Coursey’s exhibition brings together beadwork, ribbon skirts, and regalia rooted in Nanticoke culture and contemporary design.
Wilmington, Del. (December 3, 2025) – The Delaware Division of the Arts’ Mezzanine Gallery is pleased to present The Garden, a solo exhibition of new work by 2025 Individual Artist Fellow in Folk Arts, Renita Coursey. The exhibition will be on view from December 5–26, 2025, with an opening reception on Friday, December 5, from 5:00–7:00 p.m. in the Mezzanine Gallery, located in the Carvel State Office Building at 820 N. French Street in Wilmington.
The Garden offers an intimate view into Coursey’s evolving artistic practice, weaving together Nanticoke tradition, contemporary design, and a deep sense of cultural stewardship. Through beadwork, ribbon skirts, and mixed-media work, Coursey cultivates a creative space grounded in identity, ancestry, and intergenerational connection. The exhibition reflects her journey to reconnect with her roots and to honor the teachings, practices, and people who guide her work.
A native Delawarean, Coursey grew up on Nanticoke land in Millsboro, surrounded by the cultural life of her tribal community. Although she felt shy as a child during the dances held across from her home near the Nanticoke Indian Tribal Center, those early experiences shaped her understanding of tradition, belonging, and creative lineage. After moving to Virginia at age eleven and later serving four years in the U.S. Navy as a Hospital Corpsman, Coursey remained in Hawaii to complete her Bachelor of Science at the University of Hawaii at Manoa before ultimately returning home to Delaware.
Upon returning, she felt a renewed pull toward ancestral connection and began teaching herself beadwork—often late at night or before dawn while caring for her infant son. That practice grew into a disciplined, intentional art form. She later learned ribbon skirt making from tribal elders in her hometown, deepening her connection to her grandmother, a seamstress she never met but feels close to through her work today. Coursey now blends Native traditional styles with modern streetwear, creating beadwork and garments that honor heritage while pushing creative boundaries.
Her commitment to culture and craft is balanced with her work in emergency veterinary medicine, where she has spent eight years caring for critically ill patients. She is also a mother of two, a throughline she credits as one of her strongest artistic inspirations. Coursey grounds her creative practice in patience, prayer, and purpose, often praying for the wellbeing of the future wearer of each beadwork piece. She cites inspiration from Native artists such as Samantha Whitefeather, Gina Tiger, Skye Paul, and designers behind contemporary Native-owned brands like B Yellowtail and Urban Native Era.
As she continues to grow her artistic voice, Coursey is exploring powwow dancing, regalia making, moccasin construction, and mixed media. Her Fellowship supports this expansion, allowing her to create new regalia, acquire supplies, and continue refining her work for powwows and beyond.
The Garden invites visitors into the emotional, cultural, and spiritual terrain of Coursey’s world – a space where tradition and innovation flourish side by side, rooted in gratitude for the generations before her and hope for those yet to come.
Coursey shares about the exhibit:
A collection of my own beadwork, some traditional regalia & some modern pieces, made using a two needle flat stitch technique. Much like gardening, beadwork asks me for patience. It has shown me the value that small efforts have over time.
The progress is quiet.
A true labor of love.
The Garden…
It’s a place where good stuff grows. Where I’ve learned that mistakes are a doorway. A place that hold emptiness, unwavering, knowing that it will be made full of life again and again. It is where I’ve cried for,
Laughed with,
Craved,
& thanked those who have had an undeniable influence on my life. Both here & passed on.
Each piece is in some way inspired by or dedicated to a soul I dearly love.
The Mezzanine Gallery is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is free.
About the Artist
Renita Coursey, born in Millsboro, Delaware, is a Nanticoke artist, mother, military veteran, and emergency veterinary medicine professional. A 2025 Individual Artist Fellow in Folk Arts, she blends Native American traditional beadwork with modern streetwear, creating ribbon skirts, regalia, and intricately beaded pieces that reflect both her cultural heritage and contemporary influences. After earning her Bachelor of Science from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Coursey spent eight years working in emergency veterinary medicine while raising her two children. She later returned to Delaware to reconnect with her native roots and deepen her artistic practice, learning beadwork and ribbon skirt making from tribal elders and cultivating a personal style grounded in intention, cultural continuity, and gratitude. Her work has been recognized by institutions including the Winterthur Estate and the Delaware Division of the Arts.
About the Mezzanine Gallery
The Mezzanine Gallery, located on the second floor of the Carvel State Office Building (820 N. French Street, Wilmington, DE), is open to the public Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The gallery highlights the work of Delaware’s Individual Artist Fellows, showcasing a diverse range of artistic talent throughout the year. For more information, visit https://arts.delaware.gov/mezzanine-gallery.
Images in the banner: “Sunnie Nokomis Harmon” (2025), 100% wool felt, Charlotte true, Miyuki beads, red split hide, red deer hide, 2.5”x2.5”.
###
Contact: Andrew Truscott, Program Officer, Marketing and Communications
302-577-8280, andrew.truscott@delaware.gov
About the Delaware Division of the Arts
The Delaware Division of the Arts is an agency of the State of Delaware. 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. Funding for Division programs is provided by annual appropriations from the Delaware General Assembly and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. For more information about the Delaware Division of the Arts, visit arts.delaware.gov or call 302-577-8278.