The Wharton Esherick Museum (WEM) in Chester County, Pa., is pleased to announce the opening of One Object, Many Stories: Eshericks Music Stand, on view in the museums visitor center beginning Thursday, March 2, and running until May 14. Each object in the collection of the Wharton Esherick Museum, from major pieces of sculpture and furniture to the unassuming ephemera hidden in drawers and cabinets, holds within it myriad stories. One Object, Many Stories offers a deep dive into one of Eshericks most well known sculptural furniture forms: the music stand. Esherick created the music stand for Rose Rubinson, who, along with her husband, Nathan (Nat), was one of Eshericks most significant patrons in the 1950s and 1960s. Their friendship is just one of the narratives explored in One Object, Many Stories. Others include Eshericks stylistic language, influences, process, and context at mid-century; how the music stand became the impetus for new designs for Esherick; and the use of this object in several exhibitions, both domestic and international, that would define Eshericks career and legacy. Complimenting the display of Eshericks prototype music stand is a selection of archival materials and sketches. As important patrons whose friendship with Esherick lasted for three decades, the Rubinsons feature heavily among the stories explored. One sketch by Esherick captures the closeness of their relationship, a quick and colorful cartoon of Rose asleep at her cello beside the music stand, the three legs of which are braced by a triangular shelf holding a drink, with a note, This will never happen if the lower shelf is properly used. Esherick insisted the music stand shelf was not to hold Roses musical paraphernalia, but for a little snifter in case you feel faint during a performance. Geoffrey Berwind, grandson of Nat and Rose and a member of the museums board of directors, is also featured among the music stands many stories. The prototype music stand is on view in One Object, Many Stories through the generosity of Berwind, who sees WEM as the works natural home, and its return as a homecoming to the site where it was made. We are not only thrilled to have the opportunity to share this wonderful work with our visitors, said WEM Director of Curatorial Affairs and Strategic Partnerships Emily Zilber, but also to honor the continued involvement of the Rubinson/Berwind Family in preserving and celebrating Eshericks legacy since the museums founding in 1972. The Wharton Esherick Museum (WEM) is the home and studio of Wharton Esherick (1887-1970), an artistic polymath and foundational figure in 20th-century contemporary craft and American Modern design. Wharton Esherick is widely credited as the founder of the Studio Furniture Movement and was present at many of the landmark events which shaped the field of contemporary craft on an international level. Esherick worked primarily in wood and extended his unique forms to furniture, furnishings, interiors, buildings, and more. His motto, If it isnt fun, it isnt worth doing, is evident in the joyful expression of his work. A National Historic Landmark for Architecture, his hilltop studio/residence has been preserved much as it was when the artist lived and worked there. The museum is located at 1520 Horse Shoe Trail, Malvern, Pa. To learn more, visit www.whartonesherickmuseum.org.