FAQ: Artist Studios at Painter's Folly Program
- PFPA
- Sep 17, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 13, 2025
How long did it run: The Artist Studios at Painter's Folly program was an idea born out of both an artist's dream of a local art studio in Chadds Ford and the Patterhn Ives 2022 Preservation Plan, which proposed three potential uses for the building: a bed and breakfast, artist studios, and artist apartments. Artist Studios at Painter's Folly ran from January 2023 to 2024.
Building Use: The program used three rooms as communal art studios: the Pyle and Wyeth studios on the second floor and the NC Studio on the third floor. A first-floor gallery was also established in the den/library to display and sell work to the public during paid house tours given by former homeowner, Helen Sipala.
Model sessions were held in the Pyle Studio on a bi-weekly basis throughout the year, except for July and August, which were taken off for vacation. These sessions were intended to allow professional artists to draw or paint the model in a group, shared setting, which enabled artists to keep costs down for their individual businesses by sharing the model fee. Helen Sipala was one of the models and sat in the same outfit she wore for the first time she sat for Andrew Wyeth.
Who Was Involved: Annette Alessi, a master of fine arts, worked as the volunteer artist coordinator. Alessi dreamt of a Chadds Ford group artist studio and shared her idea with Barbara Moore of Barbara Moore Fine Art Gallery. Moore introduced Alessi to Maryann Furlong, who was then the manager of Chadds Ford Township. After approval from the Chadds Ford Township Board of Supervisors, Furlong and Alessi planned the program throughout 2022, with a scheduled launch date of January 2023.
Before the program closure, Chadds Ford Township and the Brandywine Museum of Art discussed adding Painter's Folly as a stop to the museum tour catalog to interpret the history of Painter's Folly and increase exposure to artwork on display for future art sales.
According to Alessi, the artists enjoyed working together, especially when ideas and opportunities could be shared. In September 2023, the Painter's Folly artists held an exhibition at the Station Gallery in Greenville, DE, featuring the members' works.
Pricing: Several studio and scheduling options were available for artists. Each session lasted 3 months, and the building was open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM. Artists displayed their work in a first-floor gallery, and Chadds Ford Township received a 30% commission on sales.
Pyle Studio (2nd floor studio): open to two groups of 6 artists.
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for $150 a month
Tuesdays and Thursdays for $100 a month
Wyeth Studio (2nd floor studio)
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for $150 a month
Tuesdays and Thursdays for $100 a month
NC Studio (3rd floor studio): $200 a month and open to one artist
Studio Rental Income | Commission from Art Sales | Supply Costs | |
2023 | $7,195.00 | ||
2024 | $1,450.00 | ||
Total | $8,645.00 | $1,170.00 | -$2,856.00 |
Net Profit: $6,959.00
Why did it end: After one of the Studio Artists raised issues about ADA accessibility, ventilation, and possible mold issues in the home (unverified), Chadds Ford Township discontinued the Artist Studios at Painter's Folly program in 2024. Chadds Ford Township publicly cites the program discontinuation due to ADA accessibility concerns.
Chadds Ford Township also experienced significant turnover in the township manager position and underwent another turnover during the artist studio program. All marketing activities ceased in December 2023 due to the management turnover. Since the purchase of Painter's Folly in 2018, Chadds Ford Township has had five township managers.
Further Reading: