Henry Francis Du Pont Winterthur Museum Inc

WINTERTHUR'S MISSION IS TO PRESERVE AND ENHANCE THE LEGACY OF ITS FOUNDER, HENRY FRANCIS DU PONT, FOR THE BENEFIT AND ENJOYMENT OF THE PUBLIC, INCLUDING: THE CARE, DEVELOPMENT, AND STUDY OF ITS PREEMINENT COLLECTION OF DECORATIVE AND FINE ARTS MADE OR USED IN AMERICA; THE ENHANCEMENT AND INTERPRETATION OF ONE OF AMERICA'S FINEST NATURALISTIC GARDENS; THE OPERATION OF GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN AMERICAN MATERIAL CULTURE AND ART CONSERVATION AT THE HIGHEST ACADEMIC LEVEL; THE OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF A LIBRARY TO SUPPORT THESE IMPORTANT CULTURAL GOALS; AND THE PRESERVATION OF THE HISTORICALLY IMPORTANT BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS.

PUBLIC VISITATION, MEMBERSHIP, AND PUBLIC RELATIONS:THROUGHOUT FY22, WINTERTHUR CONTINUED TO EXPAND UPON THE NIMBLENESS THAT WAS NECESSARY DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC. AT THE END OF FY22, WE SURPASSED OUR ATTENDANCE GOAL OF 60,000, REACHING JUST OVER 80,000 BY THE END OF JUNE 2022.WE CONTINUED TO OFFER A SELF-GUIDED HOUSE TOUR THROUGH TWO FLOORS OF THE HOUSE, WHICH ALLOWED FOR SELF-DISTANCING, WHILE ENABLING VISITORS TO TRAVEL THROUGH THE HOUSE AT THEIR OWN PACE. ALONG THE WAY, GUIDES AND SECURITY GUARDS WERE ABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND DIRECT FOOT TRAFFIC. THE COMBINATION OF THESE EFFORTS HAS INCREASED HOUSE VISITATION SIGNIFICANTLY. WALKING TOURS AND TRAM RIDES THROUGH THE GARDENS AND ESTATE HAVE CONTINUED TO BE A SOURCE OF RESPITE FOR VISITORS. IN FY22, A NEW ESTATE HISTORIAN WAS HIRED AND THERE ARE PLANS TO REVAMP THE ESTATE TOURS AND LAUNCH A NEW GALLERY DEDICATED SPECIFICALLY TO THE HISTORY OF THE ESTATE. THESE NEW INTERPRETIVE STRATEGIES WILL GIVE NEW VISITORS A MORE COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING OF THE ESTATE AND SHED NEW LIGHT ON UNDER-REPRESENTED STORIES FOR RETURNING GUESTS.SCHOOL AND FAMILY PROGRAMS HAVE SEEN A RESURGENCE AFTER THE CLOSURES OF THE PANDEMIC. IN FY22, WE HOSTED OVER 5,000 SCHOOL PROGRAMS, WITH 4,500 STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THOSE PROGRAMS. 42% OF THOSE PROGRAMS WERE HOSTED ONSITE, WITH THE REMAINING PROGRAMS HOSTED OFF-SITE OR VIRTUALLY.WE HAVE EXPANDED THE OFFERINGS AND CAPACITIES OF OUR PUBLIC PROGRAMS AS WELL. IN TOTAL, JUST OVER 12,000 GUESTS ENGAGED WITH WINTERTHUR AS PART OF A PUBLIC PROGRAM DURING THE FISCAL YEAR. IN JULY OF 2021, WE HOSTED THE FIRST ANNUAL ARTISAN MARKET WHERE WE WELCOMED NEARLY 4,000 VISITORS AND 100 VENDORS TO THE GROUNDS OVER THE COURSE OF A WEEKEND. WE PLAN TO CONTINUE THIS PROGRAM FOR YEARS TO COME.THE SPECIAL EXHIBIT DURING THE END OF FY22 WAS "JACQUELINE KENNEDY AND H. F. DU PONT: FROM WINTERTHUR TO THE WHITE HOUSE", WHICH OPENED IN MAY AND HAS PROVED TO BE HUGELY POPULAR. DAILY TOURS OF THE EXHIBITION REGULARLY SEE 25 OR MORE PEOPLE JOINING IN, REACHING RECORD NUMBERS FOR THAT OFFERING. IT GAINED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF ATTENTION NATIONWIDE, WITH FEATURES AND REVIEWS IN THE WASHINGTON POST AND WALL STREET JOURNAL.WINTERTHUR WAS SUPPORTED IN FY22 BY APPROXIMATELY 10,000 MEMBER HOUSEHOLDS, 93% OF WHICH RESIDE IN DE, PA, MD, OR NJ. MEMBERSHIP AT WINTERTHUR IS COMPOSED OF 10 DIFFERENT INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP LEVELS, 1 CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP, AND 3 DONOR SOCIETIES, WITH ANNUAL DUES RANGING FROM $20 TO $25,000+. MEMBERS MADE UP A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF GENERAL ADMISSION AND ADD-ON TICKETS, AS WELL AS EVENT ATTENDANCE IN FY22.

CURATORIAL, CONSERVATION, EDUCATION, LIBRARY PROGRAMS:COLLECTIONS - IN FY22, WINTERTHUR ACQUIRED AND ACCESSIONED BY GIFT AND PURCHASE 278 OBJECTS AND DEACCESSIONED 80. COLLECTIONS STAFF IMPROVED STORAGE CONDITIONS WHERE FURNITURE AND OTHER OBJECTS ARE HOUSED. STAFF FROM REGISTRATION, CONSERVATION, AND CURATORIAL WORKED TOGETHER TO REACTIVATE COLLECTIONS EMERGENCY TRAINING, WHICH HAD BEEN ON HIATUS DURING COVID. EXHIBITIONS HAD A BUSY YEAR WITH THE INSTALLATION OF "JACQUELINE KENNEDY AND H.F. DU PONT: FROM WINTERTHUR TO THE WHITE HOUSE", OPENING IN MAY, AND "NEEDLES "I": STITCHING IDENTITY" OPENING IN THE FALL OF 2022.RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM - WINTERTHUR ADMINISTERS A RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM, WHICH ANNUALLY FUNDS NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARS AND CREATORS TO CONDUCT RESEARCH AT WINTERTHUR. WINTERTHUR HOSTED 37 RESEARCH FELLOWS IN FY22. THE PROGRAM PROVIDES RESEARCH FELLOWS WITH STAFF SUPPORT IN AREAS OF LOGISTICS AND PROJECT CONSULTATIONS; ACCESS TO COLLECTIONS AND FACILITIES; OPPORTUNITIES TO PRESENT AND PUBLISH; AND OPPORTUNITIES TO INTERFACE WITH GRADUATE STUDENTS.GRADUATE PROGRAMS - WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE, WINTERTHUR ADMINISTERS AND PROVIDES INSTRUCTION IN THE WINTERTHUR/UD GRADUATE PROGRAMS (THE WINTERTHUR PROGRAM IN AMERICAN MATERIAL CULTURE AND THE WINTERTHUR/UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE PROGRAM IN ART CONSERVATION). TO DATE, THERE HAVE BEEN 1,041 GRADUATES OF THESE TWO PROGRAMS. GRADUATE PROGRAM ACTIVITY INCLUDES TEACHING CORE, ELECTIVE, AND INDEPENDENT STUDY COURSEWORK AT WINTERTHUR; ORGANIZING AND LEADING NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL FIELD STUDY TRIPS; SERVING AS MAJOR/THESIS ADVISORS AND PROVIDING MENTORSHIP AND CAREER COUNSELING FOR STUDENTS; IDENTIFYING INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES; ORGANIZING PROGRAM EVENTS; IDENTIFYING AND FACILITATING COLLABORATIVE OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN THE TWO PROGRAMS AND WITH UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE DEPARTMENTS FOR STUDENT COURSEWORK, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND RESEARCH FUNDING, AND CAMPUS RESOURCES; AND SUPPORTING SUCCESSFUL POSTGRADUATE PLACEMENT. WINTERTHUR PORTFOLIO - IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS, WINTERTHUR ADMINISTERS AN IN-HOUSE ACADEMIC JOURNAL, "WINTERTHUR PORTFOLIO: A JOURNAL OF AMERICAN MATERIAL CULTURE", PUBLISHING 3 ISSUES ANNUALLY. WINTERTHUR PORTFOLIO ACTIVITY INCLUDES: SOLICITATION/SELECTION/EDITING OF PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLES AND BOOK REVIEWS FOR PUBLICATION; WORKING WITH THE PRESS ON ASPECTS OF THE JOURNAL'S PRODUCTION; ENHANCING SUPPORT FOR AUTHORS AND PROMOTING GUIDELINES FOR SHARING PUBLISHED WORK; PROMOTING THE JOURNAL AND WINTERTHUR AT PROFESSIONAL EVENTS; AND OVERSEEING THE JOURNAL'S EDITORIAL BOARD AND BUDGET. WINTERTHUR LIBRARY - THE MISSION OF THE LIBRARY IS TO ACQUIRE, CATALOG, PRESERVE, AND MAKE ITS COLLECTIONS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC. DURING FY22 THE LIBRARY ADDED 43 ARCHIVAL LOTS AND 465 BOOKS AND PERIODICALS BY PURCHASE AND GIFT AND LENT 72 BOOKS THROUGH INTERLIBRARY LOAN. THE LIBRARY SAW 1,384 USERS BY APPOINTMENT TO USE THE LIBRARY CIRCULATING AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS.

GARDEN / FACILITIES PROGRAM:WINTERTHUR MAINTAINS A WORLD-RENOWNED 60-ACRE HISTORIC GARDEN NESTLED WITHIN A NEARLY 1000-ACRE LANDSCAPE WITH WOODLANDS, MEADOWS, AND WATERWAYS. VISITORS COME FROM ALL PARTS OF THE GLOBE. THE COLLECTION OF RARE AND HISTORIC PLANTS INCLUDES MAGNOLIAS, AZALEAS, MINOR BULBS, CONIFERS, AND SPECIMEN TREES. SIGNIFICANT VARIETIES IN THE COLLECTION ARE TRACKED OR "ACCESSIONED" THROUGH A RECORDS SYSTEM, WHICH CURRENTLY INCLUDES MORE THAN 15,000 ACCESSIONS. WINTERTHUR PRESERVES THE LEGACY OF THE HISTORIC GARDEN THROUGH CONTINUED RESTORATION AND ENHANCEMENT OF GARDEN AREAS SUCH AS THE SUNDIAL GARDEN, REFLECTING POOL, AND ENCHANTED WOODS AND THROUGH THE SENSITIVE CARE AND RESTORATION OF IRONWORK AND STATUARY THROUGHOUT THE LANDSCAPE.