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This page offers all of Delaware Public Media's ongoing coverage of the COVID-19 outbreak and how it is affecting the First State. Check here regularly for the latest new and information.

State unveils new 'interactive' mural trail to spur outdoor tourism

The Delaware Tourism Office unveiled an interactive “trail” of new murals throughout the state Monday. 

Visitors to the nine murals located from Wilmington to Rehoboth are encouraged to post photos with the art to social media using the hashtag “#DelawareDisoveries.”

People who share four of these photos with the Tourism Office can win a do-it-yourself art kit.

The paintings were installed over the last month and a half at locations including Bombay Hook Wildlife Refuge, the DE Turf Sports Complex, and the Delaware Art Museum. They were done by mostly local artists. 

Rehoboth-based artist Laura Erickson painted a mural of the world’s continents made up of native flowers and plants on a wall of the Delaware Children’s Museum in Wilmington.

“I just wanted to not only bring a beautiful, colorful mural to catch people’s eye, but to bring an educational aspect to the Children's Museum so that the kids can point out with their families where they’re from, and where their ancestors are from, and kind of put into perspective how small we are in relation to how big the world is,” Erickson said. 

Delaware Tourism Director Liz Keller says the mural trail was planned before the pandemic started—but offers an outdoor, “COVID-compliant” attraction. She emphasizes that the artwork is interactive. 

“You stand up against the artwork, have someone take your picture, and instantaneously, it’s an “insta” moment for you,” Keller said. 

The state’s tourism industry has taken a big hit during the pandemic. Keller says she encourages Delawareans to “rediscover” their own backyard — particularly outdoor destinations. 

The Delaware Tourism office has developed other trails to guide visitors through the state— including the Delaware On Tap app for local breweries and distilleries, and the Delaware History Trail. 

 

Sophia Schmidt is a Delaware native. She comes to Delaware Public Media from NPR’s Weekend Edition in Washington, DC, where she produced arts, politics, science and culture interviews. She previously wrote about education and environment for The Berkshire Eagle in Pittsfield, MA. She graduated from Williams College, where she studied environmental policy and biology, and covered environmental events and local renewable energy for the college paper.
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