City Of Wilmington: Wilmington Art Loop Returns For First Time In Nearly Two Years

Press release from the City of Wilmington:

12/01/2021 10:30 AM

Sixteen galleries in and around Wilmington will participate         

Artist Siobhan Duggan’s Fleeting at the Mezzanine Gallery

Fleeting 

Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki, City Cultural Affairs Director Tina Betz, and Jerry duPhily of Out & About Magazine are excited to welcome back City residents and art lovers from around the region to the first in-person Art Loop Wilmington in twenty months. Shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic, which struck in March 2020, the rejuvenated Art Loop returns Friday, December 3. The popular FREE art exhibition, now in its 33rd year, is a partnership between the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs and Out & About. Sixteen galleries in and around Wilmington will participate in this month’s Art Loop. A complete list can be found in the December issue of Out and About.
 
The Delaware Division of the Arts’ Mezzanine Gallery, located on the second floor of the Carvel State Office Building, at 820 North French Street, is pleased to present artist Siobhan Duggan’s exhibition, Fleeting, from December 3, 2021, through January 7, 2022. Named a 2021 Emerging Artist Fellow in the category of Works on Paper by the Delaware Division of the Arts, Duggan will host a FREE opening reception on Friday, from 5 to 7 p.m.
 
Duggan’s work can be described as a visual love letter to Coastal Delaware. The artist’s exhibit of pastel drawings purely captures her fondness of the regional scenery, from farm fields to beaches. “My work is inspired by the varying landscapes and inspiring world that is Coastal Delaware,” she says. “I’ve always enjoyed drawing in quiet, open spaces, recording places I’ve been, connecting with my local community. I find it rewarding to notice those brief moments when the color changes in the landscape around me.”
 
Duggan’s technique reflects both realistic and abstract interpretations of her journeys throughout lower Delaware. “I’ve been exploring color, expanding scale, and experimenting with abstraction,” she says. “I’m focusing on fleeting moments of color as I travel Route 1.” This exhibit, Fleeting, encompasses those moments in between that she aimed to capture.
 
Other featured establishments in December include the City of Wilmington’s Redding Gallery, the Toni & Stuart B. Young Gallery at Delaware College of Art and Design (DCAD), Milk and Honey Café and Gallery @ LOMA, and The Delaware Contemporary.

Out & About Magazine Out & About Mezzanine Gallery

 Artist Terron Mitchell at The Louis L. Redding Gallery

Wilmington’s Redding Gallery, located at 800 North French Street, presents the work of Terron Mitchell, a sculptural painter who primarily creates abstracts from wooden sheathing boards. Mitchell intricately carves each piece and layers the materials in a three-dimensional fashion. To add color, he creates oil stains by mixing oil pigments with thinning agents and applying them to the wood thinly to assure that the natural wood grain design remains exposed. 

Redding Gallery

 It’s the Journey by Bronwen Hazlett

It’s the Journey

The Toni & Stuart B. Young Gallery at Delaware College of Art and Design (DCAD), at 600 North Market Street, proudly presents “Experimental Reality” by photographer Bronwen Hazlett, which will be exhibited through January 22, 2022.  The works featured in this exhibition embody an experimental process that invites the viewer to be both captivated by Hazlett’s imagery and intrigued by her process. Inspired by an early nomadic journey in life, her work is rooted in concepts of home, place, memory, and self-healing. While exploring philosophical alchemy – understanding your true nature, purging negativity, and living your life – Hazlett exposes her lived experiences by pushing traditional darkroom techniques in new directions. Photography lovers are invited to view the exhibition and meet Bronwen Hazlett, with Artist Talk and Demonstrations at 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Friday.

Delaware College of Art and Design (DCAD

 Artist Anthony Sealey at Milk and Honey Café @ LOMA

Milk and Honey Café @ LOMA, 239 North Market Street, is brewin’ up something hot in December with the work of contemporary abstract artist Yakime Akelá Brown and photographic artist Anthony Sealey.  The pair has teamed up again for an intimate exhibition of new paintings and stunning photography. This is a must-see presentation, with complimentary lite bites and beverages beginning at 5 p.m. and continuing until 8 p.m. on Friday.

Finally, The Delaware Contemporary, at 200 South Madison Street, invites you to its Annual Holiday Craft Show on Friday from 5 to 9 p.m. Enjoy this festive shopping experience dedicated to contemporary American craft showcasing emerging and established artists. Shop handmade products and unique gifts that are perfect for the holidays! While COVID is still a concern, Taste of the Holidays will not take place during this event. There will be a cash bar with holiday specialty drinks, and vendors will be spread out in the Lobby and Auditorium to avoid crowding.
 
One featured exhibition in December will be Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again, Fail again, Fail better by Graham Dougherty, who will attend an opening reception on Friday from 5 to 9 p.m.  Dougherty attended Tyler School of Art at Temple University and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. His paintings have been exhibited regionally since 1962 in both museums and commercial galleries and his work can be found in both corporate and private collections. Dougherty maintains a studio at The Delaware Contemporary.
 
Another special exhibition of art and Ikebana floral design entitled Art in Bloom will feature floral arrangements created by members of the Philadelphia Chapter of Ikebana International designed to complement and correspond to the contemporary art on display. Current exhibitions include Fields and Formations (Group exhibition), Veils by Catharine Fichtner, Ballads of Spread by Michael Gavish, and Traces by Cheryl Goldsleger.
 
COVID GUIDELINES
All visitors are expected to confirm and follow COVID guidelines as determined by individual galleries.
 
Patrons are encouraged to take advantage of two shuttles, which leave the parking lot of The Delaware Contemporary, located at 200 South Madison Street, at 5:45 p.m. The shuttles provide round-trip transportation to either Downtown Art Loop venues or locations in Trolley Square and venues north of Downtown and are a convenient way to meet other art lovers. Shuttle drivers will be on-hand at The Contemporary to answer questions and help art enthusiasts navigate the many offerings of Art Loop Wilmington. Reservations are not required.

The Wilmington Art Loop is a self-guided exhibition of visual art displayed at galleries, studios, museums, and alternative spaces in and around Wilmington. The FREE event draws local and regional art lovers to the Downtown District and greater Wilmington area on the first Friday of the month except for Independence Day Weekend in July. Many venues offer opportunities to meet the featured artists while patrons enjoy refreshments, and, in some cases, live entertainment is scheduled.
 
Art Loop Wilmington’s website – a hand-held guide to the Loop that is easily navigable by gallery location, artist, or type of venue – is mobile friendly and features the monthly lineup at least two weeks prior to the start of each Art Loop. The site can be accessed at www.artloopwilmington.org. People can also join the conversation on social media by using #ArtLoopWilm or visit the Facebook Page. The next Art Loop will take place on Friday, January 7, 2022.

The Delaware Contemporary Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again, Fail again, Fail better Art in Bloom Fields and Formations

COMMUNITY AND MEDIA INQUIRIES: 

John Rago
Deputy Chief of Staff
Office of the Mayor
Mobile: (302) 420-7928
Email: jrago@wilmingtonde.gov 

This press release was produced by the City of Wilmington. The views expressed here are the author’s own.