Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Historic Odessa Foundation reopens Wednesday with two new exhibits

The Historic Odessa Foundation (HOF) is among those reopening after shutting down in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It will welcomes visitors back this week on a limited basis with two new exhibits opening on Wednesday, July 1, 2020:

 

Staff at the Historic Odessa Foundation say they are “cautiously ecstatic” about welcoming visitors back.

“We’re going to have sort of a “soft opening” for the Visitor’s Center and sort of our art Gallery on Wednesday, July1. But then we’re not really going to open for our historic house tours until Tuesday, July 14,” said associate curator Brian Miller.

 

Miller says visitors will have to follow Gov. Carney’s and the CDC’s strict safety guidelines.

 

“Obviously keeping a distance of six feet.  We’ll only have four guests at a time on the Historic House tours, sadi Miller. "Everyone, including the staff, the docents, the receptionists will all be wearing their masks. We’ll also have hand sanitizing stations at every building.”

 
 

He says a new exhibit by Wilmington artist Paul Simon called “Face Up”  opens Wednesday, July 1, 2020 in the Visitor’s Center.

 

“All of his titles of his exhibits relate to the face because he does amazing, vibrant, pastel portraits of people that he’s encountered as a long-time volunteer at the Jeweish Family Services (JFS) in Wilmington, Delaware,” noted Miller.

And Odessa resident and antiques dealer Paul Thien is opening a gallery in one of the town’s historic buildings featuring historic Delaware pieces.

 

“We have everything from milk bottles to expensive highboys," said Thien.

The gallery is on Main Street in the historic Pump House that was built in 1780. Thien hosts a reception there Wednesday, July 1, 2020 from 6 to 8 p.m.

You can read about all the new exhibits at the Historic Odessa Foundation's website.

Kelli Steele has over 30 years of experience covering news in Delaware, Baltimore, Winchester, Virginia, Phoenix, Arizona and San Diego, California.