Wilmington Artist's "Bridge to Success" Unveiled with 8th Avenue Collective Group

This post courtesy of guest blogger, Jasmine Brown, Jasmine is the owner of 8th Avenue Collective Group, a creative agency based in Wilmington. 

Haneef Salaam is a rapper from Southbridge in Wilmington. His music is uplifting and motivating, which makes anyone be able to relate to it. We suggest playing his debut album Bridge To Success first thing in the morning while getting ready for the day. It will certainly change your perspective. 

On Thursday, June 15, the room at ArtzScape was filled with Haneef’s family, friends and supporters. People from all walks of life came to check out Haneef Salaam and his inspiring music. Light refreshments were served to guests as they sat and listened to Haneef’s curated selections from his album. The night was broken up by two intermissions, raffles and interviews. Overall, it was a relaxing event with people networking, mixing and mingling over great food and even better music.

“Stop acting and reacting in chaos.”

            --- Haneef Salaam

“If you keep doing what you always did, then you’re going to keep getting what you always got.”

            --- Haneef Salaam

8^th Avenue Collective Group is a creative agency that helps artists, makers and doers create and share in their communities. They provide a digital and physical platform for creatives to network and broaden their horizons in order to reach goals and maximize potential. Its next event is Paint & Chill on Friday, June 30, 2017, at 5:00pm. It will be a relaxed evening of painting. No instructor, so guests can paint what they wish as they listen to music and enjoy light refreshments. Location is Artist Ave Station, 800 N. Tatnall Street, Wilmington, DE 19801.

(Art) Looping it Up in Wilmo with the Good Girls

By Guest Bloggers the Good Girls — Brenda Joy and Brynn Lee
Brenda is the Executive Director of Friends of Wilmington Parks and enjoys all things outdoors, too much food and Wilmington's diverse and plentiful arts offerings. Brynn is a 3rd Grader in a Spanish-English immersion program and enjoys arts, crafts and cereal.

Artist Kevin Niemi at the Baby Grand Gallery

The Grand Opera House was our starting point, where we viewed Half & Half, a collection of vintage fashion photography and infrared landscapes by Beth Trepper.  Down the hall in the Baby Grand Gallery, we met Kevin Niemi and took in his serene abstracts (photo at right).

Jerry’s Artarama had a mosaic art showing from members of Creative Vision Factory and other contributors.  We spied a flyer pointing us to a tile carving activity at Creative Vision Factory so we headed over and Michael Kalmbach gave us some simple instructions and set us loose to create our own unique art pieces!  The tiles we carved will be fired and installed in a quilt-like mural at Stubbs Elementary School.

Nicholas Irving's
Tree of Decision

Christina Cultural Arts Center did not disappoint with its powerful display of Nicholas Irving’s tree women (photo at left), which we enjoyed to the music and dance taking place in the adjacent, visible (and audible) studio.

In celebration of Women’s History Month, Chris White Gallery offered a two-floor exhibit A Young Woman’s Exploration in Art, the photographic works of the young women of Serviam Girls Academy. LOMA Coffee had live music and showcased the renderings of Jessica Foraker of Open Spaces Artworks, including a piece painted using a credit card.

Brynn getting a "cat-icature" from
artist Malaki Rhoades

LaFate Gallery had a diverse Women’s History Month art show comprised of the works of five women, and 8-year-old Brynn enjoyed having a car — errr — cat-icature personally created for her on the spot by young artist Malaki Rhoades! (photo at right).

2^nd & LOMA, always a buzzing space, featured Denise’s bright acrylic paintings.  

NextFab's 3D print creations

ArtzScape spotlighted the Face to Face exhibit by Zathray Burton.  We ended the evening at The Delaware Contemporary, where we saw the Wilmington IN the Best Light photo contest-winning photography of Brendan Mulrooney. Some 'Loopers tried their hands in a participatory knitting activity and we were mesmerized by NEXTFAB’s 3-D printer working away on a vase while we fancied finished creations (photo at left). The evening highlighted opening receptions for Marilyn Holsing and Laure Drogoul in the Delaware Contemporary's galleries, and it’s always a treat to be able to visit the open artists' studios upstairs!

The chilly winds couldn’t keep us away — we’ve enjoyed countless art loops in all seasons since Brynn was a toddler and are looking forward to Wilmington's next Art on The Town on Friday, April 7!