Delaware artist Rolando Corpus‘s oil paintings were on view at The Grand Opera House in Wilmington for last month’s Art Loop. Several Wilmington locations were featured in the paintings including the Van Buren Street Bridge, Delaware Art Museum, and the fountain in Brandywine Park.
Larissa Ranbom‘s small works, on view at The Delaware Contemporary for We Can Use The Rain, encourage a closer look. The embroidered paintings are also a reminder to take time to look more closely at the natural world around us.
From the museum:
We Can Use The Rain is an exploration of growth through the year, from the redbuds in early spring through the vibrance of summer to the geometry of autumn milkweed pods and cacti grown indoors in the winter. It’s not only carefully tended garden flowers that are sustained by rain, but also the honeysuckle and dogwood that otherwise thrive with little attention. While they may not be mobile, they still change rapidly, taking the spotlight for a while and then fading to be supplanted by the next to bloom.
The flora (and fungus) on display were found in and around Wilmington – whether in a meticulously curated botanical garden or greenhouse, greeting passersby from a front yard, in an out of the way spot in a park, or growing enthusiastically in a neglected patch by the highway. The viewer is encouraged to consider how what grows around us reflects the communities we cultivate. Stitch by stitch, these works closely examine plant life, remembering that no matter where we are, we can all use the rain.
This exhibition is on view until 10/31/26.
These murals were created in 2020 on the Union Transfer building in Philadelphia by NYC artists John “Crash” Matos, Chris “Daze” Ellis and Lady Pink and Philly-based artists and muralists Adam Crawford and Andréa Grasso.
More details on the project can be found on the Mural Arts website.
Keith Garcia, “Stand Strong” 2026, Acrylic on canvas
MaxxMoses, “Heads on Fire”, 2008
Harrison Doyle, “The Medium is the Message”, 2026
“Hands Up”, 2014, by Leon Rainbow, who also curated the exhibition
Currently at Delaware Art Museum, Walls of Resistance: Art as Activism celebrates the work of more than seventeen artists whose work incorporates aspects of graffiti.
From the museum:
Walls of Resistance: Art as Activism explores graffiti as more than a visual language. Graffiti is a way of claiming space, celebrating identity, and giving form to unheard voices. The exhibition brings together artists with a range of experiences and styles, and it considers how creativity can respond to the world around us. Graffiti can incorporate political statements, personal stories, and cultural pride, or can simply be the act of leaving a mark. Walls of Resistance invites each artist to interpret the theme of graffiti culture in their own way. We invite viewers to consider these varied types of expression and how each can encourage curiosity and inspiration.
The exhibition will be on view until 10/25/26.
This Saturday (10/17) the museum is hosting the 4th Annual Hip Hop Cultural Summit: Art as Activism, presented in partnership with AllHipHop and Guerrilla Republik in conjunction with Stop the Violence Coalition, Inc.
From the museum about the event:
This free, all-ages event brings together artists, Hip Hop legends, performers, and community leaders to celebrate Hip Hop’s five elements and explore its deep connections to creative expression, activism, and social change.
This year we’re highlighting Hip Hop as both a cultural force and a tool for activism. DelArt welcomes Hip Hop legend, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, and Public Enemy co-founder Chuck D, along with Darryl “Cornbread” McCray, the Philadelphia native widely recognized as a pioneer of modern graffiti. Experience dance performances, live DJ sets, an MC Battle, panel discussions, book signings, vendors, community conversations, and more throughout the Museum.
Happy news for cat lovers and fans of the original Welcome to Fishtown mural (pictured below), the artists Evan Lovett of Visual Urban Renewal & Transformation (VURT) and Kristin Scholz, (SEA OF DOOM) have created two new cat murals outside of Barcade‘s Fishtown location in Philadelphia. The original mural, which also appeared in the television series Dispatches from Elsewhere, was replaced by an apartment building in 2023.
On the other side of a wooden fence you’ll find the second mural, a cat night scene with more of an emphasis on Scholz’s artistic style.
Mural by Kristin Scholz, image via her website Sea of Doom
The original “Welcome to Fishtown Mural” by Evan Lovett and Jimmy Glossback, image courtesy of Streets Dept
Lovett is currently raising funds to recreate Prince of Front Street, another of his animal murals in Fishtown that has been obstructed by a building. That work, created with Jimmy Glossblack, who also worked on the first mural, features a large pigeon. More information here.
Mark Rothko “Untitled (Yellow on Orange) no. 579”, 1957, Oil on canvas
Mark Rothko was born today, September 25th, in 1903. One of several Rothko paintings using shades of orange and yellow, Untitled (Yellow on Orange) no. 579, was on view at the Palm Springs Art Museum in 2019 as part of the group exhibition, Shaping Vision: Impressionism to Abstract Expressionism.
From the Palm Springs Art Museum about the work:
Although Rothko is closely associated with Abstract Expressionism, his methods and intentions contrast strikingly with others in the group including Willem de Kooning and Jackson Pollock. Instead of the highly gestural styles of these artists, Rothko typically applied his colors in thin, glowing clouds of paint that eliminate all traces of the brush. In “Untitled (Yellow and Orange) no. 579”, a misty rectangle of yellow floats on a background of saturated reddish-orange. With minimal means, Rothko suggests a vast space that absorbs the viewer in its calm and sensuous hues. Highly literate and articulate, Rothko wrote that he sought in painting a contemplative experience that elevates awareness out of commonplace experience onto a more transcendental plane.
If the painting above makes you think of a bright, sunny day, you are not alone. Finnish designer and creative director Joonas Virtanen recently created a fun app that matches the current weather in your city (or many other ones) with a Rothko painting.
Kurt Lluch, “The Weight of A World”, 2026, Watercolor on shaped panel
Arch Enemy Arts in Philadelphia has an almost overwhelming amount of art in its galleries, with several exhibitions currently on view. Kurt Lluch‘s whimsical watercolors for PARABOLA, pictured above, are one of the highlights.
From the gallery and the artist about the work:
Arch Enemy Arts presents PARABOLA by Kurt Lluch, a series of intricate watercolors depicting fanciful narratives and surreal parables uniquely painted on custom-cut speech bubbles—literal conversation pieces that feel fundamentally open-ended. Like the mathematical curve from which the show draws its name, Lluch constructs his work through the visual language of comparison. From the juxtaposition of big and small to the contrast of detail and texture on flat white grounds, each painting becomes a wordless exchange between obstacle and resolve. Lluch relies on the viewer to finish the story, answer the question, or solve the problem posed in his pictorial exchange.
“The inspiration for my work comes from humanity’s sense of perseverance, will, and hope—the drive to overcome even the most seemingly insurmountable obstacles we encounter. Most of these themes affect me personally, and lately, this is an ongoing concern within my conceptual bubble. The intention, underneath the whimsy, is to convey hope, determination, and resilience. In a way, these works tap into sociopolitical issues, especially viewed through my perspective as an immigrant, a Filipino-American living in the USA during the current climate. I hope to convey grace and perseverance to make the most out of any situation, whether it be positive or negative.”
Below are selections from a few of the other exhibitions also currently on view.
Paintings by Edith LeBeau
From the gallery and artist Edith Le Beau:
Arch Enemy Arts presents CATCHING FIRE by Canadian artist Edith Lebeau. Seven new portraits depict women and nonbinary artists, friends, and influences, who form a symbolic narrative of internal, invisible pain. Poised before dark skies and crashing waters, Lebeau’s stormy blues are like beautiful bruises punctuated by glowing embers. They symbolize the emotional weight burning behind a composed facade, as protective comfort becomes the gathering storm and the beautiful armor we wrap around ourselves begins to swallow us whole.
“My work is about mental health awareness, especially agoraphobia and being afraid to face what’s outside your cozy and secure cocoon. I’ve been dealing with social anxiety since I was a teen, and I’ve met so many people like me, dealing with anxiety and struggling in silence. We all felt alone, but speaking to others who dealt with the same thing made us feel less alone, and this helped me in a way. There is a fine line between feeling cozy and getting out of it. These portraits with houses on fire are about struggling with the need for comfort, the meaning of home and comfort versus denial, and staying in your security blanket to a point that it’s not healthy anymore.” – Edith Lebeau
Work by Rebecca Reeves
From the gallery and artist Rebecca Reeves:
Arch Enemy Arts presents LIKE A LEAF ON A BREEZE, YOU BLEW AWAY by Rebecca Reeves, marking the Bucks County fiber artist’s fifth solo feature with the gallery. Reeves is a master at striking that delicate balance between beauty and unease. For this series, she pairs her signature beaded floral bouquets and elegant bows with tintype portraits from the early 1900s, all presented in custom designed and fabricated frames. From the distressed gold leaf and ornamental tacks to the altered photographs, heavy bows, and unraveling flowers, every component of Reeves’ work is carefully considered. With impressive technical range and deep sensitivity to historical materials, these pieces feel inherited from another life, functioning somewhere between sculpture, portrait, relic, and shrine.
“This new body of work is inspired by memorial photographs that hang in the home, and the custom frame designs are based on antique Victorian frames and wooden wall art. Although the antique tintypes were purchased, the titles of the works are directly named after my ancestors dating back to the mid-1600s. They are hand-cut so that the figures lift off the surface, leaning over the edge of the frame. After my Dad died, the first few days felt as if I were carrying the weight of him on my back. I felt lost and broken. These tintypes represent the weight of grief that we carry for a lifetime. The emptiness of the silhouettes and the hollowed-out frames, to me, speak louder than words.” – Rebecca Reeves
Work by Danielle Schlunnegger-Warner
From the gallery and Danielle Schlunnegger-Warner:
Arch Enemy Arts presents TIDAL SHIFT by Danielle Schlunnegger-Warner, a new series of sculptural ecosystems that celebrate the biodiversity and movement of Earth’s oceans, lakes, and rivers. All of the plants and animals within Danielle’s sculptures start as hand-sculpted specimens that she then molds and casts multiple times over. Danielle finishes each creature with painted details before delicately placing them into staged habitats inside hand-poured resin domes, reminiscent of portholes or bubble dome tanks at aquariums.
“Each piece represents different types of movement in water, and all of the titles reflect how the subjects inside move in their environments. The resin domes create optical illusions so that, when you pass by, it has the effect of these ecosystems moving and shifting inside. The work is meant to celebrate how beautiful aquatic environments are, and I hope people feel wonder and awe at how amazing this world is. Climate change is affecting all of these environments in ways that may be irreversible, so for this show, I wanted to focus on the beauty in the world that’s worth caring about and protecting.” – Danielle Schlunegger-Warner
Finally, the gallery’s annual SPECTRUM exhibition, pictured above, features a long list of artists in a variety of mediums, organized by color.
From the gallery:
Back in 2020, amidst a prolonged quarantine and escalating anxieties, a new and exciting idea for a group show theme emerged. Seeking to counter the overwhelming melancholy, we envisioned a collection of works that would radiate vibrancy and joy. Participating artists were tasked with creating near-monochromatic pieces, each inspired by a single color from the ROYGBIV spectrum. As the finished works arrived, we skillfully and carefully arranged them on the wall, orchestrating a breathtaking crescendo of colors that spanned the full spectrum. While each piece is a standout in its own right, together they unite in a harmonious symphony and a vibrant celebration of color and creativity.
The SPECTRUM series has now been presented as sic annual exhibitions since its inception in 2020.
All of these exhibitions will close on Sunday, 9/27/26.
Japanese artist ONEQ created this mural, Hara Hara, in Asbury Park in 2023. It is one of the many murals in the area organized by the Wooden Walls Mural Project.
The hearts are by Amberella.
2011 mural by Shepard Fairey surrounded by work from Danny Clinch and RC Hagan’s 2016 collaborative mural project
The updated Shepard Fairey mural (2026) by photographer Connor Kane (images from PlusOne.ap Instagram account)
The updated Shepard Fairey mural (2026) by photographer Connor Kane (images from PlusOne.ap Instagram account)
Lots to do in Asbury Park, New Jersey, this weekend! Tonight marks the beginning of Wooden Walls inaugural three-weekend art party, PlusOne. It will include new murals, immersive installations, exhibitions, art tours, and more.
Artist Shepard Fairey has returned for the first time since 2011 and has updated his original mural and added several more. The first image above is from 2024 and shows the original mural, plus a few leftover pieces from a 2016 collaborative project (the images of musicians) between photographer Danny Clinch and RC Hagans . The second images are the recent updates, courtesy of PlusOne and photographer Connor Kane.
Raw Power, an exhibition of artwork by Fairey presented by Wooden Walls and Jonathan Levine Projects, is showing in two locations in Asbury Park– The Art Spot (where it opened yesterday, 9/17) and Parlor Gallery (opening tonight 9/18). The works will be on view in both locations until 10/18/26.
Also part of PlusOne’s programming, the 4th Annual “March of Medusa” procession created by multidisciplinary artist Dennis McNett, aka Wolfbat, is taking place on Sunday (9/20). The procession route is along the Boardwalk from the Carousel House to 4th Avenue Pavilion.
The full schedule for all three weekends can be found here and the press release for the event here.
Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, “A Reading from Homer” (1885) at the Philadelphia Museum of Art
While interest in Homer’s epic poem the Odyssey grew this summer with the release of Christopher Nolan’s film version, it is also one of the oldest and most popular works of literature in the Western canon. Over the years it has been referenced by many artists in painting, film, and works of literature. In addition, according to Merriam-Webster, there are even a few words in the English language that can trace their origins back to the Odyssey.
Currently on view at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, is Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema‘s painting A Reading from Homer (1885).
From the museum about the work:
Here, a young poet crowned with a laurel wreath reads from Homer to an audience dressed for a festival. The setting is probably Greece toward the end of the seventh century BCE. The Greek letters in the upper right indicate that the place is dedicated to the poet.
Through attention to details such as architecture and dress, Alma-Tadema evokes scenes of everyday life in ancient Greece and Rome. However, his pictures are rarely entirely archaeologically accurate. For example, while he accurately rendered the ancient musical instrument on the left, a cithara, he also included a type of rose that did not exist before the nineteenth century.
Live readings of Homer’s works continue to this day. At the end of October, for example, the National Hellenic Museum in Chicago is hosting a marathon reading of the Odyssey taking place over two days.