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Hal Great Thou Art
Delaware College of Art & Design did it up in grand style on May 5 for its Fifth Annual Scholarship Gala at a primo slice of Wilmington’s Market Street real estate—World Cafe Live at the Queen, anyone? It was a no-brainer to hold the gala to benefit student endowments at the Queen, since DCAD and Her Royal Majesty have enjoyed a heck of a relationship, thanks to the charismatic Hal Real of Real Entertainment. “We are all about the arts,” Real said. “We are all about weaving a fabric that takes partnerships and makes one plus one equal three.” I caught a very sparkly, chatty and enthusiastic Gail Stanislow fawning over the student artwork on display. And with good reason: “I’m a DCAD mom,” she told me (loudly). “I am a huge supporter—HUGE—of the arts in Wilmington! I loved all the Light Up the Queen events, I’m always on the art loop … I’m just totally into Wilmington’s art scene. And I love this new injection of young blood, thanks to DCAD.” Her son, a first-year animation student, chose DCAD over NYU. “The staff is wonderful, the school is wonderful, and they do so much for the community.” I hung out for a bit with Stanislow, and wondered how such an exuberant woman manages to stay low-key enough at her post of special collections librarian at the Brandywine River Museum. DCAD board chairman Thorpe Moeckel was on hand, and jazzed by what he saw. “We’ve got about 300 people here, and some major sponsors and donors … I’m thrilled to see all the smiling faces and the people who’ve opened up their wallets to support the school.” The crowd was loving the tableau vivant the students created on the main stage, Sandro Botticelli’s “Primavera.” An unnamed guest in a top hat behind me grumbled, “Why didn’t they do ‘The Birth of Venus’? Everybody knows that.” (You’re correct, sir. But everybody also knows there’s a naked woman in that painting, and this was a PG event.) DCAD president Stuart Baron said the school’s collabo with “the dynamic Hal Real” will certainly continue. “We’re essentially neighbors,” he said. “We have similar missions: to revitalize the city of Wilmington. Our young people are out there and engaged. And hey, I know a lot of people are here to see the Queen. But that works just fine for us.” … Till next time, stay fabulous.
