHOP

Thoughtfully curated eyewear,

Fabric boutique and studio

exceptional eyecare PURE BARRE

Pure Barre technique classes and activewear

VILLAGE HAIR DESIGNS

Hair salon V I L L AG E R E A LT Y

Boutique real estate services

and accessories

RESTAURANTS

D O U G H -J O E ’ S

P E N N Y PAT H C A F É

V I L L A G E TAV E R N

DOUGHNUTS & COFFEE

& CRÊPE SHOP

Steaks, pasta, pizza, sandwiches,

Made-to-order cake doughnuts, baked

Savory and sweet crêpes, full

burgers, cocktails

goods, full coffee bar

coffee bar

M AY WAY D U M P L I N G S

THEODORE’S

Chinese noodles and dumplings

Local bar and market; sandwiches, salads, and soups

[3 1 . ]

PRESORT STANDARD U.S. Posta ge

PAID G reen sboro, NC Perm i t No. 393

C O V E R : Orchids on display in the Brown Family Conservatory

J O I N U S F O R L AY E R E D L E A R N I N G

American Art in Focus T H U R S DAYS , 1 : 0 0 –3 : 0 0 P M M A R C H 2 6 – A P R I L 2 3 , 2 02 6

Sit back for a fun and informative survey on American art history from the 18th century to today.

INSTRUC TO RS:

Allison Slaby Curator Julia Tanner Director of Teaching & Learning

More Fun than a Yacht W E D N E S DAYS , 1 : 3 0 –3 : 3 0 P M A P R I L 2 9 – J U N E 03 , 2 02 6

Discover how America’s early 20th century industrialists built farms as lavish and idealized as their country homes.

INSTRUC TO R :

Phil Archer Betsy Main Babcock Deputy Director

R E G I S T E R A T R E Y N O L D A . O R G / A D U LT S