The Art of Spring at Reynolda
Ahh, springtime, when talk of the birds, blooms, and bulbs inevitably leads gardeners to dust off their gloves and leaf gleefully through the pages of a nursery supply store catalog. Here in Winston-Salem, we have a tradition for signaling the start of long-awaited spring — spending the day flitting from bloom to bloom in the beloved gardens of Reynolda House Museum of American Art.
This year, Reynolda invites visitors to celebrate the season with the launch of a new exhibition entitled "Cross Pollination: Heade, Cole, Church, and Our Contemporary Moment" running now through May 23, 2021. Created to explore the interdependent connection between art and science, the exhibition is a magnificent study of noteworthy floral motifs in American visual art.
True to its name, the Cross Pollination exhibition invites guests to explore beyond the gallery to enjoy the full experience of spring at Reynolda, which encompasses more than within the museum. Visitors are encouraged to start their exploration with a guided tour of the 1917 historic Reynolda house, which is decorated and preserved in the style of the original owners, tobacco magnate R. J. Reynolds and his wife Katharine. It's so easy to imagine the clinking of Champagne glasses of well-heeled guests on the fountain view patio or the rumble of pins from the surprising basement bowling alley, or the laughter of children playing on the lush and expansive lawns. Then listen for real as interpreters play music daily on the impressive Aeolian organ complete with pipes reaching as far as the attic.
After your home tour, step outside to one of Reynolda’s treasured garden spaces, including the newly replanted Weeping Cherry Allee in full bloom this spring. Walk a little or walk a lot — the gardens and surrounding historic district offers 150 acres of crushed stone, slate, and grassy paths, interconnecting you with a wealth of outdoor dining, shopping, gardens, museums, and history to explore in Reynolda Village. Find a host of diversions in what was once was a working dairy barn, cattle shed a blacksmith shop, carriage house, post office, and school.
Or, just find a bench back to admire the estate and lose yourself a while in the beautifully landscaped grounds and historic architecture.
When You Go
We recommend at least three to four hours to fully experience the Museum and surrounding estate. To see which works are on view today at the Museum, or for a schedule of events, click here.
Overnight guests can stay right in the heart of Winston-Salem’s historic Reynolda Mile at Graylyn Estate. Featuring all the splendor and Old World charm of Norman Revival style architecture, the historic Graylyn Estate is nestled on 55 sprawling acres and directly across the street from the Reynolda Estate. Graylyn was the 1932 home of Bowman Gray, former president of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, and his wife, Nathalie. It is the second-largest private home in North Carolina and is now an 85-room hotel and conference center.
The Reynolda Experience Overnight Package allows guests to explore the Reynolda Mile, Graylyn, Reynolda House, and Reynolda Village and comes complete with the following amenities:
- Overnight Accommodations
- $50 Food and Beverage Credit for Dinner at Graylyn
- Complimentary Chef Prepared Breakfast
- Butler Tour of Graylyn
- At-leisure shopping at Reynolda Village
- Complimentary Graylyn shuttle service to Reynolda Village
- Two adult admissions to Reynolda House Museum of American Art
- Reynolda House Souvenir Book – Reynolda: An American Country Home Becomes a Home for American Art
- Complimentary onsite parking and wireless internet
- Gray Family Traditions: Complimentary refreshments, Mrs. Gray’s Butterscotch Cookies, and 24-hour access to Mr. Gray’s ice cream room
Packages start at $375 per night, plus taxes and estate fees. 14 days advance notice may be required.
To learn more, click here or call the Visit Winston-Salem Visitor Center Team at 866-728-4200. We’ll be happy to answer questions, make recommendations and guide you toward the best options for your upcoming visit based on your unique interests.
About the Cross Pollination Exhibition:
Cross Pollination: Heade, Cole, Church and Our Contemporary Moment takes as its launching pad the influential series of paintings The Gems of Brazil (1863–64) by Martin Johnson Heade but expands outward to explore pollination in nature and ecology, cultural and artistic influence and exchange, and the interconnection between art and science, extending from the nineteenth century into the twenty-first.
In addition to nineteenth-century American artists Martin Johnson Heade, Thomas Cole, and Frederic Church, the exhibition also features contemporary artists such as Paula Hayes, Maya Lin, Richard Estes, Juan Fontanive, Roxy Paine, Rachel Sussman, and Vik Muniz.
Explore your own connections between art and nature on visits to the estate's greater and formal gardens, which include birding and nature trails, and see if you can spot the objects and specimens featured in the exhibition.
For a better idea of what options are available, consider downloading the museum app, Reynolda Revealed, for the full Reynolda Estate experience. Or, to reserve your tickets now, click here.