Philadelphia and the Countryside - Press Room

Throughout the Philadelphia region, art spills out of galleries and into the great outdoors. Many of the region’s galleries and museums are set amid colorful gardens, quiet woodlands or serene meadows that accentuate the art found on the walls. Here are a handful of galleries that celebrate beauty both inside and out:

• When there isn’t a festival, concert or film series in the 27-acre Sculpture Park at the Abington Art Center, visitors can claim a quiet bench under the Katasura trees to contemplate the 20 environmentally themed semi-permanent and temporary sculptures by artists such as Sylvia Benitez, Ursula von Rydingsvard and Knox Cummin. Indoors visitors can see as many as six exhibitions a year featuring works by regional and national artists. 515 Meetinghouse Road, Jenkintown, (215) 887-4882, abingtonartcenter.org
• Although much of the art in The Barnes Foundation will move to a new facility on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in 2012, the extensive arboretum and horticultural programs established by Dr. Barnes’ wife, Laura, will remain open to the public outside the Merion mansion. The gardens and arboreta bloom with 3,000 species, including the exotic Monkey Puzzle Tree, Heavenly Bamboo and the Southern Magnolia. Some 250 varieties of lilacs make the outdoor space even more fragrant. Designers of the new Barnes Foundation building will preserve the horticultural legacy of Laura Barnes by setting it up as a “gallery in a garden.” Outside the structure that will house the famed collection of iconic Renoirs, Matisses, Monets and Cézannes, will be four acres of landscaped lawns, trees, a garden entryway to the museum and a public park that will feature a fountain, contemplative walkways and ample seating. A courtyard outside the cafeteria will invite patrons to dine al fresco, while an internal garden will encourage visitors to imagine they are strolling directly into the Impressionist gardens they’re admiring on the walls. Current location: 300 N. Latch’s Lane, Merion, (610) 667-0290; New location: 20^th Street & the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, barnesfoundation.org
• Just one glimpse of the Virginia bluebells, Cardinal flowers, holly and bayberry bushes that border the Brandywine River Museum makes it easy to understand why the landscape has been the muse for three generations of Wyeths and other Brandywine School artists. Paintings that immortalize the region’s scenic vistas are exhibited in the museum’s six main galleries. Throughout the year, the wildflower and native plant gardens, which were dedicated by Lady Bird Johnson, are the site of special museum events, festivals, fairs and an annual plant sale that features seeds cultivated here. U.S. Route 1, Chadds Ford, (610) 388-2700, brandywinemuseum.org
• To honor its 20^th anniversary in 2008, the James A. Michener Art Museum opened a new 500-square-foot gallery to complement the five permanent and three changing galleries. It’s just what they needed to accommodate 15 annual exhibitions and a 2,500-piece permanent collection. But not all the art is behind walls. Set between two flowing fountains and tree-lined craggy pathways, the Michener’s Sculpture Garden captures the essence of Bucks County’s rolling terrain. 138 S. Pine Street, (215) 340-9800, Doylestown, michenerartmuseum.org
• The Philadelphia Museum of Art’s collections, which include more than 225,000 pieces, are recognized as among the world’s best. And as the unofficial gateway to Fairmount Park, the Art Museum entices visitors to explore the natural art just beyond its walls. In September 2009, the museum unveiled its new bi-level sculpture garden, which, with its gentle combination of hard-scaped terraces, lawns, flora and water features, showcases a collection of permanent and rotating sculptures that overlook Fairmount Park, the Schuylkill River, the four-acre Azalea Garden and the grand neo-classical Water Works Restaurant and Lounge. Five loaned sculptures by Isamo Noguchi served as the initial installation and will anchor the developing garden for the foreseeable future. 26^th Street & the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, (215) 763-8100, philamuseum.org
• Jules Mastbaum, the showbiz magnate who donated the Rodin Museum to the city, had an eye for elegance. He hired French architects Paul Cret and Jacques Gréber to create this jewel box of a museum with intimate settings perfect for contemplating the 123-piece collection of Rodin’s works, the largest outside of Paris. A recent facelift has restored the front garden’s reflecting pool and the tapestry of Japanese Ilex, shrubs and colorful flowers, some dating back to the 1920s. Surrounded by this petite formal French garden, art lovers can ponder the elaborate Gates of Hell that dominates the Museum’s entryway. 22^nd Street & the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, (215) 568-6026, rodinmuseum.org
• The Second Bank of the United States has a first-rate collection of historic portraits—approximately 200 in all. Within this Parthenon-like structure, Founding Fathers, early leaders, explorers and others who made their mark on history are immortalized in classic portraits, many painted by Charles Wilson Peale. Just steps away are several gardens where visitors can ponder the significance of the subjects’ accomplishments. Accented by native plants and trees, the Signers’ Garden commemorates the early citizens who declared independence. The greensward behind the Bank provides benches perched under various species of towering shade trees. The Colonial 18^th-century Garden replicates the formal English gardens of the day, with geometrically patterned raised flower beds, walking paths, a pergola and a fruit orchard. And the Rose and Magnolia Gardens are secluded, colorful and fragrant refuges in the heart of Independence National Historical Park. Chestnut Street between 4^th & 5^th Streets, (215) 965-2305, nps.gov/inde
• With more than 85,000 objects and a 60-acre garden set on a 1,000-acre country estate, Winterthur is a favorite for fans of Americana, with textiles, paintings, furnishings, ceramics and other objects dating from 1640. Nature enthusiasts are drawn to the woodlands, waterways and meadows abloom with hundreds of species, including six-acres of azaleas. Past the Reflecting Pool and Sycamore Hill, lilacs and princess trees stand beside deutzias and cherry red weigelas. If the kids get antsy, a short trip across the Troll Bridge leads to the Faeirie Cottage in the Enchanted Woods. 5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur, Delaware, (800) 448-3883, winterthur.org
• Works by some of the region’s top artists can be found at the Woodmere Art Museum, featuring classic art by N.C. Wyeth, Benjamin West and Daniel Garber, as well as new and emerging modern artists. Outside the walls, spread out over four acres of sprawling manicured lawns, is a treasure trove of sculptures fashioned by Philadelphia-area artists. 9201 Germantown Avenue, (215) 247-0476, woodmereartmuseum.org

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) makes Philadelphia and The Countryside® a premier destination through marketing and image building that increases business and promotes the region’s vitality.

For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit gophila.com or uwishunu.com, where you can build itineraries; search event calendars; see photos and videos; view interactive maps; sign up for newsletters; listen to Hear Philly, an online radio station about what to see and do in the region; book hotel reservations and more. Or, call the Independence Visitor Center, located in Historic Philadelphia, at (800) 537-7676.

Contact(s):

• Donna Schorr, (215) 599-0782
• Cara Schneider, (215) 599-0789