History through Art

Custom poster created by design firm School using Benjamin West's 1771 painting Penn's Treaty with the Indians (painting courtesy of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia)

Starting tomorrow and continuing for the next year, a new sound installation at Pennsbury Manor will take visitors on a journey through Pennsbury's riverfront grounds, honoring and reimagining environmental song-making practices surviving in the Lenape diaspora. With "nkwiluntàmën: I long for it; I am lonesome for it (such as the sound of a drum)," artist Nathan Young invites audiences to "meditate on enduring Indigenous relationships to land." Young is an enrolled member of the Delaware Tribe of Indians (one of five federally recognized nations of the Lenape diaspora) and a direct descendant of the Pawnee Nation and Kiowa Tribe. He is currently pursuing a PhD in the Univ. of Oklahoma's Native American Art History Doctoral program where his scholarship is focused on Indigenous Sound Agency.

This new work combines environmental sounds, voice, and music from a range of collaborators to expand listeners' perspectives on the Delaware. Young explains, "This installation showcases sound as a powerful art form and uses modern technology to add meaning to a historic place. I hope that 'nkwiluntàmën' [pronounced KWEE-LU-NOM-IN] inspires visitors to explore the contemporary work of the Delaware people."

Artist Nathan Young recording enviromental sounds along the Delaware (photo by Ryan Strand Greenberg)

Pennsbury's site administrator, Doug Miller, notes that this artwork will help transform visitors' experience of the property and its history: "Pennsbury Manor has long been focused on the life of William Penn, but in the last decade, we've been looking beyond Penn's legacy to that of the Lenape people who first inhabited this land. Nathan Young's installation will help tell this complex story through an artistic lens."

Major support for "nkwiluntàmën" came from the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, with additional support from Pennsbury Manor. Due to the opening activities tomorrow, Manor House tours will not be available. After tomorrow's opening, visitors can experience the work Wednesday through Sunday afternoons, 1-4 pm, through April 2024. A $3 grounds pass is required (full admission rates apply to tour the Manor House). Online ticketing is available via Ticketbud.

For a sample of the soundscape created by Nathan Young and his collaborators, visit Pennsbury Manor's Facebook page.

Up Next

Saturday, April 15

• Mapping Mammal Hall (in-person); 10 am-Noon; The State Museum of PA
• Use the giant map of PA to locate the real-life settings for the Mammal Hall dioramas. Included in regular admission (Mammal Hall program info).

• Revolutionary Speaker Series (in-person); Noon-2 pm; Brandywine Battlefield Park
• Friederike Baer, associate professor of history at Penn State Abingdon, will present "Hessians: German Soldiers in the American Revolutionary War," exploring the estimated 30,000 German soldiers hired to fight for the British. Tickets are $20 (Rev Speaker Series tickets).

Sunday, April 16

• Open Hearth Cooking (in-person); 1-4 pm; Pennsbury Manor
• The cooks will fire up the bake oven to demonstrate the weekly baking of bread and more. Included in regular admission (Sunday program info).

Tuesday, April 18

• Sensory Hours (in-person); 9-11 am; Railroad Museum of PA
• Light, sound, and crowd levels will be lower, and there will be some quiet spaces in the galleries to take a break. Several historic trains will be open with staff on hand to answer questions. Advance tickets required (April 18 Sensory Hours tickets).

Wednesday, April 19

• Celebrate Earth Day: Plant a Tree (in-person); 11:30 am-12:30 pm; The State Museum of PA
• Learn more about the trees in Pennsylvania and how they make our lives better. Then take a seedling home to plant. Supplies are limited, so register at the Ground Floor Info Desk when you arrive to receive a seedling. Included in regular admission (Earth Day program info).

Thursday, April 20

• Archives Without Tears Q&A (virtual); 10-11 am; PA State Archives
• Do you have questions about practical ways to preserve and/or make available the historical records in your care? Whether you are a curious individual collecting and caring for family or community materials, a local government employee tasked with records storage, a volunteer at a local historical society, the director of a large institution, or anyone in-between, we invite all to bring questions for Pennsylvania State Archives archivists to answer. It may be helpful (but is not required) to first check out the brief AWOT Key Concepts videos that are freely available on PHMC's YouTube channel, @PATrailsofHistory (Archives Without Tears registration).

Friday, April 21

• Learn at Lunchtime (virtual); 12:15-12:45 pm; The State Museum of PA
• Emily Boyd, small game mammal biologist for the Pennsylvania Game Commission, will talk about the three Pennsylvania rabbit and hare species and the ongoing research to improve management and promote the continued presence of all lagomorph species for future generations of Pennsylvanians. Program is free, but you must register to receive the link (April 21 Learn at Lunchtime registration).

Advance Tickets or Registrations

• Lunch & Learn (in-person); Wednesday, Apr. 26, 10 am-2 pm; Graeme Park
• Author C.J. McGroarty will discuss her novel, Clara in a Time of War, which is set on a Chester County farm in 1777. The program also includes continental breakfast, buffet lunch, and tours of the Keith House. Tickets are $35 (Lunch & Learn program info and tickets - sales end April 21).

• Behind the Scenes with the Heirloom Seed Project (in-person); Saturday, Apr. 29, 9 am and 1 pm; Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum
• Heirloom Seed Project staff and volunteers will offer a glimpse into preparations for the annual Herb & Garden Faire and lead a tour of gardens on the site. Two tour times: 9 am or 1 pm. The tour is two hours of walking around the museum grounds, rain or shine; please dress for the weather with comfortable footwear. Tickets are $40, $35 for members (Heirloom Seed Project tour tickets).

• Art in the Garden (in-person); Saturday, Apr. 29, 10 am-1 pm; Pennsbury Manor
• Take a tour of Pennsbury's gardens and grounds, then settle into your favorite spot and paint. All skill levels welcome; materials provided. Cost is $35, $30 for members. Registration required (Pennsbury Manor contact info).

• Salon Social (Tea) (in-person: Saturday, Apr. 29, 1-3 pm; Anthracite Heritage Museum
• Join us for afternoon tea featuring Victorian and Edwardian fashions, tea sandwiches, desserts, coffee and tea. Make reservations by calling 570/963-4804 or emailing ahmuseum@verizon.net. Tickets are $25 and the deadline to reserve is April 23 (call 570/963-4804 or email ahmuseum@verizon.net).

• Sensory Hours (in-person); Tuesday, May 2, 3-5 pm; Railroad Museum of PA
• Light, sound, and crowd levels will be lower, and there will be some quiet spaces in the galleries to take a break. Several historic trains will be open with staff on hand to answer questions. Advance tickets required (May 2 Sensory Hours tickets).

• Herb & Garden Faire (in-person); Friday and Saturday, May 12-13, 9 am-5 pm; Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum
• The Faire, featuring plants from Landis Valley Museum’s Heirloom Seed Project, will also offer heirlooms, natives, and other hard-to-find varieties to purchase from vendors spread out over the historic village area of the site. The 2023 Herb & Garden Faire is the 35th year of this high-profile regional event. Food and drink will be available onsite. Tickets are available at the door or in advance online (Herb & Garden Faire online tickets).

Summer Camp Programs (camps are in-person unless marked otherwise)

• Brandywine Battlefield Park (Brandywine camp info)
• Live the Battle Week (grades 3-4), June 27-30, 9 am-2 pm
• Step Into the Past Week (grades 3-4), July 11-14, 9 am-2 pm
• Live the Battle Week (grades 5-6), July 18-21, 9 am-2 pm
• Step Into the Past Week (grades 5-6), July 25-28, 9 am-2 pm

• Drake Well Museum & Park (Drake Well camp info)
• Discovery Days Camp (ages 8-12), July 6, 13, 20 & 27, 9 am-4 pm

• Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum (LVVFM camp info)
• A Child's Life in the Civil War (ages 5-11), July 18-21, 9 am-12:30 pm

• Pennsbury Manor (Pennsbury camp info)
• Colonial Camp Week (ages 6-8), July 17-21, 9 am-4 pm

• Railroad Museum of PA (RMP camp info)
• Barons & Builders Summer Day Camp (ages 9-10), July 11-14
• Barons & Builders Summer Day Camp (ages 11-12), July 25-28