Lewes artist’s murals adorn Delaware Agricultural Museum interior

Spring is a time for renewal and growth.

Nowhere is that more evident than at the Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village, a private nonprofit museum that represents Delaware’s largest and most important industry, and serves as the center for interpretation of 19th century life in Delaware’s rural communities.

Special to the museum’s renewal initiatives is the artistry of Lewes resident Natalie McIntyre, who has worked tirelessly over the past two years capturing the beauty and charm of Delaware’s rural landscape through her paintings. 

McIntyre’s artistry is reflected in murals adorning the walls of the museum’s main exhibit hall as well as in individual paintings for sale in the museum’s gift shop. The murals provide the perfect backdrop for exhibits highlighting the work of Delaware artisans, the importance of the state’s chicken industry and the drivers of technological change in farming.

“I am always looking at what we see every day, whether it’s a bird on a roof, a tractor in a field or an old random snapshot. So often I see something that makes me stop and look again – that’s what inspires me to paint. I love meandering drives down the back roads of Delaware, but the discovery of the Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village has given me a new source of inspiration,” said McIntyre.

In summer 2022, through collaboration with a variety of individuals, private-sector businesses and organizations, the museum will launch a large-scale permanent indoor/outdoor exhibit titled Then One Day the Lights Came On, exploring the impact of rural electrification on agriculture and the lives of people in Delaware’s rural communities.

Museum Executive Director Carolyn Claypoole said, “Natalie is a truly gifted artist. Nowhere is her talent more evident than in the transitions mural she recently completed for the rural electrification exhibit, where she expertly captures the essence of the Delaware countryside. Pictures don’t do it justice; you really need to see this mural and the other beautiful murals Natalie has painted for yourself.”

To learn more, go to agriculturalmuseum.org.