Jennifer Gilbert Restores 1922 Marion Sims Wyeth Palm Beach Mansion as Art-Filled Home
In 2020, Jennifer Gilbert, a philanthropist, acquired a historic oceanfront mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, originally crafted by Marion Sims Wyeth in 1922. The residence preserved its original characteristics, such as a cathedral ceiling made of wood and arched glass doors. Over a span of four years, Gilbert, in collaboration with Kirchhoff & Associates Architects and Nievera Williams, undertook restoration efforts that included adding a second floor and a side extension in line with historical accuracy. Each room showcases curated artwork from artists like Cecily Brown and Joan Mitchell. Notable design features comprise a sitting room with cypress paneling and a primary bathroom adorned with Calacatta Viola marble. In 2021, Gilbert, a board member of the Cranbrook Academy of Art, initiated the Gilbert Fellows program and is currently developing Lumana, a nonprofit art venue set to debut in 2029.
Key facts
- Jennifer Gilbert bought the 1922 Palm Beach oceanfront mansion in 2020.
- The home was designed by Marion Sims Wyeth, a premier architect of the area's Gilded Age glamour.
- Gilbert worked with Kirchhoff & Associates Architects and Nievera Williams over four years on the restoration.
- The restoration retained original features like neo-Mediterranean barrel-vaulted arcades and added a second floor and side addition.
- Gilbert's collection exceeds 500 pieces and includes works by Cecily Brown, Joan Mitchell, and Njideka Akunyili Crosby.
- She began collecting seriously in 2013 with auction purchases of Kenneth Noland, Joan Mitchell, and Ruth Asawa.
- Gilbert launched the Gilbert Fellows full-scholarship program at Cranbrook Academy of Art in 2021, funded in perpetuity.
- She is building Lumana, a nonprofit art space at Stanton Yards in Detroit, with an inaugural exhibition expected in 2029 featuring Cranbrook.
Entities
Artists
- Jennifer Gilbert
- Marion Sims Wyeth
- Cecily Brown
- Enrico Baj
- Shara Hughes
- Kevin Beasley
- Henry Taylor
- Tschabalala Self
- Joan Mitchell
- Njideka Akunyili Crosby
- John Currin
- Lucio Fontana
- Willem de Kooning
- Lynne Drexler
- Alice Neel
- Ed Clark
- Beverly Fishman
- Anders Ruhwald
- Olga de Amaral
- McArthur Binion
- Chris Schanck
- Zoe McGuire
- Kenneth Noland
- Ruth Asawa
- Akea Brionne
- Tiff Massey
- Helen Frankenthaler
- Barkley L. Hendricks
- François-Xavier Lalanne
- Vittorio Dassi
- Pierre Yovanovitch
- Laura Gonzalez
- Michele Bönan
- Paul Ferrante
- Beth Katleman
- Katie Stout
- George Smith
- Rose Uniacke
- Jim Thompson
- Dan Gilbert
Institutions
- Galerie Magazine
- Pophouse
- Michigan State University
- Kirchhoff & Associates Architects
- Nievera Williams Design
- Cranbrook Academy of Art
- Cranbrook Art Museum
- The Shepherd
- Stanton Yards
- Lumana
- Rocket Mortgage
- Urban Electric Co.
- Stark
- de Gournay
- Bourgeois Boheme Atelier
- Authentic Provence
- Waterworks
- McKinnon and Harris
- Tuuci
- Perennials
Locations
- Palm Beach
- Florida
- United States
- Detroit
- Michigan
- Paris
- France
- Bloomfield Hills
- Atlantic Ocean