Lewes to get Jack Lewis wall mural

A home for the mural painted by Delaware artist Jack Lewis featuring scenes of coastal Delaware has been found in the Lewes Public Library.

“We’re excited that we could keep it in Lewes and work with the library,” said Mike DiPaolo, Lewes Historical Society executive director, Tuesday, Feb. 15.

Wells Fargo-Wachovia Bank, owner of the mural, has donated it to Lewes Historical Society. The society has selected the library as the best place to permanently display the painting because of the number of people who will see it there and because the building is temperature- and humidity-controlled.
Barbara Nate, bank spokeswoman, said before the more than 30-foot-long painting is given to the society, an appraiser would look at it to determine its age, condition, estimated value and other details.

“We think this is a wonderful ending. A lot more people will get to view and enjoy it at that location, and it kind of stays home,” Nate said Feb. 15.

She said appraisal of the mural is part of the bank’s donation of the piece. Nate said the bank is looking for documents it might have that would shed light on the history of the piece.

She said when the historical society would take possession of the mural has not been determined.

“We hope to have it done in a fairly short order,” she said. Installation of a new mural in the bank is being done in cooperation with the Rehoboth Beach Historical Society, she said.

The new mural would be made using digital copies of images selected by the historical society from its archive.

Nate said there would be a dedication of the new mural at the Midway branch office, and bank officials would welcome an invitation to take part in any dedication ceremony of Lewis’ mural in Lewes. In response to a Cape Gazette request to photograph the Lewis mural, Nate said because it is in storage, the painting is not in the best setting for pictures.

She said the bank plans to put the mural back where it once was, on the wall above teller stations, and have a professional photographer take pictures of it.

Nate said the bank plans to use those photos to produce a poster to be displayed in the branch.

Two weeks ago, the bank donated the mural to the Biggs Museum of American Art in Dover. But after hearing citizen comments questioning moving the mural out of Sussex County, the bank rescinded its offer to Biggs and began looking for an appropriate recipient in the county.

DiPaolo said after hearing the bank was searching for a home for the mural and before the decision to donate it to Biggs, he told bank officials about the society’s interest in having it.

DiPaolo said he followed up with a letter to the bank outlining the society’s interest. He said after the decision not to give it to Biggs, the bank contacted him. DiPaolo said that discussion was Saturday, Feb. 12. He said the society has talked to Gene Boemer, a local art restoration expert, about overseeing installation of the mural in the library.

“At one point, several years ago, he [Boemer] talked to Jack Lewis about the piece. We’ve been talking to him trying to find out what he knows about it,” DiPaolo said.

He said his thoughts about the historical society’s acquisition of the piece are similar to those expressed by a Biggs official after they thought they would get it.

“It’s literally and figuratively a monumental piece for the society to have,” DiPaolo said.