Delaware Art Museum Showcases Iconic Era and Kicks Off Its Year of the Illustrator
The Delaware Art Museum presents “Jazz Age Illustration,” opening on Saturday, October 5, 2024, and running through Sunday, January 26, 2025. This much-anticipated original exhibition kicks off DelArt’s “Year of the Illustrator.” Significant special programming has been developed in conjunction with this exhibition, including jazz concerts, gallery talks, online and in-person lectures, an era-inspired gala, and a symposium providing fresh perspectives on the art and industry of illustration.
“Jazz Age Illustration” is the first major exhibition to survey the art of popular illustration in the United States between 1919 and 1942. The exhibition includes more than 120 works of art and dozens of publications by prominent artists, such as Aaron Douglas, John Held Jr., Neysa McMein and Frank Schoonover.
DelArt’s Curator of American Art, Heather Campbell Coyle shares, “I’m so excited to gather all these works of art in one space for our community. The display really captures the diversity and liveliness of the era. Visitors will see modernist and Art Deco designs alongside covers of ‘The Saturday Evening Post’ painted by J. C. Leyendecker and Norman Rockwell. Women illustrators like Loïs Mailou Jones and Neysa McMein really shine. It’s a great way to launch our ‘Year of the Illustrator.’”
This ambitious project draws from DelArt’s expansive illustration collection—over 4,000 works, or nearly one-third of the Museum’s permanent collection—and select loans from prominent institutions such as the National Portrait Gallery, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Norman Rockwell Museum. The Rockwell Museum will host the exhibition in fall 2025. The exhibition tells a story of popular culture, chronicling the rise of jazz musicians, flappers and film stars, and capturing an era marked by changing roles for women. The installation highlights the Harlem Renaissance, when African American writers and artists created publications for Black audiences.
Programming for “Jazz Age Illustration” includes jazz performances throughout the show’s run, expert gallery talks on select Thursdays, a Zoom art history course on American illustration, a symposium on December 6, and a fashion-themed event in January 2025. A social highlight of “Jazz Age Illustration” will be “Flappers and Fedoras: A Jazz Age Gala” on November 9. Guests are invited to dress up and enjoy era-inspired music, dancing, food, and drinks. Entertainment includes dancing by five-time Ukrainian National Champions Denis Parfyonov and Tetiana Sopit, jazz piano tunes by Paul Boris and a dance party with the Gerald Chavis Jazz Band. The “Jazz Around Town” campaign will feature highlights from the illustration collection on murals around the Museum’s neighborhood.
Executive Director Molly Giordano says, “The Museum’s ‘Year of the Illustrator’ kicks off with ‘Jazz Age Illustration,’ and it’s a unique opportunity to showcase how illustration reflects and shapes the spirit of an era.”
Throughout the Year of the Illustrator, the Museum will host programs featuring illustrators and scholars, as well as gallery and library talks that delve deeply into the history of American illustration. New acquisitions will debut in our permanent collection galleries and in the major traveling exhibition “Imprinted: Illustrating Race,” which is organized by the Norman Rockwell Museum and opens at DelArt in October 2025.
For more information on the exhibition, visit our website.
“Jazz Age Illustration” is made possible through support from the Henry Luce Foundation, Terra Foundation for American Art, the Richard C. Von Hess Foundation, the Rock Oak Foundation, in memory of Thomas Brokaw, the Roger and Sarah Bancroft Clark Foundation, the Wyeth Foundation for American Art, PNC Arts Alive, M&T Charitable Foundation, the Hallie Tybout Exhibition Fund, and the Thronson Foundation Illustration Exhibition Fund. This exhibition is supported, in part, by the National Endowment for the Arts and 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. The Illustration Symposium is sponsored by Heritage Auctions. Jazz Series Hosted by Raye Jones Avery is made possible through a grant from PNC Arts Alive. The Jazz Around Town Mural Project is supported by an AARP Community Challenge grant and through the Office of Wilmington City Councilman Nathan Field.
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 for the latest exhibitions, programs, and performances or connect with us via social media.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: “Jazz Age Illustration” Exhibition
WHEN: Saturday, October 5, 2024, through Sunday, January 26, 2025
WHERE: Delaware Art Museum, 2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington, DE 19806
COST: $25, free for DelArt Members
INFO: https://delart.org/event/jazz-age-illustration/
WHAT: Flappers and Fedoras: A Jazz Age Gala
WHEN: November 9, 2024, 7-10 p.m.
WHERE: Delaware Art Museum, 2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington, DE 19806
COST: $200
INFO: https://delart.org/event/jazzagegala/
WHAT: Year of the Illustrator talks and lectures
WHEN: Various dates
WHERE: Delaware Art Museum, 2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington, DE 19806
COST: varies
INFO: https://delart.org/series/year-of-the-illustrator/
WHAT: Illustration Symposium
WHEN: December 6, 2024, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
WHERE: Delaware Art Museum, 2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington, DE 19806
COST: $40; $15 for Members; free for students with ID
INFO: https://delart.org/event/illustration-symposium/
WHAT: Jazz Series Hosted by Raye Jones Avery
WHEN: October 16, 2024, 7-9 p.m., January 8 and February 6, 2025, 7-8 p.m.
WHERE: Delaware Art Museum, 2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington, DE 19806
COST: $35; $30 for Members
INFO: https://delart.org/series/jazzseries-rayejonesavery/
WHAT: DelArt Nights: Jazz for the Ages
WHEN: November 21, 2024, 5-8 p.m.
WHERE: Delaware Art Museum, 2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington, DE 19806
COST: Free
INFO: https://delart.org/event/delart-nights-3/