That’s what this column is about. Pretty self explanatory.
Or is it?

Having been a Manhattan resident before moving to Rehoboth, the "arts" had meant something a bit different to me. I left THE CITY knowing that I would be living without nearby museums or the opera, but it also meant trading rats running across my feet on the subway platform (while trying to eat my morning bagel) for a walk on the beach. It’s a fair trade.

What I wasn’t prepared for was the incredible amount of arts that do exist in our little corner of the world. Two years ago I could open Time Out NY and have an endless list of events from which to pick, realizing that no matter what I chose there were still 89 other things happening that day which I would miss. Now, though the list is more discrete, I still have ample decisions to make about my entertainment and arts choices right here in paradise.

My partner Ken and I moved to the Rehoboth area with the intent of starting a theatre company, which we have done. After vacationing here for several years, we were under the impression that there wasn’t much going on in the arts here. Instead, we’ve been more than pleasantly surprised to find such an incredibly vibrant arts community.

Okay, we’re still missing a decent opera company in Sussex County, but I digress…I’m here to celebrate the diversity and richness of what we do have and build from here.

On any given weekend, residents and visitors can attend shows presented by Milton Theatre, Second Street Players, Clear Space Productions, Henlopen Theatre Project, Fay J Productions, Cape Thespians, ELBoW Productions, Possum Point Players, Village Players… I end with an ellipsis in the event that my memory has failed and I have inadvertently excluded a group. There’s even a movement afoot to form a cooperative organization that will include all theatrical troupes in the area. Since there’s a fair amount of sharing of the talent pool for most of us, it only makes sense to work together for the good of the community. It’s all about "creating a more positive" Rehoboth, isn’t it?

In just the past few weeks audiences have delighted to a collaborative effort by the Henlopen Theatre Project, Milton Theatre and Fay Jacobs (who doesn’t know Fay?)—Nunsense! The production featured five actresses (all of whom I’ve had the pleasure of directing at one time or another!) who "got into the habit" and sang and danced up a storm of Biblical proportions. On the flip side, the Possum Point Players of Georgetown presented the endearing drama, The Diary of Anne Frank. See what I mean about diversity? One weekend, it’s nuns doing poppers and the next it’s a Jewish girl hiding in the attic.

Another collaborative event occurred on June 23rd between the Sussex County AIDS Council and Clear Space Productions. An encore presentation of CSP’s spring production of the Kander and Ebb revue, The World Goes ‘Round delighted the crowd and raised money for an excellent cause. Viki Dee was the pre-show warm-up act. Hold it. That’s an understatement. Ms. Dee not only warmed up the crowd, she caused palpable heat.

And visual art abounds. Two new beautiful galleries have opened recently to add to the choices area collectors have always enjoyed. Gallery 50, owned and managed by Jay Pastore, is now open at 50 Wilmington Avenue, next to Celsius. The gallery is currently featuring works by Brian Petro, Gloria Cesal, Rick Back and Robert Bricher. Information about Gallery 50 and its exhibits are available online at www.50contemporaryart.com.

The Philip Morton Gallery, owned by Philip Livingston and directed by the handsome Eric Davison, has opened at 47 Baltimore Avenue (between Aqua and the Blue Moon). The gallery features original signed modern art in all media—painting, sculpture, and ceramics. Artist Dane Tilghman’s exciting work is currently being highlighted. For more information, visit their website: www.philipmortongallery.com. Stop by and enjoy both of these beautiful new spaces as well as the panoply of previously existing fine art galleries.

Last weekend we had a truly exciting visual art event —The Second Annual Rehoboth Beach Paint Out! The event was co-sponsored by the Rehoboth Art League and Rehoboth Beach Main Street. 30 artists gathered around downtown Rehoboth to create works of art "en plein air" —in the open air—while they dealt with the elements of traffic (not too bad), the weather (gorgeous!) and… well, you!

The artists’ captured the light and colors of downtown from the commercial and indigenous—such as our award-winning boardwalk and beautiful cottages—to the universal—that rather large wet thing just east of the boardwalk, the Atlantic Ocean.

The weekend ended with an exhibit and sale of the artwork at the Bellmoor Inn on Christian Street. It was a fabulous success.

To add to the fun, Main Street held an ArtWalk with 26 establishments showing art and many of them holding receptions for the artists and the public. Downtown was packed and this event will definitely be annual. Included in the ArtWalk was CAMP Rehoboth’s first one-person art exhibit featuring new works by Murray Archibald.

Darn, out of space and I didn’t get to dish about the Tonys! Well, next time…

Enjoy the Arts!