Wharton Esherick Museum

Wharton Esherick Museum Home & Studio of artist Wharton Esherick (1887-1970)
National Historic Landmark for Architecture
Studio Tours by reservation March through December

Please note: Visitors MUST HAVE ADVANCE RESERVATIONS to tour the site. We offer multiple tour experiences. An Experiencing Esherick visit emphasizes a sense of place and integrity of materials, thinking broadly about Esherick’s legacy in the fields of art, craft, design, and architecture, and fostering a deep connection to the singular nature of the Studio. An Esherick and Architecture tour will l

ead you through the Museum’s upper campus, which is recognized as a National Historic Landmark for Architecture. The tour focuses on two experimental buildings: the Esherick Studio (1926-1966) and the 1956 Workshop (1956). Book your reservation online: www.whartonesherickmuseum.org
Book over the phone: 610-644-5822

If you have questions please email [email protected] or call 610-644-5822. Walk-ins will NOT be accommodated. Become a member and your entry is always free! Advance reservations are still required. Membership levels vary. AAM and National Trust member discounts are honored.

It's a rainy day on the hillside, and we're thinking of our feathered friends weathering the storms on this !"Bird in t...
09/02/2026

It's a rainy day on the hillside, and we're thinking of our feathered friends weathering the storms on this !

"Bird in the Rain"
n.d.
6 in x 4-1/2 in
Wharton Esherick
Wharton Esherick Museum Collection

Anyone heading to the shore for these last days of summer? ☀For this week's we're sharing Esherick's woodcut map illus...
08/26/2026

Anyone heading to the shore for these last days of summer? ☀

For this week's we're sharing Esherick's woodcut map illustrating "good old Barnegat Bay and the happy ports for great sloop KitNKat." Bonus points if you are in Barnegat vacationing like an Esherick this week! ⛵

"Barnegat Bay Map"
n.d.
7 in x 11.5 in
Wharton Esherick
Wharton Esherick Museum Collection

📣 We are delighted to announce the opening of our fall exhibition, Jennifer Johnson: All the Time in the World. Mark you...
08/25/2026

📣 We are delighted to announce the opening of our fall exhibition, Jennifer Johnson: All the Time in the World. Mark your calendars! On view from October 1 – December 30, 2026, this exhibition marks 100 years of Esherick’s iconic home and studio with new ceramic works in conversation with the lifetime of creative labor embodied there.

As WEM's 2026 Artist-in-Residence, Johnson has spent a year returning to Wharton Esherick's home and studio, translating close observation and material exploration into a new body of work.

"WEM's artist-in-residence program asks contemporary artists to bring their creativity and unique perspectives to bear on the museum and its collections, from the buildings themselves to the archives and objects within," states Director of Curatorial Affairs and Strategic Partnerships Emily Zilber. "Johnson's time onsite reflects her commitment to creative research, singular aesthetic vision, and enthusiastic interest in the rich possibilities of exploring Esherick's life and legacy. The exciting new body of work birthed from Johnson's deep attention reverberates with the inherent magic of this special site."

📷: Jennifer Johnson
Studio from the East on Electric Blue, 2026.
Dark stoneware cone 5, underglaze, mortar, tile board 9.75 x 8.75 x 1 inch. Photography by Constance Mensh

Our annual juried woodworking exhibition this year, Breaking Ground, asked artists to consider what it means to be groun...
08/24/2026

Our annual juried woodworking exhibition this year, Breaking Ground, asked artists to consider what it means to be groundbreaking, defined broadly by the terms many potential meanings. Together, the 26 artists featured remind us that groundbreaking moments rarely end with the ceremonial turning of soil. Instead, they mark the beginning of a longer process in which imagination, skill, and persistence come together to build something enduring.

The prizewinning works in Breaking Ground are on view in our Visitor Center through September 20, 2026, with the entire show hosted as a virtual exhibition on our website.

📅 Curious to learn more? Join us on Tuesday, August 25th at noon to explore selected works from Breaking Ground with Emily Zilber, Director of Curatorial Affairs and Strategic Partnerships. This is a free virtual program and a great way to learn more about this annual exhibition series. Register to join us at: https://whartonesherickmuseum.org/event/spotlight-talk-breaking-ground/

Pictured here is a piece by Russ Fogle, an artist and studio furniture maker working at the intersection of traditional craft and industrial technology. Titled 'Screenshot 2017-01-02 at 1.35.00 PM' in reference to the moment Sister Frances Carr, one of the few remaining Shakers, passed away, Fogle describes this piece as "a combination of wireframe ornamentation and Shaker construction that transforms the chair into the digital representation of itself."

📷: Russ Fogle
Screenshot 2017-01-02 at 1.35.00 PM, 2025.
Maple, black-dyed maple veneer, 16 x18 x 36 1/2 inches.

1926 was a groundbreaking year in Wharton Esherick’s artistic practice with the creation of his now iconic Studio buildi...
08/21/2026

1926 was a groundbreaking year in Wharton Esherick’s artistic practice with the creation of his now iconic Studio building. The Studio’s construction was a marvelous feat and it forever transformed Esherick’s life and artistic practice. Join us on Saturday, September 26th in the 1956 Workshop for an exploration of the Studio’s impact on Esherick’s developing career.

Learn more and register at: https://whartonesherickmuseum.org/event/at-work-in-a-new-space-eshericks-first-years-in-the-1926-studio/

Explore some of the earliest works Esherick created in his 1926 Studio with a selection of prints, woodblocks and engravings, and sculptures. Plus, we’ll be taking a look at other rarely seen selections in WEM’s special collections such as exhibition pamphlets, photographs, and other gems from the late 1920s. We’ll be discussing ways Esherick’s work during this period shed light on an expanding and growing practice. WEM’s collections manager Ethan Snyder and WEM volunteer docents will be sharing their expertise.

The program will begin with a brief introduction to Wharton Esherick’s life and work, alongside an abbreviated tour of the 1926 Studio. Participants will then be invited into the 1956 Workshop to see special collections and talk with staff and docents.

For today's , we will just let this print of Wharton's speak for itself, as Wharton inscribed it:"That great dome is a...
08/20/2026

For today's , we will just let this print of Wharton's speak for itself, as Wharton inscribed it:
"That great dome is always there--
To hold us all together."

"The Great Dome is Always There"
1931
8-1/4 in x 12 in
Wharton Esherick
Wharton Esherick Museum Collection

(Though we will also mention that we have a fine art print of this one available in our shop!)

🖌🖌Only a few spots left in this workshop in the 1956 Workshop with artist Mark Kobasz ()! Grab your spot before it fills...
08/19/2026

🖌🖌Only a few spots left in this workshop in the 1956 Workshop with artist Mark Kobasz ()! Grab your spot before it fills up.

During the workshop, participants will have the opportunity to create a design, paint on glass panels, jars, and other materials, and take their piece home to be fired in the oven! Participants will also have the opportunity to see an example of Esherick’s work in painted glass–a decorated windowpane from the family farmhouse Sunekrest.

Have a beloved mason jar, vase or other piece of Glassware? You can BYO Glass! (if you want, that is. We also will have materials).

ℹ🔗 More details and tickets available here: https://whartonesherickmuseum.org/event/glass-painting-in-the-workshop/

While our tours are often booked up a week or so in advance, did you know that you can also catch some Esherick on view ...
08/14/2026

While our tours are often booked up a week or so in advance, did you know that you can also catch some Esherick on view at the Philadelphia Museum of Art? Currently on view in the PMA's Workshop of the World exhibition are two pieces Esherick created for the Curtis Bok House -- this incredible radio and phonograph cabinet and an equally unusual a wall sconce. Why not explore a little Esherick in the wild! 😉

Pictured here is the radio and phonograph cabinet in front of the "garage" where it could be rolled out of the way as needed!

📷: Wharton Esherick Museum Collection. Photo by Edward Quigley.

This week's helps us remember that as much as August in Pennsylvannia can be difficult to bear (it's a wet heat) it's ...
08/12/2026

This week's helps us remember that as much as August in Pennsylvannia can be difficult to bear (it's a wet heat) it's a glorious time to be a plant. So much light and so much growth! How are you enjoying your August?

"August"
1933
8-3/4 in x 8-3/16 in
Wharton Esherick
Wharton Esherick Museum Collection

Have you heard Esherick tell his toothpick story? It's a good one, and the Mortar Between the Stones Tour is your chance...
08/12/2026

Have you heard Esherick tell his toothpick story? It's a good one, and the Mortar Between the Stones Tour is your chance to hear it from Esherick himself.

A great option for your first visit of the Studio, or for repeat guests, this tour weaves together audio clips from WEM’s oral history collection alongside stories and interpretation from museum staff.

Come hear the tales of the Studio that bring this space to life!
Details and tickets at: https://whartonesherickmuseum.org/tours/the-mortar-between-the-stones-stories-of-the-studio/

Address

1520 Horseshoe Trl
Malvern, PA
19355

Telephone

+16106445822

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Wharton Esherick Museum posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Museum

Send a message to Wharton Esherick Museum:

Shortcuts

Share