John N. Wenrich (January 29, 1917 in Mohnton, Berks County, Pennsylvania – April 21, 2011 in

Wyomissing Wyomissing is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The borough was established on July 2, 1906. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,114, compared to 10,461 at the 2010 census. The growth was significantly larger betwe ...

) was a 20th-century American artist of the "

Pennsylvania Impressionism Pennsylvania Impressionism was an American Impressionist movement of the first half of the 20th century that was centered in and around Bucks County, Pennsylvania, particularly the town of New Hope. The movement is sometimes referred to as the ...

" style. Wenrich graduated from the Mohnton High School in 1934 and was a

magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some So ...

graduate from

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown University of Pennsylvania (Kutztown University or KU) is a public university in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher ...

in 1939, with a degree in

Art Education Visual arts education is the area of learning that is based upon the kind of art that one can see, visual arts—drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, and design in jewelry, pottery, weaving, fabrics, etc. and design applied to more practic ...

. He began his career as a public school

art teacher Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of what ...

in the

Pottsgrove School District Pottsgrove School District is a school district headquartered in Lower Pottsgrove Township, Pennsylvania, United States.Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Montgomery County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the third-most populous county in Pennsylvania and the 73rd-most populous county in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the county was 856,55 ...

and worked on a master's degree at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

in New York. Wenrich then assumed supervision of art education in the Mohnton schools. His teaching career was interrupted by service in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

from 1943 to 1945. Returning from the war as a first lieutenant, Wenrich worked briefly for the Kresge Company and then became director of advertising and marketing services for the Glen-Gery Corporation of

Reading, Pennsylvania Reading ( ; Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Reddin'') is a city in and the county seat of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city had a population of 95,112 as of the 2020 census and is the fourth-largest city in Pennsylvania after Philade ...

. Wenrich continued his education and work in

oil painting Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments with a medium of drying oil as the binder. It has been the most common technique for artistic painting on wood panel or canvas for several centuries, spreading from Europe to the rest of ...

, studying at the

Art Students League of New York The Art Students League of New York is an art school at 215 West 57th Street in Manhattan, New York City, New York. The League has historically been known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists. Although artists may stu ...

with John Howard Sanden and others. He also made several trips to

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

to study at the Southwest Art School. He graduated from the Portrait Institute of America. After retiring from the corporate world in 1982, he returned to

landscape painting Landscape painting, also known as landscape art, is the depiction of natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, trees, rivers, and forests, especially where the main subject is a wide view—with its elements arranged into a coherent compos ...

, his first love. Wenrich's work continued to focus on painting impressionistic landscapes in oils of rural

Berks County, Pennsylvania Berks County ( Pennsylvania German: ''Barricks Kaundi'') is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 428,849. The county seat is Reading. The Schuylkill River, a tributary of the Delaware Ri ...

farms, hills and fields. His work is known for bright but natural colors, dramatic skies, and layered perspectives. He is considered in the style of the Pennsylvania Impressionist movement, associated with such artists as

Walter Baum Walter Baum (23 May 1921 – 8 March 2007) was a German type designer, graphic artist and teacher. Baum trained as a typesetter from 1935 to 1939. He resumed his studies after World War II before becoming head of the graphics studio at the ...

, Arthur Meltzer, and Edward Willis, and centered in neighboring

Bucks County, Pennsylvania Bucks County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 646,538, making it the fourth-most populous county in Pennsylvania. Its county seat is Doylestown. The county is named after the Englis ...

, and in particular, the small town of

New Hope, Pennsylvania New Hope is a borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The population was 2,612 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. New Hope is located approximately north of Philadelphia, and lies on the west bank of the Delaw ...

. A

retrospective A retrospective (from Latin ''retrospectare'', "look back"), generally, is a look back at events that took place, or works that were produced, in the past. As a noun, ''retrospective'' has specific meanings in medicine, software development, popu ...

of Wenrich's work sponsored by the

Pennsylvania Council on the Arts The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) is an agency serving the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Its mission is to strengthen the cultural, educational, and economic vitality of Pennsylvania's communities through the arts. This mission is paired wit ...

, and featuring nearly sixty of his oil paintings, was held from September 10 – October 10, 2010 at the Yocum Institute for Arts Education in

Wyomissing, Pennsylvania Wyomissing is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The borough was established on July 2, 1906. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,114, compared to 10,461 at the 2010 census. The growth was significantly larger betwe ...

(Press release of the Yocum Institute for Arts Education, September 10, 2010). He maintained his membership in the American Portrait Society, as well as in the local Berks County Art Alliance, until his death. According to his obituary in the

Reading Eagle The ''Reading Eagle'' is the major daily newspaper in Reading, Pennsylvania. A family-owned newspaper until the spring of 2019, its reported circulation is 37,000 (daily) and 50,000 (Sundays). It serves the Reading and Berks County region of Pe ...

, Wenrich died in his residence in Wyomissing on April 21, 2011 (Reading Eagle, April 22, 2011, page B6).

References

* "Paintings elucidate beauty of nature," (Reading Eagle, September 16, 2010, page E10). * Website of the Yocum Institute for Arts Education (www.institute-of-arts.org) * Press release of the Yocum Institute of Arts Education (September 10, 2010) * "John N. Wenrich" (Reading Eagle, April 22, 2011, page B6). {{DEFAULTSORT:Wenrich, John N. 1917 births American artists 2011 deaths People from Berks County, Pennsylvania Kutztown University of Pennsylvania alumni Columbia University alumni American military personnel of World War II