Annual Day of Service Focuses on Community Clean-ups and Youth Support
The Delaware Art Museum once again partners with the Wilmington community, starting with a free Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Kickoff on Monday, January 17, 2022 at 9:30 a.m. The holiday honors the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a national day of service that celebrates the civil rights leader’s life and legacy, and the Museum arranges volunteer opportunities with partners throughout the city.
Community Engagement Specialist Iz Balleto says, “The Museum’s participation in this day of service matters. We choose to be a part of a solution when it comes to being a part of a community that needs healing.”
Planned activities include an outdoor kickoff celebration at the Museum from 9:30—10:30 a.m. with performances by Jea Street, Jr. and the Wilmington Children’s Chorus, as well as remarks by State Senator Elizabeth Lockman and State Representative Sherry Dorsey. Participants may then depart the Museum destined for volunteer sites, where work will take place from 11 a.m to 1 p.m. The volunteer sites include:
Westside Grows Together (8th Street Bridge at Adams Street, Wilmington, Del.) – Outdoor community clean-up along the United Way Bridge. West Side Grows Together is the coalition of residents, businesses, churches, and local leadership from the Cool Spring, Hilltop, Little Italy and The Flats neighborhoods which organizes this annual cleanup event and march.
Teen Warehouse (1121 Thatcher St., Wilmington, Del.) – Outdoor community street clean-up. Teen Warehouse is a dynamic space in Northeast Wilmington designed for teens by teens that provides city youth with the tools and opportunities needed to become confident, courageous, and contributing young adults who will make a positive difference in our world.
One Village Alliance (31 W. 31st St., Wilmington, Del.) – Community service projects and mentorship program for Raising Kings Week. One Village Alliance’s mission is to grow historically marginalized youth into their true greatness through education, economic development and the arts.
Participants may also visit the Museum and Afro-American Images 1971: The Vision of Percy Ricks. The Museum is open free of charge, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on January 17. Proof of vaccination and masks are required inside the Museum.
Registration is required for participants of all ages, and participants are urged to dress for outdoor activities and cleanup.
Partnering with community organizations on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day speaks to the Museum’s mission “to connect people to art, offering an inclusive and essential community resource that through its collections, exhibitions, and programs, generates creative energy that sustains, enriches, empowers, and inspires,” and its vision, which includes creating connections to the community.
This event is a partnership with One Village Alliance, Westside Grows, The Teen Warehouse, 302gunsdown, and Guerrilla Republik. This organization is supported, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. The Division promotes Delaware arts events on www.DelawareScene.com.
For more information, visit our website or contact Amelia Wiggins, Director of Communications and Engagement, at awiggins@delart.org or 302-351-8503.
About the Delaware Art Museum
For over 100 years, the Museum has served as a primary arts and cultural institution in Delaware. It is alive with experiences, discoveries, and activities to connect people with art and with each other. Originally created in 1912 to honor the renowned illustrator and Wilmington-native, Howard Pyle, the Museum’s collection has grown to over 12,000 works of art in our building and sculpture garden. Also recognized for British Pre-Raphaelite art, the Museum is home to the most comprehensive Pre-Raphaelite collection on display outside of the United Kingdom, and a growing collection of significant contemporary art.
Under the leadership of our Board of Trustees, the Delaware Art Museum is implementing a comprehensive approach to community and civic engagement. This exciting new strategic direction requires that we increase our value and relevance to all audiences. Visit delart.org to for the latest exhibitions, programs, and performances or connect with us via social media.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Kickoff
WHEN: Monday, January 17, 2022, 9:30 a.m.
WHERE: Delaware Art Museum, Fusco Hall
COST: Free
INFO: delart.org