Historic mural created for Lewes museum; installation set for Sept. 29

A historic mural will soon appear on the side of the Lewes History Museum that faces Kings Highway in Lewes.

Art in Bloom organizers initially planned to find a muralist who could reproduce the historic painting, “The Landing of the DeVries Colony at Zwaanendael in 1631,” by Stanley M. Arthurs. The painting is housed at the University of Delaware but exists in the public domain, and therefore it could be reproduced.

Following collaboration with the Lewes Public Art Committee and Historic Lewes, it was decided to expand the mural to show a selection of historic events in Lewes, rather than just one. Soon, a series of meetings took place involving the three organizations, together with representatives of the Delaware Archaeological Society, and members of the African-American community and the Lewes Parks and Marina Department.

A list of historic events was drawn up for consideration, but with limited wall space, it was way too long. After more meetings, it was decided to limit the proposed mural to events starting with Native American life at the seashore and finishing with shipbuilding on Lewes Creek, now part of the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal.

Michael Rosato, the artist chosen for the job, specializes in painting large-scale murals for public and private spaces. His works have been commissioned by corporations, museums and sports arenas, among others.

The mural will be in two parts, as the wall has a large window in the middle. Rosato is creating the mural on a substrate in his Cambridge, Md. studio for later attachment to the walls.

The left panel is complete. He is currently working on the other panel, with completion expected during the last week of September and installation planned for Monday, Sept. 29.

The overall cost has been split equally among Art in Bloom, the Lewes Public Art Committee and Historic Lewes.

The City of Lewes has submitted a grant request to DE250 to cover the cost of downlighting and interpretative signage.