Ahoy! Pirate Adventure Day Is Almost Here
Pirate For a Day
At the Brandywine River Museum of Art, there are few things we love quite the way we love pirates. The subjects of some of N.C. Wyeth’s most famous paintings, pirates are a special and exciting part of our history and we look forward to celebrating them every fall. Pirate Adventure Day will be held this Sunday, November 8, with a day of daring adventures and activities for families to enjoy.
This year our swashbuckling celebration will feature the following activities for pirates large and small:
- A hunt for treasure in the museum
- Pirates of Fortune's Folly roaming the decks teaching their knot tying tricks
- Make-your-own parrots and hats to let your inner pirate shine
- The Great Brandywine Sea – an interactive group art project in our first floor lobby
- Performances by our mateys from Hedgerow Theatre
It Began on Treasure Island
The Brandywine River Museum of Art’s long history with pirate lore began even before the museum opened. In 1911 N.C. Wyeth used the proceeds from his now famous illustrations for Treasure Island to purchase 18 acres near Chadds Ford that he called the “most glorious sight in the township” and where be built a home for himself and his family. Wyeth also built an art studio where he would create some of his greatest paintings and murals, store his library of props, and teach his children the fundamentals of becoming world-class artists. You can still visit the house and studio; they are part of the three historic properties owned by the museum.
It was Wyeth’s love of the land and the inspiration he took from it that would be fundamental in the founding of the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art decades later. Threatened with development, a group of concerned local citizens came together and protected the land and later founded the museum that would house so much of the Wyeth family’s beautiful artwork.
At the museum’s first exhibition in 1971, those same pirates who made the museum possible stood proudly. Below are sketches and a list of titles from that very first exhibition and, if you look at the list, you can see a whole wall was dedicated to those (in)famous pirates.
See You Sunday
For those familiar with our annual pirate celebration you know that costumes are welcome though not required. If you’re visiting for the first time, here is a quick guide to answer some FAQ’s about visiting with little ones. Be sure to arrive at the museum before noon for free admission, which includes all activities (we’re located on Route 1 in Chadds Ford, PA). We can’t wait to see you at Pirate Adventure Day this Sunday!
