MALVERN, PA — A century after Wharton Esherick broke ground on his iconic Studio, a new exhibition at the Wharton Esherick Museum will invite visitors to look closely at how buildings, objects and creative labor can hold memory over time.
Jennifer Johnson: All the Time in the World opens Oct. 1 and runs through Dec. 30 in the museum’s Visitor Center. Created during Johnson’s year as the museum’s 2026 Artist-in-Residence, the exhibition features new ceramic works shaped by sustained observation of Esherick’s home, Studio and surrounding grounds.
Johnson, a Philadelphia-based sculptor who works primarily in clay, spent the year returning to the site, watching how light shifted through the Studio, tracing the geometry of its architecture and studying the relationships among objects, materials and spaces.
Her resulting mosaics and sculptural works do not attempt to reproduce the Studio literally. Instead, they use saturated color, unconventional perspective and the flexibility of clay to record the artist’s prolonged engagement with the place.
The exhibition arrives during a significant anniversary year for the museum. In 1926, Esherick began construction on the Studio that would become one of the defining expressions of his artistic and architectural vision.
“WEM’s artist-in-residence program asks contemporary artists to bring their creativity and unique perspectives to bear on the museum and its collections, from the buildings themselves to the archives and objects within,” said Emily Zilber, director of curatorial affairs and strategic partnerships.
Zilber said Johnson’s work reflects “her commitment to creative research, singular aesthetic vision, and enthusiastic interest in the rich possibilities of exploring Esherick’s life and legacy.”
The exhibition’s title, All the Time in the World, reflects Johnson’s approach to the residency: spending extended periods observing the site while recognizing that even endless time would not be enough to capture every layer of a place as complex as Esherick’s Studio.
Johnson’s broader practice explores architecture as a record of history and lived experience through ceramic models, mosaics and site-responsive installations. Her recent projects have engaged with places including Crane Arts, Glen Foerd, Park Towne Place and Drexel University’s Pearlstein Gallery.
She holds an MFA in ceramics from Tyler School of Art and Architecture and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Swarthmore College.
Related Programs
The exhibition will be accompanied by several special events:
- Oct. 1, 6–8 p.m. — VIP Opening Reception and Press Preview
- Oct. 4, 10 a.m.–noon — Member Sunday in the Studio and Reception
- Nov. 14 — Exhibition conversation with Jennifer Johnson and Emily Zilber at the Wharton Esherick Museum
- Nov. 19 — Clay & Conversations with Johnson and Zilber at The Clay Studio
Event Details
- What: Jennifer Johnson: All the Time in the World
- When: Oct. 1 through Dec. 30, 2026
- Where: Wharton Esherick Museum Visitor Center, 1520 Horseshoe Trail, Malvern, PA 19355
- Cost/Tickets: Exhibition admission information was not provided. Advance reservations are required for guests wishing to enter the Studio.
- More Info: https://whartonesherickmuseum.org/programs/
Visitors planning to tour Esherick’s Studio should make advance reservations at https://whartonesherickmuseum.org/visiting-info/.
By placing Johnson’s contemporary ceramic work in conversation with a century of Esherick’s creative labor, All the Time in the World offers a fitting centennial reflection on the ways artists build, observe and leave traces behind.
Support the local news that supports Chester County. MyChesCo delivers reliable, fact-based reporting and essential community resources—free for everyone. If you value that, click here to become a patron today.