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/.

Wilmington's Got the Blues

There has been an amazing line-up of outdoor entertainment and arts in the city this summer. The Riverfront Blues Festival, an annual three-day event, kicked off on August 7. Headliners Walter Trout and the Radicals, Charlie Musselwhite and Delbert McClinton were the main attractions.

Despite the heat and humidity, the Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park was packed with humanity on Sunday: People sitting in chairs and blankets spread on the grass. Some die-hard fans crowded the stagefront, dancing and enjoying the music up close. A Tribute to Freddie King rocked the Main Stage with their rendition of “Sweet Home Chicago,” while the audience sang along. Their awesome sax and guitar riffs reminded us that the Blues is really the daddy of rock n’ roll.

On the Bandwagon Stage, 61 North gave us a Blues tour around the world, passing through England, Ireland, and the U.S. They played the classic American blues song, “When Things Go Wrong (It Hurts Me Too),” inviting guest musicians to play toward the end of their set.

Delbert McClinton delivered a program ranging from Country-Western to Chicago and New Orleans. His touching ballad “Sending Me Angels” was sweet and lyrical. From his upcoming album Acquired Taste, he sang a rollicking song, “People Just Love to Talk”. His earthy harmonica-playing gives his music the flavor of back porch blues. I watched as people carrying coolers and lawn chairs happily bounced their way out of the park on their way home to the beat of “Have a Little Faith in Me.”

The Brandywiners: Love and Betrayal in Camelot

The Brandywiners, a musical theater company now in its 78^th year, presented “Camelot” on Friday evening, nicely staged by James F. Smith. This grand production, complete with full orchestra and colorful medieval costumes, graced the outdoor stage at Longwood Gardens. The company provides a stage for local amateur and professional thespians, while supporting civic organizations and charities through ticket sale proceeds.

The orchestra, assembled and directed by C. Lawler Rogers, Sr. is stunning. The balance between the accompaniment and the cast is excellent, with each note from the pit precise and in tune. The actors do well with Lerner and Loewe’s bittersweet musical, which is sometimes heavy on the dialogue. The show’s hilarious, yet telling one-liners keep the first act light: Arthur asks Merlin why he has never taught him of love and marriage and Merlin chides, “Don’t scramble them together that way.” The second act becomes dark and brooding: a tale of betrayal and greed. The music, humor and quirky storybook characters keep the show engaging.

Erin Cates plays a sympathetic Guenevere, singing with a clear, sweet tone. Guenevere’s “Before I Gaze at You Again” is one of musical theatre’s gems with its haunting melody and expansive phrases. Kudos to Ted Harding (Arthur) who reprises the role he did with the Brandywiners in 1981. Alexander Bowditch’s (Mordred) cuts through the stage like a knife with his confident and perfectly evil performance. He leads the men’s chorus in “Fie on Goodness”, one of the wittiest numbers in the show. In this number, we catch Broadway at its best and raunchiest, well before the “politically correct” movement made its presence known. One man sings, “When I think of the pleasures that earlier filled my life…Like the time I beheaded a man who was beating his naked wife”.

In addition to its annual summer production, the group also performs concerts of Broadway and American music under the auspices of the Brandywiners Chorale.

See http://www.brandywiners.org/.