Fallingwater's artist in residence to showcase American dream through Black American lives

A portrait of longtime Fallingwater cook Elsie Henderson will be a highlight of a 2022 exhibition at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art.

“Stephen Towns: Declaration & Resistance,” scheduled for Jan. 30-April 24 at the Greensburg museum, will examine the American dream through the lives of Black Americans.

Henderson, who died March 20 at 107, cooked for several wealthy Pittsburgh families, including the Kaufmanns, original owners of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Fallingwater. Her stories were collected in the 2008 volume “The Fallingwater Cookbook: Elsie Henderson’s Recipes & Memories.”

Towns is participating in the Fallingwater Institute’s artist-in-residence program through June 27. During his residency, the Baltimore-based artist will be making art and researching Henderson’s life.

“I’m honored to be able to spend time at one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s monumental works. The knowledge I gain about Elsie and the history of Fallingwater will be pivotal in completing the work I’m doing with The Westmoreland,” he said.

“For ‘Declaration & Resistance,’ Towns is creating a new body of figurative paintings and story quilts that, along with existing work, expand the historical narratives of enslaved and free people who toiled under the most extreme hardships yet persevered through acts of rebellion, skillful guile and self-willed determination,” according to a release.

Subjects of his work include coal miners, agricultural and domestic labor and labor that highlights care and nurturing, such as nursing.

“Using labor as a backdrop, Towns’ artwork highlights the role African Americans have played in the economy and explores the resilience, resistance, and endurance that have challenged the United States to truly embrace the tenets of its Declaration of Independence,” the release said.

Diverse experiences

“As a museum of American Art, we are always looking for ways to ensure that the diversity of lived experiences in this country are shared and celebrated,” said Anne Kraybill, The Westmoreland’s Richard M. Scaife Director/CEO. “This exhibition of new works by Stephen Towns shares those stories with a particular emphasis on the unique experiences of Black Americans in this region.”

“Historical archives, books and rural landscapes help inform Stephen’s artistic practice, and I’m excited to see how his residency at Fallingwater influences and shapes his new works,” said guest curator Kilolo Luckett, a Pittsburgh-based art historian and curator, who is organizing the exhibition in collaboration with Towns.

“Mr. Towns will receive exceptional access to Fallingwater during hours when we are closed to the public,” said Ashley Andrykovitch, Fallingwater curator of education. “He will also live and work nearby at High Meadow, Fallingwater’s educational complex that includes both living and studio space.”

High Meadow is located near Fallingwater on the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy’s Bear Run Nature Reserve.

“Through the Fallingwater Institute artist residency program, Fallingwater provides an inspiring setting for artists to live, work, think, and observe their creative process,” Andrykovitch said.

“The Kaufmann family envisioned Fallingwater not only as a place where visitors could come to experience great architecture, but also where a deeper understanding of art and nature might occur. We are thrilled Fallingwater can serve as a source of inspiration and creativity for Stephen Towns,” said Justin Gunther, director of Fallingwater and vice president of the Conservancy, which owns and operates the historic site.

Towns and Luckett will discuss the significance of his residency, inspiration behind his artistic practice and work being created for the upcoming exhibition during a livestream webinar, “Live from Fallingwater: Stephen Towns and Kilolo Luckett in Conversation, ” at 1 p.m. June 23. Registration for the free session is available at fallingwater.org.

A South Carolina native, Towns has a bachelor of fine arts degree in studio art from the University of South Carolina, and also has a self-taught quilting practice. His work is in the collections of museums around the country and in private collections nationally and abroad.

“Declaration & Resistance” will be his first solo exhibition in Western Pennsylvania.