December 2009

Faces of a New Nation: American Portraits of the 18th and Early 19th Centuries from The Metropolitan Museum of Art
July 25, 2009 - January 31, 2010
View masterpieces portraying the men, women, and children of early America. These stunning paintings depict not only people from a particular time and place, but they also reveal the values of the nation across a span of nearly 150 years.

Winterthur is the only venue for this select group of portraits from The Met, which represents many of the young country’s great artists, including John Smibert, John Singleton Copley, Gilbert Stuart, and Samuel F. B. Morse. Members free. Included with all admission tickets.

The exhibition was organized by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. It is sponsored by DuPont and Potter Anderson & Corroon. Susan Walker Morse (The Muse), Samuel F. B. Morse, ca. 1836–37, oil on canvas. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bequest of Herbert L. Pratt, 1945. Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Faces of a New Nation: Hands on History Cart
Saturdays, September 5 - November 21, every other week, 1:00 - 3:00pm

Saturdays, November 21 - January 30, 2010, weekly, 1:00 - 3:00 pm (no 12/26 date).

Visit the Hands on History Cart in the Faces of a New Nation exhibition where kids and adults can interact with a guide and explore exhibition themes through hands-on exploration of portrait-related objects and activities. Topics & objects include: tools and materials of the 18th and 19th century painter, gilding and framing materials and tools, and conserved painting examples and materials for examination.

Members free. Included with all admissions.

Fall Touch-it Room Hours
The Touch-it Room will be open this fall the following hours: Tuesday-Friday, 2:30 - 4:30 pm. Saturday & Sunday, 12:30 - 4:30 pm.
The Touch-it Room will also be open the following holiday hours:
12:30 - 4:30 pm on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 for the Veteran's Day holiday.
Yuletide Mondays in December 2009: 2:30 - 4:30 pm
Holiday Week: December 28 - January 1, 12:30 - 4:30 pm.

Lunchtime Lecture Series
Thursday, October 15, November 19, December 17, and January 21
12:15 – 1:00pm
Rotunda (museum building)

Join us the third Thursday each month, October through January, for a lunchtime lecture related to the Faces of a New Nation exhibition. Each month learn about the portrait collection at an area museum. Buy a lunch in Cappucino Cafe or bring one with you to enjoy during the talk.

October 15: "Faces of the First State"
The Delaware Historical Society's director, Joan Reynolds Hoge, discusses portraits of famous Delawareans.

November 19: "Thomas Sully's Portrait of Rebecca Gratz"
Danielle Rice of the Delaware Art Museum, shares insight on one of the "faces" in DAM's portrait collection.

December 17: "Contemporary Portraiture"
Curator Carina Evangelista, of the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts, will discuss modern portraiture.

January 21: "Portraits from the Brandywine River Museum"
Educator Mary Cronin will discuss the Brandywine River Museum's portraits, including paintings of the Hare family of Philadelphia and by members of the Wyeth family.


Included with all admission tickets, Members free

Good Tidings to You: Victorian Christmas Ephemera from the John & Carolyn Grossman Collection
October 24, 2009–January 16, 2010

From the traditional to the fantastic, images of holiday cheer filled Victorian Christmases. In this exhibition of printed materials from Christmases in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, explore the artistry and creativity of greeting cards, books, sheet music, calendars, and more, and discover what they tell us about the time in which they were created and enjoyed.

All items in the exhibition are from the John and Carolyn Grossman Collection, a landmark collection of some 250,000 items that visually document life in America from 1820 to 1920, currently housed in the Winterthur Library. Included with all admission tickets. Members free.

Yuletide at Winterthur
November 21, 2009 - January 10, 2010

Yuletide at Winterthur 2009 highlights the holiday celebrations of H. F. du Pont and his family in the first half of the 20th century. Du Pont owned several houses, but only Winterthur was “home,” where family and friends gathered each year to celebrate the holidays. Consider yourself one of those fortunate friends as you visit the exquisitely decorated spaces that recall the warmth and beauty of the season in this elegant country house.

Throughout the tour, special peek-in displays feature toys, books, cards, and other colorful memorabilia from the dawn of the 20th century, all from the John and Carolyn Grossman Collection, now housed in the Winterthur Library. Click here for more information and to get tickets.

'Tis the Season Tuesday Demonstrations
December 1, 8, 15, 22
11:00am, 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm

Enjoy watching creative decorating and entertaining ideas in the Galleries Reception Area (museum building).

Dec. 1: Pomander-making Demo
Dec. 8: Floral Arrangement Demo
Dec. 15: Napkin-folding Demo
Dec. 22: Green Gift-wrapping Demo
Members Free, Included with Yuletide admission.

WOW! Wee Ones at Winterthur
Now offered twice a month (repeated program)! Meet at the Visitor Center 9:30 - 10:15 am to register/check-in.
Program Begins: 10:15 am (last approx. 1 hour)
For ages 3-5 with adult caregiver(s)
Please come prepared/dressed for a short walk.
December 2 & 16
On the first or third Wednesday of each month, join us for stories related to Winterthur's collection and garden. This early childhood literacy series incorporates active learning through music, movement, and the exploration of objects in a warm and welcoming setting. This month's story: Goody O'Grumpity. Sorry, not appropriate for day cares or other large groups.
Free for Members. $5 per non-Member child with 1 accompanying free adult. Children under 2 free. $18 each additional adult.

Pages of Time: Mother & Daughter Book and Craft Club (101)
Thursday, December 3, 2009
6:00 - 8:00 pm. For girls in 4th - 6th grade and their female adult caregiver.

Join us for the new Mother (Adult Female) & Daughter Book and Craft Club at Winterthur--just for girls! Once a month on Thursday evenings, we'll get together to discuss a young adult historical fiction book we've all read, try some tasty historical snacks, and make a cool book-related craft to take home. Moms/adults should be sure to read the books too! December's Book Selection: Standing in the Light: The Captive Diary of Catharine Carey Logan, Delaware Valley, Pennsylvania, 1763 by Mary Pope Osborne. Registration required. Call 800.448.3883 to register and more details.
Free for Members. $35 per mother & daughter pair for 7-month series. Books should be purchased and/or read prior to each month's club meeting.

Gingerbread Tasting & Book Signing
Thursday, December 3
3:30 – 5:30 pm
Rotunda and Galleries Reception Area (museum building)

Just in time for the holidays, join us for a deliciously entertaining afternoon at Winterthur with local author, Jennifer Lindner McGlinn. Learn about the many tempting varieties of gingerbread, discover a bit of its history, and enjoy an inspiringly spicy recipe demonstration from her latest cookbook, Gingerbread: Timeless Recipes for Cakes, Cookies, Desserts, Ice Cream, and Candy. Program to be followed by a book signing, gingerbread tasting, and coffee tasting with local roaster, Pike Creek Coffee Roasterie.

Included with all admission tickets, Members free

La Vie Parisienne Jewelry Trunk Show
December 4, 2009 - December 6, 2009
10:00 am–4:00 pm
Galleries Reception Area

These elegant jewelry designs are rendered from original molds and stampings created by the Parisian artists of the celebrated Nouveau and Deco periods (ca. 1900–30s). Each piece is painstakingly detailed by hand, following traditional artisanal methods, with most pieces made of “”old silver” or “14 carat gold,” in a unique French process of layering silver or gold over copper to bring out relief and detail. Crystals are hand set and the enameling is done with tiny brushes until each piece exhibits its unique quality and reflects the art and culture of the past while becoming a treasure for the present.

Lunchtime Caroling in the Garden Cafeteria,
Featuring UD Music Ensembles
Fridays, December 4, 11, 18

Carolers from the University of Delaware music department will put you in the holiday spirit as you eat lunch in the Garden Cafeteria. Enjoy short sets of music between 12 noon and 1:30pm. Free.




Free

Breakfast with Santa
Saturdays, December 5, 12 & 19
9:00 - 11:30 am
Enjoy a delicious buffet breakfast with Santa in the Visitor Center, where you may visit with him and take your own photos. Then head to the museum where children may make special holiday crafts from the 1940s and 50s related to this year's Yuletide Tour themes. Enjoy readings of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas and other winter classics.

Special Performances
Saturday, Dec. 5: Enjoy the First State Ballet in Nutcracker costumes performing short vignettes.
Saturday, Dec. 12 & 19: Enjoy rollicking family-friendly performances of Christmas and holiday tunes by "Elvis" himself!

Be sure to visit the Touch-It Room and the Faces of a New Nation exhibition on loan from The Metropolitan Museum of Art before you leave. You may also choose to enjoy a family-friendly Yuletide Tour with a ticket upgrade. It's sure to be a day full of family fun--stay as long as you wish!

Registration required. 9:00 am and 9:30 am seatings. Call 800.448.3883. Adults: $28. Member adults: $21. Children 1-12: $18. Children under 1: free. $5 per person upgrade to enjoy the Yuletide Tour.

Yuletide Weekend Music
Enjoy seasonal tunes and carols by an array of ensembles!

December 5, 1:00-3:00 pm
Saengerbund Choir

December 12, 12:00-2:00 pm
Music School of Delaware Ensembles

December 13, 1:30 pm
St. Paul's United Methodist Church Handbell Choirs

December 19, 1:00-3:00 pm
Chorus of the Brandywine

Members free. Included with admission.

Holiday Family Floral Class: Dried Flower Arrangement
Sunday, December 6, 2:00 - 4:00 pm.*
*Included Option: Enjoy a Yuletide Tour prior to class if desired.
You and your child are invited to get into the holiday spirit and make some lasting holiday memories together. Create a gorgeous dried flower arrangement to take home for your holiday decor with the guidance of Winterthur's floral designers.For children ages 7+ and an adult caregiver.
Registration required. 302.888.4600. $48 Member (adult/child pair & includes Yuletide Tour). $60 general adult/child pair (includes Yuletide Tour).

University of Delaware Concert
Sunday, December 6, 3:00 pm

Join us in Copeland Hall for a concert by the UD Pearl String Quartet. Program will include Haydn’s String Quartet Op. 77, No 1 in G Major and Dvorak’s String Quartet No. 12 in F Major, Op. 96 “American.”
(Please note: Concert ticket does not include admission to Winterthur or to the Yuletide tour.)


$12; $8 Members, Yuletide ticket holders; $5 students and children 5+.

Yuletide Homeschool Day
December 10, 2009
10:00 am-3:00 pm
Take a tour of the mansion to learn about holiday entertaining in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Stay to visit the exhibition Good Tidings to You: Victorian Christmas Ephemera from the John & Carolyn Grossman Collection and make a few unique holiday cards to take home. (Most appropriate for children age 5 and older.) Pre-registration required. Call 800.448.3883 or 302.888.4600 to register. $10; $5 for members, children under 2 free.

Conservation Clinic
December 10, 1:00-4:00 pm

Bring your antiques! Our experts will discuss their condition and care. Sorry, no appraisals. By appointment only; call 302.888.4786.
Free

Second Saturdays Garden Walk:
Conifers and the Winter Garden
December 12, 1:00 pm, Visitor Center
Discover popular and little-known landscape features while walking with a Winterthur horticulturist. Dress for the weather and wear walking shoes. In case of inclement weather, call 302.888.4915 after 10:00 am. Walks last approximately 90 minutes.
Included with all admission tickets. Members free.

The du Ponts: Houses and Gardens in the Brandywine
Lecture and Book Signing
December 14, 11:00 am
Rotunda

No American family dominated a single state longer than the du Ponts of Delaware. They built neighboring houses, gardens, and farms that spanned miles of rolling hills in the Brandywine Valley and earned the region the nickname of "Chateau Country." Winterthur's estate historian, Maggie Lidz, will discuss her new book, The du Ponts: Houses and Gardens in the Brandywine, which captures the life of the du Ponts at home with hundreds of rare period photographs from private archives and family albums.
Members free. Included with all admission tickets.

Maret Headley Designs Jewelry Trunk Show
December 18, 2009 - December 20, 2009
10:00am–4:00 pm
Galleries Reception Area

Local designer, artesan, and teacher, Maret Headley will bring her one-of-a-kind pendants, earrings, and necklaces to Winterthur for this special weekend sale. Her unique pieces are made from precious metal clay, a material developed in Japan that can be manipulated like potter’s clay but is transformed during the firing process to provide a depth of hues and textural design.

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For future listings, you can also check the following:
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