Explore the carefully crafted creative spaces of some of America’s greatest artists in the Guide to Historic Artists’ Homes and Studios, which comes out today! The catalogue transports readers to the 44 sites of the Historic Artists’ Homes and Studios (HAHS) network, part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. With portraits, artwork, and site photos, the guide provides readers with a deeper understanding of—and appreciation for—the environments in which artists’ created their masterpieces.

The HAHS program was created twenty years ago in 1999, with support from the Henry Luce Foundation’s American Art Program. The publication is authored by HAHS Program Manager, Valarie Balint.

What books have you chosen for quarantine reading? I would not have thought first of a travel guidebook. But a new one that arrived in the mail last week carried me across the U.S. on a tour so absorbing, I hardly noticed that the trip was made entirely by armchair.

Valerie A. Balint’s “Guide to Historic Artists’ Homes & Studios” is the perfect book for art lovers dreaming of a post-pandemic journey across time and geography. In 44 succinct essays, generally four to six pages each, Balint informs our knowledge of some of the great American artists of the past two centuries, plus a few pleasant surprises.

Sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and funded by the scholarly Henry Luce Foundation, the guide has the credentials of a serious American art history survey. Its smart image choices, excellent reproductions and lively writing make it much more.

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