Northern Delaware Museums and Spas
Dateline: 01/13/98
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map courtesy of Hagley Museum
This is the second article in a series which showcases some of the outstanding museums in northern Delaware and nearby Pennsylvania. In the last feature, we visited two museums found in the Wilmington area, the Delaware Toy & Miniature Museum and Hagley Museum and Library. In this feature, we visit another Wilmington museum, the Delaware Art Museum. The next feature takes us to two museums (one is actually a garden) in nearby Pennsylvania, The Brandywine River Museum and Longwood Gardens. At the end of the articles, you'll find a list of links to spas in the area. Go to the museums to stimulate your mind and refresh your spirit. Go to the spas to soothe your body. I hope you'll find the time to visit them all.
Northern Delaware Museums
Delaware Art Museum
The Delaware Art Museum is located in one of Wilmington's loveliest old neighborhoods amid well-kept, stately homes near Rockford Park. I first became aware of the Delaware Art Museum when my children were very young. The museum has a children's participatory gallery called Pegafoamasaurus. The children (and adults) have a number of doors, ranging in size from about three feet tall to eight feet tall, from which to choose to enter the gallery. Once inside, the walls are covered with pegs about 2 inches in diameter and 5 inches long, spaced about a foot apart. In the center of the room are a number of large wooden boxes filled with colorful flat foam shapes that have a 2 inch diameter hole in the center. The idea is to push these shapes onto the pegs on the wall and create designs. Stack the foam shapes. Fill a wall. The kids were engrossed for hours. Another not-to-miss event at the museum was the annual gingerbread house competition. The children loved choosing the one they wish they could take home. I enjoyed the visits, too. We always spent some time in the rest of the museum, although never as much as I would have liked. Let's take a look at what the rest of the museum holds.
The Delaware Art Museum's On-Line Collection Listed Alphabetically by Artist provides a very nice overview of the museum's permanent collections. You'll find a small sample below:
Riot by Deborah Butterfield
Howard Pyle and American Illustration
With Howard Pyle's reputation as one of America's best loved illustrators and founder of the Brandywine school of painting, the Museum is heralded as the home of the Brandywine tradition in American art. In 1912, the desire to keep 48 treasured works by Howard Pyle in Wilmington led art loving citizens to found the organization that would become the Delaware Art Museum. From the beginning, the Museum has become a primary repository for original paintings and documents from the "golden age" of American illustration. Its Howard Pyle collection is unrivaled.
The Museum's extensive 20th Century illustration collection also focuses on the work of Pyle's students, as Pyle trained a generation of equally famous followers. Works by N.C. Wyeth, Frank Schoonover, Stanley Arthurs, Elizabeth Shippen Green and Maxfield Parrish are represented.
The preservation of the Pyle legacy and the work of his students and followers has led to the development of the Museum's American art collections.
The Mermaid by Howard Pyle
The Tramp's Thanksgiving by Fredrick Maxwell Parrish
The Delaware Art Museum's distinguished collections of American art surveys the period from 1840 to the present. Included are works by West, Doughty, Homer, Church, Twachtman, Inness, Hassam, Henri, Sloan, Glackens, and Hopper. These collections provide visitors with an outstanding overview of the development of American art - from Winslow Homer and Thomas Eakins to Joan Sloan and Andrew Wyeth.
Important works by contemporary artists are an integral part of the American collection, which features major works by Al Held, Grace Hartigan, Robert Indiana, Judy Pfaff, Don Nice, Robert Stackhouse, Wendell Castle, Paul Cadmus, Hans Hoffman, Arshile Gorky, Robert Colescott, and Claes Oldenburg.
Summertime by Edward Hopper
Spring Rain by John Sloan
The Blue Door by Andrew Wyeth
English Pre-Raphaelite Collection
The Delaware Art Museum's largest non-American collection came to the Museum in 1935 from the estate of Samuel and Mary R. Bancroft. This 19th century collection of Pre-Raphael art, the most important in the United States, is displayed in a dramatic Victorian setting. The paintings and decorative arts collected by Samuel Bancroft, a wealthy Wilmington industrialist, have brought the museum international prominence. This collection, with its related material, has become a significant resource for scholars around the world. All major Pre-Raphealite artists are represented, including Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais, Edward Burne-Jones, and Marie Spartali Stillman.
The Lady Lilith by Dante Gabriel Rossetti
To complement its collections, the Museum regularly presents important temporary exhibitions from leading art museums throughout the world. These changing exhibitions offer exposure to a variety of art historical movements, media and artists. In addition, the Delaware Art Museum organizes major exhibitions which frequently travel to museums across the country.
Other special exhibitions organized by Museum staff during the year include permanent collection shows of photography, contemporary crafts, sculpture, European prints, and contemporary posters. The regular rotation of these exhibitions offers visitors new experiences as well as opportunities to see favorite works that represent the breadth and depth of the Museum's holdings.
Here are some of the upcoming exhibitions:
The White House Collection of American Crafts
December 19, 1997 - February 22, 1998President Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton assembled this collection to recognize and support The Year of American Craft in 1993. The exhibition features 72 clay, glass, metal, fiber, and wood objects by 77 American artists from every region of the United States. Established masters such as Dale Chihuly, Albert Paley, and Wendell Castle are represented, as well as emerging artists.
Biennial 98
March 20, 1998 - June 7, 1998A regional exhibition representing artists from 11 counties in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey. Diverse all-media show includes paintings, drawings, graphics, sculpture, photography, and installations.
Life Cycles: The Charles P. Burchfield Collection
June 25, 1998 - September 7, 1998This exhibition's 62 oil paintings, watercolors, drawings and prints constitute an overview of Burchfield's work. The exhibition also offers an overview of his working process.
México Ahora: Punto de Partida/ Mexico Now: Point of Departure
October 1, 1998 - November 29, 1998Sixty paintings, sculptures, photographs and installations by 12 contemporary artists, indicating significant new directions in Mexican art today.
Picture Delaware: First State Landmarks
Fall 1998A photographic document of Delaware landmarks as interpreted by 12 - 17-year olds with diverse perspectives.
To further enhance the visual art experience, the Delaware Art Museum offers a variety of public programs and special events, including studio art classes, films, lectures, symposia, concerts, tours, and unique travel opportunities. Guided tours are available.
The Helen Farr Sloan Library houses over 40,000 volumes of art reference and study materials - including exhibition catalogues and art periodicals for the casual visitor to enjoy in a wonderful reading room. The Pre-Raphaelite, Pyle, Sloan, Schoonover, and Shinn archives are of particular interest to scholars and others interested in related art research. The library is open regularly to the public.
The Art Sales & Rental Gallery displays an ever-changing selection of the finest in contemporary art on consignment from regional artists and prominent galleries in New York, Philadelphia, and Wilmington. All works are available for sale. Rental of work is a benefit of museum membership. A full range of services, including consultation, special purchases, and installation can be arranged. The Gallery is open during Museum Hours by appointment only.
The Museum store offers a wonderful selection of unique art-related gifts, including custom crafts, handmade jewelry, books, posters, prints, and postcards. There is also a special section of creative toys, books, and gadgets just fore children. The Store is open during Museum Hours.
A full range of programs and opportunities are available to Members of the Delaware Art Museum. All members enjoy Members-only exhibition previews; priority notice of special events; significant discounts on studio art class tuition, purchases in the Museum Store and Travel Program fees; rental privileges from the Art Sales & Rental Gallery. For more information on all aspects of membership or Corporate Sponsorship opportunities, please e-mail or call 302-571-9590, and ask for the Membership Office.
The Delaware Art Museum
2301 Kentmere Parkway
Wilmington, DE 19806
302-571-9590
E-mail
While in the area, you may wish to visit some of the other Wilmington and Brandywine Valley museums and attractions:
Bellevue State Park
Brandywine Battlefield Park
Brandywine River Museum
Chester County Historical Society
Delaware History Museum
Delaware Symphony Orchestra
Delaware Toy & Miniature Museum
Fort Delaware State Park
George Read II House & Gardens
Grand Opera House
Hagley Museum & Library
Kalmar Nyckel Tall Ship
Longwood Gardens
Old Town Hall
Rockwood Museum
Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library
Spas
After a visiting all these museums, you may find yourself a bit tired. What better than a relaxing massage to reenergize you for the night ahead? (Yes, Wilmington does have a night life...but that's another feature). The following are the retreats my husband and I go to for massage:
My husband recommends The Massage Center (302-761-9095) located in Wilmington, DE. The Massage Center offers Swedish massage, Pfrimmer deep muscle therapy, neuromuscular therapy, reflexology, pregnancy massage, and salt glow treatments to both men and women.
My favorite is Women In Motion Health Club and Day Spa (302-737-3652) located in Newark, DE. It is exclusively for women and offers massage, reflexology, reiki, facial, backcial, hypnosis, manicure, pedicure, body wrap, body waxing, personal trainer, and more. Read more about it in my Guide Review.
map courtesy of Perry-Castañeda Library Map
Collection
University of Texas at Austin
