Images of inspirational and patriotic events in American history, from Coronado’s 16th-century expedition through the Southwest to Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural address in 1865, were on view in this exhibition.
N.C. Wyeth’s America in the Making featured 12 dramatic paintings, created by the artist in the late 1930s for a popular advertising calendar, showing Wyeth’s renowned mastery of stirring action and authentic detail. Props from the artist’s Chadds Ford studio, such as a life mask of Abraham Lincoln, a coonskin cap and a Kentucky rifle, provided fascinating insight into how Wyeth created these paintings. The America in the Making paintings were loaned by the Brunnier Art Museum of Iowa State University in Ames. An illustrated catalogue from the Brunnier Art Museum is available.