Division of the Arts to Host Annual State Employee Art Exhibition

More than 200 state employees and their family members have registered to show artwork at Delaware State University Art Center/Gallery

Dover, Del. (February 16, 2022) – The Delaware Division of the Arts is hosting the 11th annual Delaware State Employee Art Exhibition. The free exhibition will be open to the public from February 21 to March 14, 2022 at the Art Center/Gallery at Delaware State University, Dover. This year, more than 200 State of Delaware employees and their family members submitted artwork and will be competing for awards and cash prizes. Prizes to be awarded include:

Adult, Amateur, Intermediate and Professional: First Place Awards of $350; Second Place Awards of $250; and Third Place Awards of $150
Youth / Teen: First Place Awards of $150; Second Place Awards of $100; and Third Place Awards of $50
A Best of Show Award of $400
An Art Education Award of $200 for reimbursement for arts instruction and materials
People’s Choice Award, Facebook and in-person ballot

Additional awards including Honorable Mentions will be awarded at the discretion of the judges. Awards are limited to one cash award per artist per classification.

Visitors are invited to join Division and Art Center/Gallery staff for a special, weekend-long celebration of all this year’s participants and to see the winning artwork during the exhibition’s final weekend, Saturday, March 12 and Sunday, March 13 from 12-4 p.m. There will be activities, snacks, and giveaways for Gallery visitors.

The exhibition at the Arts Center/Gallery can be viewed during these hours:

Monday: Closed to the public
Tuesday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Wednesday-Friday: 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Saturdays, March 5 and March 12: 12-4 p.m.
Sunday, March 13: 12-4 p.m.

Full visitor information can be found here.

Sponsored by the National Arts Program in support and cooperation with the State of Delaware and the Delaware Division of the Arts, the exhibit is judged by professional artists and visual art professionals. The Delaware State Employee Art Exhibition is designed to give artists at all skill levels a unique opportunity to exhibit their creative work and to compete for cash prizes.

Participants must be a current employee or immediate family member of a current employee of the State of Delaware. All entries must be the original work of the applicant and completed within the last three years. View last year’s participant artwork.

More information

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Contact: Kaitlin Ammon, Program Officer, Marketing and Communications
302-577-8280, kaitlin.ammon@delaware.gov

11th Annual Delaware State Employee Art Exhibition Registration Open

The Delaware Division of the Arts and the National Arts Program® present the 11^th Annual Delaware State Employee Art Exhibition

Dover, Del. (December 13, 2021) – The Delaware State Employee Art Exhibition is designed to give Delaware state employees and their families, at any skill level, a unique opportunity to exhibit their artwork and to compete for cash prizes and special awards. Registration closes on January 21, 2022.

The free exhibition will be open to the public from February 21 to March 14, 2022 at the Art Center/Gallery at Delaware State University, Dover. The reception and awards ceremony will be held on Sunday, March 13 at 1 p.m. in the Longwood Auditorium, Bank of America Building at Delaware State University. Prizes to be awarded include:

Adult, Amateur, Intermediate and Professional
Youth / Teen
A Best of Show Award
An Art Education Award
People’s Choice Award, Facebook and in-person ballot

Additional awards including Honorable Mentions will be awarded at the discretion of the judges. Awards are limited to one cash award per artist per classification.

Gallery Hours

Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday, 2/26 and 3/5 from 1 to 4 p.m. Visitor information

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Contact: Kaitlin Ammon, Program Officer, Communications and Marketing
302-577-8280, kaitlin.ammon@delaware.gov

The Mezzanine Gallery to Exhibit “The Pandemic Paintings” by Theresa Walton

On view from June 12 – July 24, 2020
Visit the Gallery in-person or view it online

Wilmington, Del. (June 10, 2020) – The Pandemic Paintings, an exhibition of watercolor portraits of health care workers and scenes that represent hope to them by Theresa (Terre) Walton, will be on view in the Mezzanine Gallery from June 12-July 24, 2020. For those unable to visit in-person, an online gallery will be available on our main website on June 12. Walton, a retired art educator with over 25 years of experience, paints in both watercolors and acrylics and has exhibited in various venues in the Newark and Wilmington area.

The Pandemic Paintings started with Walton’s commitment to paint every day during the quarantine, and a spontaneous watercolor painted from a photo of her son’s fiancé in a mask before work. After posting the watercolor on Facebook, Walton received an avalanche of requests from family and friends to paint their loved ones working in health care. For over a week she painted up to four portraits a day to keep up with the demand. The result is a collection of over 35 portraits of people “connected to her by five degrees of separation.”

Moving on from the portraits, hope became the theme of the next phase of the quarantine watercolors. Walton requested from that same sphere of friends to send her a photo of something “that represents hope or a photo of what you hope to do when this whole thing is over.” Walton received many images of nature (walks, wildlife, and gardens) and water.

Most recently she is painting a series of loose, spontaneous images of her own choosing. Walton said, “I am still getting portrait requests and still fulfilling those requests, but primarily have moved on to the loose, relaxed work of the final phase, and hope.”

Images from Health Workers/ Five Degrees of Separation, 2020, watercolor, all images 5″ x 7″

The Mezzanine Gallery is open to the public weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and is located in the Carvel State Office Building, 820 N. French Street, Wilmington. Visitors must wear face coverings and maintain 6 feet distance from other individuals not in their household.

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Contact: Leeann Wallett, Program Officer, Communications and Marketing
302-577-8280, leeann.wallett@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.

Thirty-Seven Talented State Employees and Their Family Members Honored

Division of the Arts announces award-winning artists
in its annual Delaware State Employee Art Exhibition

Dover, Del. (March 14, 2020) – The talented state employees and their family members were recognized for their artwork exhibited at the ninth annual Delaware State Employee Art Exhibition sponsored by the National Arts Program^®.

Twenty-nine awards were awarded in five categories–Professional, Intermediate, Amateur, Teen (13-18 years old), and Youth (12 years and under). Other distinguished awards included the: Best of Show Award, Two People’s Choice Awards (calculated by most number of “likes” on Facebook and entries by email and in-person ballot votes at the Gallery), Art Education Award (up to $200 reimbursement for arts instruction and materials), and four Special Award categories. 2020 Artwork is available on Facebook. 2020 award winners are available on Flickr.

Update – The Arts Center/Gallery will be open today, Friday, March 13 until 5:00pm for artwork pick-up. We are still waiting to hear if we will be able to continue with pick-up hours next week and will keep you posted. You may contact the Arts/Center Gallery directly at 857-6697

before making a trip to the Gallery next week. The Gallery is closed for the weekend.

The artwork pick-up schedule for next week is at the Delaware State University Arts Center/Gallery from March 16 to 21. Hours: Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday 12 to 4 p.m.

If there are any changes to the pick-up schedule, the Division will also post any information on our website, arts.delaware.gov, and the Arts Center/Gallery will have recorded messages on its voicemail at 302-857-6697.

Below is a list of all award winners:

2020 National Arts Program Award Winners

The Mezzanine Gallery to Exhibit “Not Just a Pretty Face” by Paul Mitchell

On view from March 6-27, 2020
Free opening reception on Friday, March 6 at 5 p.m.

Wilmington, Del. (February 28, 2020) – Not Just a Pretty Face, an exhibition of pastel portraits by Paul Simon, will be on view in the Mezzanine Gallery from March 6-27, 2020. The artist will host a free opening reception on Friday, March 6 from 5-7 p.m. TANKSLEY, Delaware singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, will perform during the opening reception.

After retiring from a career as a biopharmaceuticals discovery researcher, Simon has devoted himself to creating artwork and volunteering. Always drawn to portraiture, Simon was inspired to create portraits of people he met through his volunteer work for JFS (Jewish Family Services) Village and the Refugee Integration Support Effort (RISE).

Simon typically works from smartphone snapshots and enjoys the challenge of creating a photographic likeness that reveals something about the person’s character. He creates the large close-up views of faces by layering soft pastels on dark paper. The faces fill or often extend past the borders of the page. “I depict them frankly, without seeking to embellish or smooth the images, indeed, welcoming the eloquence of their “seasoned” visage,” Simon said.

Images from left to right: Bearded Man, 2019, soft pastel, 25 x 38 inches

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

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