STENTON
A house of learning, past and present.
Opening at Stenton in April 2026
Stenton is excited to announce a new project initiative coming in 2026: Radical Americana, organized by The Clay Studio. The project initiative will feature two installations by three artists using history to inspire art installations on the property and in the museum.
Radical Americana is a citywide initiative organized by The Clay Studio that unites 25 of Philadelphia’s arts and cultural institutions in a series of exhibitions responding to the Semiquincentennial. The project showcases research-driven work by 45 artists inspired by the history and art of 1776, 1876, and 1976, as well as the present moment. Together, these exhibitions celebrate Philadelphia’s historic role in shaping America’s cultural identity, civic life, and creative spirit, while inviting reflection and dialogue about the nation’s present and future.
The artists featuring at Stenton are Belle-Pilar Fleming, Bri Murphy, and Dennis Ritter. Learn more about the artists and their projects below.
Sadware
Belle-Pilar Fleming
Bri Murphy
Sadware is a collaborative project that explores familial inheritance, class, and consumerism through investigations into the material history of pewter in the United States. Introduced to the American colonies in the 17th century, pewter reached the height of its prevalence in the early 19th century, attaining a level of ubiquity in tableware comparable to plastic in the present day. We are interested in the many ways the story of pewter relates to American history and culture, particularly in its ability to conjure notions of the Founding Father era – and a very specific flavor of American nostalgia.
Throughout the centuries, pewter has experienced cycles of popularity and discard, serving as both coveted commodity and lamentable passé. While once pervasive, pewter is but one of many materials lost in a sea of stuff which floods a system of exchange. As attitudes about what is valuable and important change across generations, the bequeathing of family objects creates tension. Embedded in inherited objects are stories about how we define our lives as Americans, but as tastes change, so do our notions of preciousness. What is an heirloom and what becomes thrift store fodder?
Sadware opens at Stenton in April. Artists' talk scheduled for May 22nd - details to follow.
Another Place Within
Reflecting on one of the foundational ideas associated with the American experiment, that we are all equal and entitled to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”, Another Place Within explores the complex histories of the Stenton House and grounds and the people that inhabited them. The work in this exhibition specifically engages with the history of agriculture at and around Stenton and the role of the land to provide sustenance to those who lived and labored there. Based on research into objects housed in the Stenton collection and archeological records, the large-scale ceramic sculptures take the form of archetypical structures that are commonly associated with agrarian society. Placed throughout the grounds and in juxtaposition to the urban surroundings of Germantown, the sculptures are meant to reflect on the past uses of the land. Within each of these works there is an entrance to an interior space which represents those that have been omitted from the historical record; whether they be indigenous, tenant farmers, or enslaved people.
Dennis Ritter
