Celebrating the Life of a Delaware Arts Pioneer

Fred Carspecken in his gallery.
Photo courtesy of The Hunt magazine.

Delaware arts lovers sadly mourn the passing of Frederick John Carspecken, founder of Delaware’s preeminent art gallery, Carspecken-Scott Gallery. Carspecken died at home on October 14, 2018.

His gallery staff recently sent a message to friends and supporters, saying, in part: 

"It is with great sadness that we bid a final farewell to our fearless leader, Frederick J. Carspecken, 'founder, chairman, president and CEO of Carspecken-Scott Gallery,' as he was notorious for saying in his booming, bombastic voice. He had an outsized, larger-than-life personality and an outrageous sense of humor, one of many endearing qualities that we will sorely miss."

Longtime Carspecken staffer Laurel Christie told us she worked for Fred for over 32 years, and it goes without saying he played a major role in her life. "Fred was a mentor to many and possessed a certain 'joie de vivre' that made him unforgettable," she said. 

In tribute and love for Fred, his staff plans to continue to run Carspecken-Scott Gallery.

Carspecken was born on September 29, 1946, in St. Louis, Missouri to Harold Carspecken and Charlotte Elizabeth, an artist. He had fond memories of going to art museums with his parents, which he credited with inspiring his early interest in art. 

Fred was a graduate of the University of Virginia and served in the US Navy. Following his discharge from the Navy in Pensacola, Florida, he happened into the gallery business. An acquaintance was searching for a gallery manager, and Fred volunteered. After several months, John Schoonover — grandson of noted Brandywine artist, Frank Schoonover — connected with Fred and suggested they start a gallery in Wilmington. Together, they founded Schoonover Galleries in 1970.

Carspecken-Scott Gallery is located at 1707 N. Lincoln Street
in Wilmington's Trolley Square neighborhood.

Carspecken developed a strong love for contemporary art and began plans for his own gallery with that focus. He founded Carspecken-Scott Gallery in 1973. His first exhibition featured pieces by Mary Page Evans, Tania Boucher and Tom Bostelle. Carpsecken was pivtoal in advancing the works of other well-known Delaware artists including Cleveland Morris (former director of the Delaware Theater Company), Peter Sculthorpe, Carolyn Anderson and Carol Spiker, among others.

Carspecken often joked that his vision was to be the 'Guggenheim of Delaware.' Some would argue he succeeded. His gallery was named “Best Gallery” in Delaware Today's Best of Delaware series. 

While Carspecken is may be best known in Delaware’s art community, friends also knew him as an exceptional chef and host with a clever, self-deprecating charm and a wicked sense of humor. Carspecken was also a dedicated member of Westminster Presbyterian Church, serving as an ordained elder, ordained deacon, a Biblical Storyteller and a Stephen Minister.

There will be a celebration of his life on Friday, November 2, 2018, 2:00pm at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1502 W. 13th Street, Wilmington, DE 19806. All are welcome to attend. Contributions in lieu of flowers may be made to Westminster Presbyterian Church.

See www.carspeckenscott.com. 

The Real Delaware Theatre Company

Bud Martin

The Delaware Theatre Company has just hired Bud Martin, the very successful director of Act II Playhouse in Ambler, Pennsylvania to the position of Executive Director. He started his duties on May 1. Mr. Martin inherits a wonderful site with a great deal of goodwill earned by previous prizes and plays and a wonderful education program at the DTC, but he will need our support.

Of course we should be ready to support him by buying tickets for the season he has planned for 2012-2013. The first play starting on October 10 is The Outgoing Tide, a story about a family who plan to deal with illness and their future while vacationing on the Chesapeake Bay. The author, Bruce Graham, is from the Philadelphia area and has won Barrymore awards for best new play twice. A compelling theme, a local playwright and a new director should have us all pull together and fill the house.

Delaware Theatre Company

The next shows will be of a lighter nature, making it even easier to boost ticket sales: Patrick Barlow’s production of A Christmas Carol is a rousing version sure to put the Christmas spirit in us all. Boeing Boeing by Marc Camoletti will also provide comedy for the dreary winter starting January 23. Then the season finishes with My Fair Lady starting on April 17.

Audiences have certainly dwindled for all of the arts in the past few years, and so have the educational programs which introduce our schoolchildren to the arts. DTC’s Charles Conway has been a fearless advocate of taking the theatre to the public – and not just to the fur-coated potential donors. Mr. Conway has won awards for his work with young people with disabilities. The program, Totally Awesome Players, has taken wings since he first designed it. He has also won the 2009 Stevie Wolf Award for New Approaches to Collaboration for his work with the Ferris School for Boys.

Is there a way to help promote these and similar programs in our schools – having kids experience theatre to get a taste of why their teacher makes them read Shakespeare and who they can emulate when they feel the urge to write? Will we provide that solid support that pushed the little firehouse play theatre into the anchor site on the Wilmington Riverfront that has taken root and helped the entire area to flourish?

If we do, then we shall have done what Cleveland Morris had so hoped for when he said of the current site, “Here lies every wonderful opportunity to relish our own city’s colorful past and participate in its even finer future.”

Let’s do it!

See http://delawaretheatre.org/