The many arts and culture events in Delaware are everything you'd expect from this unique peninsula. Offbeat and intimate, festive and poignant- the variety of the offerings will not fail to surprise and delight. The many galleries, museums, playhouses and concert venues that spangle the northern cities stand in contrast to the funky boutique galleries that are to be found in the southern counties and the famous beach resort town of Rehoboth. There's music and theater in Wilmington, nightclubs along Dewey Beach and so much more. Many people are surprised to learn how friendly the First State really is to the arts. For this reason, we've compiled the following list of the 5 best cities in Delaware for the arts.
The capital city of Delaware, Dover is right in the center of the state, practically equidistant from everything the region has to offer. But that hasn't stopped them from curating some of the finest arts scenes to be found locally. There is The Schwartz Center for the Arts, a nonstop celebration of educational and artistic programming. It represents the heart of the local bohemian scene. The Biggs Museum of art, a not-for-profit museum featuring historic works of art dating back to the country's foundation with items 300 to 400 years old. In the last few years an annual music festival known only as Firefly has swept the people of Dover into a frenzy of festivities over many popular and independent musical artists and bands from all over the world - it's the one time of year that half the city's population gets out of their comfort zone and comes together for a massive outdoor event.
This friendly college town is full of opportunities to get involved in and enjoy the arts. From the annual Art on the Green event which is a public craft show, to the Cab Calloway School of the Arts - there's plenty of culture to spare in New Castle. There's also the New Castle Historic Society which offers museums and tours of three historic buildings that feature an array of fascinating exhibits. There's the Danceworks Dance Studio where young dancers are taught technique and creativity in the art of dance. Classes are optimized for those students who wish to pursue careers in the Arts, and for students with a recreational level of interest who also love to dance. New Castle Middle School has an award winning arts department with special programs for promising art students.
Newark is a small town with a big artistic side and home of the Newark Arts Alliance center, where galleries and teaching spaces are open to the public all year long. The University of Delaware in Newark has a big artistic department which puts on shows and functions for the community. There's the Gore Recital Hall located within the Roselle Center for the Arts, where many performance arts programs are put up for the public. The University Museum and Old College Gallery features art shows, lectures, and special events on a regular basis.
If you only visit one place on the Delaware peninsula for arts and culture, you could do worse than to start with Rehoboth Beach. Not only is Rehoboth a world-class resort community, but all up and down the beach strand you'll find art galleries, artisanal shops, and show spaces. The Rehoboth Art League is the longstanding hub of the local arts community and has carried on its founder's vision for over 75 years with classes, exhibits, events, and community outreach programs. There are scores of art galleries featuring photography, paintings, and sculpture, as well as a virtually unlimited amount of opportunities to enjoy live music and theater.
Being the largest city in the state, Wilmington would naturally have an advantage when it comes to representing the arts. Home of the Wilmington Performing Arts Center offers symphonic, operatic, and ballet performances throughout the year, there simply is no better venue for the acoustic arts in Delaware. The Delaware Art Museum features a massive fine art collection which is now available to be seen online. They put on many live events such as the upcoming Valentines Speakeasy and the Chinese New Year Celebration event. There is the Delaware Center for Contemporary Arts which has recently changed its name to The Delaware Contemporary. The Delaware Contemporary's arts education programs are available to the community to include school partnerships, summer camps for children, and classes.
The tiny shipbuilding town of Smyrna isn't the first place anyone would think of when the topic of the arts comes up. That is unless you happen to be aware of the Smyrna Opera House. Smyrna hasn't got a lot going on in the way of the arts other than a few ocean themed interior decorating shops. But the Opera House is enough. Originally built in 1870, The Smyrna Opera House has since been fully restored twice. It reopened in March of 2003 after a long renovation process and became a community cultural arts center for the promotion of access to the arts in central Delaware. Operated by a non-profit organization, the Opera House is dedicated to showcasing and developing visual and performing artists from the local population. The SOH also offers affordable access to arts and cultural, artistic forms to the public.
