Delaware News

“Odd Little Creatures” Take Over The Mezzanine Gallery This Summer

Delaware Division of the Arts | Department of State | Date Posted: Monday, July 8, 2024


Vik Hart artwork

Wilmington, Del. (July 8, 2024) – The Delaware Division of the Arts’ Mezzanine Gallery presents Vik Hart’s exhibition, “Odd Little Creatures” on view from July 5 through August 30, 2024. Guests are invited to attend a Meet-the-Artist Reception on Friday, July 12 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Due to the July 4th holiday, Art Loop is moved to the second Friday in July.

Hart, who resides in Wilmington, Delaware, is a self-taught artist.  His first residency was held at Redux Studios in Charleston, South Carolina.  “Odd Little Creatures” will be his first solo exhibition since moving to the state of Delaware in 2021.

This exhibition focuses on a series of works portraying small creatures in an imagined world, exploring their environments and how they adapt to unique features of the places they live. Hart uses quick gestural lines to give his creatures a sense of spontaneity. His color palette adds to the otherworldliness.  

Hart’s work is heavily invested in world building and lore. As a child, Hart was more likely to spend time in class drawing monsters and creatures in his sketchbook than pay attention to the lesson, and that interest never really left him. Hart enjoys making worlds that feel real and lived in and wants to create illustrations that allow the viewer to imagine the lives happening beyond the border of the paper.

“The idea for this series came from the realization that many works of fiction set in alternate worlds focus on grandiose creatures of myth, things like dragons and genies,” says Hart. “I wanted to focus on the smaller things that live in the world, the tiny creatures that hide behind trees and live under rocks. With these pieces I want to highlight a sense of the familiar and the fantastical in a world I have been cultivating with my artwork since 2017.”

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: “Duvvel” (2023), watercolor and ink, 5” x 7”, “Greep” (2023), watercolor and ink, 5” x 7”, “Blue Tail” (2023), watercolor and ink, 5” x 7”

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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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“Odd Little Creatures” Take Over The Mezzanine Gallery This Summer

Delaware Division of the Arts | Department of State | Date Posted: Monday, July 8, 2024


Vik Hart artwork

Wilmington, Del. (July 8, 2024) – The Delaware Division of the Arts’ Mezzanine Gallery presents Vik Hart’s exhibition, “Odd Little Creatures” on view from July 5 through August 30, 2024. Guests are invited to attend a Meet-the-Artist Reception on Friday, July 12 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Due to the July 4th holiday, Art Loop is moved to the second Friday in July.

Hart, who resides in Wilmington, Delaware, is a self-taught artist.  His first residency was held at Redux Studios in Charleston, South Carolina.  “Odd Little Creatures” will be his first solo exhibition since moving to the state of Delaware in 2021.

This exhibition focuses on a series of works portraying small creatures in an imagined world, exploring their environments and how they adapt to unique features of the places they live. Hart uses quick gestural lines to give his creatures a sense of spontaneity. His color palette adds to the otherworldliness.  

Hart’s work is heavily invested in world building and lore. As a child, Hart was more likely to spend time in class drawing monsters and creatures in his sketchbook than pay attention to the lesson, and that interest never really left him. Hart enjoys making worlds that feel real and lived in and wants to create illustrations that allow the viewer to imagine the lives happening beyond the border of the paper.

“The idea for this series came from the realization that many works of fiction set in alternate worlds focus on grandiose creatures of myth, things like dragons and genies,” says Hart. “I wanted to focus on the smaller things that live in the world, the tiny creatures that hide behind trees and live under rocks. With these pieces I want to highlight a sense of the familiar and the fantastical in a world I have been cultivating with my artwork since 2017.”

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: “Duvvel” (2023), watercolor and ink, 5” x 7”, “Greep” (2023), watercolor and ink, 5” x 7”, “Blue Tail” (2023), watercolor and ink, 5” x 7”

###

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.