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Artists want to live and work in areas that inspire them, and in Bucks County
the main source of inspiration has always been the region's picturesque
pastures, streams, quarries, farmhouses, and colonial villages. But there
were other reasons why visual artists came here. Many appreciated the
convenient location, close to New York City and Philadelphia. Some followed in
the footsteps of respected teachers and friends. Others were drawn to the
atmosphere of tolerance that is rooted in the county's Quaker tradition.
While Bucks County was home to a number of important artists early in the
19th century, the real story began in 1898 when two nationally-known
landscape painters arrived here: Edward W. Redfield and William L. Lathrop.
Their presence started to attract other artists, and within a few years an
art colony began to form along the banks of the Delaware River, centered in
New Hope. Like Redfield and Lathrop, many of these artists had prominent
careers and they came to be known for a style of landscape painting called
Pennsylvania Impressionism.
Visual artists paved the way and the writers followed. Celebrities of their
day, Pearl S. Buck, Dorothy Parker, George S. Kaufman, Moss Hart, Oscar
Hammerstein and S. J. Perelman, among others, all bought homes in Bucks
County and brought glamour and notoriety with them. Two theaters opened along
the Delaware River and soon the best-known names of Broadway could be found
here rehearsing for previews of shows that would later open in New York City.
This "golden age" of the arts has left a mark on the Bucks County region that
remains, even today, a magnet for creative people of all professions and for
those who want to be inspired by the rich cultural heritage of this beautiful
place.
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