Among the strengths of Woodmere’s collection is work by painters known today as the Pennsylvania Impressionists. This exhibition demonstrates howthese artists explored the Pennsylvania landscape as a subject and investigated ideas that continue to resonate in the visual expression of contemporaryart in Philadelphia. Juxtapositions of paintings and works in other media reveal how artistic practice has evolved and social context has become urgent in ways that could not have been imagined in the past. The exhibition also reveals how a great diversity of Philadelphia artists have focused on the landscape as a powerful metaphor.

The accompanying catalogue features a conversation with Brian H. Peterson, the former Marguerite and Gerry Lenfest Curator of the James A. Michener Art Museum. Peterson is both an accomplished contemporary artist and the museum curator most responsible for shaping an understanding of the achievements of the Pennsylvania Impressionists. He shares thoughts on the continuing relevance of landscape painting with William R. Valerio, PhD, Woodmere’s Patricia Van Burgh Allison Director and Chief Executive Officer.