On view through May 7-28, 2021
Visit the Gallery in-person or view it online

Wilmington, Del. (May 5, 2021) – Combines: The Andromeda Series, an exhibition of wall sculptures by Jack Knight, will be on view in the Mezzanine Gallery from May 7–28, 2021. Knight is the recipient of a 2021 Artist Fellowship in Sculpture from the Delaware Division of the Arts.

Knight calls these works “combines” because he combines canvas, wood, and masonite into sculptural painted constructions that hang on the wall. The exhibition features thirteen combines, each measuring approximately 3 feet by 3 feet. The Andromeda Series was inspired by the 1971 science fiction thriller film, The Andromeda Strain, and the Andromeda galaxy.

These colorful three-dimensional works are created based on triangular forms that Knight builds at the beginning of the work. He then adds hand-painted round canvases and wood shapes to the form. Afterwards, he adds small embellishments to the composition for visual interest and balance.

This work represents a departure from Knight’s easel paintings in which he created the illusion of three-dimensional shapes by overlapping forms on a flat canvas.

“The combines are more free-spirited and exciting to execute. The approach is still creating a composition in three dimensions. All the items, objects, colors, and textures need to harmonize to be successful.” – Jack Knight

Knight lived and pursued his studio career in New York state, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Philadelphia before moving to Long Neck, Delaware. Throughout his busy career, Knight has had 17 solo exhibitions and has participated in more than 100 group shows. His work is found in the collection of ten institutions and three museums.

Image in banner: Andromeda #33 (detail), painted canvas, wood, and masonite, 32 x 32 x 4 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. Visitors must wear face coverings and maintain 6 feet distance from other individuals not in their household.

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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.

On view through April 5-29, 2021
Visit the Gallery in-person or view it online

Wilmington, Del. (April 1, 2021) – Visceral Memory Cache, an exhibition of abstract paintings by Eileen Olson, will be on view in the Mezzanine Gallery from April 5-29, 2021. The paintings are a result of a six-month creative journey around the question, “How much does my own visceral memory impact my art?” Olson is planning to be in the Gallery on Thursday, April 29 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. to meet visitors.

Through this journey, Olson discovered that the only limits to her creative process was her imagination. She describes the process as dismantling and rearranging idyllic visions from her cerebral storehouse that she calls her “cache.” To minimize external influences and tap into her memory cache, Olson begins each painting session with a short meditation.

Olson creates visually interesting paintings by using the principles of design in her shape-making and her use of color with differing values. The work may include representational shapes, like birds, and calligraphic strokes. Her goal is to capture the viewer’s interest and create an emotional reaction to the work.

“I paint because it is who I am deep inside my soul. Through a series of catastrophes, my organic marks begin to tell my story. Using many different mediums, layers and textures allows me to achieve a creative approach that helps to express my deep emotions.”

A Bethany Beach resident, Olson conducts workshops, studio tours, and offers demonstrations to art leagues and local social groups all around Delmarva. She is a member of the Rehoboth Art League, the Southeastern Delaware Artists Studio Tour, and the Art League of Ocean City. She has exhibited at galleries and special exhibitions throughout the Mid-Atlantic, been a juror for the National Art Educators Association, and she is also a partner at Gallery One in Ocean View, DE.

Image:  Wanna Touch the Sky (detail), 2020, acrylic on canvas, 24 x 36 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. Visitors must wear face coverings and maintain 6 feet distance from other individuals not in their household.

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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.

Twenty Delaware artists and three Honorable Mentions
to receive recognition

Wilmington, Del. (January 14, 2019) – Twenty Delaware artists are being recognized by the Division for the high quality of their artwork. Work samples from 136 Delaware choreographers, composers, musicians, writers, folk and visual artists were reviewed by out-of-state arts professionals, considering demonstrated creativity and skill in their art form. The 20 selected fellows reside throughout Delaware including Bear, Bridgeville, Claymont, Dover, Frankford, Lewes, Middletown, Newark, and Wilmington.

Awards are given in three categories – $10,000 for the Masters Award, $6,000 for the Established Professional Award, and $3,000 for the Emerging Professional Award – and Fellows are required to offer at least one exhibit or performance during the upcoming year, providing an opportunity for the public to experience their work.

“Individual Artist Fellowship grants provide the recognition and exposure that artists need to successfully promote their work,” said Paul Weagraff, director of Delaware Division of the Arts. “The financial award allows them to pursue advanced training, purchase equipment and materials, or fulfill other needs to advance their careers.”

The work of the Fellows will be featured in a group exhibition, Award Winners XIX, at the Biggs Museum from June 7 to July 21, 2019. Selections from Award Winners will travel to CAMP Rehoboth in August and early September and then Cab Calloway School of the Arts during September and October.

The Masters Fellowship is open to differing artistic disciplines each year. In Fiscal Year 2019, Masters Fellowship applications were accepted in Literary and Media Arts from artists who had previously received an Established Professional Fellowship. In addition to exemplifying high artistic quality, Masters Fellowship applicants must demonstrate their involvement and commitment to the arts in Delaware and beyond. Listed below are the Delaware Division of the Arts 2019 Individual Artist Fellows and three Honorable Mentions.

Billie Travalini has been awarded this year’s Masters Fellowship in Literature: Fiction. Travalini, an internationally award-winning writer and educator, teaches English and creative writing at Wilmington University. She has taught creative writing to encourage critical thinking at youth detention centers statewide, which led to Teaching Troubled Youth: A Practical Pedagogical Guide, an award-winning book with an important message on the human condition. In addition, she has taught poetry and playwriting at various Boys and Girls Clubs. In 2014, Travalini received the Governor’s Award for the Arts for her extensive career and work in education. Travalini, co-founder and coordinator of the Lewes Creative Writers’ Conference, is currently working with Fort DuPont to have the children of Governor Bacon remembered by serving the children of today. Her passion for creative writing has led her to “promote the need to include everyone in the conversation.”

2019 Individual Artist Fellows

Masters Award ($10,000)

Established Professional Award ($6,000)

Emerging Artist Award ($3,000)

Honorable Mention

To contact an individual artist, please email or call: Roxanne Stanulis, Program Officer, Artist Programs and Services, Roxanne.Stanulis@delaware.gov or 302-577-8283.

The next deadline for Individual Artist Fellowship applications will be Thursday, August 1, 2019 by 4:30 p.m.

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. Image: 2018 Award Winners exhibition at the Biggs Museum. Painting (right) by Thomas del Porte, 2018 Established Professional, Visual Arts: painting

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

On view from December 7-28, 2018
Free opening reception on Friday, December 7 at 5 p.m.

Wilmington, Del. (November 28, 2018) – Ship of Theseus, an exhibition of self-portraits by painter Lauren E. Peters, will be on view in the Mezzanine Gallery from December 7-28, 2018. Peters received a 2018 Individual Artist Fellowship in Painting. The artist will host a free opening reception on Friday, December 7 from 5-8 p.m.

Greek and Roman references and the understanding of self/identity have been recurring themes in Peters’ work. Her choice of the exhibition title, Ship of Theseus, is a reference to thought experiment that raises the question of whether a ship—standing for an object in general—that has had all of its components replaced remains fundamentally the same object. In her artwork, Peters explores the fluid and multifaceted nature of identity through a series of self-portraits in which she wears a variety of clothing and props. Peters’ colorful personas fill the foreground and they frequently gaze directly at the viewer.

While the costumes may be thought of as disguises, they are created to bring the different realities beneath our “normal” appearance to light. Peters explains:

“If I put on a costume for a self-portrait, is that more or less me? There are such a variety of changes that humans undergo over the course of a lifetime or even days; and these paintings, under the wigs and bright colors, struggle to find the truth at the core.”

Learn more about Peters with our YouTube Meet the Artist video series. Image: self-portrait (messenger), 2018, oil on canvas, 16″ x 20″

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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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.

Division of the Arts to Honor 17 Artist Fellows at Annual Reception and Award Ceremony June 13

New this year, the Award Winners Exhibition will display contemporary art alongside historical decorative arts and travel to two new locations

Dover, Del. (June 8, 2018) – The Award Winners XVIII reception and award ceremony will be held at the Biggs Museum of American Art, Dover on Wednesday, June 13 from 5:30–7:30 p.m.

The event will feature special performances by three of the 2018 Individual Artist Fellows. Attendees can experience the work of all 17 artists in the Award Winners XVIII exhibit throughout the entire museum. The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

The first part of the reception will feature music selections by Master Fellow in Music, Lloyd Shorter and a presentation by Joan Warburton-Phibbs, Established Fellow in Choreography, followed by the remarks and awards presentation. The second portion will end with a presentation of work by Emerging Fellow in Media Arts, Robert Waters.

Each year, the Biggs Museum of American Art, in partnership with the Delaware Division of the Arts, exhibits the work of Delaware’s Individual Artist Fellows. The Award Winners XVIII exhibition on view now through July 22, recognizes the Fellows’ combined artistic accomplishments.

“The contemporary pieces from Award Winners will be on view alongside materials and works from 1700-1850,” said Curator Ryan Grover. “The exhibition will be immersive and will show the characteristics that these two timeframes share in common.” Highlights of the exhibition include a site-specific plywood sculpture by Kevin Bielicki and six video installations.

New this year, the Award Winners exhibition will travel to two venues, including CAMP Rehoboth, Rehoboth Beach; and Cab Calloway School of the Arts, Wilmington. Each location will host a modified version of the Award Winners exhibition.

• Biggs Museum of American Art: June 1 – July 22
  • Reception on June 13, 2018; 5-7 p.m. RSVP
• CAMP Rehoboth: August 3-26
  • Reception on August 9, 2018; 5:30-7:30 p.m. RSVP
• Cab Calloway School of the Arts: September 7-30
  • Reception on September 7; 5-7 p.m. RSVP

Learn more about the 2018 Artist Fellows

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

About the Delaware Division of the Arts
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.