Brandywine Museum of Art

     Thursday, May 25, 2023: On one of my occasional trips to Pennsylvania, I stopped into the Brandywine Museum of Art, 1 Hoffman’s Mill Road, Chadds Ford, (610-388-2700) in Delaware County. Located in an old grist mill and an adjoining modern tower, this place exhibited American artworks in paintings and drawings on three floors. With only four galleries, I would say that this museum was between small to mid-sized. Nevertheless, I saw quite a bit of pictures in those galleries. For an extra charge, this place offered chances to see N.C. Wyeth’s house, Andrew Wyeth’s Studio, and the neighboring Kuerner Farm. I chose to be at the museum only, and starting on the top floor, the permanent collection displayed 19th- and 20th-century artworks from several American artists, especially from the Brandywine Valley. Outside of this gallery, large windows provided views of the Brandywine Creek that also looked interesting. In addition, I also had a chance to rest my feet as I sat at a nearby table and glanced through books containing prints of more artworks by American artists. Then, on a lower level, one gallery showed artworks by N.C. Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth, and Jamie Wyeth, and the other gallery exhibited art by extended Wyeth family members and friends. Finally, the ground level gallery presented temporary art themes, and when I was there, the theme was “Home Places.” Here, I looked at paintings and drawings by Andrew Wyeth of buildings and other structures in and near Chadds Ford, PA. Later, I noticed more works of art in the form of prints and other items in the gift shop--except that this art was for sale. Outside, I saw some colorful flowers in bloom, and overall, this was a lovely place to spend a few hours, but the nice weather made it more special!