The 天美传媒 is pleased to partner with Arrangements Abroad to present this behind-the-scenes look at the art and architecture of the picturesque Brandywine Valley through the fascinating lens of the Du Pont family's lavish treasures. The tour will focus mainly in and around Wilmington, Delaware's largest city and longtime home to the Du Pont family, who established gunpowder works there in 1802. Guests will stay at the Hotel Du Pont in Wilmington, formerly a wing of the DuPont Company headquarters, built in 1913. With is dramatic Italian Renaissance-style design, this hotel harkens back to Gilded Age opulence.
The full brochure for this program can be found here.
A fully tax-deductible donation of $600 per person is required to participate in this travel program. Please note that this donation is non-refundable except in the case that this travel program is cancelled by the organization. All travel program participants have the opportunity to receive a complimentary Individual level membership for one year to the 天美传媒.
Image: Longwood Gardens
Barnes Foundation
The tour begins with a visit and private lunch at the Barnes Foundation, one of the world鈥檚 greatest collections of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and modern art. View celebrated works by C茅zanne, Van Gogh, Picasso, Matisse, Modigliani, Renoir, and Soutine.
Old Town Hall
On the first night of the tour, the group will enjoy a reception at Old Town Hall built in 1798, which hosted the likes of President Andrew Jackson and the Marquis de Lafayette and was used as headquarters by several groups, including the Freemasons.
101 Du Pont Place
Uncover how the Du Ponts shaped the skyline of buildings in the city with an exclusive tour of 101 Du Pont Place, home to both the Hotel Du Pont which has hosted nearly a dozen presidents from Taft to George W. Bush, and a residential building. Join its managing directors for a behind-the-scenes look at its construction and restoration.
Le Cavalier
Savor French classics influenced by the flavors of North Africa and Provence during a private lunch at Le Cavalier, which honors the deep equestrian tradition in the Brandywine Valley.
Winterthur
Join a private tour of the estate and grounds at Winterthur, the exquisitely furnished, 175-room former home of the Du Ponts with a 60-acre garden and research library.
Delaware Art Museum
During a private, curator-led tour of the Delaware Art Museum, view works by Howard Pyle, a noted painter who became known as a children鈥檚 book author and illustrator so influential he earned the moniker 鈥渢he Father of American Illustration.鈥� Enjoy an exclusive lunch in the museum鈥檚 garden labyrinth.
Nemours Estate
Go behind the scenes at the Nemours Estate on a private, director-led tour. Alfred I. du Pont, who commissioned this 77-room mansion in 1910, worked with architects to create a Louis XVI-style French ch芒teau. While exploring Nemours, take an inside look at the Chauffeur鈥檚 Garage, which houses the family鈥檚 collection of vintage automobiles. Stroll its 200 acres of French-inspired formal gardens, grounds, and woodlands modeled after the Palace of Versailles.
Longwood Gardens
Venture on a private, director-led tour of the historic architecture and complex layout of the meticulously designed Longwood Gardens. Stay on the property and delight in an elegant dinner at 1906, named for the year Pierre S. du Pont purchased the land that would become Longwood Gardens. Complete your evening with an exclusive view of Longwood鈥檚 鈥淚lluminated Fountain Performance,鈥� an expansive 30-minute spectacle featuring lights and music synchronized with soaring jets of water as high as 175 feet.
N.C. Wyeth鈥檚 1911 Studio
Travel to the small village of Chadds Ford to experience the preserved creative spaces of father-son American masters: N.C. Wyeth鈥檚 1911 studio with its enormous north-facing windows, where he created paintings and popular children鈥檚 book illustrations; and his son Andrew Wyeth鈥檚 converted schoolhouse workspace where his paintbrushes, pigments, and personal collections remain exactly as he left them.
Brandywine Museum of Art
Inside an 1880s stone mill overlooking the Brandywine River, expert curators will lead you through one of America鈥檚 most comprehensive collections of Wyeth family masterworks at the Brandywine Museum of Art. Admire paintings spanning three generations of this legendary artistic dynasty, including the contemporary explorations of Jamie Wyeth.
Wilmington
The tour includes lunch at Brandywine Park, Delaware鈥檚 largest urban park, where classical garden design meets untamed wilderness along the banks of Brandywine Creek. Following, the group will enjoy an in-depth tour of this 178-acre green space designed by revered landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead, who also designed New York City鈥檚 Central Park. Stroll amid more than 1,000 blooming rose bushes in the Jasper Crane Rose Garden, all framed by the elegant lines of the Josephine Fountain.
Residence of George A. "Frolic" Weymouth
Included is a behind-the-scenes tour of the former residence of George A. 鈥淔rolic鈥� Weymouth (1936鈥�2016), the Du Pont scion who founded the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art. Led by the home鈥檚 lead restoration architect, see how Weymouth thoughtfully reimagined this former 17th-century Swedish trading post with treasures such as Revolutionary War-era glass panes and period furnishings.
Nemours Mansion (Wikimedia Commons/A. Rasey)
Nemours Mansion Statue (Wikimedia Commons/ASuperEditor)
Boxwood Gardens at Nemours Mansion (Wikimedia Commons/Jerrye & Roy Klotz MD)
Temple of Love at Nemours Mansion (Wikimedia Commons/Jerrye & Roy Klotz MD)
N.C. Wyeth's Studio (Daniel Jackson)
Hotel Du Pont
If you would like to register, you may contact the travel operator organizing the program. Please note that a $600 donation per person to the 天美传媒 is required in order to participate in each travel program.
Your $600 donation helps to further the 天美传媒鈥檚 goal of advancing the practice and appreciation of the classical tradition in architecture and the allied arts by supporting its varied educational programs, including continuing education courses, college workshops, the Summer Studio in Classical Architecture, New Heights, and many more.
Yes, a donation of $600 to the 天美传媒 is required for each travel program you register for. The donation is required for each person attending a tour.
You can make your $600 donation to the 天美传媒 online, or you can download, complete, and mail this form to the 天美传媒. You can alternatively fax a copy to 212-730-9649. You may also call 212-730-9646 x109 or email [email protected] to make a donation. Donations must be made separately from the registration fee.
No, membership is not required to attend an 天美传媒 travel program. However, complimentary Individual membership to the 天美传媒 is included with your $500 required donation.
For full itinerary and more information, contact Arrangements Abroad. Due to the exclusive nature of our tours, some private locations or visits may be omitted from the 天美传媒's website.
Over the past several years, the 天美传媒 has travelled to destinations including Paris; Andalusia; Atlanta; Barbados; South Africa; Chicago; the Netherlands and Belgium; Scotland; the French Riviera; Morocco; the Italian Lake Region; Charlottesville; Naples; and New Delhi, among many other locations. The 天美传媒 is always looking to diversify its travel offerings. If you have a suggestion or location you would like to see added, please email [email protected].