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By Design: The Worlds of Betsy James Wyeth

Location

Space

Dates

A photograph of a dimly lit, rustic wooden attic space. In the center of the dark wooden floor, an open rectangular hatch leads to the floor below. A small window on the left lets in bright white light, and a single lit wall sconce glows near a slanted ceiling beam. A mysterious, faint blue horizontal blur floats in the center of the frame.
A yellow sticky note with handwritten text in black ink. It reads "ME" with a heart symbol, followed by "Betsy Merle James WYETH," "born September 26, 1925," and "MARRIED ANDREW NEWELL WYETH MAY 15, 1941."

The exhibition also features intimate archival materials that offer glimpses of Wyeth’s inner life, including a childhood journal and handwritten sticky notes that she left for herself around her home. These will appear in conjunction with several key paintings of Allen and Benner Islands by Andrew Wyeth, who frequently drew and painted the places that Betsy Wyeth meticulously constructed.

The Colby Museum presentation is curated by Kendall DeBoer, assistant curator of Modern and Contemporary Art.

By Design: The Worlds of Betsy James Wyeth is accompanied by a hardcover catalogue published by Rizzoli Electa, featuring essays by the curators and more than a dozen additional contributors who share their perspectives on Betsy Wyeth, her work, and the places she loved.

Artists

Mandy Lamb
Linda Nguyen Lopez
Elaine K. Ng
Claire Pentecost
Andrew Wyeth
Betsy James Wyeth

Additional Sites

Brandywine Museum of Art
Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania
June 27, 2026–January 13, 2027

Farnsworth Art Museum
Rockland, Maine
May 2–December 31, 2026

Allen and Benner Islands at Colby College

In 2022, Colby College became the steward of Allen and Benner Islands, acquiring them from the Up East Foundation and the Wyeth Foundation for American Art to establish the Island Campus.  Part of an important initiative to preserve these extraordinary areas, Colby College continues to utilize them as centers for interdisciplinary learning, research, and creative inspiration across the natural sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities. The Island Campus supports year-round academic programs, critical research on climate change and biodiversity, student and faculty fieldwork, and creative endeavors while honoring the islands’ important cultural legacy.

Selected Works

Linda Nguyen Lopez

A group of ten colorful ceramic sculptures by Linda Nguyen Lopez. Each piece is rounded and covered in thick, finger-like clay protrusions (agglomerates) in shades of pink, blue, mint green, and orange. Small, contrasting bits of clay in red, green, and blue are nestled among the textures.

Claire Pentecost

An interior gallery space featuring Claire Pentecost's "Soil-erg" installation. Large, dark, rectangular bricks made of soil are stacked in a pyramid shape in the foreground, while smaller stacks sit on a wooden table. The background wall displays circular soil discs and framed currency-like prints, illuminated by dramatic sunlight streaming through a large arched window.

Elaine K. Ng

A high-contrast, black-and-white photograph by Elaine K. Ng. The focal point is a large, smooth, triangular rock resting vertically among a pile of other rounded, textured stones.