Above: A guest explores the Delaware Art Museum, which will debut its community-driven exhibition The People’s Gallery in August. Photo by S. Woodloe for Delaware Art Museum.
By Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald
As the celebration of America’s 250th continues, the Delaware Art Museum (DelArt) continues to honor the crucial role visual artists play in encapsulating, shaping, and envisioning American culture.
In August, DelArt will unveil a one-of-a-kind, community-driven exhibit that celebrates the many facets and faces of contemporary American art here in Delaware.
“Ultimately, The People’s Gallery is an opportunity for Delawareans to support artists directly, whether through engagement, dialogue, or by purchasing artwork and investing in the creative future of our state.”
A True Communal Exhibit
Artwork for The People’s Gallery will be accepted this month on a first-come, first-served basis. At 10am on Monday, July 6, submissions will open to all Delaware Art Museum members (in good standing as of July 1, 2026); registration for all Delaware residents opens at 10am on Wednesday, July 8. Submissions will close Monday,
July 27 or when capacity (i.e., 600 pieces) is reached.
All eligible artists must be Delaware residents age 18 or older. One two-dimensional piece per artist will be accepted up to a maximum size of 32” on the longest side. All submitted work must be “gallery ready” (i.e., secure hanging hardware intact), and all artwork must be eligible for sale.
Open to Delaware artists 18 and older, The People’s Gallery will offer a rare opportunity to exhibit in a major museum gallery.
The exhibition will be previewed on Thursday, August 6 during the museum’s Sculpture Garden Happy Hour. Artwork will be available for purchase by museum members on Friday, August 7 and for the public on Saturday, August 8. The People’s Gallery will be on display from Friday, August 7 through Sunday, September 6.
This project will enable our community to collectively participate in the creative process: Artists of every level will be able to show and sell their work in a major gallery, and patrons will have the opportunity to support and even own a piece of Delaware art history. Proceeds from artists’ sales will help support the museum and sustain its future artist-centered initiatives.
DelArt staff hope visitors will appreciate the diversity they find throughout the exhibit, and artists will be excited about the chance to be seen regionally and nationally; discovering what their fellow artists are working on; and being inspired, unbound by a specific theme or idea.
“[This exhibit] helps us showcase the Delaware contemporary arts scene,” says Morrissey. “It also allows the viewer to decide what they like. It’s not curated; this is ‘you see something you like, you can directly support that [artist].’”
Ultimately, The People’s Gallery will not only reflect on this nationally historic moment in time but also preserve a snapshot of the creative voices shaping it locally.
— Learn more at DelArt.org/The-Peoples-Gallery
