Hearing the Brush: The Painting and Poetry of Warren and Jane Rohrer

Hearing the Brush explores the relationship of art and poetry in the works of Warren and Jane Rohrer. Husband and wife inspired each other with words and visual forms. Born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Warren Rohrer (1927–1995) was one of Philadelphia’s leading abstract painters. His work is rooted in a deep sense of place and texture, whether the rolling hills of central Pennsylvania or the woods of the Wissahickon. Jane Rohrer (born 1928) grew up in Virginia. Her poetry is known for its observational qualities, a sense of sound, and a deeply felt emotional core. Her work has been published in the American Poetry Review, Parallels: Artists/Poets, and elsewhere.

Our more intimate presentation at Woodmere was organized in conversation with Penn State professors Julia Spicher Kasdorf and Christopher Reed as a companion to Field Language: The Painting and Poetry of Warren and Jane Rohrer, organized by Penn State's Palmer Museum of Art in State College.

A catalogue featuring essays by artists, poets, and historians as well as pairings of paintings and poems will be available for purchase in Woodmere Art Museum’s store.

Language and Land is a video created to accompany exhibitions at Woodmere Art Museum and Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State, highlighting the painting and poetry of Jane and Warren Rohrer. Click the thumbnail image on the right to view the video, or click here.

Exhibition-related events

April 9 | 1 - 3 pm | Opening Reception

April 29 | 1 pm | The New Social Environment: Warren Rohrer (Virtual) | Click here to watch the recorded event. 

May 4 | 7 pm | Poets and Painters: Collaboration and Competition in Twentieth-Century Literature and Art (Virtual) | Click here to watch the recorded event.

May 11 | 7 pm | The Verbal Art of Jane Rohrer (Virtual) |  Click here to watch the recorded event.

The exhibition has been featured in the latest episode of Woodmere's podcast, Diving Board. To subscribe and listen, click here.