The Delaware Division of the Arts Mezzanine Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of original work by Nancy Josephson from December 5 -24, 2014. The Gallery, open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., is located in the Carvel State Office Building, 820 N. French Street, Wilmington. A reception will be held for the exhibition where the public can meet the artist on Friday, December 5, 2014 from 5:00-7:30 p.m.

The exhibition presents a selection of recent work by Josephson. The objects on view feature numerous mosaic-like panel images executed in a variety of materials. Josephson utilizes extensive beadwork, sequins, and glass fragments in the creation of figurative and sculptural imagery imbued with a rich iconography.

Josephson is the recipient of a 2014 Delaware Division of the Arts Established Professional Fellowship in Crafts. She has traveled and exhibited her work widely. Josephson lives and works in Wilmington, Delaware.

The Delaware Division of the Arts Mezzanine Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of original work by Gabriel Jules titled Natural Selections from November 7 -26, 2014. The Gallery, open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., is located in the Carvel State Office Building, 820 N. French Street, Wilmington. A reception will be held for the exhibition where the public can meet the artist on Friday, November 7, 2014 from 5:00-8:00 p.m.

The exhibition presents a selection of recent etchings, monotypes, and collage works by Jules, exhibiting the artist’s unique representations and keen interest in the natural world. Her work features imagery of landscape and wildlife presented with a signature graphic sensitivity and through a variety of monochromatic and color printmaking techniques. Jules is the recipient of a 2014 Delaware Division of the Arts Established Artist Fellowship in Visual Arts-Work on Paper.

Gabriel Jules has exhibited widely and her work is included in private collections throughout the United States and internationally. She is represented by Washington Printmakers Gallery in Silver Spring, Maryland, a gallery that specializes in fine art, hand-pulled original prints. Gabriel Jules lives and works in Seaford, Delaware.

The Delaware Division of the Arts is working with Maren Brown Associates to develop a new strategic plan for FY2016-FY2020 that identifies and incorporates the ideas, issues, and initiatives of Delaware’s arts community: artists, organizations, audiences, and educators.

The public input process will include:

Two surveys:
• Survey One is designed for Delaware-based individual artists.

• Survey Two is designed for representatives of Delaware organizations and schools that provide arts programming.

Notice of the electronic surveys with corresponding links, will be sent by email on or around October 20, 2014, and will also be posted on www.artsdel.org at the same time. The surveys will remain open until noon on Monday, November 10, 2014.

Three community meetings:

To be held across the state this fall, during which all Delaware constituents will have an opportunity to provide input. All interested Delawareans are invited to attend a meeting and have their thoughts and opinions heard. No RSVP is required.

• Monday, October 27, 4:00 – 5:30 p.m., Milton
Milton Theatre (hosted by Premier Center for the Arts)
110 Union Street, Milton, DE 19968

• Tuesday, October 28, 9:30 – 11:00 a.m., Dover
Delaware State University (hosted by VSA Delaware)
Parlor A (2nd floor) of the MLK Student Center, 1200 N. DuPont Highway, Dover 19901

• Tuesday, October 28, 4:00 – 5:30 p.m., Wilmington
OperaDelaware Studios (hosted by Delaware Arts Alliance)
4 S. Poplar Street, Wilmington, DE 19801

Six focus groups (by invitation only):

To gather feedback from key stakeholders. Focus groups are comprised of:
• Individual Artists
• Arts Organizations – Large
• Arts Organizations – Small/Medium
• K-12 Education
• Lifelong Learning
• Community-based organizations that offer arts programming

Thirty in-depth one-on-one telephone interviews with individuals including national and state leaders whose work exemplifies areas of interest to the Division of the Arts, reveals important trends that can shape the Division’s future work, or offers visionary ideas that provide inspiration for the plan.

In February 2015, a draft of the new Design Delaware 2.0 Strategic Plan for FY2016-FY2020 will be released for public input, and in March 2015, the final plan will be formally approved by the Delaware State Arts Council and published.

The Delaware Division of the Arts Mezzanine Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of original work by 2014 Artist Fellow Leon Syfrit titled Passages from October 3 – 31, 2014. The Gallery, open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., is located in the Carvel State Office Building, 820 N. French Street, Wilmington. A reception will be held for the exhibition where the public can meet the artist on Friday, October 3, 2014 from 5:00-8:00 p.m.

The exhibition presents a selection of portraits exploring Erik Erikson’s theory of human psychological development. The series consists of male and female portraits representing each of the eight life stages presented in the theory.

The process for the production of the work is an in-depth combination of contemporary digital tools and traditional photographic processes and techniques. Syfrit first captures digital images of his subjects. These digital images are printed as negatives onto transparent film. The film negatives are then processed as cyanotypes through the chemical means of traditional photographic developing. The resultant prints are scanned back into the digital realm where the object qualities of the print are heightened and revealed. The scans are finally output as inkjet prints to complete the image-making process.

Syfrit’s work is represented in several regional collections. He works throughout the tri-state area and serves as an instructor at the Delaware College of Art and Design.

The Delaware Division of the Arts Mezzanine Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of original work by 2014 Individual Artist Fellow Thomas Del Porte titled Local Color from September 5 – 26, 2014. The Gallery, open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., is located in the Carvel State Office Building, 820 N. French Street, Wilmington. A reception will be held for the exhibition where the public can meet the artist on Friday, September 5, 2014 from 5:00-8:00 p.m.

Del Porte presents eleven new works depicting local scenes in canvases of vibrant and jewel-like color. The works on view feature street scenes from Wilmington area neighborhoods. A brilliant colorist, Del Porte creates his outdoor images en plein air and translates the scenes before him into sumptuous color and texture.

Thomas Del Porte has exhibited his work locally and is a member at the Delaware Center for Contemporary Art. He has taught at the Delaware College of Art and Design and at the DCCA. Del Porte lives and works in the Wilmington area.