Brandywine Conservancy: Art and Conservation in Harmony

The Brandywine Conservancy is a unique organization that combines art and environmental conservation in the historic Brandywine Valley. Founded in 1967 to protect the region from industrial development, the Conservancy safeguards the Brandywine-Christina watershed's natural, cultural, and water resources. In 1971, the Conservancy opened the Brandywine River Museum of Art in a renovated 1864 gristmill, Hoffman's Mill. The Brandywine Museum of Art boasts an international reputation for its collection of American art, with a primary emphasis on art of the Brandywine region. Visitors can explore works by the Wyeth family (N.C., Andrew, and Jamie), American illustration, still life, and landscape painting. The museum's collection includes works by Howard Pyle and his students, as well as landscape, still life, and portrait paintings by artists such as Benjamin West and William Trost Richards. Surrounding the museum are native plant gardens that reflect the Conservancy's commitment to preservation. Visitors can stroll along the Brandywine River and explore the Conservancy's trails, which wind through meadows, woodlands, and wetlands. The Brandywine campus offers five distinct trails, open from sunrise to sunset, with varying lengths and difficulty levels. The museum hosts a variety of exhibitions throughout the year. Current exhibitions include "This Earthen Door: Nature as Muse and Material" and "Andrew Wyeth at Kuerner Farm: The Eye of the Earth". The Conservancy also offers educational programs and events for all ages.