March 2024 - Movers & Shakers

Photo by Eileen Tercha

TRAPPED BY TOBACCO? WE HAVE A WAY OUT.

Gerald duPhily • jduphily@tsnpub.com

DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS

Jim Miller • jmiller@tsnpub.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Bob Yearick • ryearick@comcast.net

CREATIVE DIRECTOR & PRODUCTION MANAGER

Matthew Loeb, Catalyst Visuals, LLC

DIGITAL SERVICES DIRECTOR

Michael O’Brian

Amy Watson Bish

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Adriana Camacho-Church, David Ferguson, Mark Fields, Pam George, Catherine Kempista, Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald, Steve Lanahan, Larry Nagengast, Ken Mammarella, Mary Ellen Mitchell, Matt Morrissette, Kevin Noonan, Bob Yearick CONTRIBUTING

Jim Coarse, Justin Heyes and Joe del Tufo/Moonloop Photography, Butch Comegys, Lindsay Rudney duPhily, Joe Hoddinott, Matthew Loeb

Our A-Team of Women in the Arts

Nothing like being around strong women to strengthen your game. Or in my case, serve as a reminder that your game wasn’t that strong to begin with.

So, when veteran contributor Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald — a strong gal herself — proposed an idea for our March issue in honor of Women’s History Month, we were all ears. And when we heard her pitch — a spotlight on the women who help power the Wilmington arts scene — we were all in. en we began adding to Michelle’s list.

Movers and shakers?

You bet, powering one of Wilmington’s greatest assets — the arts.

The result is a roster of 15 women who collectively could make any city’s art scene soar. Fortunately for us, this A-Team belongs to Wilmington. And every resident or visitor stimulated by live performance is the beneficiary.

This issue marks another milestone for Out & About — the beginning of our 37th year. If you do the math, that’s a run of 432 consecutive monthly issues — a longevity that is probably unmatched by any free variety magazine in Delaware history.

Of course, these names are no surprise to us. Out & About has been covering the area arts scene for more than three decades. Tina Betz, Raye Jones Avery, Eunice LaFate, Kerry Kristine McElrone, Molly Giordano, Tizzy Lockman... yes, we know these women.

But never have we included them all in one feature. And when you consider their collective impact on our city, it’s dizzying. Movers and shakers? You bet, powering one of Wilmington’s greatest assets — the arts.

I’m sure there are other women who should be on this list. So, we welcome your suggestions.

In the meantime, read what these 15 women have to say. What inspires them. eir advice to other creatives. And what Wilmington’s art scene still needs.

— Jerry duPhily

To help us extend this journey, we need to continue to know our audience. So, please complete the online survey referenced below. Your input will help us plan content and tell the stories you want to read.

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THE WAR On Words

A monthly column in which we attempt, however futilely, to defend the English language

WHERE ARE THE EDITORS? (Formerly “Media Watch”)

• Headline from the e News Journal, courtesy of reader Rick Straitman: “How Wilmington's mayoral candidates are fairing in raising funds.” ey are faring, a verb that means to perform or manage in a speci c way. A fairing is a noun that refers to a structure used to reduce drag in vehicles or aircraft.

• Tom Withers, of e Associated Press: “ e (Cleveland) Browns are thriving with complimentary football.” e latest unnecessary addition to the ever-changing lexicon of the gridiron sport is “complementary football,” which basically means a team’s o ense and its defense are both playing well, thus complementing each other — not giving each other high ves. Withers apparently hasn’t mastered the term yet.

• EJ Smith, in e Philadelphia Inquirer, speculating on Eagles center Jason Kelce’s retirement: “When that may begin isn’t certain, but the Eagles’ wild card round matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night begs the question.” is term is misused in the sense of “raises the question” to the point that it’s accepted by some in the media. Not here. In modern usage, begs the question refers to an argument in which the premise assumes the conclusion without supporting it, making it pretty much a circular argument. E.g., “It’s time for you to go to bed because it’s your bedtime.” It’s best for all writers (and everyone) to simply avoid using this term.

• Seth Engle created a dangler in e Inky about former St. Joesph’s University basketball coach Phil Martelli: “Despite being a legend inside St. Joseph’s Hagan Arena, the Palestra has always been Phil’s playground.” Martelli is the legend at St. Joe’s arena, not the Palestra.

• Reader Larry Hamermesh presents us with a challenging sentence from a review in e News Journal of the science ction movie I.S.S. (whose stars include Wilmington’s own John Gallagher Jr.): “It’s notable that of the lm’s plot machinations, all-out warfare wasn’t the least implausible invention.” Wading through the triple negative — wasn’t, least, implausible — Larry argues that the reviewer meant to say, “all-out warfare wasn’t the most implausible invention.” And I agree.

• Similarly, here’s the lead sentence from a story in the British tabloid e Daily Mail: “Piers Morgan has been forced to deny he’s not the pigeon lady from Home Alone 2.” In this case, the

writer obviously meant Morgan was forced to deny that he is the pigeon lady.

By Bob Yearick

• Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, reviewing True Detective: Night Country: “ e season takes place during the period of the Alaskan winter in which the sun never rises, pitching the frozen tundra into 24-hour night.” A few picky geologists may argue that it’s possible for tundra not to be frozen, but it’s very rare, making frozen tundra essentially redundant. Anyway, wouldn’t all the tundra be pitched “into 24hour night,” not just the frozen kind?

DISTURBING TRENDS

e intrusive of is rampant. Some may think it’s not that big (of) a deal, but it should be dropped in instances such as these:

• ESPN anchor Hannah Storm: “It was not so good of a night for Bradley Beal.”

• A local commercial for SchagrinGas Co. includes this: “We don’t need as large of a generator.” ( e commercial also contains the ponderous preventative, instead of the much more palatable preventive.)

TOTALLY UNRELATED

During a recent Philadelphia 76ers game in Denver, the Ball Arena crowd discovered that NBA MVP Joel Embiid would not suit up for the Sixers, thus avoiding a matchup with Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic. at prompted them to chant, “Where’s Embiid at?” While this column has always maintained that there is no rule against ending a sentence in a preposition, a simple “Where’s Embiid?” would’ve served them much better.

DEPARTMENT OF REDUNDANCIES DEPT.

• Headline in e Inky: “Menendez is accused of more corruption allegations.”

• Son Steven caught Sen. Joe Manchin speaking about GOP contenders dropping out so quickly: “ I just can’t believe it because it’s hard for me to fathom that.” I think that also quali es as begging the question.

• And Steven recently received this rather demanding meeting notice: “Mandatory attendance required.”

FRIDAY, A PRIL 5TH

M AGICA L MYSTERY

FRIDAY, A PRIL 19TH

WHAT THE FUNK

FRIDAY, MAY 3RD

THE RESCUE PA RTY

FRIDAY, MAY 17TH

THE JIMMIES

THE THE

FRIDAY, JUNE 7TH

DELTA COSMON A UTS

FRIDAY, JUNE 21ST

LYRIC DRIVE

FRIDAY, JULY 12TH

DELTA COSMON A UTS

FRIDAY, JULY 26TH

THE RESCUE PA RTY

FRIDAY, AUG 2ND LYRIC DRIVE CHECK BACK

FYI Things Worth Knowing

Find the Shamrocks

IDO MORE 24 DELAWARE

An true Irish spirit, we've hidden the shamrock above four places in this issue. Name the four pages (don't count this one) and you could win lunch. Email your answers by March 20 to Contact@TSNPub.com with the subject line: I Found the Shamrocks. We will choose three winners from correct submissions. Congrats to Pam Takata, Lisa Capodanno and Patrick Bartling, who found the pints in February's issue on pages 15, 21, 36, 38.

EASTERSEALS VOLLEYBALL CHALLENGE

Tnyone who donates to their favorite nonprofit during Do More 24 Delaware will make a bigger impact than on any other day of the year. This year’s campaign starts March 7 at 6pm and concludes March 8 at 6pm. Dozens of sponsors have joined forces to provide matching gifts, incentives and rewards to make every donation count for more. Visit DoMore24Delaware.org.

HONORING JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES

Jewish Family Services of Delaware celebrates its 125th anniversary this year and will commemorate the milestone with a special event at Deer eld Golf Club in Newark on Saturday, April 6. What began in 1899 as an organization to assist less fortunate members of the Jewish community has evolved into an entity that helps any Delawarean in need. e celebration will feature food and drink along with silent and live auctions. Visit JFSDelaware.org.

PAINTING THE TOWN GREEN

The City Loop Series will wrap up its 2023-24 season with the 33rd annual St. Paddy’s Day Loop on Saturday, March 9. Twelve venues are participating, with a one-time $10 cover gaining you admission to each venue. The Loop begins at 2pm and follows the Irish Culture Club of Delaware’s 46th annual parade up King Street in Downtown Wilmington from noon-2pm. For a list of clubs, visit OutAndAboutNow.com.

he 2024 Easterseals/CAI Volleyball Challenge will take place on March 9 at William Penn High School in New Castle and on April 20 at Delaware State University in Dover. Everyone is welcome to form a team for this familyfriendly event. is year’s event o ers a variety of ways to support Easterseals e orts to improve the lives of people with disabilities in our local communities. For information on forming a team, volunteering or donating, visit VolleyballChallenge.net.

WORLD-CLASS RIDE

The Delaware Gran Fondo, a cycling event that provides riders a once-a-year tour through a collection of Brandywine Valley attractions, returns Sunday, May 19. is year’s ride, which in 2023 drew cyclists from 20 states and four countries, begins at Wilmington’s Rockford Park and visit the grounds of world-class venues such as Hagley Museum, Winterthur Museum, Longwood at Granogue, Delaware Museum of Nature & Science and Auburn Heights.

e ride o ers distances of 12.5 (Governor’s Ride), 34 and 62 miles and is part of the three-day Wilmington Grand Prix, now in its 16th year. Visit WilmGrandPrix.com.

NEW OFFICERS FOR DRA

Jeffrey Gosnear of Grotto Pizza will serve as 2024 Chairman of the Board of the Delaware Restaurant Association with previous Chairman Gianmarco Martuscelli ( Martuscelli Restaurant Group ) now serving as Immediate Past Chair, Michael Stiglitz ( Two Stones/2SP Brewing Co .) as Vice Chair, and Paula Janssen ( Janssen’s Market / J’s Cafe ) as incoming Treasurer. The DRA Board of Directors is comprised of restaurant operators from business locations throughout the state, as well as industry supplier representatives. Visit DelawareRestaurant.org.

KEEP DELAWARE BEAUTIFUL SHINES

Keep Delaware Beautiful received two awards during February’s Annual Conference for Keep America Beautiful. KDB was recognized for partnering with the Delaware Solid Waste Authority on a food digester grant program, which facilitated installation of equipment at Janssen's Market and the Christiana Hilton able to divert 500 pounds of food waste from the landfill every day. The second award saluted KDB’s partnership with the Delaware Department of Transportation in creating the Litter Free School Zone program, a school poster contest, and an annual college scholarship for one Delaware high school senior. Visit KeepDelawareBeautiful.com.

WILMU BREAKS GROUND FOR TWO BUILDINGS

Wilmington University officials recently announced the construction of two landmark buildings at its Concord Pike Brandywine site: a convocation center and a school of law. The buildings are tentatively scheduled to be completed in 2025.

The state-of-the-art Convocation Center will span 85,000 square feet. A 2,000-seat auditorium with a spacious stage for graduation ceremonies and other events will welcome guests via a grand foyer. The center will also house the university’s Criminal Justice Institute.

The three-story, 52,000-square-foot law building will feature a three-floor atrium with expansive windows. The second floor will include a library and both large and private study rooms. Faculty and administrative offices will be on the third floor.

DOWNTOWN

919 Gallery Market

919 N. Market Street

298-1542

Artist:” Natural Abstraction” by Diane Lorio

Chris White Gallery

701 N. Shipley Street

475-0998 • chriswhitegallery.com

Artists: Shades of Identity A group exhibition curated by Josh Hollingsworth

Christina Cultural Arts Center

Edward Loper, Sr. Gallery

705 N. Market Street

652-0101 • ccacde.org

Artists:Eye Shadow featuring female artist for Woman’s History month

City of Wilmington’s Redding Gallery

800 N. French Street 576-2100 • cityfestwilm. com/redding-gallery

Artist: “Fluidity”

A Fusion of Watercolor and Alcohol Ink

DE.CO

111 W. 10th Street

510-2762

Artist: Alana Sxmone’s Art Pop Shop

Delaware College of Art & Design

600 N. Market Street

622-8000 • dcad.edu

Artist: ALUMNI + FRIENDS SMALL ART SHOW FUNDRAISER

Delaware Historical Society

505 N. Market Street 295-2395 • dehistory.org

Artist: “Landscapes of the Delaware Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway” by E. Lynn Dilliplane

Gallery at Grace Church

6900 N. Washington Street

655-8847

Artist: The Heart of Mexico: Highlighting the Rich Cultural Heritage of Mexico by Monica Lopez

Huxley and Hiro Booksellers

419 N. Market Street • 439-0805

Artists: Jack Knight

Mezzanine Gallery

820 N. French Street 577-8278

arts.delaware.gov

Artist: Unspoken Trajectories, Aaron Keith Hoffer

MKT Gallery

200 W. 9th Street 302-289-6772

Artists: Luminescence “ glow in the dark art exhibition experience” by Velvet Poindexter & Blondie Mansion

The Chancery Market Food Hall

1313 N. Market Street • 421-2005

Artist: Greater Wilmington Beer Week - The Art of Beer

The Grand Opera House

The Grand Opera House 818 N. Market Street 658-7897 • thegrandwilmington.org

Grand Gallery: “88th Wilmington International Exhibition of Photography” baby grand Gallery: Group Show: “Shiny Objects (Of Desire)”

presented by

cityfest

RIVERFRONT

The Delaware Contemporary

200 S. Madison Street

656-6466 • decontemporary.org

Artists: SUBSTRATE/STRUCTUREGroup Exhibition, PRACTICE MAKES

PERFECT- Michael C. Thorpe

WEST SIDE

Blue Streak Gallery 1721 Delaware Avenue

429-0506

Artist: Shapes and Shadows, Jill Beech

Howard Pyle Studio

1305 N. Franklin Street

656-7304

Artists: Exhibit and Sale of Artwork by Members of Studio Group

BEYOND THE CITY

Arden Buzz-Ware Gallery

2119 The Highway, Arden 981-4811

Artist:Julia Jay Hardman — Live & in Full Color

Bellefonte Arts

803-C Brandywine Blvd 547-2573

Artist: Bellefonte Arts presents March Mashup

Delaware Museum of Nature and Science 4840 Kennett Pike 658-9111 • delmns.org

Artist: Still Life from Natural Life, Connie Wagner

Finist & The Owl

811 Brandywine Boulevard

786-228-6638

Artist: Women’s Empowerment Renaissance by Janice King

A

JA Wilmington artist and recovering alcoholic is contributing to a nationwide project

By Adriana Camacho-Church

Attacking Addiction Through Art

eremy Hebbel agrees with Shakespeare. “ e eyes are the windows to the soul,” he says. And so he begins there. With a No. 2 graphite pencil, Hebbel, 40, gently sketches the pupils, the eyelashes. “If I don’t get the eyes just right, nothing else matters,” says the Wilmington artist. “Even with people’s pets I need to clearly see the eyes.”

When Hebbel sketched Steven F. McAvaney, 22, it took him more than 10 hours instead of the usual two to complete the black-and-white portrait. In the photograph, McAvaney wore a hat that cast a shadow over the eyes. But with the help of McAvaney’s sister, Hebbel ultimately captured the personality. “ at’s my little brother,” she said.

Hebbel, a visual artist and recovering alcoholic, made the drawings of McAvaney as part of the INTO LIGHT Project (ILP).

ILP is a nonpro t that holds nationwide public exhibitions of framed graphite portraits of people lost to drug addiction. Next to each portrait hangs a short narrative about the individual’s life, as a son, daughter, friend, wife, sister, brother, husband, father, or mother.

“INTO LIGHT ties in with my own recovery journey,”

says Hebbel, who also serves as a social media/marketing coordinator for the group. “It’s become an important part of my recovery, as I can see myself in each of the people I am drawing.”

Founded by North Carolina artist eresa Clower in 2019, ILP uses art activism to inspire social change through legislation, bringing awareness to a soaring drug epidemic, and educating the public about substance use disorders. >

Jeremy Hebbel in December at the INTO LIGHT exhibition at the Delaware Art Museum. Photo by Jim Miller

500 PORTRAITS

e art exhibits also serve to honor the lives of those lost. ey are held in galleries, museums, and universities, and artists from the state where the exhibits are held help with the project.

ILP hopes to hold an exhibit in each of the 50 states and create more than 2,000 portraits by 2029. So far, 12 states have participated and about 500 portraits have been drawn and given to their families.

Last June, the Delaware Art Museum, in partnership with the O ce of Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long, held a six-month exhibition that highlighted the lives of 40 Delawareans who died from substance addiction.

Hebbel and Delaware artists Shawn Faust and Maia Palmer joined in that e ort. Hebbel and Faust — initially brought on to create portraits only for the Delaware exhibit — are now part of ILP’s art team, creating portraits for other states.

“It’s important to have someone like Jeremy involved,” says Clower. “First of all, he is a wonderfully talented artist. Secondly, Jeremy values the work of the INTO

TROLLEY SQUARE

Family Night with Jungle John & $5 kid’s menu (10 years & younger) from 5:30-7:30pm

Burger Tuesday

25% off burgers* (DINE-IN ONLY *some exclusions)

Mug Night!

From 7PM – Close; most mugs are $2 or $4

Open - Close

LIGHT Project. Living a sober life is important to him and he approaches the work he does for us as part of his service to others. Having that depth of feeling and understanding influences the connections he has with the families.”

Clower, whose son, Devin, 32, died in 2018 from an accidental drug overdose, is included in every exhibit. She says that one of the group’s goals is to highlight the stigma, prejudice, and discrimination that people with drug addiction experience.

Drug addiction, Clower explains, is not a moral failure or character aw. It’s a brain disease, as de ned by the American Psychological Association. “Opioids (painkillers) can be especially di cult,” she says. “ ey alter the brain, making it nearly impossible to take back control.”

BRANMAR PLAZA

Burger Tuesday

25% off burgers* (DINE-IN ONLY *some exclusions)

Family Night with Jungle John & $5 kid’s menu (10 years & younger) from 5:30-7:30pm

Live Music with Local Artists from 6:00 - 8:00pm

Jeremy Hebbel with Theresa Rann, holding a portrait he created of her daughter, Stephanie Dawn Rann.

Photo courtesy Jeremy Hebbel

A CATHARTIC PROCESS

e stigma of drug addiction can be especially devastating. “About 94 percent of people su ering with drug addiction do not ask for help or get help because of stigma,” Clower says.

e idea to start ILP came after Clower, who has a degree in ne arts and a background in non-pro t management, drew a portrait of Devin. She found that the process was cathartic.

“I couldn’t stop drawing people,” she says. “I found that I had to.”

She was inspired to nd others who had died from addiction and to use art to bring awareness to the drug epidemic. “Art goes beyond words,” she says. “ e black-andwhite portraits are a metaphor to show we are all made of light and dark and we are not de ned by our dark moments.”

Hebbel, the owner of Hebbel Portraits, says that he is able to talk

openly about his recovery because he is self-employed and doesn’t need to worry about the rami cations. He opened his studio in a spare bedroom

shut down his music production company, Gable Music Ventures.

Southern French & Northern Italian inspired cuisine with a contemporary, wood-fired flare.

For almost 11 years, as co-founder and co-owner, he ran Gable Music Ventures with Gayle Dillman. ey created the Ladybug Music Festival, an annual downtown block party in Wilmington celebrating women in music. e event helped revitalize the downtown area.

He says he “always loved drawing,” and he earned an Illustration degree from Delaware College of Art and Design in 2003. When his music business shut down, he says, he took up his pencils and began looking for commissions via social media.

Two years after he opened Hebbel Portraits, he learned about ILP from Molly Giordano, executive director of the Delaware Art Museum. At that time, he was working for the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce as a project management and event specialist. >

This portrait of Trevor L. Armstrong holding a butterfly was Hebbel's first ILP drawings.

“I emailed eresa and she asked me to participate,” he says.

SOBER FIVE YEARS

Whether working for ILP assignments or other clients, he draws at night in his studio while music plays in the background. “It’s meditative; it’s recovery work for me,” he says.

Being part of ILP con rms to Hebbel that his decision to go sober ve years ago is paying o . He now has a sense of independence and pride, owns his own home and business, and is husband to Noelle Picara and father to their 2-year-old, Jasper.

Hebbel says he has struggled with addiction most of his life. “I have a family history of addiction and I have always had a di cult time nding balance with anything even remotely addictive or habit forming."

It was his beloved dog Pumpkin that motivated him to x his life. Before sobriety, Hebbel drank to numb emotional pain, including the loss of friends and loved ones lost to substance abuse. When Pumpkin died, nothing mattered to Hebbel anymore. He retreated and poured tequila down his throat as fast as possible.

“My reaction after I lost Pumpkin shook me enough to realize that something needed to change,” he says. “I had no coping skills to deal with the process of loss.”

Four years into sobriety, he lost a second dog, Baci, when she was hit by a car. is time, his reaction was very di erent. He allowed himself to experience the loss without using a substance. He mourned her, stayed sober, and felt like he did right by her.

“I reached out to my family, my support system, and I cried and grieved more than I ever had in my life,” he says. “I believe I grieved every loss I had never been capable of processing in my life up to that point. It was one of the most di cult experiences I have lived, but it was also an eye-opening moment of how much I had grown and changed as a person through sobriety. Today I have more to lose than ever and yet I feel con dent that I won't self-destruct as a response to loss.”

He says drawing, self-care, therapy, “soul searching,” reading books such as Addictive Thinking: Understanding Self Deception, along with the support of family and friends, have healed and helped him in his sobriety journey.

“I work every day on myself,” he says. He exercises, does home improvement projects, eats healthy, and prays. “I had no idea that faith and a spiritual community were something I would need when I started this process,” he says.

One of Hebbel’s ILP subjects was MaryBeth Cichocki’s son, Matt, who died at the age of 37 from an accidental overdose in 2015. He became addicted to prescription painkillers after undergoing back surgery.

Cichocki, who lives in Bear, says she feels blessed that her son’s photograph ended up in Hebbel’s hands. “He’s an incredible artist,” she says. “He created a masterpiece.”

Cichocki has played a crucial role in passing six bills in the Delaware Legislature related to treatment for those experiencing substance abuse. She says that as painful as it was to see her son’s portrait on the exhibit wall, she feels INTO LIGHT humanizes addiction.

“The exhibit tells the stories of everyday people,” she says. “People loving life, attending school, working, and starting families. Seeing Matt among all those beautiful people broke my heart, as no one wants their child to be included in an exhibit honoring the dead. But I knew in my heart I needed him to be there. I needed the world to see the beautiful boy he truly was in life.

“I want him remembered for who he was, and what he accomplished, rather than his addiction. I think the most impactful part (of the exhibit) were the beautiful portraits. The hauntingly beautiful eyes staring back at you.”

— For information about INTO LIGHT Project visit IntoLightProject.org. INTO LIGHT Project major sponsors include Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware and The Delaware Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health.

H. Raye Jones-Avery has dedicated much of her life to eliminating access barriers to arts education. Photo by Joe del Tufo

Movers Shakers

The women powering Wilmington’s arts scene

By Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald

Ithink we can proudly say Wilmington’s arts scene is blossoming. Dance, theater, visual arts, music, poetry, design — every year there are more programs, artists, exhibits, and performances to tantalize and even test our senses and sensibilities.

At the helm of many of these forward-thinking organizations and artistic endeavors are equally audacious women. is writer is honored to know and be “in the circle” with the women (and many more across our state) who are successfully leading some of our most impactful organizations, ideas, and movements…

So, in honor of Women’s History Month, meet the Women of Wilmington Arts!

Cheri Astol , Dean, The Music School of Delaware MusicSchoolofDelaware.org | @musicschoolofde

Cheri has served as Dean since 2007. She also teaches horn and musicianship classes at the Music School. She is instrumental (pun intended) in the Music School’s connections between students and their instructors. She is also a devoted dog mom.

What’s your earliest arts-related memory?

Fortunately, I have many early arts-related memories. But my mind immediately went to playing the ute in the fourth grade beginner band. Our band director, Mr. Rehrig, made a real impression on me with his work ethic and dedication. Ultimately, the ute wasn’t for me, but my experiences playing the ute were part of the foundation of who I became professionally. >

What made you want to be part of this arts scene?

I’m a Delaware native and am dedicated to having an impact on music and music education in Wilmington and beyond. I have the daily privilege of walking the halls of a school, a non-profit organization, dedicated to providing music experiences for babies as young as four months old through adult students in their eighties.

What’s something everyone should know about your organization?

The Music School is celebrating its centennial in 2024-2025!

What’s your most cherished arts-related accomplishment?

One of my favorite high school experiences occurred when I played in Delaware’s All-State Orchestra. That year, the Delaware Music Educators Association partnered with the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, hosting a side-byside orchestra for the All-State students. I respected and admired the principal horn of the DSO and was thrilled to have the opportunity to play next to her. For that reason, I become most excited when we have side-by-side opportunities like that for our Music School students.

Your best advice to future artists/arts leaders?

Stay true to your mission and remain open to new opportunities.

Finish this sentence: “Wilmington’s arts scene truly needs…”

Funding. One doesn’t need to go to Philly, New York City, Baltimore, or DC to have an amazing arts experience. We have phenomenal organizations doing significant work right here! But, like all arts organizations everywhere, we need the financial resources to sustain our organizations, and thrive.

H.Raye Jones Avery, CEO, High Intensity Productions (HIP) LLC rayejonesavery.com @rayejonesavery

After nearly 30 years, Raye retired as the Executive Director of Christina Cultural Arts Center (CCAC). She's also been a curator, educator, and activist. She's a recording and performing artist, and finds time to host a Thursday jazz series at the Delaware Art Museum.

What’s your earliest arts-related memory?

Singing with my sisters and my mother while she played piano in our living room on 3rd and Broom in Wilmington’s Hilltop neighborhood. "Boogie Woogie Blues," "Blue Moon" and "Since I Fell for You" were some of mom's favorites.

What made you want to be part of this arts scene?

Music has always been a life jacket for me. I was unaware of places in Wilmington where youth could access formal study as a child. When the executive position opened at CCAC, I made it my personal and professional mission to help eliminate access barriers to arts education.

What’s something everyone should know about your work?

I have self-produced two music projects: Sistah Girl's Lament and Between, as well as a spoken word short film Corey Did You Know?, a tribute to Coretta Scott King. I currently host a monthly first Thursdays Jazz Series at Delaware Art Museum. I co-chair with Lynne Howard the Wilmington Center for Education Equity and Policy. I serve on the Delaware Theatre Company and Elevate DE Vocal Academy boards.

What’s your most cherished arts-related accomplishment?

With Kim Graham, I co-created the piece Secrets and Silence to advocate for an end to the spread of HIV/ AIDS. Successfully relocated Christina Cultural Arts Center to the downtown business district in 1993. Helped to found Kuumba Academy Charter School in 1998 and opened the school in 2001 with 171 students. Launched the Early Learning Arts Academy Pre-school at CCAC.

Your best advice to future artists/arts leaders?

Artists: Learn and honor your craft — art is spiritual. Practice self-care and collaborate. Be brave. Be adventurous. Be your authentic self. Travel, journal, explore intersections between diverse cultures and art mediums. Expand your network inside Delaware, and outside regionally, nationally and globally. Document your creative voice so when you go to Mars, people will know you made a contribution to planet Earth. Arts Leaders: Lead with passion and compassion. Secure an executive coach (leadership ain't pretty). Check your ego at the door. Collaborate with people whose knowledge, skills, and ideas differ from your own. Take vacations. Invest in yourself.

Finish this sentence: “Wilmington’s arts scene truly needs…”

Financial supports and tax incentives for independent creatives; grants for those not affiliated with a nonprofit; rehearsal/maker spaces; affordable venues

with state-of-the-art technology for independent creatives to exhibit and perform; live/work affordable housing; competitive wages for artists; audiences willing to contribute via ticket sales.

Next is still unfolding. I am going to Mars with Nikki Giovanni. For now, I have intergenerational projects with Arreon Harley-Emerson, Jonathan Whitney, Tabita Ares, Brandy Osimokun, The Barbara Walker Story, Bebe Coker, Richard Raw, Dara Meredith, Siani Beckett. Choreographers are waiting to be birthed.

have made the aforementioned (and more) contributions to Wilmington’s cultural landscape possible.

Your best advice to future artists/arts leaders?

View what others call risks as opportunities. Set your primary goal through everything that you do, whether professional or avocational or personal, to make a di erence, and do not allow perfection to be the enemy of progress.

Finish this sentence: “Wilmington’s arts scene truly needs…”

To feel a sense of pride in accomplishments and contributions to the common good without resting on its laurels.

Tina Betz, Director, City of Wilmington Cultural A airs; President, CityFest, Inc. Cityfestwilm.com | @cityfestwilmde

During her tenure, Tina has helped make the Cli ord Brown Jazz Festival the largest free jazz festival on the East Coast. She also recently helped complete and unveil the city’s new Urban Artist Exchange amphitheater and artist studios on Wilmington’s East Side.

What’s your earliest arts-related memory?

Playing "Down in the Valley" on the autoharp in kindergarten at Lore Elementary School.

What made you want to be part of this arts scene?

What’s something everyone should know about your organization?

Something that frequently ies under the radar is the many CityFest o spring that, with support from Cultural A airs and other City departments, have been birthed, nurtured, and even “ own the coop” to become independent arts organizations — Jazzin’ on the Square/ Cli ord Brown Jazz Festival, Wilmington Children’s Chorus, Art Loop, eatre N, Wilmington Film Festival, Redding Gallery, Wilmington Black Storytelling Residency, Boysie Lowery Living Jazz Residency and many more.

What’s your most cherished arts-related accomplishment?

Having the privilege to become friends with and work with many organizational and individual collaborators that

What’s next for your arts journey?

I’m still deciding!

Jean Dahlgren, President, Delaware College of Art and Design dcad.edu | @dcadedu

Jean has led DCAD since 2018. Recently the college added a new class course with Game Art, which focuses on instruction for future game designers, 3D animators, and VFX artists of tabletop, online, and mobile games.

What’s your earliest arts-related memory?

Coloring on my bedroom walls and getting in trouble for it.

What’s something everyone should know about your organization?

We are the only independent, accredited two-year college of art and design in the country. We are members of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design and have graduated over 1000 students in our 27-year history. We proudly serve a diverse community that is 64% students of color and about 63% students from Delaware.

What’s your most cherished arts-related accomplishment?

Having the opportunity to lead DCAD and having my work displayed in Times Square as part of the Urban Forest project. >

Your best advice to future artists/arts leaders?

Don’t give up. It may sound trite, but perseverance is key. For artists, I will also add that you never know on what day you may make your best work.

What’s next for your arts journey?

Getting better at oil painting.

arts and a re-introduction of Wilmington’s MKT Place Gallery under my creative direction. I remember walking over to Matt after his presentation and saying, “Oh my God, you gave me a holiday!” I was and still am humbled by this recognition.

Finish this sentence: “Wilmington’s arts scene truly needs…”

Consistent support, visibility, and prioritization across the landscape.

Sara A. Crawford, Experience Curator, Blondie Mansion

saraacrawford.com

@sara.a.crawford

Sara has created and hosted a number of arts experiences around the City. Blondie Mansion cultivates creativity and community growth by building innovative experiences that fuse business, music, art, and impact.

What’s your earliest arts-related memory?

My earliest memories are of my parents sharing their talents with me. Watching my mom sew and select fabrics; watching my dad sketch plans of building something or doodling on phone books just for fun. My parents exposed me early on to travel and experience other cultures; to visit museums to view art and learn its history; and enable my fascination and love of all things Barbie.

What made you want to be part of this arts scene?

I could see the bigger picture of what the arts could be, and I wanted to be a part of the solution. As I would support the arts locally, I realized that I wanted to not only introduce curated experiences for the community, but I also wanted to be a resource to artists. I want to create opportunities for artists to grow and elevate their visibility.

What’s something everyone should know about your work?

Blondie Mansion assists creatives and entrepreneurs in achieving their goals and vision. We've built an ecosystem to support local creatives and small business owners that aid in nancial growth.

What’s your most cherished arts-related accomplishment?

One is when New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer proclaimed April 8 “Creative Encore Day” in New Castle County. e Creative Encore was a celebration of the

What’s next for your arts journey?

e expansion of Blondie Mansion will include satellite pop-up experiences, creating more local and national brand collaborations for our arts communities! On Friday, March 1, Luminescence, my glow-in-the-dark art exhibition experience, will feature artist Velvet Poindexter.

Ashley SK Davis, Executive & Artistic Director, Pieces of a Dream, Inc. & Artistic Director, Delaware Institute for the Arts in Education PiecesofaDream.org @piecesofadreamdance

Ashley has been involved in Pieces of a Dream since 2007 and DiAE since 2017. She and artist Terrance Vann were commissioned by Delaware Art Museum to create a piece commemorating 1968, the occupation of Wilmington by the National Guard following MLK’s assassination.

What’s your earliest arts-related memory?

I remember taking ballet and tap classes at the Brandywine YMCA. At the end of tap class, we were instructed to stomp loud enough so that people in Boston Market could hear us. e tap teacher in me would never do this, but it was my favorite part of class.

What made you want to be part of this arts scene?

I’ve been a part of Wilmington arts for most of my life. I began dance lessons at Christina Cultural Arts Center. roughout high school, my arts experience was framed by CCAC classes and performances at Delaware eatre Company, e Grand, and e Playhouse. When I was considering where to launch Pieces of a Dream, a return to Wilmington felt completely natural. I love the vibrance of our city, and it is joyous to be stopped in the grocery store by a middle-schooler asking if I’m that lady who dances in the park. Why, yes, I am.

What’s something everyone should know about your organization?

We’re proud of our 70 students ranging from age 2 through 72! In 2022, we premiered Ode (OWED) to BLACK WOMEN, a piece examining the role of Black women’s patriotism in America. We will perform this work again March 17-18. On April 20, we'll partner with DuPont Environmental Education Center to present the National Water Dance, highlighting the role of natural waterways in our urban ecosystems.

What’s your most cherished arts-related accomplishment?

In 2017, I was privileged to travel to South Africa with the production Same Story/Different Countries, the brainchild of Dr. Lynnette Overby. The time spent performing and teaching in Johannesburg and Cape Town expanded my understanding of the world and impacted my approach to community engagement and performance.

Your best advice to future artists/arts leaders?

Make friends and meet people! To have the greatest impact, we must collaborate. There are many people striving toward the same goals, and folks are interested in the things that excite you. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you need!

Gayle Dillman, CEO, Gable Music Ventures

GableMusicVentures.com

@gablemusicventures

Gayle created Gable in 2012 to provide a resource for local independent music artists and create more performance opportunities. Today, Gable’s Ladybug Festival is the largest female-focused music festival in the country.

What’s your earliest arts-related memory?

My memories about the arts are powerful and go back a long time. I was greatly impacted by my family’s involvement with the Delaware Children’s Museum’s inception. It definitely inspired my desire to help make an impact in elevating Wilmington as an arts community.

What’s something everyone should know about your organization?

“Purpose” is a huge part of Gable Music Ventures. Running a for-profit arts organization is a challenging

road, particularly as we are committed to fairly compensating artists. There really is no big pay day, just lots of work to continue to make the creative economy stronger in Wilmington. and many more.

What’s your most cherished arts-related accomplishment?

At the first Hometown Heroes Award, we won for Best Special Event — The Ladybug Music Festival — and it was transformative both personally and professionally. It was a validation that this festival was, and continues to be, vital for the arts identity of Wilmington.

Your best advice to future artists/arts leaders?

It’s important to find a way to make your art sustainable. Have a strategy, a business plan. Be inspired, explore, embrace your gift, share it. But focus on how to make it sustainable.

Finish this sentence: “Wilmington’s arts scene truly needs…”

More focused dedication from a consortium of all the businesses to help fund the arts. Additionally, individuals and businesses alike must show up and support everything from the small to large events. Everyone truly can make a difference in elevating arts in Wilmington.

Molly Giordano, Executive Director, Delaware Art Museum DelArt.org | @delartmuseum

Molly has been Executive Director since 2021. She has led efforts to develop more diverse artists, performances, and partnerships; presented a worldclass international exhibition in partnership with Tate Britain; and bolstered community outreach and free programming.

What’s your earliest arts-related memory?

My mom helped run a community art center in my hometown. Most of my earliest memories are artrelated! I was always hanging around the art classes, and at home, I had my own easel set up in the kitchen.

What made you want to be part of this arts scene?

I love that Wilmington has such a rich arts culture and history. I wanted to be part of a community that cares about culture, aesthetics, and the power that comes from art and community intersecting. >

What’s something everyone should know about your organization?

Everyone should know that we are so much more than our collection! We have an amazing studio program for people of all ages and abilities, a sculpture garden that is open for free from dawn to dusk, and an artistic kids’ play room.

Your best advice to future artists/arts leaders?

Get involved in arts advocacy early and often. Our ability to serve our missions and broaden impact depends on the collective message of our critical value, and how important it is to fund this work.

Finish this sentence: “Wilmington’s arts scene truly needs…”

A year ago, I would have said an independent bookstore. But my dreams have come true with Huxley & Hiro on Market Street.

What’s next for your arts journey?

The Delaware Arts Alliance is releasing a big study later this year that maps non-profit and for-profit economic impact across the state. The report will include policy recommendations to strengthen the sector. I’m looking forward to discussions with elected officials to determine how our government entities can more strongly support the arts.

dormant for years. The City Art Loop staff encouraged me to be a part of Wilmington arts. I was also given the opportunity by Out & About Magazine to create artwork for a cover in 1993; that was the catalyst for LaFate Gallery, now in its 31st year.

What’s something everyone should know about your work?

LaFate Gallery is more than an exhibit space. It is a "vision center" for the community, as my son, Jermaine, noted at the ribbon-cutting in 2015. After losing my husband in May 2015, I contemplated moving to New York. I prayed about it and received a vision to open a gallery in Wilmington. Now, my gallery serves children, youth, and adults through free art and heritage classes as well as caregiving and grief coping art classes.

What’s your most cherished arts-related accomplishment?

Producing the documentary, Arts As Prevention in 2013, and mentoring emerging artists.

Your best advice to future artists/arts leaders?

Focus on giving back to the community and get engaged in supporting artists. "It takes a village..."

Tizzy is the State Senator for Delaware’s Third Senate District and the Co-Chair of the Delaware State Arts Caucus.

Since her gallery opening in 2015, Eunice has been a staunch advocate for the downtown Wilmington renaissance and supporter of Market Street business and arts scene. Her gallery is one of the longest-running

What’s your earliest arts-related memory?

As a child growing up in Jamaica, I was fascinated with the beauty of nature. I started creating art on the walls of my home at age 7.

What made you want to be part of this arts scene?

My volunteer work at the Walnut Street YMCA was the renaissance of my folk-art talent, which had been

What’s your earliest arts-related memory?

I have such fond memories of school field trips to The Grand and The Playhouse. Even as a Wilmington kid, there was something about pulling into downtown Wilmington on a yellow school bus with my classmates from all over the county that always felt so special.

What made you want to be part of this arts scene?

The people! We have a wonderful culture of passionate arts practitioners who are not only incredibly talented artists but also care about justice and quality of life in our city, state, and nation. Anything I can do to be supportive of and involved in projects with such folks always feels like a gift.

Tizzy Lockman, Delaware General Assembly legis.delaware.gov | @tizzylockman

What’s something everyone should know about your work?

I cofounded a community dinner collective called Wilmington STIR (Sitting Together Is Radical) with friends including Michael Kalmbach, Margaret Winslow, the late Rysheema Dixon, and others, where artists and community builders pitched a project to the room and could win a bag of money to help them accomplish it. It was beautiful, and it's been on hiatus, but I'd love to bring it back again.

What’s your most cherished arts-related accomplishment?

I was the community liaison for the first few seasons of Delaware Shakespeare's Community Tour, where a world-class Shakespeare performance is brought into unconventional spaces to audiences who may not otherwise experience such a performance. There are challenges in presenting art in any context, but especially of a kind that can feel historically or culturally remote and inaccessible, to audiences that have been alienated from it, and maybe didn't even ask for it! It took patience and humility on the part of everyone involved and generated some of the greatest moments of humanity and grace I have ever experienced.

Your best advice to future artists/arts leaders?

Find and build your nurturing community.

Finish this sentence: “Wilmington’s arts scene truly needs…”

To be more widely appreciated.

Kerry Kristine McElrone, Artistic Director, City Theater Company

City-Theater.org | @CityTheaterCo

Kerry has been an integral part of CTC since its inception — as actor, director, designer, marketing manager, and now the first woman Artistic Director in the organization’s history. CTC is proud to celebrate its 30th season this year.

What’s your earliest arts-related memory?

I’ve always been a bit of a performer. I apparently “stole the show” at my first ballet recital at age 4, by escaping backstage chaperones and dancing solo onstage, uninvited, to take a final bow with my teacher Mr. Novak!

What made you want to be part of this arts scene?

When I was an undergrad, one of CTC’s founders was the area coordinator of my dorm. I introduced myself and we became great friends. As he launched CTC, I got pulled along for the ride (literally, he drove me here). I was still a teenager, hanging out with these cool people in their 20s and 30s — doing plays, going to bars and restaurants, meeting all sorts of artists. It was such a creative vibe at that time, and I was completely here for it.

What’s something everyone should know about your organization?

CTC was ‘born’ in a bar (O’Friel’s Irish Pub to be exact!) in the great tradition of “pub theater,” where storytelling happens mere feet from the audience, and everyone is part of the experience. Thirty years later, we’re still doing this kind of work. Our partnership with The Delaware Contemporary is in its third year, and just like the art on exhibit, we’re presenting contemporary art that lives and breathes via a canvas of actors, sharing stories in all their colors with you seated close enough to touch.

What’s your most cherished arts-related accomplishment?

I’d say probably everything I’ve gotten to do because I began doing theater here. I’ve been a consistently working actor for 30 years because of CTC, which is mind-blowing to me. It’s opened many doors to other professional opportunities and personal relationships along the way. Best of all, I have found a family — including my husband — in the incredible artists working here.

Your best advice to future artists/arts leaders?

Go. Do. It. Whatever medium speaks to you, do it wherever and whenever you can and be present for it. Recognize that whether your work touches one person or a thousand people, you’re doing what you’re supposed to do as an artist.

Finish this sentence: “Wilmington’s arts scene truly needs…”

Support! See your neighbor’s art show, band, play, dance recital. Donate to the non-profit organizations making these things possible. We have so much talent here and so many worthy companies and communities and individuals doing the damn thing, big, small, and inbetween. Also, can we have coffee available somewhere after 6 p.m. and on weekends? >

A.T. began her role at DiAE in 2022. Under her leadership, DiAE recently received a Challenge America grant of $10,000 to support arts learning professional development for early childhood educators.

What’s your earliest arts-related memory?

Dancing and performing for my family at home! My grandmother suggested to my mom that she enroll me in dance classes to help build my confidence. Thankfully, mom took that advice. My family and community invested in my artistic journey from an early age, and I’m thankful to be able to do that in this community through my work with DiAE.

What made you want to be part of this arts scene?

What I treasure most about the arts in Wilmington is the passion around creating opportunities for young people to experience the arts and to develop their craft. Whether we're talking about the Boysie Lowry residency, classes at CCAC, or the Urban Artist Exchange, our arts leaders are committed to a vision of how critical artistic experiences are for our young people.

What’s something everyone should know about your organization?

The thing I love to share about our work is that all our programs are customized to the host teacher’s curriculum, and all take place during the school day. Residencies are created collaboratively with the teacher, gifted teaching artists, and our artistic director, a true expert in arts integration. I think the deep creative collaboration that happens is something folks outside of schools would find exciting.

What’s your most cherished arts-related accomplishment?

My career has evolved from a dancer/choreographer to dance professor and now an arts administrator. Dance opened doors to life-changing stages like the Lincoln Center, Philly’s Annenberg Center, and university dance classrooms where students and colleagues expanded my practice beyond what I could have imagined, and now to DiAE, an anchor arts education institution. My most cherished accomplishment is to have lived an artful life and to be able to support the artful lives of others.

Your best advice to future artists/arts leaders?

The best piece of advice comes from my mentor Dr. Lynnette Overby. She taught me that whenever possible, collaborate across disciplines and perspectives. Doing so will allow you to create something more meaningful than can be done from a single vantage point.

Finish this sentence: “Wilmington’s arts scene truly needs…”

More established, sustainable pathways for artsoriented high school and college students to learn about and become involved in Wilmington’s arts organizations.

What’s next for your arts journey?

DiAE recently received our first NEA grant, which we will use to support our Delaware Wolf Trap Early Learning Through the Arts program. My colleague Ashley SK Davis and I are traveling to Slovenia this summer to present DiAE’s work at an international conference. I’m excited to see what we learn and can bring back to our community!

Nataki Oliver, The Sold Firm Art Gallery thesoldfirm.com | @thesoldfirm

Nataki opened the doors of The Sold Firm Gallery in 2019, with the vision of representing contemporary emerging artists across genres and styles and highlighting works by artists unable to exhibit in larger institutions.

What’s your earliest arts-related memory?

Drawing on the bathroom walls at age 7 or 8.

What made you want to be part of this arts scene?

My initial plan was to make my mark in the NYC arts scene. After the recession, I moved back to my hometown of Wilmington. I noticed that the needs and recognition of local (particularly African-American) artists weren’t being met, and I decided to amplify their voices by opening an inclusive space for extremely talented, contemporary visual artists.

What’s something everyone should know about your organization?

The gallery provides a concierge art collector service. It starts with a consultation, budget analysis, and selection,

COME MEET OUR NEW ARTISTS!

Every year on March 21, people all around the world come together to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day by wearing brightly colored, mismatched socks.

March 21 is symbolic because people with Down syndrome have 3 copies of their 21st chromosome. Socks were chosen because the karyotype of Ds chromosomes actually looks like mismatched socks.

and ends with delivery and installation of the artwork. If you have never been to a Wilmington art gallery, plan a visit. If you can afford to invest in artwork, please support a Wilmington local artist.

What’s your most cherished arts-related accomplishment?

I’d have to say when an NYC born-and-raised friend came for an exhibit viewing. They were overwhelmed with emotion because this was their first experience stepping foot in an art gallery. They harbored a fear that they wouldn’t be accepted walking into an art gallery until they came to The Sold Firm.

Your best advice to future artists/arts leaders?

Launch social media channels for your work to be seen versus just images of yourself. Participate in as many vending and art fair opportunities as you financially can handle. Know your worth. Learn your signature style but also embrace its evolution over time.

What’s next for your arts journey?

We are continuing the Soft Girl Era: Art Series. Our next exhibition opens April 5 by artist Shonté Young-Williams; Authenticity is Act III of the series. Our third-year partnership of The Art Space with New Castle County Art Studios & Y.it Art Life Studios begins in April. It’s a 12-week visual arts training program for ages 13-18. We'll exhibit their artwork at the finale in July.

Kerriann Otaño, Vice President of Engagement, OperaDelaware OperaDE.org | @OperaDelaware

Kerriann is relatively new to our arts scene, putting down roots here about 18 months ago. Since then, she’s worked tirelessly to carry out her mission of “joyful advocacy” and share the power and excitement of her art form.

advocating for people to be curious and explore all the arts and culture we have here. I'm an Opera Hype Girl first and foremost, but this community turned me into a Wilmington Hype Girl!

What’s something everyone should know about your organization?

OperaDelaware is the 11th oldest opera company in America. It was founded on a mission of creating Opera for All, and that continues today with our diverse, creative engagement initiatives, Pop-Up Opera, and Microgalas statewide. There are also new operas being written today that are workshopped and premiered here in Wilmington!

What’s your most cherished arts-related accomplishment?

I’m proud of the TEDTalk I did in Nashville about opera, joyful advocacy, and engaging people's curiosity. It was released in January, and I’ve gotten many messages from people saying, "I'm going to go see my first opera because of you!"

Your best advice to future artists/arts leaders?

Do it scared. Sometimes, I feel scared when approaching new projects but then I remind myself that I'm scared because I care, I want to be great, I want to make magic. Don't let fear stop you!

Finish this sentence: “Wilmington’s arts scene truly needs…”

A hype squad of arts lovers advocating in the community! We've got something special here, we should be proud to live here and experience the arts in Wilmington

What’s next for your arts journey?

Taking it a day at a time, but the Opera Revolution is happening and it's starting in Delaware!

What’s your earliest arts-related memory?

I remember dancing on a desk at my mom's job because I was obsessed with Shirley Temple and fully believed I could tap dance. I was five and a major ham already.

What made you want to be part of this arts scene?

My husband and I moved here in Summer 2022, and I fell in love with both the artists and audiences. I love

Leslie Shaffer, Executive Director, The Delaware Contemporary decontemporary.org @decontemporary

Leslie has led The Contemporary for nearly seven years. She’s helped the museum expand its artistic collaborations with partners like City Theater Company, OperaDelaware, and Boysie Lowery Living Jazz Residency as well as develop programs like A+ Nights, ArtSource artist registry, and West Street Art Festival.

Front l-r: Marchelle Carter, Nataki Oliver, Amira Williams-Estell

Back l-r: Ellen Cappard, Shonté Young-Williams, Erica Jones, Nadja Nicole

THE SOFT GIRL ERA HAS ARRIVED IN WILMINGTON

The "Soft Girl Era" is a cultural movement, primarily originating in social media. The movement is often grounded in innocence and femininity, but it is no longer characterized by the aesthetic associated with pastel colors. The movement’s interpretation and experience varies among individuals, including black women.

While on her own Soft Girl Era journey in 2022, The Sold Firm gallerist Nataki Oliver connected seven friends to build a community around black women embracing less-stressful lifestyles. Their journey offered them a safe space for self-expression, healing, creativity, exploring their identities, and facing challenges they’d never felt comfortable to openly express.

One of the most difficult obstacles for the group was “unlearning” traditional standards put upon black women: To only be strong…but never delicate in life. By redefining this notion of femininity, the friends shared experiences through creativity.

In 2023, The Soft Girl Era: Art Series took flight with three exhibitions curated by Oliver. The series began with Soft Girl Era: Act I at The Delaware Contemporary (closed 8/20/23), followed by Liberation, Soft Girl Era: Act II by E.Lizé (closed 2/20/24); and concludes with Authenticity, Soft Girl Era: Act III by Shonté Young-Williams (opening 4/20/24) at The Sold Firm.

The progression of each act encompasses a range of experiences, reflecting on the complexity of identity and representation within contemporary culture. Their goal is to expand the community each year with more Delaware women.

Discover the “Soft Girl Era” exhibition women in Delaware:

• Erica Jones, Visual Artist of E.Lizé Art

• Shonté Young-Williams, Visual Artist

• Ellen Cappard, Owner of Books & Bagels Bookstore

• Amira Williams-Estell, Owner of Mira Estell Handbag Co.

• Nadja Nicole, Musician & Talk Show Host

• Marchelle Carter, Owner of Charlie Rose Sweets

• Nataki Oliver, Owner of The Sold Firm Art Gallery

What’s your earliest arts-related memory?

My parents took us to see the King Tut exhibition in Toronto. I remember moving through in a long line with loads of people. There was a lot of old stuff under cases and lots of gold. It wasn’t until middle school that I became more engaged with art.

What made you want to be part of this arts scene?

My family relocated to the area in 2016. I was involved in the arts as a professional in Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Baltimore, DC, and New Haven, but this was an unconscious decision. While house hunting, I brought my kids to The Delaware Contemporary. I remember walking through the galleries thinking how financially dangerous it would be for me to work here — I wanted to buy everything on the walls! Less than two years later, I found myself here.

What’s something everyone should know about your organization?

For me, the artists who occupy our 25 studios are our biggest asset. We have great diversity represented through medium, content, process, and people. Throughout the year, these studios are open to the public. They can meet the artists, see how and where they work, and purchase artwork. It’s a privilege to work in an environment surrounded by living, working artists

What’s your most cherished arts-related accomplishment?

I have many. What drives me is seeing the “a-ha” moment in others. Whether an artist whose exhibition finally came together in the way they wanted; a visitor absorbed in connecting with a work of art; or a young professional seeing a project unfold, the magic of discovery through art is what I cherish.

Your best advice to future artists/arts leaders?

Be curious, take risks, be flexible, stop looking at the clock, and do your best to get the job done.

Finish this sentence: “Wilmington’s arts scene truly needs…”

State and city support through direct dollars.

—There are many ways you can support the arts: serve on a board, volunteer as an usher, attend opening nights, answer fundraising calls with whatever you can spare … The arts are an essential part of the human experience. And they need you to show up and be a part.

Spring It On

Shake off the winter chill at one of these area events

SBy Amy Watson Bish

pring is just around the corner. It’s time to emerge from hibernation and get out and about to enjoy all this time of year has to offer. From music festivals and art fairs, to steeplechases and bike races, to celebrations of nature and toasts to creative cuisine, there is plenty of fun to be had throughout Greater Wilmington. Read on to see for yourself.

MARCH

SHINE A LIGHT ON 1984!

Saturday, March 2 | The Queen, Wilmington

Like, omigod! One of the hottest events of the year returns, featuring 70+ of the area’s best musicians performing bodacious hits from 1984. Proceeds from the annual benefit concert (now in its 12th year) go to the Light Up The Queen Foundation, funding education programs for Delaware’s underserved youth. From Bruce Springsteen to Prince and everything in between, this is a totally awesome night you do not want to miss.

— Visit LightUpTheQueen.org

ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE & LOOP

Saturday, March 9 | King Street, Downtown

Wilmington & City Nightspots

Celebrate all things Irish, from traditional bagpipers and Irish dancers to marching bands and mascots, at the 47th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, followed immediately by the Hooley Celebration hosted by the Irish Culture Club of Delaware. The party continues with a pub crawl around Wilmington with the 33rd Annual St. Paddy’s Loop, presented by Out & About. Sláinte!

—Visit IrishCultureClubDe.com and OutAndAboutNow.com

The Wilmington Blue rocks swing into action with their home-opening weekend April 5-7. O&A file

ART PARTY: CRAFT

Saturday, March 23 | The Delaware Contemporary, Wilmington Riverfront

Craft an ordinary Saturday into an EXTRAORDINARY evening with the museum’s signature annual fundraising event inspired by their spring exhibition, RECRAFT. The party features craft activities, live music by Best Kept Soul, heavy hors d'oeuvres, an open bar and more.

— Visit DeContemporary.org

3RD ANNUAL DANCING WITH THE DELAWARE STARS

Friday, March 29 | The Waterfall, Claymont

This annual fundraiser for the Wilmington Public Library features 11 couples — all local community trailblazers — competing for the coveted Disco Ball trophy and bragging rights as the DWTDS Champion. Trained by professional choreographers from the Christina Cultural Arts Center, each couple will perform a unique dance routine. The evening is hosted by multi-talented performer, Just Leon.

— Visit DancingWithTheStars.org

APRIL

NEMOURS ESTATE OPENS FOR SEASON

Tuesday, April 2 | Nemours Estate, Wilmington

Wilmington’s historic gem reopens for the season, inviting visitors to explore the elegance of the 77-room mansion, a chauffer’s garage with vintage automobiles, and 200 acres of French-inspired formal gardens, grounds and woodlands. Season runs April through December.

— Visit NemoursEstate.org

BLUE ROCKS OPENING WEEKEND

Friday, April 5 – Sunday, April 7 | Frawley Stadium, Wilmington Riverfront

It’s time to root, root, root for the home team. The Wilmington Blue Rocks take on the Brooklyn Cyclones

in the first games of their 66-game home slate. Grab your peanuts and Cracker Jacks and cheer on the team with Rocky Bluewinkle and Mr. Celery.

— Visit Milb.com/Wilmington

DAFFODIL DAY

Saturday, April 13 | Winterthur Museum & Gardens, Wilmington

Celebrate the beauty of the daffodil and enjoy Winterthur’s amazing display. With his collector’s eye, Henry Francis du Pont arranged hundreds of heirloom daffodil bulbs in cloudlike drifts throughout the garden. Have “out of this world fun” and explore the connection between H. F.’s heirloom collection and NASA. The day will feature tours, space-themed activities, and crafts for all ages, plus daffodil plant giveaways.

— Visit Winterthur.org

CITY RESTAURANT WEEK

April 15 – April 20 | Downtown Wilmington, Trolley Square, and Wilmington Riverfront

From Asian to French to Italian, sample the creative cuisine of Wilmington’s finest restaurants during this week-long dining celebration. Enjoy two-course lunch specials for $15, or three-course dinners for $35 or $50 (plus gratuity).

— Visit CityRestaurantWeek.com

WILDFLOWER WEEKEND

April 19 – April 21 | Mt. Cuba Center, Hockessin

Walk the trails at Mt. Cuba and experience a magnificent display of native spring blooms at the peak of their glory, plus enjoy live music, gardening activities, outdoor family programming, and more. A variety of food selections and native plants will be available for purchase, while supplies last

— Visit MtCubaCenter.org

O&A file photos l-r: Wilmington Flower Market, Shine A Light, Brandywine Zoo's Brew at the Zoo, Winterthur Point-to-Point, Celebrity Chef Brunch.

THE ART OF THE COCKTAIL: STUDIO 54

Saturday, April 20 | Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington

Brush o your sequins and channel the style icons of the ‘70s and hustle down to Delaware Art Museum as it transforms into New York City’s most celebrated symbol of extravagant nightlife. Dance the night away to DJ beats, sip delectable cocktails and savor tasty appetizers, and much more.

— Visit DelArt.org

CELEBRITY CHEFS’ BRUNCH

Sunday, April 21 | DuPont Country Club, Wilmington

In its 27th year, this annual foodie fundraiser features indulgent bites prepared by nationally renowned chefs, brunch cocktails, live entertainment and more. All proceeds support Meals on Wheels Delaware’s goal to ensure no homebound senior goes hungry.

Visit MealsOnWheelsDe.org

THE DELAWARE MARATHON RUNNING FESTIVAL

Sunday, April 21 | Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park, Wilmington

e First State’s rst and largest running festival celebrates 20 years and features races for every age and skill — marathon, half Marathon, 10k & 5k. e course proceeds along the riverfront and through downtown, including portions of on the scenic Jack Markell Trail. e Celebration Village (Tubman-Garrett Park) is open to the public to enjoy music, interactive games, food and drink, plus a great view to cheer on family, friends and neighbors as they cross the nish line.

— Visit DelawareMarathon.org

MAY

46TH ANNUAL WINTERTHUR POINT-TO-POINT

Sunday, May 5 | Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library, Wilmington

Delaware’s springtime tradition continues. is muchbeloved event has it all — steeplechase racing, antique carriage parade, festive tailgates, fancy hats, and fun for the entire family.

— Visit Winterthur.org

WILMINGTON FLOWER MARKET

May 9 – May 11 | Rockford Park, Wilmington is time-honored, three-day event has been a rite of spring for more than 100 years. Explore a wide selection of plants and owers to start your garden, shop for gifts from craft vendors, and delight in carnival rides, games, and live music. Rockford Tower also opens for the season; climb the steps and take in the view of the festival grounds and the Wilmington skyline.

— Visit WilmingtonFlowerMarket.org

WILMINGTON GRAND PRIX

May 17 – May 19 | Downtown Wilmington

In its 16th year, the Grand Prix is an early stop on the USA Cycling’s National Racing Calendar. e weekend kicks o Friday evening with the Monkey Hill Time Trial through Brandywine Park. On Saturday, the Major Taylor Community Ride is followed by pro-am races through the streets of Downtown Wilmington. Sunday sees the return of the Governor’s Ride and Delaware Gran Fondo and o ers cyclists from near and far a scenic tour through the Brandywine Valley and some of Delaware’s most-prized cultural attractions.

— Visit WilmGrandPrix.com >

BELLEFONTE ARTS FESTIVAL

Saturday, May 18 | Brandywine Blvd, Wilmington

Discover the tiny, bohemian town of Bellefonte, just off Philadelphia Pike, at this fun-filled annual outdoor festival highlighting more than 50 local artisans, live music, food trucks, kid activities and more. Rain date Sunday.

— Visit BellefonteArts.com

SHADFEST

Friday, May 19 | Brandywine Park, Wilmington

Celebrate the Brandywine River and the return of the American Shad. This free, family-friendly event raises awareness of environmental issues and features a 5K race through Brandywine Park, live music, food vendors, and activities for all ages including fishing lessons, face painting and much more.

— Visit BRRT.org/Shadfest

THE LADYBUG MUSIC FESTIVAL

Friday, May 31 | Market Street, Wilmington

Wilmington’s 100% female-fronted, multi-genre music festival is back on Market Street for its 13th year. The country’s largest celebration of women in music is open to all ages and is free to attend. Stay tuned for a lineup of artists.

— Visit TheLadybugFestival.com

BREW AT THE ZOO

Friday, May 31 | Brandywine Zoo, Wilmington

Visit the zoo after hours for this lively adults-only FUNdraiser featuring beer, wine and spirit tastings, bites from local restaurants, ice cream from Hy-Point, live music … and oh, animals, too.

— Visit BrandywineZoo.org

ShadFest provides free hands-on fund along the Brandywine River.

The Asian

Culinary Craze

From the Far East to the Southeast, Asian food is a sensation in Delaware

DBy Pam George

elaware’s global businesses, universities and frequent travelers have upped the demand for ethnic cuisine. Undoubtedly, Asian food is a dominant flavor. However, the dining segment isn’t limited to Chinese or Japanese restaurants. The landscape is liberally laced with eateries that pay tribute to other Asian countries, and more than a few are a fusion.

Tried and True

Restaurants like Hunan Restaurant in Brandywine Hundred blazed a path. In 1982, the Branmar Plaza landmark advertised a $12.75 house special dinner, and today, specials like spicy Hunan pork are still affordable at $12.99 and come with an egg roll and white or fried rice. >

Hunan now crosses borders — more on that later — with kimchi, edamame, Malaysian roti and miso soup. AsianHunan.com.

The Crownery in Hockessin debuted in 1991, and News Journal critic Al Mascitti praised the Lantana Square restaurant’s full-service dining room, which was then a rarity in local Chinese establishments. He also noted that The Crownery was the second restaurant to serve dim sum. After a temporary closure, the restaurant was rechristened The New Crownery. NewCrownery.com.

Okura, also in Hockessin, is dedicated to Japanese cuisine, which was hard to find in the late 1990s. Sushi is the star, but you’ll also find hot pots, tempura, teriyaki, udon and other noodle dishes. Okura.us.

Utage in Independence Mall was one of the first sushi restaurants in Wilmington, and when it closed, sushi chef Hideyuki Okubo and his wife, Jessie, took over and opened Takumi. The couple met in 2001 when she started working at Utage. Since she is originally from China, they added Chinese dishes to the menu. The restaurant is still in Independence Mall but plans to move a few doors down. TakumiToGo.com.

For years, area diners craving Thai cuisine could only find it at Bangkok House, which opened in 1988 in Wilmington’s Little Italy section. The family-owned restaurant is known for tom yum gai soup, steamed chicken dumplings and spicy entrees with little red peppers by their names. TheBangkokHouse.weebly.com.

Staying on Point

Although mixing cuisines is common, many restaurants remain focused on a niche. For proof, consider the many Chinese takeout locations close to most New Castle County-area homes. But not many make fatty beef mala soup or a casserole of pork intestines with blood pudding. For that, head to Mom’s Kitchen in Bear, which strives to bring authentic flavors to those raised with them. (There are Americanized dishes, as well.) MomsKitchenDe.com.

As for Japanese cuisine, Kyoto and Sushi Yama opened to serve Japanese dishes in the early aughts, and that hasn’t changed. Kyoto in Pike Creek, for instance, offers rolls, teriyaki, and bento boxes. However, there are now curries. KyotoWilmington.com.

Meanwhile, Sushi Yama’s name tells it like it is. Although you’ll find teriyaki and tempura, guests primarily come to the Middletown hotspot for sushi. SushiYamaDelaware.com.

Sushi Sumo on Kirkwood Highway also spells out its main attraction. There are hand rolls, chef’s special rolls, sushi and sashimi (sushi incorporates vinegared rice). SushiSumoDe.net.

In Elsmere, Sakura Japanese Restaurant is a comfortable, casual sushi spot with all-you-can-eat sushi with rolls made on demand. SakuraWilmington.com.

At DE.CO in downtown Wilmington, food-court guests are able to order customized rolls at Al Chu’s Sushi. Of course, there are plenty of other stand-out roll options for those familiar with owner Chef Al Chu’s earlier days

at Mikimotos. Poke bowls? e chef has that, too, plus appetizers and daily specials. DECOWilmington.com

Regarding Korean cuisine in Delaware, many restaurants focus on barbecue. At Kalbi Asian Bistro, the barbecue includes chicken, pork, beef short ribs and other cuts, such as tongue, duck and chicken. Kabkor.com

Korean Barbecue in Newark adds steamed pig feet, eel and calamari to the BBQ mix. e restaurant also sells hot pots, hot stews and bibimap, a Korean rice dish. KoreanBBQNewark.com.

Crossing Borders

To appeal to multiple palates, some Asian restaurants feature the avors of several di erent countries. For instance, Le Shio on Concord Pike in north Wilmington blends Chinese, ai and Japanese specialties. LeShioAsianFusion.com. e same is true of Jasmine Asian Cuisine. JasmineAsianFusion.com.

ese Brandywine Hundred restaurants have a loungelike panache to the décor, a trend that arguably started with Mikimotos in 2000. e brainchild of the late Darius Mansoory wowed guests with its contemporary look, cocktail bar and round sushi bar. e Wilmington restaurant is now part of Big Fish Restaurant Group, and the décor and menu have been updated. Sushi remains the star, while the entrees mine Korea, ailand and China for inspiration. Mikimotos.com.

In the Christiana area, Potstickers Asian Grill and Sushi Bar also takes creative license to appeal to multiple palates. Sushi is a main attraction, but other options include spicy Korean bulgogi, thin meat slices cooked on a grill, a Szechuan seafood medley, Indianspiced prawns and ai spicy beef with ka r lime leaves. PotstickersAsianGrill.com. >

A colorful array from Rebel Ramen in Wilmington's DE.CO food hall.

Photo provided

South of China

ailand and Vietnam are part of Southeast Asia, countries south of China, east of India and north of Australia. e Philippines, Singapore and Malaysia are also in the region, whose colorful cuisine shows the in uence of Asian and Western European avors.

In Pike Creek, Soybean Asian Grille’s menu, for instance, includes curries and “pad” (stir-fried, wok-cooked entrees with ka r and pastry dough stu ed with chicken, onion, potato and curry powder. SoybeanAsianGrille.com.

Southeast Kitchen in Trolley Square covers most of the culinary bases with ai papaya salad, pho, curries and rice and noodle bowls. Note that the restaurant moved to takeout during COVID-19 and kept that policy in place. SoutheastKitchen.net.

Rasa Sayang in Concord Mall — formerly in Independence Mall — emphasizes Malaysian and ai cuisine, including sweet-and-sour chicken with pineapple and a aky roti pancake with curry. Since opening, the north Wilmington restaurant has added sushi and rolls. RasaSayangUSA.com.

Pinang Asian Cuisine in Newark follows the same approach. Start with roti, move on to maki and nish with ai red curry. PinangDe.com.

Meanwhile, Nasi Malay ai Sushi in Bear puts a Malaysian spin on roast pork, pork chops and General Tso’s chicken. However, the restaurant also has sushi and Chinese-American favorites. NasiDelaware.com.

Unfortunately, the Milburn family closed Ubon in Wilmington. However, Wit Milburn’s Kapow Kitchen in Booths Corner Farmers Market and his food truck are still serving creative takes on ai and Paci c Rim dishes, including spicy panang — a creamy curry — kimchi tacos, fried rice, huli huli with pineapple and teriyaki sauce and ai noodle pho in a chicken broth. KapowKitchen.com.

Soup’s On

Ramen and pho are two of the trendiest Asian dishes, and slurping is acceptable in many of Delaware’s Asian restaurants.

Ramen, which originated in Japan, includes springy wheat noodles that vary in thickness depending on the restaurant’s influences. The appeal comes from colorful toppings such as sliced pork, dried seaweed, bamboo shoots, scallion, radishes and a seasoned boiled egg. An artful arrangement is a must.

The broth is another source of pride. Ramen Kumamoto’s broth simmers for two days for a rich, complex flavor. The downtown Newark restaurant has meat and vegetarian options. Udon, a fish broth with

A sushi boat from Mikimoto in Wilmington.

Photo provided

thick noodles, is a featured dish. RamenKumamoto.com

Yokai Ramen Bistro in Brandywine Hundred has 10 types of ramen. Do you prefer rice over noodles? Try donburi, a rice bowl with different meats and veggies. YokaiRamenDelaware.com

Wilmington’s DE.CO is also home to Rebel Ramen , which offers composed ramen bowls. Or you can build one with a choice of broths (pork bone, miso or vegetable), protein and toppings. DECOWilmington.menu.

In Middletown, Shaka Ramen has a contemporary vibe and more than 10 types of ramen. You’ll also nd rice bowls and milk tea, a mix of tea and milk common in Asia. At Shaka Ramen, avors include matcha, Brown sugar, taro and co ee. ShakaRamenMiddletown.kwickmenu.com.

Vietnamese pho (pronounced “fuh”) is a street food staple consisting of rice noodles and a

protein, traditionally thinly sliced beef. The broth is light, and lively accompaniments include Thai basil, bean sprouts, lime wedges and bean sprouts. Many local restaurants add jalapenos.

Even small pho restaurants offer non-broth dishes. For instance, Pho Cali has entrees made with rice or noodles. orderphocali.com. And

Pho Bami Vietnamese Cuisine in Brandywine Hundred boasts banh mi, the Vietnamese “hoagie” on French bread. Options include bologna, pork belly, sausage, shrimp and beef wrapped in grape leaves. SkipliNow.com/shop/405744F

The cleverly named Pho Ever Café in Newark features pho, banh mi and American-friendly entrees such as soft-shell crab with rice and, interestingly, pizza. phoevermenu. com. Also in Newark, vPho features pho made with a 12-hour stock. However, pad Thai, bulgogi and wonton soup are also on the menu. Vpho.net.

Did we miss some? No doubt. Quick-serve teriyaki spots, for instance, are becoming common in suburban shopping centers, and fusion is fast and furious. Fortunately, when it comes to Asian cuisine, the more the merrier.

Takumi in Wilmington's Independence Mall.

Through the Fire

Despite rock ‘n’ roll drama — and more — Live co-founder-andguitarist Chad Taylor emerges with a new project, Chad Taylor & Friends, coming to The Queen on March 16

By Jim Miller

The story of the rock band Live is an underdog story.

Exactly how did a no-name, teenage band out of York, Pa., break into the highly competitive New York indie scene in the early ‘90s, then seemingly surge overnight to become one of the decade’s biggest rock acts?

What exactly was the secret to their success? According to co-founding member and guitarist Chad Taylor, it had as much to do with friendship as it did with music.

The four members of Live — lead singer Ed Kowalczyk, bassist Patrick Dahlheimer, drummer Chad Gracey, and Taylor — had been playing together since middle school. >

Live co-founder Chad Taylor is restarting his career with Chad Taylor & Friends.

Photo by Helen Elizondo

“We were like the four kids in the movie Stand By Me,” says Taylor, “except instead of throwing stones on the train tracks, we were jamming in basements and driving a beat-up van to faraway gigs.”

ose faraway gigs would come to include regular jaunts to New York’s CBGB, where they were discovered by Joey Ramone of e Ramones.

e band was signed to Radioactive Records, which was run by longtime Ramones manager Gary Kur rst. Soon they were recording in the studio with producer Jerry Harrison, of Talking Heads, working on their rst major label release, Mental Jewelry.

Jewelry came out in 1991, and Live rode the wave of success of its two singles, “Operation Spirit ( e Tyranny of Tradition)” and “Pain Lies on the Riverside.” e band then partnered with Harrison again for rowing Copper, their most successful album, topping the charts in 1994 and

selling 8 million copies worldwide.

e accolades followed. In 1995, Live won Billboard’s Rock Artist of the Year, and in 1996, tens of thousands of Rolling Stone readers voted the band Artist of the Year.

eir middle-school dreams had come true. Big time.

But it wouldn’t last forever. What was to be a “two-year hiatus” for Live in 2009 resulted an eight-year period of public accusations and rifts, mainly between lead singer Ed Kowalczyk and the rest of the band.

While the four patched things up in 2017 and headed back on the road for a few years, the pandemic shut down their 2020 tour. When shows resumed in 2021, so did the drama, and Kowalczyk opted to go on with Live without any of his original cofounding members.

It was a double dose of bad news for Dahlheimer, Gracey and Taylor, who had become entangled in legal

actions involving longstanding nancial agreements and a former business partner, Bill Hynes — the primary suspect of a now-threeyear joint investigation conducted by Pennsylvania state authorities and the FBI. Hynes is accused of stealing $4.4 million from United Fiber & Data, the currently operating telecommunications company the three Live members co-founded with him in 2012.

While the investigation did not uncover any criminal wrongdoing by any band members, the proceedings came with collateral damage. According to Taylor, Kowalczyk now only communicates to him and Dahlheimer through managers. And Gracey only communicates through lawyers.

“But I still talk to Patrick almost daily,” Taylor says. “And I still love all those guys.”

While cooperating with authorities in the Hynes investigation, which

legally he cannot discuss — and juggling related lawsuits involving the investments — Taylor once again has turned to music, this time for solace.

With his new project, Chad Taylor & Friends, Taylor nds himself back where he started as an underdog: playing small clubs with a small group of pals. e shows o er a look at Taylor’s more recent musical leanings while also presenting streamlined, more Americana takes on older Live songs.

“I’m excited about the process and moving it quickly to vinyl,” Taylors says. “ e booking agency is working passionately to assemble tour dates.”

One of those dates is Saturday, March 16, at e Queen, where Chad Taylor & Friends will be playing an intimate show in e Crown.

If you want to learn more about the Live drama, see the 2023 article in Rolling Stone. If you’re interested in how Taylor is moving forward and what’s inspired him to do so, read on…

O&A: You worked with Jerry Harrison as a producer several times, with Live and also with side-project Gracious Few. What was that like and did he ever o er any professional advice that stuck with you?

Taylor: Jerry Harrison quickly became my friend and mentor. In many ways, he has been a musical father and guiding light for my career.

When I met Jerry, the Talking Heads had just broken up, and he was working as an aspiring music producer. Despite Live being super young kids, we were smart enough to listen to Jerry. But to his credit, as a songwriter and performer, he also empowered Live and listened to us. at’s when records can become magical.

When I work with artists today or my own material, I’m pulling from this massive basket of skills, psychology, and

musical insight passed forward in my musical DNA. is knowledge becomes entirely instinctual and is linked to Jerry and my bandmates.

Jerry also introduced me to architecture, literature, and ne arts, far more advanced pursuits than anything I could have found.

As a graduate of Harvard, Jerry pushed himself as a musical innovator, but he also found success as an entrepreneur. For example, he co-founded GarageBand.com and continues to have a passion for a medical company that created a snakebite antivenom, which could potentially save thousands of lives.

Jerry showed me that I could operate as a musician and songwriter and use those highly attuned skills to build teams and companies. Once Live was a global success, I helped build a media production company and eventually led a groundbreaking ber-optic enterprise.

More than anything else, Jerry >

taught me that it was possible to maintain a loving and robust family despite the complexity of leading a life in the spotlight. My wife and three adult daughters are tops in my highlight reel.

Jerry and Adrian Belew have been on tour presenting many of the songs from Remain In Light. Patrick and I attended their gig in Washington, D.C., and were blown away by the performance. I may have cried a few tears relating to the immense pride I felt seeing Jerry get the recognition of his fans. It’s a must-see show for any Talking Heads and King Crimson fan.

O&A: The band moved to Lancaster, Pa., in the early ‘90s, and you’ve lived there ever since. What is it about that town that resonates with you and makes you feel at home?

Taylor: Ed gets the credit for turning me on to Lancaster. One of his first apartments was inside a barn where we wrote “Selling The Drama.”

My wife bought our family home in Lancaster while I was touring for Throwing Copper. The band eventually acquired a massive bank building downtown. “The Trust” became the central hub for the band around the Secret Samadhi era, although Ed and I wrote and assembled many of the songs for Throwing Copper on the second floor above Price Street Café — only a few hundred feet from The Trust building. Must have been something in the water!

Our drummer moved to Portland, Ore., and Patrick went to Miami. Then, Ed left for California, but I was already ingrained in the community. My wife opened a yoga studio that became a bedrock for the holistic community, and we raised our children with all of this artistic, spiritual, and entrepreneurial energy surrounding the family.

Soon after the release of Secret Samadhi, I dove headfirst into building Aurora Films and, eventually, my guitar shop, Tone Tailors, which are both located on the Rock Lititz campus today. I also built MoonTree, my recording studio. All were founded downtown. And while I’m no longer involved with Aurora, I enjoy supporting my co-creators in their business.

In Lancaster, I discovered a community where I felt I could help establish a scene that included musicians, photographers, writers, and filmmakers.

O&A: Chad Taylor & Friends played Philadelphia’s Vinyl to a packed house that included some big names in Philadelphia radio. In fact, WMGK’s Matt Cord called the show “unreal,” and said the crowd was “loving every minute of it.” How does it feel to get that kind of response to this new project?

Taylor: I spent 38 years as the guitarist with both Live and, for a time, The Gracious Few. But I only started singing lead vocal in May of 2023. By the time I hit the stage at The Queen, I’ll have a whopping 10 months under my belt as a singer-songwriter.

So, when reviews herald my voice, I’m a bit skeptical. The

upside is a refreshing innocence, given my years of experience. I’m both a veteran and a beginner.

When I envisioned a solo effort, I wanted to strip away all the old paint and return to the raw wood of the songs I helped manifest. This meant reconnecting with the creative antenna that drew these songs from the ether. I picked up my Martin D-28 and went to work. I spent hours and hours finding the right keys and arrangements to suit the limitations of my voice and the vision in my head.

I had experience with this approach as it was the same method I used when arranging “I Walk The Line” for the Sun Records documentary on PBS.

Eventually, Chris Daughtry made this version famous when he performed it on American Idol. I asked myself what could happen if I applied this methodology to this new endeavor.

“Lakini’s Juice” became the vision of a cowboy on horseback at the end of a long day, overlooking vast lands as the sun sets. Thankfully, Ed’s lyrics are so magical and transformative that they work perfectly with the new surroundings of the remodeled hit.

I did the same with each song, just an acoustic guitar and my voice and a strong compulsion to allow space for the guts of the material to be all that remained.

It’s beneficial that our backing vocalist, Megan Woodland, is the best singer in the band. She shelters me just a bit in the bigger choruses and adds confidence that wouldn’t be there otherwise. We have an excellent vocal blend, and a female voice brings new perspectives to the songs.

Come early and watch her shine as she fronts The Wild Hymns.

O&A: Where are you finding inspiration now and what do you hope Live fans will get out of this show on March 16?

Taylor: There is an entirely new world of media and connectivity since Live made its mark in the ‘90s. I was lucky to continue working with young artists in the recording studio. Between those talents and the musical leanings of my daughters, I feel connected to new music and old.

More importantly, the flaws, cracks, and imperfections that make music authentic resonate with the show. There is a spirit of truthfulness and intentionality behind each breath and musical passage. I love music. We love music. And really, isn’t that what transcendent experiences, like live performances, are exceptional at delivering?

We’re highly dynamic, and the music can sometimes be so delicate and quiet that you can hear a pin drop. What it is not is a loud, bombastic rock show. I fully endorse the current lineup of Live to bring you those moments.

Nevertheless, we’ve been known to generate some pretty awesome sing-alongs. And the best way to discover new music is to buy a ticket and support the arts!

— Chad Taylor & Friends perform at The Queen on Saturday, March 16. Show starts at 8 p.m. with The Wild Hymns opening. Tickets at TheQueenWilmington.com.

Galway

Whiskey

Benny Preston & other local favorites!

Open Early — 9AM

Saturday 3/9 (Parade and Loop Day)!

Sunday 3/17 (St. Patrick’s Day)

Open at 10AM

Saturday 3/16

The City

CITY OFFERS TEXT2PAY OPTION FOR BILL PAYMENTS

Mayor Mike Purzycki and Dir. of Finance J. Brett Taylor announced in February a Text2Pay payment option to make it more convenient for residents and businesses to pay their water/sewer utility bills. Residents can opt-in to the new and free text-payment method, which will allow customers to pay a bill with a single reply on any device, receive payment notifications and reminders, and choose from more self-service options.

“The Text2Pay feature is an easier payment option that we think will improve the customer experience paying utility bills in Wilmington,” said Mayor Purzycki. “We are modernizing our City systems and staying up with the latest options available through our phones. It’s all about ease and convenience while safeguarding your information.”

To opt in to the new Text2Pay program, use the following link and follow the fivestep sign-up process: WilmingtonDe.gov/text-to-pay.

Wilmington has contracted with Paymentus Corp. to offer the Text2Pay feature to City utility customers. According to Paymentus, using the Text2Pay and Text Notification features enables customers to opt-in to receive text messages containing billing info. Customers can text back a short reply to pay a bill or opt-out from receiving future messages. The Paymentus system automatically uses the payment method(s) saved in the customer’s profile to make the process as quick, convenient, and secure as possible.

CHAPLAIN SHERYL ALLSTON DAY

Mayor Purzycki proclaimed Feb. 15, 2024, “Chaplain Sheryl Allston Day” in Wilmington to honor the longtime WPD chaplain who retired from her volunteer role after nearly two decades of service to the City. During her time with WPD, Chaplain Allston became an integral part of the department’s family, supporting o cers after critical incidents, visiting o cers and family members in the hospital, assisting with academy graduations and other ceremonies, and participating in the ride-along program.

Mayor Purzycki joined Chief Campos and other top WPD brass to say goodbye to Chaplain Sheryl Allston (center).

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Mayor Mike Purzycki declared February as Black History Month in Wilmington with a Proclamation issued Feb. 6, the birthday of reggae music pioneer and global icon — and onetime Wilmington resident — Bob Marley. e Mayor encouraged residents “to honor and embrace the richness of African American history and culture, which make our City such a unique and prosperous place.”

Mayor Purzycki stressed that Black history is American history, and recognizing the achievements of African Americans who’ve contributed so much to our City, nation, and world should be a yearround e ort. “We owe it to each other — no matter our background or skin color — to talk about and celebrate the extraordinary achievements of African Americans whenever we have the chance, and proclaiming Black History Month in Wilmington is one small way to call attention to the those many contributions.”

e theme for 2024 was “‘African Americans and the Arts,” which the Mayor noted was “particularly well suited to our City with its long, vibrant history of prominent African American artists in all elds that continues up to the present.”

“Local luminaries such as Cli ord Brown, Edward Loper, Percy Ricks, Bette Roché, Wilby Fletcher, Alice Dunbar Nelson, Cab Calloway and countess others led the way for the many gifted individuals who comprise Wilmington’s thriving arts scene today.”

e Mayor presented the original Proclamation to relatives of the late Bob Marley at a special screening of the lm Bob Marley: One Love, which opened nationwide on Feb. 14.

CHINESE DELEGATION VISITS

Adelegation from Ningbo, China, visited Wilmington recently to establish stronger ties between the two cities. Celebrating its 36th Anniversary in 2024, Wilmington and Ningbo have a Friendship City relationship, often a precursor to a more formal Sister City agreement. is less formal international relationship was established to help explore opportunities for economic, scienti c, and cultural cooperation.

Mayor Purzycki presents the City’s Black History Month Proclamation to Bob Marley’s cousins (from left) Loraine Malcolm, Lexi Whilby, Judy Whilby, Nola Baker, and Su Yen.

Mayor Mike Purzycki and Chief of Staff Tanya Washington join in proclaiming February as Black History Month in Wilmington.

Mayor Purzycki (center) and members of his administration welcome a delegation from Ningbo, China.

Tisa