A pair of exhibitions at Wilmington’s Rockwood Park & Museum uses the nation’s 250th anniversary as a frame for art by some established Delaware artists as well as high school students from around New Castle County.
“We the People” brings a quintet of Delaware-based artists - Yikui (Coy) Gu, Shefon N. Taylor, Lauren E. Peters, Mickayel Thurin, and Alim Smith - to Rockwood to exhibit new art inspired by the museum’s stories.
“All work in a type of portraiture or figural representation, and they have drawn inspiration from both the history and the people at Rockwood, as well as our own historic portrait collection,” explains Kristen Matulewicz, the exhibit’s curator.
In addition to viewing the art, people will be able to hear from the artists directly in a series of events called “Talk Tails,” pairing a talk from the artists with each artist’s favorite cocktail or mocktail.
“It'll be anything from a sit-down, formal lecture, a Q&A, a tour, or a gallery talk, just based on what makes sense for that artist and their work,” Matulewicz says.
Also on display at Rockwood is another exhibition tied to the semiquincentennial. “Americans in History” brings artwork by students in New Castle County schools - A.I. duPont , Christiana High School, and Cantwell's Bridge Middle School - to the museum. For that exhibition, the student artists were asked to create works blending history with the current age.
“The idea is really that student work is going to explore either historical practices of portraiture or historic people and modify it into sort of a contemporary lens,” Matulewicz says.
That could mean reimagining historical figures in modern times, or placing modern-day figures into a historical context, she explains.
The goal for the two exhibitions is not only to show the artwork, but also to create a wider sense of belonging, Matulewicz says.
“We're really hoping that by highlighting all of these different voices and perspectives that are not typically seen in a historic house and in a historic setting, all different people are able to make a connection and feel themselves being represented,” she says.
“We the People” and “Americans in History” run through September 26, with opening receptions for both exhibitions on May 1.
Delaware Public Media's arts coverage is made possible, in part, by support from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
