With just a month to go until the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), unveils its new show, “Of Light and Air: Winslow Homer in Watercolor,” Belmont’s William Flagg Homer House will be in the spotlight for a related fundraiser.
In 1927 the Belmont Woman’s Club (BWC) saved the 1853 residence of William Flagg Homer, artist Winslow Homer’s uncle, from demolition. The famed painter, who was born in 1836, visited and lived at his uncle’s grand home, where he created several important works. The building is located at 661 Pleasant St. and is now part of the Pleasant Street Historic District.
Sitting atop a hill and offering panoramic views of the town from its cupola, the house is expensive to maintain, even with donations and Community Preservation Act funding, said BWC president Wendy Murphy. Caring for the historic mansion, which was once considered a “summer home,” has been a labor of love for the club and its supporters.
In celebration of the MFA’s upcoming Homer exhibition, the BWC will be holding a fundraiser on Friday, Oct. 17, which Murphy said will be “a transformative moment for us.” She hopes the exhibition will draw attention to the Belmont mansion’s special connection to the renowned artist.
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MFA staff previously visited the home to see firsthand where the famed painter and illustrator lived and created several works, and the exhibition’s curator will be speaking at the fundraiser.
“I am looking forward to returning to the William Flagg Homer House in Belmont to share a preview of our upcoming exhibition on Winslow Homer’s watercolors,” said Christina Michelon, Pamela and Peter Voss Curator of Prints and Drawings at the MFA. “Even though he started working seriously in the medium of watercolor after most of his family moved away from Belmont, we’ve enjoyed thinking about how his early illustration work, inspired by that place and the greater Boston area, later influenced his career as a renowned painter and watercolorist.”
While in Belmont, in 1868, Homer created a drawing of his cousin, “Portrait of Miss Florence Tryon,” with black and white chalk on paper.
“He rarely did portraits,” said Michelon. The ”beautiful drawing” was given to the MFA in the 1930s.
In 1861, during his time as an illustrator for Harper’s Weekly and while living in Belmont, Homer created “Making Havelocks for the Volunteers,” which depicted the women of the Homer House sewing the cap and neck covers for Union soldiers, was featured on the publication’s cover.
At the Oct. 17 fundraiser, Murphy is looking forward to welcoming visitors to the house for a special unveiling of a new portrait of Winslow Homer by artists Warren and Lucia Prosperi. Attendees will also have the opportunity to bid on donated items during a silent auction.
“We’re so excited to focus on art as the feature of the evening,” said Murphy.
As of Sept. 25, the auction items include:
·Tiles from Westcott Mercantile
·A watercolor by Dawn Sealtreto
·Three Homer books
·Pottery by Rachel Nathan
·A watercolor print by Lisa Nelson
·Piano sing-along by Mel Stiller
·Art media lessons by Lex Art
·Painting by Carol Doherty
·Ceramic teapot by Shelly Weinstein
·Mark Zelermyer and Friends band 1-hour performance
·Jewelry by P. Delalla
·Ceramic pot with live cacti and aromatherapy candles in ceramic cups by Dessi Gradinova – Kaliakra LLC
·Painting by Sam Smith
·Stained glass nightlight by Kai
·Swarovski earrings by Henrietta, Mei Mei of Lexington
·Artwork by Julie Carignan
·Mail boxes and parabolic sculptures by Bob Sykes
·Homer House etching by Rick Murphy
·Clark poster
·Portland Museum of Art package: family membership with exhibition catalog and a box of Winslow Homer in Maine notecards
Murphy said “it gives me a lot of hope” that the upcoming exhibition at the MFA will inspire Homer fans to visit the elegant BWC headquarters, which is an integral part of Belmont’s history.
“Of Light and Air: Winslow Homer in Watercolor,” will be on view at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, from Nov. 2, 2025, to Jan. 19, 2026.
To learn more about the Belmont Woman’s Club or to purchase tickets for the Oct. 17, fundraiser and auction, visit https://belmontwomansclub.com/.
