The BIGGS Museum

Kinetic Wonders: Sculptures by Paul Daniel
2024-10-30 - 2025-11-02
OCTOBER 30, 2024 – NOVEMBER 2, 2025
Discover the captivating artistry of Paul Daniel in this outdoor exhibition featuring five dynamic kinetic sculptures on the grounds of the Biggs Museum. These mesmerizing works of art come alive with motion, responding to the natural elements around them. Each piece showcases Daniel’s masterful blend of engineering and creativity, inviting visitors to experience art in harmony with nature. Perfect for all ages, this public display offers a unique opportunity to explore the interplay of movement, design, and imagination. Don’t miss this inspiring celebration of kinetic art!

ADOPT-AN-ARTWORK: STUDENT EXHIBITION
2025-03-13 - 2025-05-04
ADOPT-AN-ARTWORK: STUDENT EXHIBITION
March 13 – May 4, 2025
Celebrate the creativity and talent of young artists from across Delaware at the Adopt-an-Artwork Student Exhibition! This annual showcase features artwork by students from preschool through high school, each inspired by pieces in the Biggs Museum’s collection.
As part of the Adopt-an-Artwork program, classrooms “adopt” a specific piece of art from the museum’s collection to explore in depth. Guided by their teachers and inspired by the themes, techniques, and history of their adopted artwork, students create their own original pieces, reflecting their unique interpretations and creative voices.
The exhibition highlights the power of art to ignite curiosity, foster learning, and connect students with their cultural heritage. Visitors will enjoy a vibrant mix of mediums and styles, from colorful paintings and sculptures to innovative mixed-media creations.
This program and exhibition was made possible through generous support from:

THE PRINTS OF ROCKWELL KENT: Selections from the Ralf C. Nemec Collection
2025-03-20 - 2025-08-10
THE PRINTS OF ROCKWELL KENT:
Selections from the Ralf C. Nemec Collection
MARCH 20 – AUGUST 10, 2025
Artist and activist Rockwell Kent (1882-1971) was a household name. Best-known for his iconic images of the earth’s harsh and frozen extremities, Kent often explored the relationship between humans and nature. As an author, he published thrilling accounts of his own expeditions to Newfoundland, Alaska, Tierra del Fuego, and Greenland. As an illustrator, he created editions of literary classics like the Old English epic Beowulf, Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass, and Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. This exhibition showcases selections from the Ralf C. Nemec Collection, the largest assemblage of Kent’s prints in the world.
The exhibition was organized by Landau Traveling Exhibitions, Los Angeles, CA.
This exhibition was made possible with support from L& W Insurance.

Special One-Object Exhibition: Musical Molinology
2025-05-01 - 2025-08-10
Special One-Object Exhibition: Musical Molinology
MAY 1 – AUGUST 10, 2025
📍 On view all summer in the Biggs Museum Atrium
Experience the magic of movement and music with Musical Molinology, a captivating kinetic sculpture that combines craftsmanship, engineering, and artistic expression. Inspired by the study of molinology—the science of mills and mechanical devices powered by wind, water, animals, or human energy—this hand-cranked wonder sets a complex chain of wooden gears and shafts into motion. As the mechanism turns, thirteen cams lift and lower wands that raise delicate turned Christmas ornaments, while another gear triggers hammers to strike rosewood marimba bars, playing a melodic tune.
The pegs in the gear mechanism can be rearranged, allowing the music to change. The current composition, “Marimba Etude (Take 3) + Summertime,” was specially created for the sculpture by New York-based musician Anna Huang and fits within the instrument’s 20-note limit.
Created by members of the First State Woodturners for the American Association of Woodturners’ 2015 Chapter Collaborative Challenge, this interactive piece won Best in Show and was featured on the back cover of American Woodturner magazine. Visitors of all ages are invited to turn the crank and bring this ingenious artwork to life—on view and playable throughout the summer in the Biggs Museum Atrium!

AWARD WINNERS XXV: Delaware Division of the Arts Individual Artist Fellows
2025-05-15 - 2025-09-14
AWARD WINNERS XXV
Delaware Division of the Arts Individual Artist Fellows
MAY 15 – SEPTEMBER 14, 2025
The Biggs Museum of American Art is proud to present Award Winners XXV, a group exhibition celebrating the recipients of the 2025 Delaware Division of the Arts Individual Artist Fellowships. These prestigious awards recognize Delaware-based artists for their exceptional creative work and contribution to the state’s vibrant cultural landscape.
This year, 191 artists submitted work in a variety of disciplines including choreography, music, literature, folk arts, media, and visual arts. Through a competitive review process conducted by out-of-state arts professionals, twenty-one artists were selected for fellowships in the following categories: one Master, eleven Established, and nine Emerging artists. An additional thirteen artists were recognized as runners-up. The awardees represent communities across Delaware—from Bear and Lewes to Wilmington and Rehoboth Beach.
Award Winners XXV offers a compelling glimpse into the diverse talent and innovative spirit of Delaware’s arts community. Visitors will encounter an array of artistic expressions that reflect the breadth of creativity fostered through the state’s Individual Artist Fellowship program. In addition to this exhibition at the Biggs Museum, the show will travel to Historic Odessa Foundation and the Rehoboth Art League, broadening public access to these important works.
To further explore the Fellows’ work, visit the special showcase on DelawareScene.com.

Comic Couture: Beyond the Panels
2025-06-12 - 2025-06-29
Comic Couture: Beyond the Panels
Curated by The Bridge Art Gallery
JUNE 12 – JUNE 29, 2025
Bold, brilliant, and bursting with style—Comic Couture pushes the boundaries of comic-inspired art. This high-concept exhibition fuses pop culture with elevated aesthetics, showcasing works that reinterpret iconic comic elements like speech bubbles, panels, and heroes through the lens of fine art. Featuring a dynamic group of artists, it’s a visual journey that honors the power of narrative, fantasy, and design.
On view on the 1st Floor

Featured Image: “PEONY” by Corinth Boone

Keith Duncan: Battle of the Bands - The HBCU Marching Bands Series
2025-09-04 - 2026-01-25
Exhibition Featured on the 3rd Floor
Battle of the Bands, Keith Duncan’s most recent body of work, celebrates the vibrant tradition of Historically Black College and University (HBCU) marching bands. This exhibition features large-scale fabric paintings of fifteen Southern HBCU bands, along with human-scale fabric paintings and smaller works on paper depicting each band’s drum major.
Keith Duncan is a contemporary artist and educator based in New Orleans, Louisiana. A visual storyteller, Duncan draws inspiration from personal narrative, community engagement, news media, art history, Black culture and the traditions of New Orleans. While his studio practice is firmly rooted in painting and drawing, his process is expansive, adroitly incorporating paper collage and textile art. Duncan’s layered integration of wallpaper and textiles is deliberate, drawn from the influences of ancestral heritage, Southern tradition, and contemporary aesthetics of material exploration. While referencing African textile traditions and Southern traditions in handcrafts (especially the quilters of Gee’s Bend) – his formal practice is informed by the material exploration of artists including Faith Ringgold and Mickalene Thomas, while his gestural figuration and painterly style can be compared to artists such as Willie Birch and Robert Colescott. At its core, though, Duncan’s practice is narrative, and his voice is wholly his own.
With Battle of the Bands, Keith Duncan displays his full formal acumen and narrative prowess as a painter. Like all of Duncan’s work, it is figurative, personal and rooted in the celebration of his community. Through telling this story, he focuses the viewer’s attention on the cultural significance of the HBCU marching band tradition. It also opens dialogue around the rich history of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and the increasingly important role they play at this moment in American history.

Keith Duncan: Battle of the Bands, The HBCU Marching Bands Series is organized by the Ogden Museum of Southern Art.

Support provided by Art Bridges

Alongside this featured exhibition, The Biggs will host “Approaching Storm,” a show focused on the marching band at Delaware State University (DSU). The university is nationally ranked as one of the top HBCUs in the country.

Keith Duncan

Southern University Marching Band

2023

Acrylic, marker and fabric on unstretched canvas

74.5 x 108 inches

© Keith Duncan. Courtesy of the artist and Fort Gansevoort, New York

Keith Duncan Morehouse College Drum Major 2023 Acrylic, marker and patterned paper on paper 24 x 18 inches © Keith Duncan. Courtesy of the artist and Fort Gansevoort, New York

Keith Duncan

Howard University Drum Major

2023

Acrylic, marker and patterned paper on paper

24 x 18 inches

© Keith Duncan. Courtesy of the artist and Fort Gansevoort, New York

Keith Duncan Grambling State University Marching Band 2022 Acrylic, marker and fabric on unstretched canvas 73 x 102 inches © Keith Duncan. Courtesy of the artist and Fort Gansevoort, New York

Keith Duncan Alabama State University Drum Major 2024 62 x 49 inches Acrylic, marker and fabric on unstretched canvas © Keith Duncan. Courtesy of the artist and Fort Gansevoort, New York

Echoes of the Storm: a DSU Collaborative Exhibition
2025-09-18 - 2026-01-11
This fall, the Biggs Museum of American Art will spotlight Delaware State University (DSU) and its celebrated marching band as part of a museum-wide celebration of HBCU culture, anchored by the exhibition Keith Duncan: Battle of the Bands, The HBCU Marching Bands Series.
On view from September 4, 2025 through January 25, 2026, Battle of the Bands features 45 large-scale fabric paintings and works on paper by acclaimed New Orleans-based artist Keith Duncan. These vibrant compositions bring to life the pageantry, tradition, and community pride of fifteen Southern HBCU marching bands and their drum majors.
Alongside this major exhibition, the Biggs will host Echoes of the Storm, on view September 18, 2025 through January 11, 2026, focusing exclusively on the history and impact of the DSU Marching Band, Approaching Storm. This show will feature artwork created by DSU students, archival artifacts, and materials highlighting the university’s legacy as one of the nation’s top-ranked HBCUs. The exhibition opens with a community happy hour reception on September 18, 2025.
The Biggs & DSU collaboration is rooted in student engagement and leadership. This fall, five DSU interns have joined The Biggs’ team, working across departments to gain real-world museum experience. In addition, seven DSU students are contributing directly to the development and installation of Echoes of the Storm, curating content, researching band history, and preparing materials for display.
The celebration continues with a special live performance by the DSU Marching Band at The Biggs’ major annual fundraiser, a farm-to-table Harvest Party, on September 20, 2025.
Together, Battle of the Bands and Echoes of the Storm offer a powerful look at the past, present, and future of HBCU marching band culture through world-class art and meaningful community partnerships.

Awash in Color: Recent Work from the Delaware Watercolor Society
2025-10-02 - 2026-01-11
This juried exhibition showcases outstanding works created by members of the Delaware Watercolor Society within the past five years. Featuring a diverse range of subjects, styles, and techniques, the exhibition highlights the versatility and expressive power of watercolor as an artistic medium. Visitors are invited to experience the creativity and talent of regional artists whose work reflects both contemporary perspectives and time-honored traditions in watercolor painting.

Reflections: 25 Objects for 250 Years of Delaware History
2026-01-02 10:00 - 2027-01-03 17:00 (America/New_York)
2nd Floor, Interspersed with the Permanent Collection
Reflections: 25 Objects for 250 Years of Delaware History
January 2, 2026 – January 3, 2027
During 2026, we celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary—reflecting on our shared history as well as our aspirations for future generations. This exhibition is drawn from the museum’s permanent collection and curated entirely by members of our Delaware community.
Community Curators were selected to reflect a wide range of perspectives across the state. Each one was tasked with selecting and writing about an object they believed represented the region’s history or felt particularly relevant to our contemporary moment. Participants included: Aubrey Plaza, actor, writer, and producer; Ken Burns, documentary filmmaker; U.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE); Col. Jamil I. Musa, Commander, 436th Airlift Wing, Dover Air Force Base; Sam and Mariah Calagione, Co-Founders of Dogfish Head craft brewery; and Murray Archibald, Co-Founder of CAMP Rehoboth, an LGBTQ+ community center.
