Why Not Wyeth?
Do yourself a favor and carve out a Tuesday for a tour of Andrew Wyeth’s recently opened studio, which shows how a true American master thought and worked. Docents offer “Three Generations of Wyeth Art” from the Brandywine River Museum’s collections, followed by lunch in the museum restaurant. The Chadds Ford studio was Wyeth’s workplace from1940 until 2008, the place where he created some of his most famous works. Wyeth was the son of renowned artist N.C. Wyeth (1882-1945), famous for illustrating “Treasure Island” and other classic tales, and father of Jamie Wyeth, a famous painter is his own right. To celebrate the studio’s opening, the museum offers “A Painter’s View: The Andrew Wyeth Studio,” through Oct. 28. The exhibition features paintings and drawings that reflect Wyeth’s interest in the building interior and the individuals who often posed there. Tours take place July 17, July 31, Aug. 14, Aug. 28, Sept. 11, Sept. 25, Oct. 9, Oct. 23 and Nov. 6. 610-388-2700, brandywinemusuemshop.org
Celebrating the Bard—at Last
One of the best events of summer is finally here. The annual Delaware Shakespeare Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary with a production of the hilarious “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” July 13-28 at Rockwood Mansion Park in Wilmington. During one enchanting forest night, a fairy king and queen duel for supremacy, young lovers fall wildly out of and into love, and the world’s worst acting troupe puts on a remarkable show. It’s a magical way to celebrate the season—and one very important event. Stay tuned for more. 415-3373, delshakes.org
If you miss the fest, don’t forget “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” as part of Shakespeare in the Garden at the Rehoboth Art League. Meet the New Faces of Shakespeare, a company of the Possum Point Players in Georgetown, on Aug. 4. The old farm is the perfect setting for an evening of magic. 227-8408, rehobothartleague.org
Surprise, Surprise
Keep your eyes open—you never know when great art will pop up near you. The Delaware Art Museum’s year-long Centennial Celebration continues with a surprise pop-up art campaign, “Art is Everywhere!” an outdoor museum exhibition that uses main streets and outdoor landmarks as its gallery. Realistic reproductions of works of art are printed to scale, framed, then installed in pedestrian-friendly outdoor locations like parks, the sides of buildings and other places where people gather. On view July 17-Oct. 1, “Art is Everywhere” features 15 reproductions of some of the museum’s most treasured paintings, such as Howard Pyle’s “The Mermaid,” Winslow Homer’s “Milking Time” and Edward Hopper’s “Summertime.” “The Delaware Art Museum’s collection really belongs to all Delawareans,” says executive director Danielle Rice. “By sharing reproductions of some of our most beloved works of art, we’re hoping ‘Art is Everywhere’ will spark curiosity and inspire both new and current visitors.” Installations will occur in Sussex and Kent counties on July 10-11 and in New Castle County July 16-17. Maps can be downloaded at delart.org/artiseverywhere, Art is Everywhere includes the following locations:
Woodside Farm Creamery
“MILKING TIME,” WINSLOW HOMER
1310 Little Baltimore Road, Hockessin, 239-9847, woodsidefarmcreamery.com
Brandywine Park, Jasper Crane Rose Garden
“LOVE’S MESSENGER,” MARIE SPARTALI STILLMAN
North Park Drive, Wilmington, 577-7020, destateparks.com
The Grand Opera House
“ROMEO & JULIET,” FORD MADDOX BROWN
818 N. Market St., Wilmington, 652-5577, thegrandwilmington.org
Wilmington Riverfront
“ATTACK ON A GALLEON,” HOWARD PYLE
1 Poole Place, Wilmington, 425-4890, riverfrontwilm.com
Kelly’s Logan House
“MAROONED,” HOWARD PYLE
1701 Delaware Ave., Wilmington, 652-9493, loganhouse.com
University of Delaware
“SPRING RAIN,” JOHN SLOAN
Harter Residence Hall, 11 The Green, Newark, 831-2792, udel.edu
New Castle County Court House Museum
“STANDING OUT,” EDWARD MORAN
211 Delaware St., New Castle, 323-4453, history.delaware.gov
Aqua Sol Restaurant & Bar
“THE FLYING DUTCHMAN,” HOWARD PYLE
3006 Summit Harbour Place, Bear, 365-6490, aquasolrestaraunt.com
Crabby Dick’s
“LADY LILITH,” DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI
30 Clinton St., Delaware City, 832-5100, crabby-dicks.com
Smyrna Opera House
“VERONICA VERONESE,” DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI
7 W. South St., Smyrna, 653-4236, smyrnaoperahouse.org
First State Heritage Park
“ABSALOM JONES,” RAPHAELLE PEALE
Kent County Courthouse, 414 Federal St., Dover, 744-5055, history.delaware.gov
Mispillion Art League
“THE MERMAID,” HOWARD PYLE
5 N. Walnut St., Milford, 430-7646, mispillionarts.org
Georgetown Public Library
“THE OLD LION,” ABBOTT HANDERSON THAYER
123 W. Pine St., Georgetown, 856-7958, georgetownpubliclibrary.org
Lewes Historical Society
“SUMMERTIME,” EDWARD HOPPER
110 Shipcarpenter St., Lewes, 645-7670, historiclewes.org
Rehoboth Beach Public Library
“THE BUCCANEER WAS A PICTURESQUE FELLOW,” HOWARD PYLE
226 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth Beach, 227-8044, rehobothlibrary.org
The Shows of Shows
The Clear Space Theatre Company’s Summer Repertory is well underway, with productions of “Cabaret” and “Annie,” as well as “Broadway at the Beach,” its own popular revue of classic show tunes. The shows run in two-day rotations, Tuesdays through Sundays, through Sept. 2. It’s a boatload of fun. 227-2270, clearspacetheatre.org
Life is Short, Art Shows are Long
There are two things you must do at Delaware Art Museum before July 15: First, see “Painted Poetry: The Art of Mary Page Evans,” before it ends. Second, while you’re there, see “Mary Page Evans: Force of Nature,” the Teleduction documentary that shows her love of nature, light, and color. Together they show how Evans has become one of the best and most beloved local artists of the day. You can also check out the recent story about her in Delaware Today by clicking here. 571-9590, delart.org
Also at the Delaware Art Museum, “Once Upon a Time in Delaware/In Quest of the Perfect Book” explores decorative book covers through the eyes of artist Nina Katchadourian and local collector Mary G. Sawyer. Katchadourian used volumes from Sawyer’s collection of 2,000 rare books to makes photographs of books grouped so their titles can be read as a sequence. The results are both humorous and insightful. In commemoration of the museum’s centennial, “100 Works for 100 Years” displays a fraction of the 12,000 objects in its collection, each selected for its aesthetic merit, popularity or provenance. Each tells a unique tale. 571-9590, delart.org
A highlight of every season at the Biggs Museum of American Art in Dover is “Award Winners,” an annual celebration of achievements of Delaware Division of the Arts Individual Artist Fellowships recipients. “Award Winners XII” honors top-tier visual and performing artists and writers. They are: Mahasveta Barua, William Bretzger, David Brinley, Anne Marie Cammarato, Fostina Dixon-Kilgoe, Xiang Gao, Gary Hanna, Ramona Maziarz, Abby Millager, James Miller, Ellen Priest, Nicholas Serratore, Jessica Stephens, Sally Van Orden and Carol Woolworth. It’s an opportuniy to see, hear and read the best, as well as study at their knees. See “Award Winners XII” through Oct. 21. 674-2111,
You love to visit the beach and mountains during summer. So did some of the country’s most famous artists, and they created some unforgettable images while there. The Brandywine River Museum presents them, along with scenes from Europe, Asia and the Mideast, in “Summer Sojourns: Art on Holiday.” See nearly 100 paintings, drawings and prints from its collection, including work from N.C. Wyeth’s visits to Port Clyde, Maine, including “Herring Gut” and Untitled (View of Eight Bells), and works that show how the ocean and dunes in Rehoboth Beach inspired some of Howard Pyle’s paintings of pirate lore. There’s more, of course. See it through Sept. 3. (610) 388-2700, brandywinemuseum.org
If ever you were even slightly disturbed by your own body, you may be interested in “Entropy” by Carson Zullingier at the DCCA through Sept. 9. The artist explores the inner self through a photographic examination of the body’s decline from birth till death. “We see metaphors for youth and age, dark and light, good and evil, and the spiritual and the physical,” says curator J. Susan Isaacs. “The gallery space represents a tomb and a laboratory,” reflecting Zullinger’s interest in both Egyptian funerary architecture and physics. How do our inner and outer selves relate to the universe? This is one way to look at it. 656-6466, thedcca.org
Also at the DCCA: “And the WORD is…” a group exhibition of work by four contemporary artists who use religious language in their work. That work ranges from humorous and ironic to revelatory. Stephanie Kirk’s photography shows messages on church signs such as, “God wants full custody, not a weekend visit” and, “You think it’s hot here?” Blind sculptor David Stephens’ large wooden panels offer words from the Bible carved in Braille. Martin Brief’s 14-panel installation shows written book titles searched from Amazon.com containing the word “God.” Nick Kripal steel and salt installation takes center stage, spelling out “Epiphany.” All of it will make you think. 656-6466, thedcca.org
Winterthur’s “Uncorked! Wine, Objects & Tradition,” features 300 objects and imagery created in response to our love of wine. “Uncorked!” shows how wine was marketed and consumed in America and Britain from the 1600s through the 1800s. View unique wine bottles, decanters and cellarettes, lead figures of Bacchus, “Champagne Charlie” song sheets, advertisements and more. The exhibition will be on view through Jan. 6. winterthur.org/uncorked
