Winterthur Institute opens a door into the world of decorative arts and material culture through the resources of an extraordinary institution. The tradition resumes in 2024.
From 1982 through 2019, Winterthur Institute offered a multiweek introduction to decorative arts and material culture. The program emphasized unparalleled access to objects through lectures, workshops, and room studies. Each year, twenty to thirty participants—from graduate students, interior designers, and antiques dealers to auctioneers, appraisers, and collectors—interacted with curators, conservators, and other experts, gaining a unique perspective of the Winterthur collection, the world’s largest assemblage of decorative arts made or used in America between 1640 and 1860. Enhancing these encounters were sessions in the Winterthur Library that focused attention on the related areas of design and craft practices. Throughout its distinguished history, the Institute was one of Winterthur’s signature educational events.
The pandemic prompted a pause in the program. It’s coming back! Winterthur Institute will return, April 7–19, 2024.
The focus on Winterthur’s incomparable museum collection, set within historic architecture and surrounded by a naturalistic garden, continues—enriched by a broader global outlook. An outstanding array of specialists from diverse fields will share their insights in small-group settings. Immersive, hands-on sessions encourage close study of objects. Opportunities to explore the expansive holdings of the library and archives will abound, and a field trip to the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania—with a focus on the friendship between Henry Francis du Pont and Albert C. Barnes—will add a meaningful frame of reference for better understanding philosophies of self-identity through collecting.
Past participants have praised the stimulating conversations, knowledgeable speakers, and unparalleled access to objects. They were inspired by the wide variety of people that came together from across the country intent to learn from the experts and from each other. As one person noted: “Even though your interests may not coincide exactly with everyone else’s, you are bound to find one or more kindred spirits. It is even more likely that you will learn about subjects, books, or whole areas of study that you never knew existed.”
For application information, visit the Winterthur Institute page, or email ContinuingEducation@winterthur.org.
Brock Jobe
Professor Emeritus of American Decorative Arts
Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library