Delaware Center For Contemporary Arts

A NON-COLLECTING ART MUSEUM DEDICATED TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF CONTEMPORARY ARTS.

THE DELAWARE CONTEMPORARY OFFERS A WIDE VARIETY OF EDUCATIONALPROGRAMS. OUTREACH PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN INCLUDE IN-SCHOOLCURRICULUM-RELATED PROGRAMS. PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN HELD AT THE DELAWARECONTEMPORARY INCLUDE HANDS-ON ART CLASSES, AFTER SCHOOL ART CLUBS,GALLERY AND STUDIO TOURS, FREE FAMILY DAYS, AND SUMMER CAMPS. PROGRAMSFOR ADULTS INCLUDE LECTURES, SYMPOSIA, ART CLASSES, WORKSHOPS, ANDGALLERY TOURS.INTRODUCTION OF NEW INITIATIVES TO ENHANCE EXISTING PROGRAMMING:CONTEMPORARY CONNECTIONS: PROJECT C: SINCE 1992, CONTEMPORARYCONNECTIONS HAS WORKED WITH UNDERSERVED WILMINGTON SCHOOLS TO INTRODUCESTUDENTS AND TEACHERS TO CONTEMPORARY ART THAT IS CONNECTED TOCORE-CURRICULAR EDUCATION STANDARDS AND REFLECTS IDEAS, ATTITUDES AND ISSUES IN CULTURE, SOCIETY, COMMUNITY AND DAILY LIFE. TO EXTEND THE REACH OF OUR CONTEMPORARY ART RESOURCES TO SCHOOLS, EDUCATORS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC WHO ARE UNABLE TO VISIT OUR PHYSICAL SPACE, PROJECT C FEATURES CURRICULAR TOOLS, LESSON PLANS, VIDEOS AND VIRTUAL TOURS IN THE PLATFORM OF A DYNAMIC ONLINE LEARNER SPACE. CONTENT FOR CC:PROJECT C. IS DERIVED FROM PRODUCTION, STUDIO AND EXHIBITION PRACTICES OF THE WORK BY OUR RESIDENT STUDIO ARTISTS.BUILDING A CREATIVE FUTURE COMPLEMENTS OUR EXISTING CREATIVE ARTS CLUB BY OFFERING AT RISK TEENS THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE A DIVERSE RANGE OF CREATIVE CAREERS, INTERFACE WITH OTHER TEENS AND CREATIVE PROFESSIONALS, BUILDING A PROFESSIONAL PORTFOLIO, AND PARTICIPATE IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. THROUGH AN ONGOING PARTNERSHIP WITH THREE, TITLE-1 HIGH SCHOOLS WE PAIR TEENS WITH TEACHING ARTISTS WHO MEET WITH THE STUDENTS AND TEACHERS AFTER SCHOOL AT THE MUSEUM TO ENGAGE IN ART MAKING, DIALOGUE AND COLLABORATION. 31.9% OF STUDENTS COME FROM A LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLD.THE DELAWARE CONTEMPORARY CONTINUES TO OFFER LECTURES SYMPOSIA, ART CLASSES, WORKSHOPS AND GALLERY TOURS.

THE DELAWARE CONTEMPORARY OFFERS MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARTISTS TO WORKWITHIN ITS FACILITIES AND IN THE COMMUNITY. TWENTY-SIX ARTISTS ENTERINTO AGREEMENTS WITH THE DCCA TO HAVE YEAR-ROUND WORKING STUDIOSON-SITE AND TO OPEN THEM FOR COMMUNITY EVENTS"THE STUDIOS @" IS AN INITIATIVE DESIGNED TO PROMOTE AND STRENGTHENSTUDIO ARTIST INVOLVEMENT WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION AND OUR COMMUNITY.THE DELAWARE CONTEMPORARY ACCEPTED AND WELCOMED 4 NEW STUDIO ARTISTSTHIS LAST YEAR.THE STUDIOS @ THE DELAWARE CONTEMPORARY: OUR ONSITE, 26 MIXED-USESTUDIO SPACES OF GALLERIES, ARTIST STUDIOS AND ART INCUBATORS, AREACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC BY APPOINTMENT AND DURING EXTENDED HOURS ONFIRST FRIDAY ART LOOPS. OUR STUDIO SPACE PHILOSOPHY IS ROOTED IN A SENSE OF COMMUNITY WHERE PROACTIVITY, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, DIVERSITY OF IDEAS, PERSPECTIVES AND ARTISTICS PRACTICE ARE HONORED, RESPECTED, AND ACHIEVED. IT IS A KEY GOAL THIS YEAR TO MAKE THE STUDIOA DESTINATION FOR THE PUBLIC, COLLECTORS AND CURATORS BY INCREASING OUR COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS, OFFERING SPECIAL INCENTIVES AND HEIGHTENING OUR PROGRAMMING.THE DELAWARE CONTEMPORARY CONTINUES TO ADD TO OUR ARTIST OPPORTUNITY OFFERINGS. IN THE LAST YEAR WE HAVE INTRODUCED THE DRAPER EXPERIMENT, A COMPETITIVE OPPORTUNITY THAT WELCOMES ARTISTS TO PUSH THE BOUNDARIES OF YOUR TYPICAL ART EXHIBITION. THIS INITIATIVE WILL BE MOVING INTO THE DIFFERENT GALLERY SPACE FOR THE COMING YEAR AND HAS BEEN RENAMED AS THE HENNESSY EXPERIMENT. WE ALSO OFFER CURATORIAL PORTFOLIO REVIEWS WHERE OUR CURATORIAL TEAM REVIEWS AND PROVIDES CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK HOW TO STRENGHTEN THEIR ARTISTIC PORTFOLIO. THE DELAWARE CONTEMPORARY HAS INTRODUCED PERFORMANCE ART TO OUR POPULAR FIRST FRIDAY ART LOOP EVENTS. ARTIST OPPORTUNITY: THE DELAWARE CONTEMPORARY INVITES LOCAL EMERGING ARTISTS CAREER TO SUBMIT PROPOSALS FOR JURIED EXHIBITION, INCLUSION IN OUR RETAIL AND EXPERIMENTAL INSTALLATIONS. THESE OPPORTUNITIES ARE DESIGNED TO ADVANCE THEIR ARTISTIC GROWTH AND USE THE MUSEUM AS A TEST LAB TO EXERCISE IDEAS AND PUSH CURRENT PRACTICES IN A SPACE TO EXPERIMENT WITH CRAFT, MATERIALS AND MEDIUMS.

THE BACKBONE OF THE DELAWARE CONTEMPORARY'S OFFERINGS ARE TWENTY-FIVEPLUS EXHIBITIONS OF ORIGINAL CONTEMPORARY ARTWORK BY LIVING ARTISTSTHAT ARE PRESENTED IN THE MUSEUM'S SEVEN GALLERIES EACH YEAR AND THEINTERPRETIVE MATERIALS AND PROGRAMS THAT ARE DEVELOPED TO ACCOMPANYTHEM. THE DELAWARE CONTEMPORARY CONTINUES TO OFFER MORE THAN 24EXHIBITIONS ANNUALLY OF ORIGINAL CONTEMPORARY ARTWORK CREATED BY THEARTISTS OF TODAY. AS OF 2020, WE HAVE CULTIVATED A NEW PARTNERSHIP WITHTHE MAYOR'S OFFICE ON FRENCH STREET IN WILMINGTON, DE. THROUGH THISPARTNERSHIP, THE DELAWARE CONTEMPORARY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR CURATING THESPACE IN THE LOUIS L. REDDING GALLERY, LOCATED IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.ONE OF OUR CURRENT EXHIBITIONS, BEIJING BOOSTER PAINTINGS BY PETERWAYNE LEWIS, WAS JUST RECENTLY FEATURED IN THE SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE.EXHIBITIONS: THE DELAWARE CONTEMPORARY PRESENTS OVER 24 EXHIBITIONS ANNUALLY OF REGIONALLY, NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED ARTISTS IN OUR SEVEN EXHIBITION GALLERIES. GROUP AND SOLO SHOWS EXPLORE TOPICAL ISSUES IN CONTEMPORARY ART AND SOCIETY. THE MUSEUM IS IN A PARTNERSHIP TO CURATE EXHIBITIONS FOR WILMINGTON'S CITY HALL. THE DELAWARE CONTEMPORARY HAS EXPANDED UPON OUR INTERPRETIVE MATERIAL AND PROGRAMS THROUGH, YET ANOTHER, NEW PARTNERSHIP. PARTNERING WITH DISCOVER, THE DELAWARE CONTEMPORARY INTRODUCES THE DISCOVER LAB. AS OF 2020, THE FULL DISCOVER LAB INITIATIVE IS STILL UUNDERWAY, HOWEVER THE DISCOVER ART CART HAS BEEN IN USE SINCE MARCH. DISCOVER LAB:ART SPACE, ART CART AND COLLECTION: THE DISCOVER LAB INTIATIVE IS A COLLECTION OF INTERPRETATION TOOLS DESIGNED TO ENHANCE AND CONNECT THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE WITHIN OUR EXHIBITIONS THROUGH THEMATIC, EXPERIMENTAL ACTIVITIES. THE DISCOVER LAB PROVIDES GUESTS, OF ALL AGES, WITH FLEXIBLE, MULTIPLE PATHWAYS OF UNDERSTANDING CONTEMPORARY ART AND IDEAS TO BUILDING CONNECTIONS WITH THE ARTWORK IN OUR GALLERIES AS WELL AS OUR ORGANIZATION. WE BELIEVE THOSE CONNECTIONS WILL RESULT IN A LIFE-LONG DEEPER APPRECIATION OF THE ART AND THE VITAL ROLE IT PLAYS IN OUR LIVES AND OUR COMMUNITY.