Museum Day at the DCCA

The DCCA was up, running and full of small children and their families on the second annual open house day for the Brandywine Museums and Gardens Alliance. The children’s comments inspired me as I stood in the Hatch Gallery looking at a joint exhibit by two DCCA studio artists called Fields of Glory/Arenas of Conflict.

Ken Mabrey is a modern impressionist. His oil on linen Till the cows come home captures the light of strong sun – the brightest light that flows through the large farmhouse and makes the dust motes dance. That same sun hits the red roof – glinting just like the real thing. In the corner is the Delaware flag. He includes the state butterfly, the state bird, the state flower and even the state bug. A biplane flies overhead, showing that Delaware once had a big airfield. Mabrey tries to fit the world into his paintings, just as he feels the world invading Delaware.

Greg Barkley’s paintings contrast Mabrey’s. Mabrey uses muted pastel, Barkley wields harsh reds and black.. The painting that wouldn’t let me go was He couldn’t stand on two feet while he lectured about morality. He inserts so many symbols: roosters, Barbie doll girls, snarling dogs. Eerie.

But there was so much more to see! Andrew Wapinski, another DCCA studio artist, was given a solo show of his Wasteland - gold works covered with shiny epoxy – a big stylistic change from the weather-driven pastels in his last show there.

There are five more exhibits in the downstairs galleries. Particularly interesting is an exhibit of sculptured steel and stone: Journey through Time by Hong-Wen Lin. The exhibit’s presence is due to a coordinated effort with the Council for Cultural Affairs of Taiwan and the Taipei Cultural Center of New York.

See http://www.thedcca.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/.

Jazzing up the Vespers for MLK

Stomping and clapping, we all enjoyed the music together at The Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew (SsAM) during the celebration for the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. A full church in downtown Wilmington on a rainy, cold Sunday is quite a feat. In addition to the singer, Tiffany Jones, the keyboard player, Jeffrey Knoettner, the drummer, Harry “Butch” Reed and Micah Jones, Bassist, the church’s adult choir and organist/music director, David Christopher, performed. The Reverend Rod Welles opened the evening with the beautiful, powerful words of Dr. King: “When life itself offers on order and meaning, the musician creates an order and meaning from the sounds of the earth which flow from his instrument.”

For a moment, I forgot I was in church. Though we sang the traditional Episcopalian Psalm and intoned chant, with the Bishop of the Diocese of Delaware Wayne Wright sitting nearby, the musicians transported us with their solos and improvisation. Tiffany Jones’ sultry voice was perfect for “Feeling Good”. Her fresh interpretation was a welcome change from the Nina Simone’s doctored-up, almost masculine version of the song.

Keyboardist Jeffrey Knoettner rocked the house in Joe Zawinul’s “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy.” This purely instrumental piece gave him, Harry Reed and Micah Jones a chance to show off their virtuosity and tight ensemble. The Adult Choir seemed to enjoy every moment of the performance, participating with nods and head-bobs, even while they weren’t singing. Reverend Welles invited the audience to join in singing “We Shall Overcome” and spontaneously hands reached out from every direction in the church, to form a giant connecting bond.

It was a fitting tribute for Dr. King---the kind of event you felt he spoke of and envisioned---bringing all people together in celebration and honor.

See http://www.ssam.org/.