2026 Delaware County Preservation Award Winners!

Painter’s Folly was proudly represented at this year’s Delaware County Heritage Commission Preservation Awards, held in celebration of National Preservation Month. We were thrilled to see two champions of the site recognized for their extraordinary contributions to Delaware County’s cultural heritage.

Professor Ed Worteck received an Individual Achievement Award for his tireless advocacy and documentation efforts in preserving Painter's Folly. A Professor Emeritus of Art and Art History at Goucher College, Worteck began photographing and researching Painter’s Folly in 2024, later founding the Painter’s Folly Preservation Alliance to mobilize community support for the historic home. His work has included extensive architectural documentation, public outreach initiatives, the commissioning of oral histories with Helen Murray Sipala (now housed at the University of Kentucky’s Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History), and facilitating the Delaware Art Museum’s acquisition of Sipala’s diary and archival materials chronicling her decades-long friendship with Andrew Wyeth.

Helen Murray Sipala was honored with the A. Richard Paul Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her decades of stewardship and dedication to preserving the home and its artistic legacy. After restoring the property with her family, Sipala became a close friend, confidante, and model to acclaimed artist Andrew Wyeth, who painted and worked at Painter’s Folly for nearly 20 years. Through her detailed 445-page diary, publications, oral history, and generous archival donations, she has ensured that this remarkable chapter of American art history remains accessible to future generations.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to both awardees for their enduring commitment to preserving the legacy of Painter’s Folly.