On Madison: Showcasing Our Own
Group exhibition of The Delaware Contemporary Staff

August 1 - October 28, 2018
Opening Reception: Friday, August 3 | 5 - 9 PM during Art Loop

For 40 years The Delaware Contemporary has upheld its commitment to bring to the community the most innovative expressions of contemporary art. At the epicenter of what we do stands a devoted group of staff who work tirelessly to create exciting exhibitions, education programming, special events, deliver our marketing, manage our website, keep the building secure, and welcome visitors to the galleries. In the honor of our upcoming 40th anniversary, The Delaware Contemporary will showcase the artistic talents of our staff in the heart of the museum, the E. Avery Draper Gallery. Our staff members are not only dedicated and talented in their fields, but also active visual artists. This exhibition offers visitors a wide variety of nuanced and intriguing visual experiences in various media and processes such as photography, painting, fiber arts, and printmaking. Participating staff members include: Paul Andreas, Wenlu Bao, Jillian Decker, Morgan J. Hamilton, Mary Ann McClone, Tatiana Michels, Meagan Mika, Tia Santana, Kate Testa, John Webb, Courtney Widdoes, and Willie Yao. 100% of the proceeds of works available for sale will go back to the museum's exhibition and education programming.

Paul Andreas has been using the art form of photography as a creative outlet for over sixteen years. He captures images intended to resonate with and make a connection with those that experience them.

Wenlu Bao calls her work "my room," inviting the viewer to sit, talk, listen, write, read, or send her voice messages or letters. Her topic of interest is "only", "social hashtags", "what people love to hear", or "favorite movies". She listens to the submitted thoughts by her viewers, then responds individually. 

Jillian Decker has been inspired by the botanicals at Longwood Gardens since she was a child. Moving to Wilmington, she has been able to visit the gardens often and is inspired to capture the delicate intricacy of the vast array of flowers on display. Jillian's collection of botanical ink drawings encapsulates the imperfect yet precise details of over a dozen different blooms.

Morgan J. Hamilton meets people in their various delusions and walk along with them to convince them it's just a story they were told and are retelling... while remembering not to fall for his own.

Mary Ann McClone's work, Women's March January 21, 2018, represents the millions of women who showed unity on many issues, particularly women's rights, around the world on January 21, 2018. 

Tatiana Muska Michels' mixed media technique of found materials, drawing, painting, and textural layers form a translucent array of depth and color. Environmental issues are her central theme as the beauty of nature and its ability to emerge triumphant over the constant battle with human destruction is represented in both the process and finished pieces of her work. 

Meagan Mika's work seeks to address the manner in which people, often unwittingly, reinterpret memory to construct personal history and identity.

Tia Santana's ceramics explore story through vessels constructed of coils. These vessels take on an abstract quality through the twists and turns, the knots and kinks, the pulls and weaves of the clay. Her practice invites dialogue that celebrates exploration, preservation, and pride in the history and presentation of black hair and identity. 

Kate Testa explores the metaphysical and the occult through
mixed media and repetitive forms of translation while drawing influence from texts, objects, and actions to create sculptural collages, ritual objects, and installations. "I like to say I’m psychic and then tell people I’m only half kidding, I’m not kidding."

John Webb's work is a marriage of observational and imaginative drawings of invented creatures informed by the natural world. 

Courtney Widdoes drew inspiration when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her piece is a result of that diagnosis and serves as a processing tool. Having researched and discovered more about her mother's cancer, those findings became more pronounced in her artwork.`

Willie Yao's paintings find inspiration from the 1960s pop-art graphics with the use of bold color and strong lines for his aesthetic. 

E. Avery Draper Gallery