Biggs affirms commitment to Delaware LGBT+ artists
Situated across from Dover’s Legislative Mall, the Biggs Museum of American Art has a front-row seat to Delaware’s Annual Pride Festival, a celebration of all the amazing identities and accomplishments of LGBT+ community members.
While the Biggs traditionally offers free admission during this festival, its new A Vision of Pride initiative seeks to connect in a more direct way. The Biggs has committed to commissioning or purchasing a work of art from a Delawarean LGBT+ artist each year to be featured on an outdoor banner during Pride Month and reproduced as collectible prints for festival goers. These works will be eligible for accession into the collection to expand representation of LGBT+ artists within the museum.
“The Biggs goal was to envision beyond Pride Month, establishing a more lasting impact on the museum and its visitors. We crafted this initiative to say more than, ‘We accept you, and you are welcome here.’ We wanted to say, ‘We truly see you, and you can see yourself here,’” said Michael Dudich, museum director. “As the years progress and the collection grows, we’ll have a fuller representation of local LGBT art and artists that help us stay true to our mission to preserve Mid-Atlantic Art while representing a diverse audience.”
Delaware LGBT+ icon Murray Archibald is the first artist to have his work featured on A Vision of Pride banner and collectible print.
Archibald is an artist who co-founded CAMP Rehoboth along with husband Steve Elkins, longtime CAMP Rehoboth executive director. He served the organization in many ways since its creation in 1991. From 1993-2018 he was president of the CAMP Rehoboth board of directors. For 30 years, he served as creative director, and following Elkins’ death, he served as editor in chief of Letters from CAMP Rehoboth and executive director of CAMP Rehoboth. He is creator, co-founder and (until 2021) producer of the annual Sundance Benefit. He is a past president of Sussex County AIDS Council and has served as a lay leader at Epworth United Methodist Church. He is currently a member of the Rehoboth Beach Historical Society board of directors. In 2013, Archibald and Elkins were awarded the Order of the First State by Gov. Jack Markell.
With a background in theater and art, Archibald produced his first solo exhibition in 1984 in Washington, D.C. In the following decades he created annual exhibitions in New York, Washington, D.C., and Rehoboth Beach Murray’s favorite themes continue to resonate in his new work. Heart and spirit are the building blocks of his shows. So is transformation. “The world is a mess,” he said. “Somehow, we have to learn how to live together, to respect and celebrate our diversity. In order to thrive, we have to grow — we have to change, and the idea of change can be terrifying.”
Archibald said the featured artwork, “Drag Revolution” is a satirical poke at the absurd idea that there is a need to regulate drag queens. “Drag queens occupy a unique place in the world,” he said. “Their campy, larger-than-life personalities allow them to move outside the boundaries of our cultural norms — and to boldly speak the truth, even when it’s hard to hear.”
“Murray is at the heart of Delaware’s LGBT+ community. His work at CAMP Rehoboth has helped to support its mission of Creating A More Positive world with room for all,” said Laura Fravel, Biggs curator. “So many of his paintings are joyful in a way that feels powerful. I’m delighted that Murray will be an anchor for our museum’s new initiative — A Vision of Pride.”
The Murray Archibald banner will be on display on the front of the museum throughout the month of June. During the Pride Festival June 10, Biggs Museum visitors will receive a free collectible print and enjoy free admission for the day, courtesy of WSFS bank. The original artwork will be on view in Archibald’s latest exhibition in the CAMP Rehoboth Gallery through Friday, June 30, at 37 Baltimore Ave. in downtown Rehoboth Beach.
The Biggs Museum of American Art is located at 406 Federal St., Dover.
