Delaware Art Museum: My Chosen Exhibition

 I'm intimately familiar with a few art museums having visited them many, many times.  The National Gallery of Art, The Phillips Collection, The Baltimore Museum of Art, the Walters Collection, The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and the Delaware Art Museum, for example.  Many times the impetus is a special exhibition.  But sometimes, I just want to go and rest among the art.

One of the things I occasionally do is just pick a theme, a genre of art, and wander stopping at paintings that fit my theme.  During this visit, I chose landscapes.  Here are four that I spent time with on this visit to the Delaware Art Museum.

"Landscape," 1884

Henry Lea Tatnall (1829 - 1885)

"Morning on the River, Providence, R. I.," circa 1890 - 1891

Edward Mitchell Bannister (1828 - 1901)

"Trout Brook, Catskills," 1875

John Frederick Kensett (1816 - 1872)

"Four O'clock Train," circa 1940 - 1941

John W. McCoy (1910 - 1989)

Delaware Art Museum: The Pre-Raphaelites (Highlights)

 I share something from every visit, and so this time I'm keeping it brief and only identifying 4 works.  Also, I'm reaching out beyond works on canvas to show off some of the other forms of art that are part of this expansive collection.

But first, a super quick tutorial on the Pre-Raphaelite Movement.  It began to formalize itself at the end of 1848 when a group of friends and acquaintances who were artists and poets and writers formally rejected the carefully developed rules and expectations of their contemporary canon as maintained by the Royal Academy of Art, among other national institutions.  The original group of seven men christened themselves the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.  In rejecting the status quo, they adopted what they believed to be a freer style where nature and the natural world rose in value and idealistic themes of valor and romance entwined with stories from the Bible, Arthurian Legends, Myths and even Shakespearean settings.  The movement was not long lived, but the ideals behind it continued to expand and evolve into all sorts of directions and media.

What began as a brotherhood, soon found itself with a wide range of sisters who took up the ideals.  What was a works on paper sort of movement (painting and writing) quickly diversified to include all manner of ornamental and utilitarian creations from Wallpaper and Fabric designs to Glassware and Jewelry, from furniture to pottery to stained-glass, to arguably even architecture.  The desire to be original, to discover something pure, worthy of admiration is not new.  However, I wonder when such a motivation has influenced so many others (whether we even realize it or not) in the history of modern art?  Just the start of a conversation...some day.

"The Waterfall," 1853

- John Everette Millais (1829 - 1896)

I must confess that I just LOVE this painting.  Millais was a founding member of the Brotherhood.  On this day, early into its existence, he and his wife have traveled north to Scotland to spend time with the writer and philosopher, John Ruskin and his wife.  Ruskin was quite taken with the ideals of the Pre-Raphaelites to the tune of actually bankrolling some of the projects.  In this painting by Millais with see Effie (Ephemia) Ruskin sitting among the rocks at a little waterfall's edge.  What is not initially apparent is the manner in which Millais paints the rocks.  Not with a harsh rigidity that seeks to copy carefully every bump and crack.  No.  His rocks are much more organic.  They seem to also glow.  AND they feel like additional characters in a conversation with Ruskin's wife.  It is an intentional melding of nature with humanity...a tenet of the movement's "raison d'etre."  

"Vase with Horses," c. 1902
- Florence C. Roberts (c. 1879 - 1930)

I look at this vase and I am immediately drawn to Art Deco and the works of legendary North American Pottery mills like Rookwood in Cincinnati or Van Bruggle in Colorado.  You just can't get to "B" without "A".

"The Octopus (Death of a Mermaid)," 1929

- Ernestine Evens Mills (1871 - 1959)

"Noah," 1874 (1st manufactured in 1909)
- Edward Burne Jones (1833 - 1898)

A total testament to the enduring love of the creativity of the Pre-Raphaelites that even 11 years after his death, a design by Edward Burne Jones would be resurrected and finally created. 

Delaware Art Museum: Jamey Grimes: Aster

 Every visit to Wilmington also always includes a stop at the Delaware Art Museum.  Like the Brandywine Zoo, this is an absolute gem of a regional art museum with both a lovely range of 19th & 20th Century American Art, a thought-provoking collection of Contemporary Art, and a few rather unique collections, the depth of which you'll not likely find anywhere else.  These are the works of the Pre-Raphaelite Movement, American Illustration and the paintings of native son, John Sloan of the Ashcan School.  For a little icing on this cake, there is also an expansive Modern Sculpture Garden behind the main building.  

The two-story entrance of plate-glass windows is filled with glorious colorful glass discs by America's greatest living Glass Sculptor, Dale Chihuly, casting a decidedly modern appearance to the cavernous Catherine A. Fusco hall.  Often set with larger works from the museum's collection, this visit found it home to an amazing installation stabile sculpture by another contemporary artist, Jamey Grimes.

Rather than share about someone I know nothing about!  You know me...  I'm going to share the text from the wall blurb:

JAMEY GRIMES: ASTER

"Through his manipulation of synthetic materials, Jamey Grimes constructs sculptures that engage the viewer in an exploration of form and space. This site-specific installation for the Catherine A. Fusco Hall is part of the artist's ongoing Aster series. Reminiscent of natural forms and phenomena, like cellular tissue, cirrus clouds, or a starling murmuration, Aster fills the space with sweeping energy. For Grimes, the desire to create is 'fueled by encounters with nature and playful experimentation with synthetic materials.' His skillful handling of corrugated plastic leads to the turbulent form that appears to swirl above us."

ENJOY!

Josephine Fountain, Brandywine Creek Park, Wilmington, Delaware.

 

Jasper Crane Rose Garden, Wilmington, DE

Near to the Brandywine Zoo, and part of the park in which the zoo sits, is a lovely little Rose Garden.  The Park skirts the Brandywine River and was originally laid out by the progenitor of Urban Park Design, Frederick Law Olmsted.  The Rose Garden was added later, along with other elements like the iconic Josephine Fountain.

The Rose Garden also features a fountain.  It was added by the Friends of Wilmington Parks which coordinates the upkeep of the garden in 2013 as a general gift to the citizens of Wilmington, Delaware.

I have visited this garden many times before.  On this occasion the proliferation of Rose blooms was scant by comparison.  I am such a rose enthusiast to understand the blossom cycles of Roses during the Spring-Summer-Autumn season.  I did notice that there were lots of buds to suggest a better time for a photo shoot might be in the not too distant future.  Yet, you can see, there were still some lovely flowers to be enjoyed.

Brandywine Zoo, part 3

 We will finish this visit to the Brandywine Zoo with more of the amazing fauna it has to offer.  Beyond the Goat corral and the mid-level plaza is a long habitat that has been the home to a variety of birds and mid-sized mammals.  For the past few years the lord of the land has been this beautiful Giant Ant Eater named Lants (short for Lancaster).  He's a very charismatic fellow, and shares his space with a trio of bird species, including two types of duck, and 3 Scarlet Ibis.

Start by showing off his magnificent tail.

Handsome, gentle, Lants!

Adjacent to this Habitat is a small community garden designed to provide fresh treats for some of the animals.  The space around a couple of raised beds is home to at least two Eastern Box Turtles.

Finally, the far end of the zoo is home to it's crowning jewel.  A multi-species habitat that is home to three species of Lemur, Radiated Tortoise and Crowned Guinea Fowl.  Not only is there a spacious habitat with multiple arboreal elements and a generous water feature, but above the holding facilities is a large covered pavilion with a gloriously generous observation window from which to take in all of the wonders these animals have to offer.

There are three species of Lemur.  The Black and White Ruffed Lemurs which are Critically Endangered in their native habitat.  The Ring-tailed Lemurs which are Endangered.  And the Crowned Lemurs which are also Endangered.  You can sense a theme here, right?  Given the status of these animals, the zoo is a participant in the SSP (Species Survival Programs) for all three.  To date only the little Crowned Lemurs, Sophie and Kipp, have gotten on board, and in a big way--they have managed to produce 4 successful offspring since arriving with the opening of the habitat in the autumn of 2020.  

During this visit, they were not on display because their latest arrival, Kian, who was born back in mid-May has reached the point in their development where they no longer spends all of their time clinging to Sophie or Kipp, yet they're still small enough that they could conceivably squeeze their way out of the habitat.  They're growing fast and should reach a size where this is no longer a possibility in a few weeks.  Also, the zoo should be able to determine Kian's gender soon, as well.

The New Madagascar Pavilion with the great viewing window.

The wider view of the habitat from the window.

The different species co-habitat very well together.

Ring-tailed Lemurs are such curious animals bursting with personality.

Crowned Guinea Fowl

I hope that above all you've learned just how much I love this little zoo.  It's absolutely one of the best bang for your buck zoological parks in North America.  The Brandywine Zoo gives you the opportunity to see a wide range of fascinating animals from far away places.  To learn about their lives, their conservation status, and have a small role in participating in environmentally critical Species Survival Programs.  

If you don't have a home zoo that you belong to, but you do like to travel and visit zoos when you can, let me make a bold suggestion.  Why not join the Brandywine Zoo?  Anyone can.  Membership has its perks. Among AZA member zoos, many have reciprocal programs for members that will give you a decent discount, sometimes as much as 50% of the price of admission at other AZA Zoos (AND Aquariums).  The price to join the Brandywine Zoo is a lot more accessible than at most other larger institutions, but the discounts are the same.  

Brandywine Zoo: part 2

G)  Continuing our visit today, the next couple of habitats have long been on my naughty list.  The first is a small primate habitat that was once (not that long ago) shared by two species, and is today the home of one.  The beautiful White-faced Saki monkey from South America.  The zoo is home to a familial pair (Mother - Son).  I love them.  What I hate is the Zoo's choice of mesh.  It makes photography nearly IMPOSSIBLE!

H-J) The next building has long served as their "Reptile House".  It's not a house you can enter, but a series of three large habitats that have outer facing windows.  Here's the Problem(s):

1 - The lighting is poor.  You can't see shit with all the glare and shadows.
2 - The glass barriers are always FILTHY with streaks and smudges that further impede any hope of clearly seeing what's inside. 
3 - The brilliance of natural, sun light, further obscures the blurred details within.
4 - The ability to take a photograph is simply non-existent.  Which also is very disappointing.

I don't know how to fix this, but cleaning the layers of glass might be one place to start...and surely there's got to be a better way to balance the lighting so as not to harm the animals, but illuminate their presence better.

K-O) Beyond this is the New Multi-Species Habitat.  When I think about what it replaced, I am completely heartened by the direction the zoo is taking in terms of growing itself to a better, more wonderful place.  It's like, who doesn't have warts?  Are you doing something about it?  Brandywine Zoo definitely is.

This new Multi-species Habitat is called Hidden Falls.  True in reporting...after just one day, the Falls feature was "hidden"--offline after its initial operation proved problematic!  Hopefully, it's an easy fix.

The animals present were not daunted.  Of the expected 5 species, 3 were out and about.  Two male Guianan Squirrel Monkeys (Marzo & Frederick), a red-footed Tortoise, and a pair of Patagonian Mara who are also brothers.  The over-all initial theme of the habitat is about illegal exotic pet trade, so breeding is not on the agenda.  But a keeper with whom I chatted, indicated that it may happen that changes in occupants in the future could result in SSP (Species Survival Program) breeding.  

The New Habitat

GUIANAN SQUIRREL MONKEYS

PATAGONIAN MARA

RED-FOOTED TORTOISE

P-R) Beyond this habitat is the goat pen.  The aviary that was above it, was closed.  A good move in my opinion.  The Bald Eagle having been relocated, for example.

The elevated Goat Corral.