MALVERN, PA — The Wharton Esherick Museum (WEM) announced the receipt of a $130,000 Save America’s Treasures Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences. This matching grant will fund the conservation of the museum’s works on paper collection, including sketches, watercolors, and prints by the artist Wharton Esherick (1887-1970).
While Esherick is widely credited as the founder of the Studio Furniture Movement and primarily known for his wooden furniture and sculpture, the Museum’s collection also includes many other examples of his artistic output, including prints, drawings, watercolors, notes and ephemera on paper. Rarely on view, these materials provide visual and material insight into Esherick’s broader artistic legacy and his engagement with the social, creative, political and artistic movements that shaped and influenced his life and work. The Save America’s Treasures Grant will allow for the conservation of this under-utilized collection of works on paper, stabilizing their condition and bolstering the Museum’s ability to share them with the public.
The preservation is scheduled to be completed over a three year period in partnership with the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA) and will involve a combination of conservation treatment and archival rehousing for ninety watercolors, eighty prints, six pastels, and numerous sketches including a 36-foot “sketch scroll.”
“We are actively working on a multi-year planning process to transform the areas for collection storage, internal operations, and visitor engagement at the Wharton Esherick Museum as part of our proposed campus expansion plan,” shared WEM Executive Director Julie Siglin. “The Save America’s Treasures Grant will allow us to improve our collection’s long-term stability and allow for greater public access of these rich archives.”
“As pillars of our communities, libraries and museums bring people together by providing important programs, services, and collections. These institutions are trusted spaces where people can learn, explore and grow,” said IMLS Director Crosby Kemper. “IMLS is proud to support their initiatives through our grants as they educate and enhance their communities.”
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