WHARTON ESHERICK MUSEUM

In June 2022, we launched the WEM Storytelling Project to keep alive the spirit and stories of Wharton Esherick and his network of patrons, collaborators, and friends.

Geoffrey Berwind, WEM Director of Interpretation and Research, Holly Gore, and Museum Executive Director Julie Siglin, began the work of gathering stories and delving into the Museum's oral history collection for firsthand accounts.

Geoffrey is an esteemed storyteller and member of the Museum's Board of Directors, as well as the grandson of Nat and Rose Rubinson, who were close friends and important patrons of Wharton Esherick. Esherick's first iconic Music Stand, commissioned by the Rubinsons, was the focus of our spring installation Esherick's Music Stand: One Object, Many Stories, and is now a promised gift of the collection thanks to Geoffrey's generosity. Geoffrey has coached thousands of authors, business owners, and speakers to prepare them for their TEDx talks and other presentations and was the first Artistic Storytelling Director for the award-winning Once Upon a Nation storytelling project in downtown Philadelphia. Needless to say, we were in good hands.

In January, we welcomed our volunteer docents and staff to the first-ever Story Slam to put the Storytelling Project into action. We explored the “Keys to Unlock Great Storytelling,” and then put those keys to use writing some tales of our own. Broken up into small groups, each team was presented with an object from the collection. With no context or information about the objects, we were tasked with writing a story about them. Group members huddled together and frantically threw out ideas for characters, plot lines, peaks and valleys for a storyline about the object they had never seen before. Ten minutes later, a bell rang and we had to put the storytelling tools to practice as we took turns sharing our crafted narratives with everyone.

We heard tales of fictional grandchildren who loved board games but needed absurdly large dice to play, a former Museum director who jumped from behind a bush on a trail subsequently startling a lost hiker, and a brother and sister who had very different opinions about the circus. The stories were so different, creative, and funny we were honing our new storytelling skills!

There are significant benefits to unstructured play in nature as children are encouraged to explore and create with no set expectations. The Explorer Garden is uniquely suited for unguided and unstructured play with its open, mulched space, there are infinite opportunities to build, play, and have adventures. Unlike in other areas of the garden, here young explorers are free to play with sticks, pinecones, and any other natural materials available. Our fairy house building, and fort construction space provide the inspiration to let your child's imagination go wild. Whether they're turning a stump into a stage or a rock into a rocket ship, we have the tools at Jenkins to unleash your child's imagination and curiosity.

Borrow an Explorer Vest from John J. Willaman Education Center daily between 9:30 AM - 3 PM. Explorer Vests are most suitable for children ages 4-8. Visit the Explorer Garden at Jenkins during our open hours this season, daily from 9 AM - 7 PM. Jenkins is completely funded by donations and visitation is free of an admission fee. Learn more about Jenkins at www.jenkinsarboretum.org or on social media @JAGardens.

We wrapped up the day reading the carefully crafted Esherick stories that Geoffrey, Holly, and Julie had created from the archives and oral histories. These short, sweet, and clever anecdotes give us a clear vision of The Artist as a person as well as his relationships with those around him. One recount of Esherick encouraging his patrons to use the excess salad dressing left after dinner to maintain the oil finish on their dining table got a big laugh.

Ready to tell a tale or two?

Join our team as a volunteer docent!

Our volunteers are a community of artists, scholars, educators, storytellers, and friends who are dedicated to providing transformative experiences with art. We gather regularly for workshops, field trips, and ongoing education about all things Esherick! Volunteer tour guides are passionate about the Museum and eager to share their love and knowledge of art while connecting visitors with Wharton Esherick's unconventional life.

Anyone may apply Visit www.whartonesherickmuseum. org/volunteer to learn more. The Wharton Esherick Museum is experienced through guided tours that must be reserved in advance. Visit whartonesherickmuseum.org to make your reservations and learn more about our tours and programs we've got a good story to tell you! Throughout 2023, our programs, exhibitions, and events are showcasing the important role storytelling played in Esherick's life. Telling Tales: WEM's 29th Annual Juried Wordworking Exhibition is on view June 1August 27.

Single Music Stand, 1960, Cherry, walnut, 44 x 18.25 x 20, from the Collection of the Wharton Esherick Museum, based on the prototype created for the Rubinsons.

Valley Forge Park Alliance

Valley Forge Park Realignment Permit and Promise Act Passes Congress

With this new construction, Valley Forge Park will be linked to Chester Valley Trail, King Of Prussia Town Center, and Schuylkill River Trail

Melissa Jacobs, Valley Forge Park Alliance Board Secretary

Valley Forge Park Alliance is thrilled to announce approval of construction that will enhance visitors' use of Valley Forge National Historical Park (VFNHP). When completed, a new segment of a transformative, multi-use trail will link the Chester Valley Trail through the King of Prussia Town Center along North Gulph Road through the Park to the Schuylkill River Trail. Also in the works: Enhancements to the Park entrance at North Gulph Road. The two new improvements came to fruition thanks to Park champions U.S. House Reps. Madeleine Dean, Chrissy Houlahan and Brian Fitzpatrick, U.S. Senator Bob Casey, and former U.S. Senator Pat Toomey, who sponsored crucial legislation surrounding the projects.

The North Gulph Road Relocation Project is the last of a four-phase overhaul of Route 422 traffic flow around VFNHP. This final phase is highly beneficial to the Park, as it will reconnect approximately eight acres of Park lands by moving the road to the Park boundary, create an appropriate and scenic main Park gateway entrance, and relocate the large traffic intersection away from the Park. Once relocated, the eastern section of the former roadbed will be regraded and paved as a family-friendly, multi-use trail.

“Valley Forge National Historical Park is a treasure in our region, and the Valley Forge Park Realignment Permit and Promise Act will help move their Park improvements forward,” said Dean. “This bipartisan legislation is a commonsense way to ensure Park renovations are completed without further delay. I'm grateful to the Park planners and the Valley Forge Park Alliance for bringing this to our attention and happy to contribute to the connectivity and aesthetic of such a valuable resource.”

In 2017, the Alliance sponsored a feasibility study for the North Gulph Road Trail. When the road moves to its new location, the trail will be constructed in the location of the old road, providing car-free Park access to thousands of residents and employees. When fully constructed, the trail will connect the Schuylkill River Trail to the Chester Valley Trail.

“The segments of North Gulph Road Connector Trail when completed will directly connect the Schuylkill River Trail and the Chester Valley Trail to one of the region's leading cultural and recreational sites — Valley Forge National Historical Park and to King of Prussia and the Village at Valley Forge, a booming mixed-use node of residential, entertainment, office and commercial uses,” said Chris Linn, AICP Manager, Office of Climate and Environment Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission.

“This key multi-use trail will enable safe and efficient active transportation options between these destinations, thereby transforming transportation and recreation opportunities for the tens of thousands of individuals who live, work and visit this unique area.”