Art show in Fort Miles barracks wraps up artist residency
A first-of-its-kind partnership between artist Monroe Isenberg and Cape Henlopen State Park concluded with a week-long art exhibit at Fort Miles in early May.
In January, Isenberg set up shop for a week in Cape Henlopen State Park and began creating art using American beach grass as inspiration. Following his residency, Isenberg returned to California to finish his work. The final product was on display in one of the barracks of Fort Miles for a week, beginning May 8.
The project was a partnership with Philadelphia-based Past Present Projects, which facilitates contemporary art exhibitions in partnership with historic sites.
Heather Moqtaderi, Past Present Projects founder and artistic director, volunteered to greet visitors along with her mom, Jane Gibson, on the last day of the exhibition. More than 200 people came that day, she said.
“Many happened upon the exhibition on their way to the ocean or looking around Fort Miles. The old barracks building felt like a natural art gallery, and Monroe's works made the whole space feel very serene,” said Moqtaderi, in an email May 19. “I loved that people weren't coming for an art exhibition; they were enjoying their day in nature, and this was an added experience. My favorite moment was when a guy rolled up on a skateboard with his dog running beside him. That doesn't happen at art museums!”
To create the art, Isenberg set up canvases over patches of American beach grass. Some of them were covered with chalk so the grass could scrape it away as the wind blew. In one case, Isenberg tied chalk to pieces of grass so they could mark up the blank canvas as the wind blew. Throughout the week, Isenberg changed the amount of exposure a canvas got with the grass, used different colors and tried layering.
Laura Frick, exhibitions and publications coordinator for the state parks, was on hand in the barracks May 10. With Isenberg’s written guidance, she arranged his art in the barracks. The pieces with color were hung in front of windows to provide natural light, while the black, white and gray pieces were hung against the cinderblock walls.
Frick said there were no immediate plans for another artistic collaboration. However, she said, she thought it was a good experience and was open for more opportunities.
