Join us Tuesday mornings at 10:30, to hear stories, sing songs, play games, and more with Señora Mercedes during Storytime in Español!

For ages 1+

An hour long free play session with a set of wooden blocks of people, vehicles, and animals. Kids will have the freedom to build and play as they wish.

(Ages 2-5 years)

Delaware Art Museum Hosts Groundbreaking New Ballet on Jan. 23

Black Iris Project’s solo ballet centers around one mother coping from the loss of her child to a racially motivated murder

The Delaware Art Museum is pleased to announce that it will host A Mother’s Rite, the Black Iris Project’s groundbreaking solo ballet, on Thursday, January 23 at 6:00 p.m. Founded in 2016 by choreographer Jeremy McQueen, The Black Iris Project is a ballet collaborative and education vehicle that creates new classical and contemporary ballet works that celebrate diversity and Black history. A Mother’s Rite, which is set to Igor Stravinsky’s iconic composition Rite of Spring, is a moving 38-minute solo performance about how a mother copes with the loss of her child to a racially-motivated murder by police.

Jeremy McQueen, artistic director and choreographer for the Black Iris Project, says about the inspiration of A Mother’s Rite, “I was first inspired to create A Mother’s Rite when I attended a Solange concert at Radio City Music Hall. Solange was performing a song called ‘Mad’ and started to increasingly appear physically and emotionally distressed. As I was watching this almost ritualistic shedding of pain, I started to think about what I and Black Americans have the right to be mad about and I started to think more and more about the senseless killings of Black men and women across our country. A Mother’s Rite is choreographed to illustrate a side of the story that is often kept very private, one that the public is not often exposed to.”

The Museum is offering A Mother’s Rite in conjunction with their participation in One Village Alliance’s Raising Kings 2020, a week of events (January 20 – 25) around Wilmington focused on empowering young Black men and their families. In addition to the January 23 Black Iris performance, the Museum will offer volunteer opportunities for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service on Monday, January 20.

“MLK Day of Service is a time for us to celebrate our many accomplishments around building equity in our city, but also for us to reflect on the work that still needs to be done,” says Jonathan Whitney, the Museum’s Manager of Performance Programs & Community Engagement. “We are inviting the community to join us on MLK day to make chess sets for youth, knit caps for infants, and drop off winter coats for the homeless, while also hearing flash talks about voting rights, the importance of census participation, the school to prison pipeline, and infant mortality. We hope people will then come back that Thursday for A Mother’s Rite to reflect with us on the effects of racially motivated violence on families and communities of color.”

Keeping in line with its vision to collaborate with local organizations, the Museum is also partnering with Pieces of a Dream, Inc., Christiana Cultural Arts Center, and Cab Calloway School for the Arts around A Mother’s Rite.

Leading up to the public performance, Pieces of a Dream, Inc. will offer a free ballet master class for dancers with Jeremy M. McQueen, Choreographer of A Mother's Rite on Wednesday, January 22 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at their Lancaster Avenue dance studio. Interested participants should pre-register at delart.org.

During the first half of the public performance on January 23, ensembles of local dancers from both Pieces of a Dream, Inc. and the Christina Cultural Arts Center will perform. This will be followed by a brief intermission, then Black Iris Project’s 38-minute solo piece A Mother’s Rite. A Q & A between director Jeremy McQueen and the creative mind behind Raising Kings Week, Chandra Pitts, President & CEO of the One Village Alliance, will immediately follow the performance.

“The opportunity for the Black Iris Project to visit Delaware for performances and workshops is fundamentally important to the social and cultural development of our state,” says Ashley S.K. Davis, Executive and Artistic Director at Pieces of a Dream, Inc. “While there is no shortage of ballet companies in the region, there is a poignant lack of African-American bodies on these illustrious stages. For aspiring young Black ballerinas and ballerinos to see themselves represented in this genre can be inspiring and life-changing. It is also important for the community at large, dancers and non-dancers alike, to see this classical dance form centered on Black bodies and focused on Black stories.”

Both the MLK Day of Service in conjunction with Raising Kings and the Black Iris Project performance are part of the Museum’s ongoing effort to present forward-thinking artists who are addressing topics relevant to its local community.

The MLK Day of Service will take place on Monday, January 20, 2020, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The event is free, but donations are encouraged. A Mother’s Rite starts at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 23, 2020. Tickets, which can be purchased at Delart.org or at the door, are $10 for students with a valid ID, $20 for Museum Members, and $25 for Non-Members.

Sponsors: This engagement of the Black Iris Project is made possible through the Special Presenter Initiatives program of the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation. Additional support was provided, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency in partnership with the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. The Division promotes Delaware arts events on www.DelawareScene.com.”

Come to hear some stories, sing some songs, and have fun! (ages 3-5 years)

In a tour designed specifically for artists, follow one of the Brandywine River Museum of Art’s guides—who is also a professional painter—and take a deeper look at select works of art. Discover and unpack the choices that artists make in their media, composition, color and more in an interactive, critique-style tour. Practicing artists and non-artists alike will enjoy exploring the many layers of the artistic process.

Each year, Scots from all over the world gather in the dark days of winter for a traditional evening meal and a joyous celebration to commemorate the birthday of one of their favorite sons, Robert Burns. The Brandywine Burns Supper consists of a hearty meal of traditional Scottish fare, including haggis and a tasting selection of a Belhaven ale and three single malt whiskies. A bagpiper will perform stirring Scottish music to accompany the haggis as it is brought to the table, followed by an authentic Scottish rendition of the “Address to a Haggis.” Throughout the meal, enjoy single malt whisky tastings carefully paired with each delicious course.

Born on January 25, 1759, on a tenant farm, Robert Burns captured the imagination and spirit of the Scottish people with his prose and poetry. He was lionized during his lifetime all over his native land. A few years after his untimely death at 37, his friends began to gather on his birthday for a meal and to toast to his “immortal memory.” The tradition has continued for over 200 years and spread to every country where Scots have settled.

The Museum galleries will be open for an hour before dinner for guests to enjoy the collections and view three N. C. Wyeth paintings used to illustrate The Scottish Chiefs, the classic novel recounting the life of Scottish patriarch William Wallace—who was made famous by the Hollywood blockbuster “Braveheart”—and Scotland’s fight for Independence.

Newlin Grist Mill and Wild Birds Unlimited-Concordville are teaming up to explore the wonderful world of bird life. Join us for monthly naturalist-led walks through the 160-acre park at Newlin Grist Mill. We will meet year-round residents, visit exciting migrants, and learn the basics of bird identification and biology.

Families and beginners are welcome!

STEMtastic Weekends
Saturdays and Sundays, January 18, 19, 25, 26, and February 1 & 2 - 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Monday, January 20 - 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Have you heard the buzz about Hagley's STEMtastic Weekends? Beginning Saturday, January 18, there will be three weekends of fun with a robotics and coding theme. New hands-on activities and special guests will be featured each day. You can build one of these friendly Buzz Bots during the first STEMtastic Weekend. Children will get the chance to view demonstrations from local robotics teams, dismantle electronics to discover what makes them work, and use their creativity to make their own invention. Join STEMtastic Weekends on the second floor of Hagley's Visitor Center.

Free for Hagley members.

Hagley Museum
200 Hagley Creek Road
Wilmington, DE  19807

The Kennett Chocolate Lovers Festival, the largest in the tri-state region, will be held Jan. 26 at a new location - Unionville High School. The Festival raises funds for United Way of Southern Chester County. Tickets are on sale now at www.KennettChocolate.org.  VIP ticket holders gain early entrance at noon.  General admission opens at 1PM.  Additional tasting tickets are available.  Parking is free at our new location.  The enormously popular “Year of Living Chocolate!” raffle is back!  At $10/ticket or $20/3, you can be entered in a raffle to win a chocolate dessert monthly from different area bakers and chocolatiers starting in March of 2020.  The raffle winner is announced on Valentine’s Day 2020.  Raffle tickets are available online through the ticketing store as well as being sold at the Festival.

Join us Tuesday mornings at 10:30, to hear stories, sing songs, play games, and more with Señora Mercedes during Storytime in Español!

For ages 1+

An hour long free play session with a set of wooden blocks of people, vehicles, and animals. Kids will have the freedom to build and play as they wish.

(Ages 2-5 years)

Come in to dance, play, and hear a story! For ages 18 months- 5 years

Come to hear some stories, sing some songs, and have fun! (ages 3-5 years)

STEMtastic Weekends
Saturdays and Sundays, January 18, 19, 25, 26, and February 1 & 2 - 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Monday, January 20 - 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Have you heard the buzz about Hagley's STEMtastic Weekends? Beginning Saturday, January 18, there will be three weekends of fun with a robotics and coding theme. New hands-on activities and special guests will be featured each day. You can build one of these friendly Buzz Bots during the first STEMtastic Weekend. Children will get the chance to view demonstrations from local robotics teams, dismantle electronics to discover what makes them work, and use their creativity to make their own invention. Join STEMtastic Weekends on the second floor of Hagley's Visitor Center.

Free for Hagley members.

Hagley Museum
200 Hagley Creek Road
Wilmington, DE  19807

Every Monday - Toddler Storytime

Join us Tuesday mornings at 10:30, to hear stories, sing songs, play games, and more with Señora Mercedes during Storytime in Español!

For ages 1+

An hour long free play session with a set of wooden blocks of people, vehicles, and animals. Kids will have the freedom to build and play as they wish.

(Ages 2-5 years)

Try practicing yoga in a beautiful garden setting, strengthening your body and spirit. Our yoga class is open to all levels. We will practice slow, easy motions to get into the rhythm of nature. Led by Beth Sheehy. Bring Yoga mat, small towel, and a water bottle. Wear layers appropriate to the season. Classes are rain or shine.  Class will move outdoors as weather permits. Drop-in rate of $10.  No advance registration necessary.

Come to hear some stories, sing some songs, and have fun! (ages 3-5 years)

Weekly - Every Thursday