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 EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. OUTREACH PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN INCLUDE IN-SCHOOL CURRICULUM-RELATED PROGRAMS. PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN HELD AT THE DELAWARE CONTEMPORARY INCLUDE HANDS-ON ART CLASSES, AFTER SCHOOL ART CLUBS, GALLERY AND STUDIO TOURS, FREE FAMILY DAYS, AND SUMMER CAMPS. PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS INCLUDE LECTURES, SYMPOSIA, ART CLASSES, WORKSHOPS, AND GALLERY TOURS.INTRODUCTION OF NEW INITIATIVES TO ENHANCE EXISTING PROGRAMMING:CONTEMPORARY CONNECTIONS: PROJECT C: SINCE 1992, CONTEMPORARY CONNECTIONS HAS WORKED WITH UNDERSERVED WILMINGTON SCHOOLS TO INTRODUCE STUDENTS AND TEACHERS TO CONTEMPORARY ART THAT IS CONNECTED TO CORE-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 THEWORK BY OUR RESIDENT STUDIO ARTISTS.BUILDING A CREATIVE FUTURE COMPLEMENTS OUR EXISTING CREATIVE ARTS CLUBBY OFFERING AT RISK TEENS THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE A DIVERSE RANGE OFCREATIVE 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 WORK WITHIN ITS FACILITIES AND IN THE COMMUNITY. ARTISTS ENTER INTO AGREEMENTS WITH THE MUSEUM TO HAVE YEAR-ROUND WORKING STUDIOS ON-SITE AND TO OPEN THEM FOR COMMUNITY EVENTS "THE STUDIOS @" IS AN INITIATIVE DESIGNED TO PROMOTE AND STRENGTHEN STUDIO ARTIST INVOLVEMENT WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION AND OUR COMMUNITY. THE DELAWARE CONTEMPORARY ACCEPTED AND WELCOMED 4 NEW STUDIO ARTISTS THIS LAST YEAR.THE STUDIOS @ THE DELAWARE CONTEMPORARY: OUR ONSITE, 26 MIXED-USE STUDIO SPACES OF GALLERIES, ARTIST STUDIOS AND ART INCUBATORS, ARE ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC BY APPOINTMENT AND DURING EXTENDED HOURS AT DESIGNATED EVENTS. 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 STUDIO A 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-FIVE PLUS EXHIBITIONS OF ORIGINAL CONTEMPORARY ARTWORK BY LIVING ARTISTS THAT ARE PRESENTED IN THE MUSEUM'S SEVEN GALLERIES EACH YEAR AND THE INTERPRETIVE MATERIALS AND PROGRAMS THAT ARE DEVELOPED TO ACCOMPANY THEM. THE DELAWARE CONTEMPORARY CONTINUES TO OFFER MORE THAN 24 EXHIBITIONS ANNUALLY OF ORIGINAL CONTEMPORARY ARTWORK CREATED BY THE ARTISTS OF TODAY. 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 UNDERWAY, 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, OFALL 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 VITALROLE IT PLAYS IN OUR LIVES AND OUR COMMUNITY.