Rehoboth Art League to open Outdoor Show Aug. 9

In 1973, the first Outdoor Art Show was held on the Rehoboth Art League grounds in Henlopen Acres. For the first 20 years, artist Nanette Currie Cunliffe was chair of the show. The beginnings were simple, and artists often showcased their work on fences around the grounds. Several of the most well-known artists, like Jack Lewis and Howard Schroeder, were annual participants.

This year, the 41st Annual Outdoor Show will still hold a bit of the nostalgia of the past and will offer many new amenities. Now the show requires a dedicated staff, an Outdoor Show Committee and many volunteers who work behind the scenes and during the two-weekend event. The art league’s wooded 3.5-acre campus remains the perfect setting to see and purchase fine art and crafts, and it offers a hiatus from the heat of summer days and crowds at the beach.

This year, over 130 artists and artisans from Delaware and the Mid-Atlantic region will participate in the show's two weekends, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 9 and 10 and Aug. 16 and 17. Many artists demonstrate their artwork in their booths; there will also be pottery demonstrations, face painting, great musical entertainment from local performers and indoor/outdoor seating to enjoy delicious food by Nage and The Point Coffee House and Bake Shoppe.

Familiar local artists and some exciting new faces, along with live entertainment featuring jazz, bluegrass, and folk music will create a relaxing atmosphere for spending the day. Several exhibitions will be on display in galleries on the art league campus.

The 76th Members Fine Art and Fine Craft Exhibition will run through Aug. 24 in the Corkran, Tubbs and Ventures galleries. Flying In & Out of Margins: Prints and Drawings by Oscar Gillespie will be in the historic Homestead.

With limited parking, the Rehoboth Art League recommends patrons use the Jolly Trolley shuttle available at two off-site locations: the Kmart on Route 1 and Rehoboth Elementary School at 500 Stockley St. Ext. The entry fee is $5 per adult per weekend. There is no charge for children under 12.

Advance purchase tickets are available at www.ralartoutdoors.com.

This event is made possible, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.

Visit www.rehobothartleague.org or call 302-227-8408 for more information.