Farms Afield: Philadelphia
Tuesday to Friday, August 18-21, 2026

With planning overseen by Executive Director Jonathan Clancy and Associate Director of Membership and Development Parker Sanchez, Stickley Museum Members can expect an unforgettable, one-of-a-kind experience among friends, old and new, in the city of Brotherly Love.

Photos L to R: Cabinet, Late 19th Century, Shibayama Soichi (Japan 1811 – 1896), 1876-1681; Lippincott’s / March, 1896, Joseph J. Gould Jr. (American, 1869 – 1948), 1974-219-125; Jar on Stand, 1893, Susan Frackelton (American, 1848-1932), 1893-309a–cm;

Farms Afield: Philadelphia will feature:

• A curator’s tour of the exhibition Workshop of the World: Arts and Crafts in Philadelphia at the Philadelphia Museum of Art with David Barquist, the H. Richard Dietrich, Jr. Curator of American Decorative Arts, followed by visits to the museum’s latest exhibitions, A Nation of Artists and Van Gogh’s Flowers. Plus selections from the permanent collection, featuring Tiffany silver and glass and Rookwood art pottery, many acquired through the efforts of early curator and director Edwin AtLee Barber, who placed a great importance on the decorative arts, a focus which has remained at the museum through the years.

• An excursion to Rose Valley at Thunderbird Lodge. As a group, we will tour the Rose Valley campus with Rose Valley President Peter Howell. The Rose Valley Museum at Thunderbird Lodge is a landmark of the American Arts and Crafts movement, housed in a former eighteenth-century barn redesigned in 1904 by architect William Lightfoot Price as part of Rose Valley’s experimental artist community. While visiting, be sure to purchase Rose Valley’s new book Rose Valley Arts & Crafts 1901–1916, which will be released this July.

• Enjoy a visit to The Curtis Center to view The Dream Garden (1916), a 15-by-49 foot glass mosaic by Louis Comfort Tiffany and Maxfield Parrish. The mosaic is 15 feet (4.6 m) long by 49 feet (15 m) wide and contains more than 100,000 favrile glass tesserae and greater than 260 color tones.

• A private tour of the Barnes Foundation. Philadelphia art collector Albert C. Barnes chartered the Barnes in 1922 to teach people from all walks of life how to look at art. During our visit, enjoy works by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, and Amedeo Modigliani. Barnes collected these works between 1912 and 1951, arranging them in distinctive “ensembles” that combine objects from across history and around the globe.

• A private tour of the Rodin Museum, home to the largest collection of works by Auguste Rodin outside of Paris and featuring masterpieces such as The Gates of Hell, The Thinker, and The Burghers of Calais. The museum was founded after American cinema magnate Jules Mastbaum, and his wife Etta Mastbaum visited the Musée Rodin for the first time. Captivated by Rodin’s use of the human figure to express inner passions and thought, Mastbaum, a Philadelphia native, acquired more than 150 sculptures by the artist, leading to the founding of the Rodin Museum in November 1929.

• A group dinner to kick off our trip at Amada in their private Rosa Blanca Room. Since opening in 2005, the gorgeous rustic-chic restaurant and bar has embraced the rich traditions of Spanish cuisine and delicious crafted cocktails.

• A stay at the charming Franklin on Rittenhouse, a Philadelphia boutique hotel located in the heart of the city (pictured below).

Farms Afield: Philadelphia fees:

Travel dates:

Participants should plan to arrive on Tuesday, August 18 and depart on Friday, August 21. Farms Afield activities begin at The Curtis Center on Tuesday, August 18 and end with a tour at the Rodin Museum on Friday, August 21.

Travel to and from Philadelphia is not included. Trip attendees will meet up at the Franklin on Rittenhouse Hotel in Philadelphia. Once Farms Afield: Philadelphia begins, attendees will travel by motorcoach and car to all activities.

Fees Include:

• A 3-night stay at the Franklin on Rittenhouse Hotel, beginning Tuesday, August 18 (check in is at 4:00 p.m.) and ending on the morning of Friday, August 21 (check out is at 11:00 am).
• All trip activities on August 18-21, plus transportation to and from all activities via motorcoach or car.
• Complimentary breakfast at the Franklin on Rittenhouse Hotel.
• One lunch and one evening reception. **

**Lunch and dinner will be on your own. An itinerary will be provided in advance. Trip activities require moderate walking each day, rain or shine. Please plan accordingly.

FAQs:

Farms Afield: Philadelphia is open to all. SMCF members who register receive a $200 discount per person. Not a member? Join or renew by clicking here and SAVE on Farms Afield: Philadelphia.

Planning to come early or stay later? Let us help. Call the administrative office at (973) 540-0311, and we will put you in touch with our contact at the hotel.

Cancellation policy: Full refunds are available through July 18, 2026; after this date 50% refunds will be provided. No refunds are available after August 8.