Delaware News

The Mezzanine Gallery to exhibit “15,000 Dowels” by Gregg Silvis

Delaware Division of the Arts | Department of State | New Castle County | News | Date Posted: Friday, May 3, 2024


Mezz Gallery - Gregg Silvis

 

Wilmington, Del. (May 3, 2024) – The Delaware Division of the Arts’ Mezzanine Gallery presents Gregg Silvis’ exhibition, “15,000 Dowels,” on view from May 3-31, 2024. Guests are invited to attend a Meet-the-Artist Reception on Friday, May 3 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. The title of the exhibition comes from the essential material in this body of work. Dowels are pegs of wood or metal or plastic without a distinct head, used for holding together components of a structure.

Over the course of several years of artistic endeavors, Silvis became enamored of dowels, both wood and metal. Each of the pieces on display in the Mezzanine Gallery incorporates dowels, either as a support mechanism for pieces of stained glass or gilded wooden tiles, or as the artistic element itself. A craftsman’s approach is evident in his work – sharp edges, polished surfaces, precise controlled structures.

Silvis explains the work, “I think of the current state of my work in terms of the phrase “organic precision.” I come from a very long line of farmers on one side of the family and a long line of craftsmen on the other side. I have always been fascinated by nature as well as the fabrication process, with a dash of perfectionism thrown in for good measure.”

Silvis, a 2019 Emerging Fellow in Visual Arts: Sculpture from the Delaware Division of the Arts, has come to his visual arts practice via a peripatetic route “with several twists and turns along the way,” as Silvis mentions, including substantial affiliations with academic institutions. Most recently Silvis retired from a 30-year career as an academic librarian.

However, it was his first career as a classically trained musician that he says influences his artistic sensibilities. Silvis earned graduate and undergraduate degrees in music and performance in Ohio. Then, after college he worked extensively as a professional musician playing the challenging instrument of French horn in several symphony orchestras.

Silvis has been exhibiting his artwork since 2017. In the past three years, Silvis’s work has been selected for several national juried exhibitions. Silvis lives in Newark, Delaware.

The Mezzanine Gallery, open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., is located on the second floor of the Carvel State Office Building, 820 N. French Street, Wilmington.

Images in the banner: “Autumn (detail)” (2023), Dowels, gold, silver, & copper leaf, wood panel, 30” x 60” x 4”

 

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Contact: Andrew Truscott, Program Officer, Marketing and Communications

302-577-8280, andrew.truscott@delaware.gov

The Delaware Division of the Arts, a branch of the Delaware Department of State, is dedicated to cultivating and supporting the arts to enhance the quality of life for all Delawareans. Together with its advisory body, the Delaware State Arts Council, the Division administers grants and programs that support arts programming, educate the public, increase awareness of the arts, and integrate the arts into all facets of Delaware life. For more information about the Delaware Division of the Arts, visit arts.delaware.gov or call 302-577-8278.

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The Mezzanine Gallery to exhibit “15,000 Dowels” by Gregg Silvis

Delaware Division of the Arts | Department of State | New Castle County | News | Date Posted: Friday, May 3, 2024


Mezz Gallery - Gregg Silvis

 

Wilmington, Del. (May 3, 2024) – The Delaware Division of the Arts’ Mezzanine Gallery presents Gregg Silvis’ exhibition, “15,000 Dowels,” on view from May 3-31, 2024. Guests are invited to attend a Meet-the-Artist Reception on Friday, May 3 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. The title of the exhibition comes from the essential material in this body of work. Dowels are pegs of wood or metal or plastic without a distinct head, used for holding together components of a structure.

Over the course of several years of artistic endeavors, Silvis became enamored of dowels, both wood and metal. Each of the pieces on display in the Mezzanine Gallery incorporates dowels, either as a support mechanism for pieces of stained glass or gilded wooden tiles, or as the artistic element itself. A craftsman’s approach is evident in his work – sharp edges, polished surfaces, precise controlled structures.

Silvis explains the work, “I think of the current state of my work in terms of the phrase “organic precision.” I come from a very long line of farmers on one side of the family and a long line of craftsmen on the other side. I have always been fascinated by nature as well as the fabrication process, with a dash of perfectionism thrown in for good measure.”

Silvis, a 2019 Emerging Fellow in Visual Arts: Sculpture from the Delaware Division of the Arts, has come to his visual arts practice via a peripatetic route “with several twists and turns along the way,” as Silvis mentions, including substantial affiliations with academic institutions. Most recently Silvis retired from a 30-year career as an academic librarian.

However, it was his first career as a classically trained musician that he says influences his artistic sensibilities. Silvis earned graduate and undergraduate degrees in music and performance in Ohio. Then, after college he worked extensively as a professional musician playing the challenging instrument of French horn in several symphony orchestras.

Silvis has been exhibiting his artwork since 2017. In the past three years, Silvis’s work has been selected for several national juried exhibitions. Silvis lives in Newark, Delaware.

The Mezzanine Gallery, open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., is located on the second floor of the Carvel State Office Building, 820 N. French Street, Wilmington.

Images in the banner: “Autumn (detail)” (2023), Dowels, gold, silver, & copper leaf, wood panel, 30” x 60” x 4”

 

###

 

Contact: Andrew Truscott, Program Officer, Marketing and Communications

302-577-8280, andrew.truscott@delaware.gov

The Delaware Division of the Arts, a branch of the Delaware Department of State, is dedicated to cultivating and supporting the arts to enhance the quality of life for all Delawareans. Together with its advisory body, the Delaware State Arts Council, the Division administers grants and programs that support arts programming, educate the public, increase awareness of the arts, and integrate the arts into all facets of Delaware life. For more information about the Delaware Division of the Arts, visit arts.delaware.gov or call 302-577-8278.

image_printPrint

Related Topics:  , ,


Graphic that represents delaware news on a mobile phone

Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

Here you can subscribe to future news updates.