Free Admission for Children at Chesterwood09:56AM / Friday, May 29, 2009
Stockbridge, Mass. - Chesterwood has joined with five Berkshire County businesses to offer free admission for children 18 and under for five months, May to September.
The underwriters supporting Chesterwood’s initiative each month are: Berkshire Life Insurance Company of America for May; Legacy Banks for June, Greylock Federal Credit Union and the Chesterwood Advisory Board for July; Lee Bank for August and Berkshire Bank for September. A sponsor for the month of October is being sought. “We are grateful for the support of these generous Berkshire businesses which enables us to better share Chesterwood with our community,” said Donna Hassler, Director of Chesterwood.
For the 2009 season, a new Chesterwood Visitors Guide includes a property map especially keyed to Lincoln-related material in the Studio, Barn Gallery, Residence and on the Grounds. These exhibitions, displays and objects are of special interest during the Bicentennial and the Guide is easily followed by children as well as adults.
Chesterwood’s Lincoln programming is part of a larger, county-wide initiative to introduce visitors and residents to the historic resources of Berkshire County related to Abraham Lincoln. The Lincoln Trail in the Berkshires was organized by Chesterwood and connects fourteen venues with events or displays celebrating the Lincoln Bicentennial. A map and descriptions can be found at www.LincolnTrailintheBerkshires.com.
“The celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s Bicentennial Birthday offers a special opportunity to introduce more children and their families to the work of Daniel Chester French and his creation of the Abraham Lincoln for the Lincoln Memorial,” said Hassler. “We want visitors and residents to discover, or rediscover, the natural beauty and artistic resources of Chesterwood, both the historical legacy of French and the continuing reach of his support for other artists with our Contemporary Sculpture at Chesterwood exhibition since 1978 and opening on July 4th.”
Chesterwood is the country home, studio and gardens of Daniel Chester French (1850-1931), sculptor of The Minute Man (1875) in Concord, Mass and the Abraham Lincoln for the Lincoln Memorial (1922) in Washington , DC. It is located off Route 183 in the Glendale section of Stockbridge, Massachusetts, near the Norman Rockwell Museum.
Chesterwood is a Historic Site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The National Trust is a non-profit membership organization bringing people together to protect, enhance and enjoy the places that matter to them. By saving the places where great moments from history – and the important moments of everyday life – took place, the National Trust for Historic Preservation helps revitalize neighborhoods and communities, spark economic development and promote environmental sustainability. With headquarters in Washington, DC, 9 regional and field offices, 29 historic sites, and partner organizations in all 50 states, the National Trust for Historic Preservation provides leadership, education, advocacy and resources to a national network of people, organizations and local communities committed to saving places, connecting us to our history and collectively shaping the future of America’s stories. For more information, visit www.PreservationNation.org. |
