Wyeth family exhibition to open at Biggs Museum Nov. 2

The Biggs Museum of American Art invites the public to see its newest major exhibition, The Wyeths: Three Generations | Works from the Bank of America Collection, on display from Thursday, Nov. 2, to Sunday, Feb. 11, at ­406 Federal St., Dover.

For three generations, the Wyeths have created art that captures the imagination and admiration of a wide audience. Visitors can enjoy more than 70 paintings, drawings and illustrations by N.C. (Newell Converse) Wyeth, his son Andrew Wyeth, his daughter Henriette Wyeth Hurd and his grandson Jamie Wyeth. This exhibition presents both an opportunity for Wyeth fans to see a comprehensive scope of artwork that has not been on view locally, and a chance for people who are not as familiar with art history to see an exhibition with works that span more than 100 years and learn about why the Wyeths are considered significant to American art.

Hailing from Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley, the Wyeth family is a noteworthy contributor to Delaware arts and culture. In fact, the pieces from this exhibit were all collected in Delaware, then shown both nationally and internationally. While the works have been seen around the world, this exhibition at the Biggs presents the first opportunity to view the collection within the state.

The exhibition includes N.C. Wyeth’s illustrations for books by Robert Louis Stevenson and Washington Irving as well as historical scenes, seascapes and landscapes; examples of Henriette Wyeth’s portraits of family members and still life paintings; important works by Andrew Wyeth from the 1970s and 1980s, as well as more recent paintings; and 18 works in oil and mixed media representing all periods of Jamie Wyeth’s career.

Adding to the lure of this eminent family of artists is Victoria Browning Wyeth, who will be on site at the museum for various events connecting the works of art to the personal stories of her family. Victoria is the only grandchild of iconic artist Andrew Wyeth, and the daughter of Nicholas and Jane Wyeth. Her father is a private art dealer, and her mother is an art advisor who was trained as an art historian. She is the great-granddaughter of illustrator N.C. Wyeth and the niece of contemporary realist Jamie Wyeth.

This exhibition found its way to Dover through the Bank of America Art in Our Communities program. “Bank of America is steadfast in our belief that the arts matter as both a cultural and economic driver for communities,” said Chip Rossi, Bank of America Delaware president. “The Biggs Museum of American Art has been a mainstay of the Central Delaware cultural landscape for decades, and we are thrilled to share this important exhibit from our collection with the Biggs and its patrons.”

For more information and a complete schedule of events, go to biggsmuseum.org.