Independence
I will admit that there are days when I feel a little jealous knowing that there are care-free tourists lazing the day away on the beach or eating fries on the boardwalk while I have spent the first days of my summer rehearsing inside a darkened theatre, just half a block from all of those happy tourists. The blessing and curse of living in paradise! As always, there’s more to do around town than any one person can, so pick three things that interest you from this column and promise to do at least two! All locations are Rehoboth Beach, unless otherwise noted.
PERFORMING ARTS
Clear Space Theatre Company (20 Baltimore Avenue at the Celebration Mall; 302-227-2270; ClearSpaceTheatre.org) Sussex County’s only year-round professional troupe has begun their summer stock season with Words & Music: By Gershwin, 100 Years of Broadway and the Broadway blockbuster Chicago. Great theatre six nights a week (Tuesday-Sunday) through Labor Day! Check their website for information on their four one-week summer camps for grades 1-12.
Possum Point Players (441 Old Laurel Road in Georgetown; 302-856-4560; possumpointplayers.org) has their Possum Juniors presenting Robin Hood July 21-24. Support those talented young folks, and then sign your kids and grandkids up for the PPP Summer Drama Academy for grades 2-5 (July 25- 29) and the PPP Summer Theater Academy for grades 5-10 (August 8-12).
VISUAL ARTS
Galleries marked with an asterisk (*) are members of The Rehoboth Gallery Collective, MOSAIC (mosaicrehoboth.com). Join participating galleries for Second Saturdays: Destination Art Walk, July 9 from 6-9 p.m.
*AerieArt Gallery (45½ Lake Avenue; 302-227-5376/302-585-6402; rehoboth.com/aerieart) on display are the paintings of Jinchul Kim, Paul Flexner, and Jim Hill, all professors of art at Salisbury University (Salisbury.edu/artdept). Always on display are paintings from the 19th Century to the present.
Artworx19971 (20 Baltimore Avenue at The Celebration Mall; 302-727-1517) features quality, original art by Rehoboth Beach area artists at affordable prices. The collective is owned, operated, and staffed by eight local artists. Stop by the studios and visit with an artist and view the constantly changing displays or works in progress.
Coffee Mill (127 Rehoboth Mews; 302-227-7530; melcksphotography.com ) displaying Melcks Photography—original Photographs of Rehoboth Beach, July 4, and scenes of surrounding areas.
*Gallery 50 (50-A Wilmington Avenue; 302-227-2050; 50contemporaryart.com) hosts an artist reception for York, Pennsylvania-based artist Richard Chandler Hoff on July 9 (6-9 p.m.) Hoff recreates the mood of the 1940s and 50s while working solely with graphite lead pencils. Through August 4.
*G-50 Fine Art Photography (46 Baltimore —courtyard behind Universal Gear; 302-227-2240; G-50Photo.com) hosts an artist reception July 9 (6-9 p.m.) for New York photographer Phillip Gutman. Gutman explores the subculture of New York with striking gelatin silver works. Through August 4.
*Heidi Lowe Gallery (328 Rehoboth Avenue; 302-227-9203; heidilowegallery@gmail.com) presents Earrings Galore featuring The Earring interpreted by 25 studio artists from around the country through August 8. Heidi also does design work, so if you’re interested in creating one-of-a-kind wedding rings or other special pieces give her a call!
*Juleez (20 Baltimore Avenue at the Celebration Mall; 302-227-3792; juleez.com) features the unique and vibrant works of Julie Borden including hand-painted cellos, violins, miniature pianos, beautiful acrylic on canvas originals and giclee prints. They also carry the dichroic glass sculptures of Mary Ann Borden.
*Kevin Fleming & Friends (239 Rehoboth Avenue; kevinfleming.com) is a new gallery featuring National Geographic photographer, and local resident, Kevin Fleming’s photographs, books, and calendars, as well as art and photography from Deb Applebee, Tony Pratt and Pam Bieler.
Packard Reath Gallery (Located in The Hotel Rodney,142 Second Street; Lewes; 302-644-7513; packardreathgallery.com) Specializing in Fine Art Photography. Opening reception for Danny Doughty’s A Joyful Noise, and sculpture by Joyce Fitz Ritz, Saturday July 2 (5-7 p.m.). Through August 6.
*Paintiques (20 Baltimore Avenue; 302-258-4203) offers Sherry Biele’s unique and artfully-painted vintage furniture and accessories as well as glass art by Connie Ballato; Silver jewelry by Sue Bartley and handbags by Linanz.
Peninsula Gallery (520 E. Savannah Rd in Lewes; 302-645-0551; peninsula-gallery.com) presents Land and Sea—a group show with work by Michele Green (Delaware), Stephen Brehm (Pennsylvania), and Brian Murphy (Virginia) through August 2. Opening reception Saturday, July 2 (5-7 p.m.).
*Philip Morton Gallery (47 Baltimore Avenue; 302-727-0905; philipmortongallery.com) features works by Alden Leonard, Gary Fisher, Vadim Palamarchuk, Dane Tilghman, Aina Nergaard, Anita Peghini-Raber, Deborah Rolig, Chisolm, Deborah Brisker Burk, John Whitney, Lulu Zheng and many more. Kiln-Formed Glass Sculptures by Andres Tremols and a fantastic Bronze collection from world-famous artists, as well as new glass works from Prague.
Proud Bookstore (Baltimore Avenue in Village By the Sea; 302-227-6969) featuring the artwork of Gerri Dibiase, Jeffrey Todd Moore, David Kraft, Lynn Finaldi, Michael Gardner, Patrick Keating and John Gress, as well as having great books, cards, and calendars.
Rehoboth Art League (12 Dodds Lane in Henlopen Acres; 302-227-8408; rehobothartleague.org) 38th Annual Members Fine Craft Exhibit in the Corkran and Tubbs Galleries. Artwork from this years’ Plein Air Event is on exhibition in the Homestead Gallery. July 12-13 is the 62nd Annual Cottage Tour. The tour includes seven exceptional private homes and The Homestead at the Art League campus, which is listed on the National Registry of historic places. Call the RAL for tickets or visit their website.
Rehoboth Beach Film Society (107 Truitt Avenue, 302-645-9095; rehobothfilm.com) presents: Cinema by the Canal: Young Frankenstein Thursday, July 24 at Canalfront Park, Lewes; at Dusk. Free. Festival Film Reviews: Mondays July 11, 18 and 25 in the upstairs screening room at Movies at Midway 7 p.m. ($2) and Tuesdays July 5 and 12 at South Coastal Library, Bethany 7 p.m. (Free) Cinema by the Surf: Nanny McPhee Returns Thursday July 7 at the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand; at Dusk. (Free) Fun with Filmmaking a three-day seminar for children ages 6-9.
Rehoboth Beach Library July 12-14; 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Lewes Library July 25, 27, and 29, 1-3 p.m. (Free)
Rehoboth Beach Museum (Rehoboth Avenue at the Canal, 302-227-7310; rehobothbeachmuseum.org) invites you to stop and see their new exhibit: Skimming the Surface: Surfing, Skimboarding, and Floating off the Delaware Coast. Get into the surfing theme at the Museum’s fundraiser—the 6th annual Beach Ball, Saturday, August 6 (7-10:30 p.m.) at Kings Creek Country Club. Great food, live and silent auction items, and dancing to the tunes of the 60s.
Surrattsart (20 Baltimore Avenue at the Celebration Mall; 302-227-3522; www.surrattsart.com) featuring the work of artist Sherry Surratt. Specializing in oils, acrylics and gouache.
*Thunderbird Gallery (200 Rehoboth Avenue; 302-227-1900; thunderbirdshop.com) presents original oils by John Powell (johnpowellfineart.com), an artist who lives in the hills of southern California and Maine. Mr. Powell travels extensively “in search of the unusual and beautiful.”
*Ward Ellinger Gallery (CAMP Rehoboth Courtyard, 39 Baltimore Avenue; 302-227-2710; wardellinger.com) displays works by Ward Ellinger and select artists.
*WibergArt (20 Baltimore Avenue at the Celebration Mall; 302-226-0206 or 302-245-3615; wibergart@aol.com) features renowned marine artist, Jack Wiberg, and his original oils of sailing vessels and ships.