Courtesy Edward Valentine Sculpture Studio
Edward V. Valentine Sculpture Studio
Richmond, Virginia
Famous for sculpting the Robert E. Lee memorial in Lee Chapel at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, and the statue of Thomas Jefferson at the historic Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Edward V. Valentine worked for 50 years at his Richmond studio.
Valentine’s studio and home are two primary focuses of the tour at the Richmond History Center, according to Lesley Bruno, director of public relations and marketing. “There are hundreds of pieces in his studio, where tools, photographs and personal effects are located. There are also many pieces on display in the exhibition galleries located in the row houses on the property,” Bruno said.
Groups also experience the Wickham House, the home that Valentine’s brother, Mann, purchased in 1898. The house, the first home of the Valentine Museum, allows guests to explore aspects of the residents and their slaves in the early 19th century.
Bruno added, “Part of the fun of the center is learning about the fascinating Valentine family who made their fortune producing and selling their patented meat juice, once thought of as an elixir for all sorts of ailments.”
804-649-0711, ext. 301
www.richmondhistorycenter.com
Georgia O’Keeffe Home and Studio
Abiquiu, New Mexico
Georgia O’Keeffe bought her home in Abiquiu, New Mexico, in 1945 and spent years renovating the Spanish Colonial structure.
“Famous for her architectural and landscape paintings of northern New Mexico, she moved from New York to make New Mexico her permanent home,” said Kristin Kautz, director of marketing and public relations for the Georgia O’Keeffe Home and Studio.
With the house and studio reserved as it was when O’Keeffe left in 1984, Kautz said visitors are awed by how simply this successful American modernist painter lived.
“Art is only half the story of this woman who was so successful in a man’s world,” said Kautz. “She lived off the land and didn’t have lots of possessions. Visiting here offers a great peek into her life, a life that was as elegant and classic as her paintings.
“Every time I visit here, I want to go home, plant a garden and throw away all my stuff.”
Groups tour the home and studio and soak up the New Mexico surroundings that gave O’Keeffe inspiration for her work. Kautz suggested that a visit to the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, an hour away, combined with a tour of the Abiquiu compound, is the best way to learn about this legendary artist.
505-946-1000
www.okeeffemuseum.org
Thomas Hart Benton Home and Studio State Historic Site
Kansas City, Missouri
If the name doesn’t ring a bell, chances are you’ve seen his work. “Thomas Hart Benton’s paintings are in almost every important museum in the United States. A regional artist, Benton was extremely popular in the 1930s and 1940s and produced about 1,000 paintings and dozens of lithographs and murals in his lifetime,” said Steve Sitton, site administrator for the Thomas Hart Benton Home and Studio State Historic Site.
Benton’s works, described as very recognizable and understandable, are also the depictions of rural America that we sometimes see in history textbooks.
“His rambling limestone and cedar-sided home and the landscape are obvious reflections of some of his work,” said Sitton. “He and his wife/business manager, Rita, who was crucial to his success, lived in this 7,800-square-foot home from 1935 until his death in 1975.”
Sitton described how Benton’s home and work space has changed little over the decades.
“Benton converted half of the carriage house into his art studio, and a large window was installed to capture the best light. Today, visitors expect Benton to walk in and sit down to paint as coffee cans of paintbrushes and a stretched canvas await his arrival.
“The home not only has original paintings and sculptures but is furnished completely with their possessions, from the slipcovers to the ashtrays.
“We like to tell our visitors upon arrival, ‘The Bentons just stepped out for the afternoon, and you guys get to snoop around.’”
816-931-5722
www.mostateparks.com
Manitoga/The Russel
Wright Design Center
Garrison, New York
Many bank members will recognize this craftsman’s name as newlyweds throughout the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s saw it stamped on the bottom of their new china. Russel Wright, touted as leading the way for Martha Stewart, changed the way we live with his household pieces that were not only beautiful but available to everyone.
“From furniture to wine decanters, I’ve been told he has sold 750 million pieces,” said Jean-Paul Maitinsky, executive director of the Manitoga/The Russel Wright Design Center in the Hudson Highlands, 50 miles north of New York City.
His home and studio, affectionately called Dragon Rock, was once an abandoned quarry site.
“In 1942, Wright discovered this 75-acre property that abuts the Appalachian Trail. He ultimately built his midcentury modernist home in 1961, and lived and created there until his death in 1976,” said Maitinsky.
Described as modest at 3,500 square feet, the home has been partially restored, and some original possessions still remain. Groups of 10 to 15 people are invited to enjoy a guided tour of the naturally landscaped property, home and studio that begins with a documentary film narrated by Garrison Keillor.
845-424-3812
www.russelwrightcenter.org
