Two powerful shows opened at the Brandywine River Museum (BRM) on February 1^st but many people didn’t get a chance to see them before the shutdown. Thankfully, the wait to see them live is over. The BRM is re-opening to the public this Wednesday, July 1^st. The exhibition Votes for Women: A Visual History has been extended to run through Sept. 27^th and Witness to History: Selma Photography of Stephen Somerstein will run through Nov. 1^st.

Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution, Votes for Women: A Visual History examines the compelling imagery of the suffrage movement. The exhibition recognizes the significant contributions of women of color and their community networks—which have been largely overlooked due to racial injustice. The accompanying exhibition, Witness to History: Selma Photography of Stephen Somerstein, documents the continued struggle for voting rights with 55 photographs taken during the historic 1965 civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. Both of these shows are certainly helping to shed light on the importance of taking a stand for equality today.

A memorial display of 20 Andrew Wyeth works will also be on view, as a tribute to his wife, Betsy James Wyeth, who passed away in April 2020. BRM will be implementing a variety of safety protocols and a complete list of new procedures and FAQs can be found here. Summer art camp for kids and virtual programs will continue to be offered online.

The Delaware Art Museum (DAM) is opening its doors to members this Wednesday, July 1^st. It will reopen to the full public on Wednesday, July 15^th. For months, DAM had been offering engaging virtual experiences to keep the arts alive during the shutdown. Margaret Winslow, DAM’s curator of contemporary art said it was able to quickly develop ways for the community to draw inspiration from art. “As families looked for educational opportunities, our Museum educators developed at-home art lessons, curriculum guides, and story time breaks. Through virtual tours of temporary exhibitions, deep dives into the collection with interpretation by Museum staff and community members, and performance watch parties, we remained committed to our core mission – to connect people to art.”

These were worthy efforts and certainly welcomed when it came to educating and entertaining school age children at home. But looking at art only online can grow tiresome. For most of us, it’s very difficult to grasp the scale of an artwork from a computer screen or smartphone; especially if it’s three dimensional.

Many exhibitions were on the cusp of opening when the shutdown began. Artists and curators alike were frustrated with the situation. People may not realize how much work goes into putting on significant shows of relevance like Julio daCunha: Modernizing Myths and Layering Abstraction: Margo Allman and Helen Mason. So, it is truly wonderful that DAM is extending these exhibitions. The former will be on view through November 1^st 2020 and the latter, through January 17^th, 2021.

Winslow is thrilled to be able to share the work with visitors in actual life. “As part of the Distinguished Artist series, these two exhibitions celebrate three prolific artists from the greater Wilmington area. The shows were years in the making and are the result of intensive research and collaboration.” DAM is responding quickly to recent tragedies as well. “We are also reinstalling Hank Willis Thomas’ 2018 commission, Black Survival Guide, or How to Live Through a Police Riot. Two years later, we are sharing this poignant work of art as we grapple with the emotion anxiety and the strain of violent murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and many others as a result of systemic racism.”

Following the state’s guidelines for the Art and Culture industry, Winslow said the Museum will implement enhanced safety procedures “including the wearing of face coverings, Plexiglas barriers at the front desk and Museum Store registers, and the suspension of café service, to mention only a few.” For folks still uneasy about venturing out, virtual programming will continue throughout the summer. DAM is sharing events on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Pinterest. Full details to prepare for your visit are online.

Other venues to check out: In Haverford, Merritt Gallery is now open Monday to Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and by appointment.  The staff will continue to do virtual presentations and consultations. In Philadelphia, Stanek Gallery is re-opening on July 2^nd and is highlighting the exhibition Three Voices featuring artists Deborah Fine, Kerry Dunn and Gary Weisman. Strict social distancing protocols will be followed. Tickets must be reserved and masks will be required for all.

Whatever you do this week, support the arts!!

About Constance McBride

A native of Philadelphia, Constance McBride lived in Arizona for 16 years, where desert observations made a transformative impact on her work as a research based visual artist. Passionate about contemporary art, she was actively engaged in the local arts community. She served as a board member for several art organizations, managed an artist collective/gallery space, curated and juried several exhibitions and wrote for two arts publications in Phoenix. She taught ceramics at Shemer Art Center and Museum and exhibited her work both locally and nationally. McBride returned to Pennsylvania in 2018 and resides in Chester Springs with her husband and two dogs. In West Chester, she serves as a board member at The Art Trust Gallery at Meridian Bank and teaches ceramics at Chester County Art Association. She also teaches at Clay on Main in Oley, PA. She is a member of American Craft Council, Philadelphia Sculptors, and Women’s Caucus for Art, Philadelphia Chapter.

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