The 27th Annual Wyck-Strickland Award Honors Executive Director Paul B. Redman

Press Release

Philadelphia, PA — The 27th Annual Wyck-Strickland Award Dinner will honor Paul B. Redman, Executive Director of Longwood Gardens, on Wednesday, October 29, at the Chemical Heritage Foundation, 315 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, beginning at 6:00 p.m.

Established more than a quarter-century ago, the Wyck-Strickland Award is the annual benefit event for Wyck, a National Historic Landmark house, garden, and farm in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. The award is inspired by the balance of tradition and innovation created at Wyck when renowned architect William Strickland redesigned the interior in 1824 for his friends, then-residents Jane and Reuben Haines. The award honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the cultural life of Philadelphia through work that balances a drive for progress and modernity with a sensitivity to the past. This honor has evolved over the years to include architects, landscape architects, engineers, urban planners, historians, museum curators, and librarians. All share a love of Philadelphia and its rich history and cultural life.

Paul B. Redman is being honored with this year’s award for his superb leadership of Longwood Gardens, one of the great display gardens of the world. Since assuming the role in 2006, Paul has put this venerable institution — the living legacy of industrialist Pierre S. du Pont — on a course for success and growth in the twenty-first century.

At the forefront of Longwood’s modernization is a commitment to preservation, best exemplified in two current projects: the Main Fountain Garden revitalization and the expanded Meadow Garden. “New Heights: The Fountain Revitalization Project” encompasses a complete restoration and enhancement of Longwood’s historic and renowned Main Fountain Garden, built in 1931. The Meadow Garden, which debuted in June 2014, engages guests with the story of the local landscape’s evolution since the 1700s. Creative collaboration and innovation are also propelling the organization forward.

Longwood is grooming the next generation of horticulture leaders through, research, education programs and partnerships with institutions from Philadelphia to Asia. Through experimentation in programming and an institutional commitment to delivering extraordinary guest service, Longwood is now welcoming more than one million visitors annually.

Award Chair Jane G. Pepper, former president of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society will present the award, followed by a presentation by Redman. Mary Ann Case and Diane Newbury are the Dinner Co-Chairs. Tickets for this event including cocktail reception, award presentation, and dinner may be purchased by contacting Kristin Hagar at 215-848-1690 or khagar@wyck.org (limited availability).

About Longwood Gardens
In 1906, industrialist Pierre du Pont (1870-1954) purchased a small farm near Kennett Square, PA, to save a collection of historic trees from being sold for lumber. Today, Longwood Gardens is one of the world’s great horticultural displays, encompassing 1,077 acres of dazzling gardens, woodlands, meadows, fountains, 10,010-pipe Aeolian organ and 4.5-acre conservatory. Longwood continues the mission set forth by Mr. du Pont to inspire people through excellence in garden design, horticulture, education and the performing arts. Longwood Gardens is on US Route 1 near Kennett Square, PA. For more information, visit longwoodgardens.org.

About Wyck Historic House, Garden, and Farm
Wyck served as the ancestral home of the Wistar-Haines family from 1690 to 1973. Open to the public since 1974, Wyck features buildings, landscape, and collections that reflect every period of American history since pre-colonial times. The 2.5-acre site consists of a colonial house; the oldest rose garden in American still in its original plan; and a collection of 10,000+ furniture pieces, historical artifacts, and accumulated curiosities. At Wyck today, we are not only preserving this 324-year-old site and its extraordinary collections; we are working to maximize the role it can play in the health and life of our contemporary community. Wyck’s multifunctional Home Farm grows food for an on-site farmers market and provides an experiential outdoor classroom for local children and adults. Our free Behind the Fence community festivals feature an assortment of activities in the areas of history, horticulture, and urban agriculture and help our neighbors and visitors to connect historical and modern-day ideas of place, food, family, collecting, nature, and sustainable living. And the Wyck Rose Garden, one of Philadelphia’s best-kept secrets, comes alive each spring with over 50 types of antique roses and opportunities for community members to learn more about this local treasure free of charge. For more information, visit Wyck.org or call 215-848-1690.