Rehoboth Art League to host Preservation Matters reception May 10

In recognition of Preservation Month in May, the Rehoboth Art League will present Preservation Matters from Friday, May 10 to Sunday, June 9, with an opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m., Friday, May 10.

This exhibition presents paintings and paper pieces that have recently been conserved and is meant to highlight treasures from the league’s esteemed permanent collection.

As a supplement to this exhibition, the art league will host a gallery talk with professional art conservator Im Chan at 2 p.m, Saturday, May 11. Chan’s meticulous profession has led her to work with institutions such as the National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Chan has treated some of the Rehoboth Art League’s historic paper pieces. She will discuss how artwork is conserved, from correcting fading to rebuilding missing paper.

Featured in the Ventures Gallery will be pieces of art that were “up for adoption” in 2018 and were determined to be most in need of conservation. With the help of donor support that covered treatment costs, the Rehoboth Art League has had each piece conserved, and the works created by Ethel P.B. Leach, William Leach and Mary Derrickson will be on view.

In the Marcia and Henry DeWitt Gallery, visitors can see a new selection of collection pieces that are  in need of conservation and up for adoption this year. An adoption, or sponsorship, will cover costs for the work’s treatment, which is detailed by conservators. Among this year’s priority pieces are Ethel Leach paintings and drawings, and a Jack Lewes pencil piece.

The Rehoboth Art League is one of only a few actively collecting art institutions in Delaware. Its permanent collection contains more than 700 items, which include hundreds of works of art in various media; colonial furniture; artifacts and decorative art collected by Louise and Col. Wilbur S. Corkran when they resided at the Homestead; and an array of RAL organizational archives. The permanent collection maintains a focus on early to mid-20th century works of art created by 22 Rehoboth Art League Heritage Artists. These artists were instrumental in the development of the Rehoboth Art League and include such notable talents as Ethel P.B. Leach, William Leach, Orville Peets, Jack Lewis, Howard Pyle, Edward Grant and Howard Schroeder, to name a few.

All of these exhibitions and events are free and open to the public. The Rehoboth Art League is located at 12 Dodds Lane in Henlopen Acres. For more information, go to www.rehobothartleague.org.