Rehoboth Art League to host opening reception July 19

The Rehoboth Art League will host its 86th Annual Members’ Fine Art Exhibition along with a W.A.S. Hatch solo show called Dreamscapes, and two showcases of pieces from RAL’s permanent Fine Art Collection from Friday, July 19 to Sunday, Sept. 22.

A reception for all the exhibitions will be held from 5 to 7 p.m., July 19, welcoming all to visit the Corkran, Tubbs, Ventures and Homestead galleries to see the displayed works. The long-standing members’ fine art exhibition highlights artwork by more than 80 member artists in a wide variety of media, including paintings in pastel, watercolor, acrylic, oil, and mixed media; sculptures of both metal and wood; photography; and more. As is traditional, several awards will be presented by judge Heidi Lowe for outstanding artworks. Lowe will give a free gallery talk at 10 a.m., Saturday, July 20, in the Corkran Gallery to provide an overview of her awards decisions and discuss other notable pieces from the members’ fine art exhibition.

Scenes of surreal color will take over the Ventures Gallery in Dreamscapes: Landscapes by W.A.S. Hatch. This group of acrylic and watercolor paintings by Hatch present vibrant colors combined with expressive brushstrokes, which together create landscapes that tickle the imagination. Skies of hot pink, yellow and blue make for dreamy visions of lands only imagined. Hatch’s 50-year artistic career has evolved from masterful printmaking in the 1970s to lithe watercolors in the ‘80s through the early 2000s to her current acrylic paintings of familiar scenes that combine impossible colors and bold brushstrokes.

To coincide with the league’s annual outdoor show event, Collections Committee member Kim Grube has curated an exhibit that features artwork by former outdoor show artists, on display in the DeWitt Gallery. For 51 years, the Rehoboth Art League has presented its Outdoor Fine Art and Fine Craft Show, drawing thousands of visitors and art lovers each year to the league’s campus.

Throughout these decades, numerous artists have showcased their artwork during the first two weekends in August. As a result, RAL acquired many works from exhibiting artists that are now in the fine art collection, and some of them will be available to view in this exhibition.

The Homestead will showcase Women’s Work: Selected Works from the Women Artists in RAL’s Fine Art Collection. As a creative force, female artists have played important roles in the enrichment of the arts, but historically, their contributions had always taken a back seat to those of their male counterparts. However, around the beginning of the 20th century, things began to change for women, which transformed the traditionally male-driven social structure around the world. This exhibition highlights works created by well- and lesser-known women from the league’s fine art collection.

The exhibitions are free and open to everyone during the regular gallery hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m., Sunday.

The Rehoboth Art League is located at 12 Dodds Lane, Henlopen Acres.

For more information, go to rehobothartleague.org.