A Fresh Look at Howard Pyle at DAM

The Buccaneer Was a
Picturesque Fellow, 1905

Though it may be hard to believe for those of us who've grown up visiting the Delaware Art Museum, Howard Pyle isn't a Rembrandt-level superstar outside of the Delaware Valley. Pyle may no longer be a household name to the rest of the world, but his impact on modern culture extends far beyond the walls of 2301 Kentmere Parkway.

Take pirates, for example -- few images are as iconic in this century as the Pirates of the Carribean-style swashbucklers. The image we have of the pirates of legend doesn't come from actual-time paintings or photographs; real pirates simply weren't captured that way. It was Pyle who created the image (which directly influenced the style of Disney's Captain Jack Sparrow), using research from old books mixed with his own vision based on the text he was illustrating.

This method of taking existing material and turning it into something decidedly his own is at the heart of Howard Pyle: American Masters Rediscovered, the new special exhibition celebrating both the upcoming 100th Anniversary of the Delaware Art Museum and the centenary of Pyle's death.

Away they rode with clashing hoofs
and ringing armor, 1888

If you've spent a lot of time at the Art Museum, you're probably intimately familiar with the paintings in the Pyle collection (I have a "Flying Dutchman" magnet on my refrigerator -- doesn't everyone?). If you think you've seen it all, you may be right -- but you haven't seen it like this. Rediscovered shows Pyle's work in a new way, interspersed with pieces by his contemporaries such as Thomas Eakins, Jean-Leon Gérôme and Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier, from whom he took inspiration to create his varying illustrative styles that captured the Middle Ages, Fairy Tales and Fantasy, and historical America. The guest pieces are displayed on gold panels to to set them apart from Pyle's work. Don't skip the descriptions next each painting, especially if you think you know everything about the work -- you don't.

 Howard Pyle: American Masters Rediscovered runs from November 12 to March 4, 2012. Also be sure to tour the newly-redesigned illustration galleries -- with much of the Pyle collection relocated for the retrospective, rarely-seen pieces from the museum's collection are on display.

Art & Civil Unions: A Terrific Marriage

To celebrate the January 1 implementation of Delaware’s same sex civil union law, engaged lesbian, gay and transgender couples are invited to take part in ONE LOVE on Saturday, January 7, 2012, at 7:00pm at the Delaware Art Museum.  ONE LOVE is a series of activities that culminates in a collective same sex civil union ceremony. As part of ONE LOVE, the guests of each couple will be able to share in the joy of not just one, but multiple, unions.

Says event co-organizer Nikki Brennan of Lovely Girls Events, “Many LGBT couples and their loved ones have waited years to enjoy a ceremony in Delaware, and they shouldn’t have to wait one more day…nor settle for a courthouse ceremony. For those anxious to wed, I wanted it to be soon, and I wanted it to be fabulous!”

The Delaware Art Museum was delighted to help make this event a reality. “Our stunning galleries and spaces are perfect settings for a wedding. We’re thrilled that ONE LOVE will highlight the creative ways that the Museum can make any big day special,” Says Molly Keresztury, Manager of Marketing & Public Relations at the Museum.

To take part in the ONE LOVE Group Civil Union Ceremony, couples must: RSVP by December 1; acquire a Delaware Civil Union license between January 2 and January 6; and show proof of licensing upon arrival.  Nondenominational officiants and staging areas are provided for each ceremony, as well as music, décor, hors d’oeuvres, and cake.  Couples are encouraged to bring items such as prewritten vows, unity candles, ring pillows, cake cutters, and bouquets or boutonnieres for a personal touch.

A complimentary group toast will take place, and a cash bar will be available. Guests will enjoy passed hors d’oeuvres and a DJ.  BG Productions will photograph the event, and the Wilmington Photo Booth Co. will also be on site with a photo booth. 

In addition, Brennan and her event partners devised the ONE LOVE Couple Contest to add to the excitement of the collective ceremony.  Among the couples taking part in the group ceremony will be three couples who have entered and won the contest.  This Contest awards three prizes to contestants—one to a gay couple, a lesbian couple, and a transgender couple.  Entrants should describe in 100 words or less, “what makes you laugh, what makes you cry, and what makes you unique as a couple.” Entries can be submitted to onelove@lovelygirlsevents.com by November 3, 2011, at Noon EST.  The email should include the names of the couple, a phone number and email address. Winners will be announced on November 5.  The prize packages include a $400 engagement photo/video session; one grand prize will also provide a complimentary floral order and spa or beauty treatment on the day of the ONE LOVE event.

Prepare to be Deceived & Delighted at DAM

Photos courtesy of Delaware Art Museum

By Mara Goodman, PR Intern, Arts in Media

If you’re in the mood to go out on town, throw on some heels and a blazer, feeling sophisticated enough to have your mind impressed by its own limits, then the Delaware Art Museum’s “Perception/Deception: Illusion in Contemporary Art” exhibit would definitely be the place to go. But, if you’re in the mood to experience “funky” pieces of art, perhaps be perplexed by its meaning—which, let’s face it—is sometimes is a headspace we frequent, then you should definitely check out the DAM’s exhibit as well.

This exploration of contemporary art features four artists, Chul-Hyun Ahn, Larry Kagan, Robert Lazzarini, and Mary Temple, all of whose artwork creates three simultaneous responses. The first, confusion about how these pieces of art could possibly be created; the second, what they mean to creator and viewer; and the third, where does one stand when looking at each? Don’t expect to passively examine a painting in this exhibit; these pieces of art are not just 3-D, but involve a dimension of participation on the viewer’s part.

But don’t let participation scare you off: you don’t have to be a lover of art to enjoy and understand this exhibit. Lary Kagan’s work was by far my favorite, as its unique sculptures create shadows through a meticulous combination of steel welding and lighting. At its core, each piece is a collection of steel shapes, which, when examined unaccompanied appears to be a labyrinth of triangles and circles, but when partnered by the perfect lighting set-up and positioning, transforms into a wonderful image of shadows outlined on the wall. You’ll be surprised to find that it is not painted, as I initially assumed.

In particular, check out the collection of mosquitoes—two dead ones, and one alive, featured at the far wall of the exhibit. Never before have I been so interested in the structure, shape, and—surprisingly enough—the beauty of a mosquito. Normally I am too quick to kill the bugger before it bites me to look at the form of its body, but I found myself staring at these pieces for minutes on end trying to piece together the way each shape in the steel reflects the wing or the eye of the bug. Math, in every significance of the word, is really morphed into art in this exhibit. I never thought I would see the day that the math I learned in school was actually applied to something of such beautiful substance.

And the surprises don’t stop there. Especially if you check out Chul-Hyun Ahn’s work, which really challenge the idea that art is flat. These innovative creations are pretty indescribable, but they present, somehow, someway…infinity. If you never thought you could understand what infinity looks like, try peering into the doorway of one of these works. These pieces begin before your eyes and seem to never end, dissolving into a complete illusion of eternity.

Also be sure to keep an eye out for Mary Temple’s works. You may be confused to see on display only one of her sculptures, but don’t be deceived: the rest are hidden throughout the galleries. Her paintings feature the environment and the way that nature is reflected on our windows and walls; as faint shadows of the outside world. Her skill is irrefutably impressive, and fun to find.

But don’t let the thought of “modern art” frighten you. The stereotype is completely disregarded here—all these artists are both innovative and extremely talented. And if you feel like you need a little “classic” artwork afterwards, the museum is filled with plenty of fantastic Wyeths and Howard Pyles to balance out your visit. But as Danielle Rice, the director of the museum, described at the opening, there really is a high “wow” factor to these pieces—it is nearly impossible to understand how they are made and become what that they are. You can’t help but feel wowed. So, next time you feel sophisticated or ready to experience something new and different, make your way over to Rockford Park and prepare to be amazed!

See http://www.delart.org/exhibitions/current/index.html,

Can newspaper photography be art?

A resounding yes if Fred Comegys is holding the camera! Although he protests that he has never thought of it as art, Mr. Comegys’ photographs reveal that he is always looking for the different angle, the grittiness, the photographic statement.


And brava to Executive Director Danielle Rice for deciding to keep to her ‘let’s get local’ theme. The crowd at the opening of the exhibit was very large and many of them were young people who had never been to the Delaware Art Museum before. They filed politely through the very small gallery where curator Heather Coyle Campbell had hung what she had feared would be a very small number of photographs – but finally on Monday, February 4, she received the last of 65 pictures from Mr. Comegys.


At the opening Comegys noted that photojournalists go from one appointment to the next – Wilmington in the morning, Middletown at noon and then some. The mission is speed. The mission is to report. And, as he pointed out with some contrition, the mission is often to catch people when they are not at their best.


Mr. Comegys’ work can even catch people at their worst. His photo of The Rolling Stones at a concert gives Jagger a mean and threatening look – and his several photos of Ku Klux Klan meetings put the spotlight on individual Klansmen with disturbing clarity – one of which is labeled Rev. Dorsett preaching at a Ku Klux Klan Rally, Bear, Delaware, 1965. This is a disturbing photograph.


Yet Comegys can also paint people at their best. Ted Kennedy standing among the nuns and teachers of St. Mark’s High School looks like an angel come to earth. Did you mean that, Fred, or did it just happen?


See www.comegys.com
See www.delart.org
See www.delawareonline.com


Photos: Top, left to right: 1. U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy at St. Mark's High School, Wilmington, 1972. 2. Spiderman in the net, St. Georges Bridge, St. Georges, DE October 1971.
3. Sister Mary Francis tosses a football during recreation period, The Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary, Wilmington, Delaware May 1984. Bottom right: Port Deposit, Maryland Flood, June 26, 1972.

A Toast to the Fallen Woman

Danielle Rice, executive director of the Delaware Art Museum, hosted a delightful open discussion about fallen women of the Nineteenth Century and asked the audience why the theme permeated literature, music and art of the time. She started the ball rolling by showing slides of art depicting fallen women. Her first example was William Holdman Hunt’s The awakening conscience since it had been completed in the same year as Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata (the fallen woman). Her partner in leading the discussion was Lee Kimball, general and artistic director of Opera Delaware, who will present La Traviata at the Grand Opera House on November 7, 12 and 13. The two are friends, which made the lively discussion even more fun. Mr. Kimball bravely pointed out that usually it is the fallen woman who gets killed or arrested or punished, while the fallen man tends to walk away with only a few regrets.

After the discussion, the crowd mingled and enjoyed delicious hors d’oeuvres and drinks which they brought to the entrance hall of the museum, where the grand piano was waiting for Jeffrey Miller, chorus master and associate music director of Opera Delaware and Colleen Daly, soprano and Alak Kumar, tenor. The two will be singing the lead roles in La Traviata and if this foretaste in which they sang La Brindisi is any indication, the next time we hear those two could be at Lincoln Center.

The intimacy of the setting, the lively discussion and the informal concert made it feel as if we were attending a party at Barone Douphol’s house watching Alfredo flirt with Violetta in front of her rich lover…

Having had the hors d’oeuvre, my appetite has been whetted for the main course. See you at the Grand.

See www.operade.org

Passionate Poets

The National Poetry Month Celebration at the Delaware Art Museum was nothing short of passionate. With readings by four 2010 poetry fellows, including Delaware’s Poet Laureate, a recitation by the 2010 Poetry Out Loud Winner and an exciting open mic, the event was a wonderful opportunity for poets and audience alike. Gail O’Donnell, Director of External Affairs and Special Events (and poet!) reminded us of the Pre-Raphaelites love of poetry.

JoAnn Balingit, Poet Laureate of Delaware, led the event, featuring her poem, C.O.L.B.E.R.T., a witty piece inspired by Colbert’s Space Treadmill. Her weekly column in the News Journal touches on many aspects of poetry, from its healing powers to its childlike qualities.

Alex Cummiskey, winner of the 2010 Poetry Out Loud recited works by Sandburg, Swift and Noyes. His use of dynamics, tempo and facial expression brought life to the words. I rarely wish for young people to pursue an acting career, but I found myself hoping this teen will find his way into a Shakespeare or Oscar Wilde play, so blatant is his talent.

L.J. Sysko’s clever, moving words included Sculpture Garden, a poem inspired by the museum’s very own Crying Giant, by Tom Otterness. Her piece, Ode to Boxtox, is riotously funny: she writes, “Grant me medically assisted paralysis.” Memories from a childhood growing up in Ethiopia and Kenya are a poet’s palate for Abby Millager. Her vision of the wild landscape serves as her muse for Rainless Season, I covet.

Liz Dolan, read her colorful prose, including The New Yorker Glamorizes the Subway and the Holy Grail. Holy Grail gives us a glimpse into her daily experience at White Castle, waiting forever for her first coffee of the day. A retired schoolteacher, Dolan only began writing 7 years ago. She noted, “It’s never too late to start all over again.”

Notable during the open mic were Helen Griffith and Jasmine Lopez. Griffith read a wildly funny poem born from a falling feather. She debated its origins, its destination and her potential arrest resulting from stealing it off the ground. Lopez, a 16-year-old Cab Calloway student, brought down the house with her riveting performance. Hers were words of sorrow and survival, an unabashed glimpse into life with an abusive stepfather.

To paraphrase Balingit: Poetry manages to collect and form language that tells us something about ourselves. It is possible to dislike it and like it at the same time. I loved this fun afternoon and hope for many more such events.

See: http://www.delart.org/prog_events/museum_calendar.html.

Dinotopia is Dinotastic!

Picture at right: The Excursion, from Dinotopia: The World Beneath. James Gurney (born 1958). Oil on board mounted to plywood, 28 x 42 inches. Collection of the artist. © 1995 James Gurney. All rights reserved.

The drawings showed people and dinosaurs living side by side, but of course this was an impossibility…

Not so at the Delaware Art Museum’s newest exhibit, Dinotopia: The Fantastical Art of James Gurney, on view now through May 16.

Gurney’s drawings from his Dinotopia book series tell the tale of explorer Arthur Denison and his son, who stumble upon a world where dinos and humans dwell peacefully together: A stunning, color- and texture-rich depiction of a culturally integrated, socially responsible, incredible utopia. The concept as a whole truly spoke to me, with a powerful message easily translatable in today’s world. Gurney’s stories are equally appealing to children and adults, and feature an artistically and architecturally rich land, varying in ethnic groups (and species) and historical eras---all living in harmony.

Each piece exhibits amazing details in color and shadow; the dinos’ bodies are stippled with texture and striking hues. Gurney’s influence from both the pre-Raphaelites and artist Howard Pyle is strongly evident. Gurney uses many fascinating techniques in his work: Rembrandt’s “dark against light, light against dark”, to draw the eye’s focus and provide three-dimensional depth to his work; and a technique he calls “spokewheeling”, in which he employs the use of lines to direct the viewer’s eye to a particular area of the piece, as in the piece Stormy Sea.

Gurney intended his works to both stand alone and tell the story, and as such, the exhibit includes several intriguing additions, such as a “photograph” of Arthur Denison and his son, as well as a model of their expedition “journal”.

A few of my favorite pieces: Up High, a vivid portrayal of resident children riding on the backs of Brachiosaurs in celebration of their “hatchdays”; Waterfall City, an expansive piece showing the “great learning center” of Dinotopia; and Clean Teeth, a whimsical drawing, highlighting some “everyday activity” in the world of human and dino.

There’s no better reason to head to the Delaware Art Museum with your children, nieces, nephews, or simply solo…This exhibit will make you gasp, smile, giggle and contemplate the implausible: A peaceful coexistence between seemingly improbable worlds.

Gurney will be on hand at the museum on Sunday, February 7, with a lecture at 2pm and a book signing at 4pm. He is also slated to present demonstrations for six regional schools at the museum next week; hopefully, your child’s is on the list!

BONUS: On my way out, I ran into guest curator Judith Schwab, who is putting together the Outlooks exhibit, Women Collared for Work, which will open (hopefully) for this Friday’s Art on the Town. Back from 5 years in Florida, Schwab (who turns 75 this month) has lovingly constructed this exhibit, with folk-art flair and a broad range of media, with a very personal touch. “I wanted to create a show that puts everything in my life together through art,” Schwab noted. And what better way to do that than look to those she admires---her artist friends. “All the women in this show have work that has impacted mine,” she says. Brave the weather and see this exhibit, on view through March 21.

See http://www.delart.org/.

Delaware by Hand

The Delaware Art Museum sponsored the first juried show by Delaware by Hand, an association of artists all over Delaware. The jurors and curators, Dr. Susan Isaacs of Towson University and Dr. Jacqueline Atkins of the Allentown Art Museum picked fifteen works, all of which were beautifully executed and a delight for the winter weary museum visitor.

The exhibit has a catalog. The photograph of the exquisite quilt by Virginia Abrams entitled Reflections 2 gives a one-dimensional impression of water, but seeing the piece in person shows how the watery reflection appears only as you back away.

Although the recent exhibit had a preponderance of New Castle County artists, the association has artists from all over the state. I went to their web site and picked one from each county.

New Castle County: Paula Camenzind. Camendzind’s work over the past decades and see a maturity of concept and development that stops me in my tracks. Her bulbous vase has a moon crater surface out of which a purple glazed neck peaks out as if the work were a natural geode.

Kent County: William Henry Smallwood. Smallwood’s woodwork began when he wanted to make models for his paintings and the models themselves became a passion for him. Pictured is a stark, simple duck.

Sussex County: Barbara Warden. Warden’s brilliant colored fiber quilts are more portraits than cloth. Her designs have wild colors which she melds into coherent design.

Bravi to the staff of the Delaware Art Museum and Dr. Mary F. Holahan for promoting local artists through their Outlooks program.

See http://www.delawarebyhand.org/.
See http://www.delart.org/.

Exposing Artists' Inspiration

Last week, I joined a small group of media folk to preview the Delaware Art Museum's summer exhibit, “Exposed! Revealing Sources in Contemporary Art”. What a treat! It was wonderful to hear the Curator of American Art, Heather Campbell Coyle, talk so enthusiastically about the pieces and the fascinating background information she amassed in her research for the show.

First in our tour was the oldest piece in the exhibit: a 1964 offset lithography piece by Eugene Feldman entitled Friend's Wife (Mrs. JFK). The stark, grainy image grabs you, revisiting the raw emotion in the original Eddie Adams photo of Jackie O at Kennedy's funeral.

As expected (and to my delight), there is a series of large Warhols lining the wall. The seven colorful screenprints of Mao, 1972 come from a 10-piece portfolio. I've been enamored with all things Andy Warhol since I was a teenager (thanks to junior-high art teacher, Mrs. P.), so of course I was thrilled to see these extraordinary works, on loan from a private collection. They’re classic Warhol—irreverent, campy and powerful.

Another piece that struck me was the enormous 60-piece Deluxe by Ellen Gallagher, an African-American artist whose expansive creation features the techniques of collage, laser etching, clay, and crystal embellishment, incorporated into ad pages of Ebony magazines from the 1960s. You could literally spend hours with this piece and not take in every meticulous detail. It is a breathtaking and brilliant commentary on culture, beauty and media imagery.

Coyle’s favorite pieces include the Gallagher and a series by Richard Prince, based on pulp fiction nurse novels from the 1950s and 1960s. She noted that she enjoyed discovering the “backstory” to these artists’ inspirations, how they derived information and images from pop culture, poetry and media, and made it their own. “It adds a richness to the story if you know what the artist started with,” she said.

You can also read Coyle’s blog on the exhibit at http://exposed-exhibition.blogspot.com/.
Don’t miss this exhibit, on view until October 4.

See http://www.delart.org/.

Two “Loopers” Weigh In on August Art

A collaborative review by bloggers Jessica Graae & Margaret Darby.

Jessica:
I began my Loop at the Delaware Art Museum. The overwhelming interest in the program “Illustrating Her World” produced two interest groups, and I happily joined the second for a “pre-tour” of the adjacent Copeland Sculpture Garden and the Labyrinth. There, volunteer Carol Maurer explained the genesis of these peaceful spots, built entirely by volunteers in a former reservoir for Bancroft Mills.

“Illustrating…” follows Ellen Pyle’s development from student to master illustrator. Lisa Smith, her great-granddaughter, gave an informative and heartwarming tour, beginning with a tour of Pyle’s paintings created while studying under Howard Pyle. One can see that Ellen Pyle’s style is reminiscent---if not almost identical---to that of her teacher. Smith described with passion how, after being widowed at age 42 with four children, this determined woman began to paint again and found a niche for herself as an illustrator for the Saturday Evening Post. Amazingly, for this exhibit, Smith was able to interview some of the actual models for Pyle’s illustrations, as well as obtain some original furniture featured in the paintings.

Next on my itinerary was “Un-capped”, a fresh new idea bringing graffiti art to the Loop. I traveled to a forlorn part of town, near the Fort Christina Park, not sure what to expect. Immediately I was greeted by a booming beat from a DJ table inside a fenced area where the artists were painting. Artists were all around: standing on forklifts spraying the hard-to-reach parts of the wall and kneeling to get the low corners. Serafino, one of the muralists, told me he chose to do a portrait of a soldier to honor those in Iraq. Though the mural was a spontaneous creation by many artists from the local hip-hip community, all came together as one unified piece. Freedom, a young woman I talked to, noted that some artists had previously been “in trouble” for creating their work. With “Un-capped”, they were happy to be part of a mainstream city-sponsored event---legal and much appreciated!

Margaret:
If you like blue, visit Graig Morris’ display upstairs at The Exchange on Market. Blue man in Key West shows a black man with graying hair on a bench in front of a hurricane fence on which the words ‘Restricted Area – Authorized Personnel Only’ are handwritten in red ink. The man is wearing a shirt of midnight blue; his face shows the weary wariness of being shut out of the mainstream. Venus is a small Florentine-style portrait of Venus rising from a Bahama-blue ocean. A new work portrays a young Michelangelo on scaffolding under the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

The real party was at Gallery 919. Beth Trepper’s set of three Pre-Raphaelite-style photographs taken in the gardens of Gibraltar captured the essence of works you will recognize from the Delaware Art Museum. She took antique wood frames and created matting with dried flowers in a William Morris wallpaper style.

Trepper has a knack for staging: her self-portrait dancing on the grounds of an Irish Castle makes you want to kick your shoes off and jump into the work to follow the dancer. The addition of a wig made her cousin look like a 1940s lost waif; her portrait of Edward and Patricia was so strikingly happy…I was delighted to meet Patricia herself and find that it was Trepper’s mother.

In Makin’ Bacon, a female pig perches pristinely at a French café table across from glamorous Debbie, dressed in black; the pieces gives off a hip New Yorker fashion issue feel.

Trepper’s friends and family catered, played music and sang a four-part a capella welcome.

While I can’t guarantee that Trepper and her relatives will be there every day, the photographs themselves are well worth a visit.

See http://www.bethtrepper.com/.

Art Looping on Independence Weekend

By Guest Blogger, Jessica Graae

Pulling into Toscana’s parking lot at 5:42, I was lucky to get the last seat on the Art Loop bus. Most of us aboard were new to Wilmington's Art of the Town experience and were happily chatting as our guide/driver, Shawn, wove his way from Trolley Square to downtown Wilmington. He made sure we had plenty of time for exhibit-viewing and that we got to each destination on the Loop. Great job, Shawn!

At Gallery 919 Market, Peter Kaplan’s photography demanded attention with its bold, daring hues. A renegade, Kaplan related how his persistence has paid off, as he gained special access to the Statue of Liberty, becoming the preferred photographer of Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island Foundation. Though many of his photographs are shot from dizzying heights, he is fascinated by detail: April, 1938 is a close-up of The Statue of Liberty’s toe with the date carved in it. Other notable pieces include aerials of the Golden Gate Bridge, for which he was named the official 50th anniversary celebration photographer.

For information on his upcoming book America From Above, see http://www.peterbkaplanstock.com/.

Our bus reached the Delaware Art Museum just in time for us to hear Ne Ne Ali, the eleven-year-old headliner of YouthSpeaks! A brilliant and insightful young poet, Ali stunned the audience with her wisdom, words and grace. Her social commentary included an observation that MTV and BET were “trying to raise her.” Through her dynamic verse, she reminded us that the spoken word is virtuous, can lead to reading and free thinking, and can guide away from negative stereotypes.

For information on Ali and to hear her poetry, see www.myspace.com/neneali. Be sure to visit!

Mining Our Young Poetry "Gems"

By Guest Blogger, JulieAnne Cross

I admire those who are willing to mine that precious element that is youth talent. There is an individual whose work with young people always blows my mind: a gentleman named “iz the truth”, whom I know from activities that “stimulate the minds and expand the dynamics of thinking” for all ages of people who live, work and play in Wilmington. He, along with Fridam Marley, is the force behind YouthSpeaks! The program celebrates the creative spirit of young Wilmington poets and spoken-word artists and organizes events for artists 21 and under.

This Friday, July 3, from 6:00-8:00pm, the Delaware Art Museum hosts 11-year-old Bronx poet Ne Ne Ali, the headlining artist for a YouthSpeaks! event featuring many young Wilmington-area spoken-word artists. Ms. Ali is well-regarded for her passion for the healing power of words and her ability to deliver mind-blowing, standing ovation-garnering performances.

This free event runs concurrent with Art on the Town, so you can take advantage of the Art Museum’s other free offerings, as well as the free Art Loop afterparty, re:Fresh. July’s re:Fresh is hosted by nearby Toscana Kitchen+Bar, and YouthSpeaks! organizers will be on hand to celebrate what I’m sure will be a stupendous success.

http://grandgood.com/2009/02/15/ne-ne-ali-11-year-old-spoken-word-poet-delivers-impromptu-performance-video/

See www.delart.org/prog_events/fam_youth/index.html

The Folk Art of Delaware

The Delaware Art Museum has the perfect exhibit to see before traveling to southern Delaware this summer as many of the crafters are alive and well and ready to show and sell other works. The show was organized in collaboration with the Delaware Folk Art Collection, a program of Delaware State Parks.

Bright reds and daringly asymmetrical patterns stand out in a quilt made by Elaine Bahr and Elaine Bordley of Dover which hangs in the main entryway to the museum. “Bright and Lively” hangs next to a more traditional quilt called “Malia Obama’s pretty ribbons” done by Elaine Bordley alone. The colors reflect the bright fashion worn by the President’s younger daughter at the January inauguration.

Upstairs is a quilt within a quilt by Ann Martin of Dover. She incorporated the quilting used as markers for slaves on the road to freedom through the Underground Railroad into her quilt depicting the slaves approaching a safe house. “Safe House” is more than needlework – it is a commentary on our country’s political and racial history.

The yellow tones of Nina Spencer’s tile with acrylic, “Freedom Town”, provide a dramatic background to multilayered portraits of African Americans.

Jehu F Camper (1897-1989) of Harrington carved entire farm scenes of wood depicting farm life in the early 1900s. One shows sheriffs invading the barnyard and police dogs chasing moon shiners as they dive beneath the barn.

Guest curator Carol Balick has really brought some gems from the Diamond State to the forefront.

Out of the Commonplace: The Folk Art of Delaware runs through August 16.

See www.delart.org.