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PENNSYLVANIA ACADEMY OF THE FINE ARTS

                                  1916-1952

The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts purchased the property in 1916.  The schoolís catalogue stated that the chief object of the Academy in establishing a school in the country was to afford instruction in the open air, with all the beautiful surroundings of nature itself.  The buildings were kept open throughout the year, so that nature would be seen and studied in all her varying moods.  Special attention would be paid to landscape drawing and painting, and to the study of sunlight and shade.

Noted Pennsylvania Impressionist DANIEL GARBER teaches a class at the Chester Springs Country School.  Note the trousers worn by a female student.

Women were a major part of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Country School at Chester Springs.  The female art students enjoyed the freedoms of studying art here where they had the same opportunities as the men.  They painted in an artistic community of like minds and their work was critiqued equally with all students.  Painting (oil and watercolor), sculpting and eventually printmaking were part of the curriculum.

In addition, the dress code permitted trousers to be worn, although in 1922 the rules stated ìno trousers on Sunday, to the noon or evening meals nor to Phoenixville.î  Later, shorts were permitted.  The women were also observed smoking in public.  These womenís freedoms did cause concern among the farm families who did not want their daughters to follow these trends.  When the Country School closed in 1952, the women did not like the idea of returning to the restrictions of the city school.

SOME OF THE WOMEN ARTISTS AND TEACHERS OF THE COUNTRY SCHOOL:

DORIS KUNZIE WEIDNER (1931-33) ñ Known as ìDorcasî, Doris described her experiences at the Chester Springs Country School as wonderful.  She said, ìI had the same opportunities as did the men.  In the city, it wasnít like that.î

IDA GEYLER TOLLENGER (1930-31) ñ ìWe would go outside as much as we could get outdoors.  We climbed all over these hills.  And I remember, my box, my paint box, weighed about 25 pounds.  We wore slacks and tucked them in our socks so that you wouldnít get ticksÖ.î

MILDRED BUNTING MILLER ñ Mrs. Miller taught watercolor at the Country School from 1928-1933.  She also assisted her husband, D. Roy Miller, with the management of the school from 1916-1934.  Her administrative role was recognized in its time.

VIRGINIA McCALL (1930-31) ñ Virginia received the highest honors for her humanitarian work making surgical drawings and life masks of plastic surgery cases at the Valley Forge Army Hospital during World War II and the Korean War.

ELIZABETH F. WASHINGTON ñ A renowned miniaturist and landscape painter, Elizabeth was both a student and lecturer at the Country School.  She exhibited widely across the country and at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts throughout her life.

EDITH GRACE DEXTER (1922-26) ñ Edith studied at the summer school in Chester Springs and also at the Fountainbleu School of Art in France.  She was influenced by the French Impressionists and the effects of light and shadow.

SARAH JANE BLAKESLEE (1931-32) ñ Sarah Jane evoked the idyllic quality of the Chester Springs landscape in her paintings of the village.