The Delaware Division of the Arts Mezzanine Gallery presents Constanza (Cony) Madariaga’s exhibition, “The Knowing,” on view from February 2-24, 2024. Guests are invited to attend a Meet-the-Artist Reception on Friday, February 2 from 5:00-7:00 p.m.

The title of Madariaga’s show is a reference to a Jay-Z quote that resonated with the artist. In an interview, Jay-Z said, “There’s a knowing in being an artist, there’s a knowing.” From a young age, Madariaga has possessed an unwavering belief in her identity as an artist.

Painting and drawing have always been a very personal experience for Madariaga, and she has enjoyed being able to share some of those intimate feelings in her life with others through her artwork. She said, “Through the showcased artwork, the audience is invited to explore my artistic journey and the intimate connection that defines my existence as an artist.”

The exhibition showcases the variety in Madariaga’s repertoire from portraits and still lifes to abstracts and graphic work created by lines. Plants and flowers appear in much of her work, and she explains that they are a metaphor for life. The artist works in a variety of mediums from acrylic paint to pastels, and often incorporates other mediums such as markers and watercolors into her work.

Madariaga, a resident of Delaware, is the recipient of a 2023 Emerging Fellowship in Painting from the Delaware Division of the Arts. She is also a 2023/2024 Artist in Residence at The Delaware Contemporary, where she maintains a studio.

The Meet the Artist video featuring Madariaga can be viewed on the Division’s YouTube page here: https://youtu.be/RZ1TEl2wkdA?si=MPOv5uF3nBTT7qaK

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.

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The Delaware Division of the Arts, a branch of the Delaware Department of State, is committed to supporting the arts and cultivating creativity to enhance the quality of life in 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.

On view from December 6, 2019 – January 10, 2020
Free opening reception on Friday, December 6 at 5 p.m.

Wilmington, Del. (November 26, 2019) – Curiosity and Flux, an exhibition of abstract paintings by Shawn Faust, will be on view in the Mezzanine Gallery from December 6, 2019 – January 10, 2020. The artist will host a free opening reception on Friday, December 6, from 5-7 p.m. Faust, a resident of Bear, received a 2019 Established Fellowship in Painting from the Delaware Division of the Arts.

The work in this exhibition represents a shift for Faust, who is best known for his award-winning representational equestrian paintings. For his new abstract works, he merges pictorial elements of representation with non-objective forms as a response to memories and the ephemeral qualities of life.

Shawn Faust compares himself to a chef who is changing the menu by using the same ingredients, tools, and techniques but with differing results. He explains,

“I grant myself permission to diverge and pivot from one medium to another, experimenting with process and mark-making in search of my unknown. As a result, I am in a constant state of flux and possibility.”

Images from left to right: Tides of Change, 2019, acrylic, 36 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.

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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.

On view from November 2-30, 2018
Free opening reception on Friday, November 2 at 5 p.m.

Wilmington, Del. (October 25, 2018) – Interlace, an installation of sculpture and paintings by Kevin Bielicki, will be on view in the Mezzanine Gallery from November 2-30, 2018. Bielicki received a 2018 Artist Fellowship in Visual Arts: Sculpture. The artist will host a free opening reception on Friday, November 2 from 5-7 p.m.

Kevin Bielicki’s work investigates intersections and boundaries between painting and sculpture. He makes works–often monumental, large-scale ones–that exist on the wall. But they often cascade off the flat plane and into the space of the viewer.

This exhibit will feature his distinctive ribbon-like wood forms in new colors and patterns, complimented with a series of paintings. The paintings are inspired by the shapes and silhouettes of the curvilinear sculptural elements. Bielicki will be using the sculptural forms and paintings to create a site specific installation unique to the Mezzanine Gallery.

Learn more about Bielicki with our YouTube Meet the Artist video series. Image: Interlace, 2018, poplar and mahogany, variable dimensions

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.

This year features four 2018 Artist Fellows
in disciplines ranging from fine craft to sculpture

Wilmington, Del. (August 9, 2018) – The Mezzanine Gallery presents monthly solo exhibitions of work by Delaware artists in disciplines including painting, photography, sculpture, crafts, folk, and media arts. The opportunity to exhibit is available to emerging and established visual artists who have won Individual Artist Fellowships or have been chosen by the annual Gallery Panel.

Opening receptions are typically held the First Friday of the month to coincide with the City of Wilmington’s Art Loop from 5–7 p.m. Receptions are free and open to the public. Each month, the artist will be in attendance to greet visitors, and answer questions about his or her work. The artwork is generally available for purchase directly from the artist.*

2018-19 Mezzanine Gallery Schedule

Meet the Artist Video Series

Learn more about former Gallery artists with our YouTube Meet the Artist video series.

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. *No commission is taken by the Gallery

View past Mezzanine Gallery exhibitions on our Flickr page: Delaware Division of the Arts

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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.

THE MEZZANINE GALLERY TO EXHIBIT HUGH PHIBB’S
“WHAT THE WATER SAID…” WATERCOLORS

Wilmington, Del. (January 24, 2018) – What the Water Said…Flowers, Places & Faces will be on view in the Mezzanine Gallery from February 2-23, 2018. A free opening reception to meet the artist will be held on Friday, February 2 from 5-7 p.m.

Phibbs received a 2017 Delaware Division of the Arts Established Fellowship in Works on Paper. This exhibition features floral, facial, and landscape subjects. Many of the flowers in his paintings are from his Ardentown yard alongside Naamans Creek.

Phibbs, who retired from a career in art preservation, draws on his understanding of materials as well as an appreciation of the masters of watercolor. He uses the dispersive properties of water and pigment to create space in the floral and landscape images, and to explore the drama that this space can impart. Phibbs credits the Fellowship for the confidence and freedom to return to painting imagined faces.

Learn more about Phibbs with our YouTube Meet the Artist video series.

The Mezzanine 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.

Image: Holland Days, 2016, watercolor on paper, 18″ x 24″

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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.