April 7–19, 2024
Intended for collectors, appraisers, professionals in the care of collections, students, and connoisseurs of decorative arts made or used in America between 1640 and 1860, this two-week immersive experience includes lectures, hands-on workshops, research opportunities, and access to the specialists, gardens, and historic architecture of Winterthur.
The application deadline is October 31, and applicants will be notified of their selection on December 1. Tuition is $1,700. Robust scholarship opportunities are available. Apply now.
Held each weekday from 9 am to 5 pm, the day will begin with presentations by guest speakers and Winterthur experts, followed by guided, small-group study in the rooms of Henry Francis du Pont’s former 175-room home, the conservation labs, library, or classrooms.
Participants will be part of a select learning cohort that engages in the examination of Winterthur’s expansive objects collection, with contextualization in the history of American decorative arts, materiality, and techniques of museum stewardship. Participants will also have badged access to the library and archives to complete an optional research project.
Curated learning resources, reading lists, and the Certificate of Completion of Winterthur Institute will be available to all participants.
Upon completion of Winterthur Institute, participants will have gained:
- historical knowledge of the decorative arts, as well as techniques of cultural analysis, which define the relationship of an object to its time.
- competencies in object handling and preservation best practices that benefit collections-care skill sets.
- an understanding of “sense of place” while studying collections within the former du Pont historic home and estate.
- 70 hours of professional development in key skills and knowledge for cultural heritage study.
On hiatus since 2019, Winterthur Institute is being relaunched with support from The Decorative Arts Trust, the International Society of Appraisers Education Foundation, Learning Times LLC, and Winterthur Institute alumni.
For more information, please call 302.888.4894 or email ContinuingEducation@winterthur.org.