Press Release

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DELAWARE ART MUSEUM PRESENTS FIRST FRIDAYS AND ARTSPEAKS

Wilmington, DE (June  18, 2007)— The Delaware Art Museum is pleased to announce it will remain open late and free to the public during the evening of the First Friday of the month in July and August while Wilmington’s Art on the Town program is on its summer hiatus.  On Friday, July 6, and Friday, August 3, the Museum will stay open until 8:00 p.m. and offer free admission beginning at 4:00 p.m.

The Delaware Art Museum will use these evenings to launch its new ArtSpeaks program.  Spoken-word art, in which performers recite highly rhythmic, original poetry aloud, will be performed from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, July 6, and Friday, August 3.  A panel of judges will pick finalists from among the spoken-word artists to headline the ArtSpeaks Finale on Friday, September 7, also from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.  Artists must pre-apply to be considered as performers, and material must be appropriate for all ages.  The application form and rules can be found at http://www.delart.org/discover/events/artspeaks.
html or by contacting Renay A. Mercer, Community Programs Manager for the Delaware Art Museum.  ArtSpeaks was developed in collaboration with Tamyko El Bey of Common Cents Consulting.

The ArtSpeaks performances will be hosted by Valerie Trammel of Trammel Communications.  The panel of judges will include Nnamdi Chuckwoucha of the Twin Poets; Bernard Collins (a.k.a. Esaint), a muralist and spoken-word artist; Stephanie Knudsen, an author and English teacher at Wilmington Friends School; Queenzy Luv, a singer, songwriter, and musician; and Kamysha Martin, an author and the owner of Jewelry Designs by Kamysha.

Visitors are encouraged to arrive early for the ArtSpeaks performances for a chance to win door prizes, such as books from the Delaware Art Museum Store and gift certificates from Molly’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream and Café Caribe.  Audience members can also be entered into a drawing to serve as one of the panel’s judges.

The Delaware Art Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and Sunday noon – 4:00 p.m.  Regular admission is adults (18 – 59) $10, seniors (60+) $8, college students $5, and youth (7 – 17) $3, with children 6 and under entering for free, and admission free to all visitors on Sunday.  For more information, call 302-571-9590 or visit the website at http://www.delart.org.