The Chancery Market Food Hall & Bar will be opening this winter and will bring sophisticated fast-casual dining and an indoor/outdoor bar to enthusiastic food lovers in downtown Wilmington. This culinary collective at 1313 North Market Street will showcase chef-driven international food concepts and highlight talented artists and local organizations.   

The Chancery Market has partnered with two non-profit organizations with proven reputations for shaping beautiful spaces and building vibrant communities:   

Delaware Center for Horticulture (DCH): DCH has been inspiring individuals and communities through the power of plants since 1977. With a focus on native plants, shrubs, perennials, and grasses, the plaza gardens will invoke a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere, featuring attractive changes in color and texture throughout the seasons.  

“As we all learned from the past couple of years, access to quality spaces where people can interact and socialize safely has become increasingly important,” said Sue Wyndham, DCH Director of Programs. “This new setting will provide visitors and local residents the opportunity to network, relax, mingle, and dine within a welcoming context that ‘brings the indoors outside.’ We’ve been honored to collaborate with Sasaki Associates and Ruppert Landscape in bringing the beauty and power of plants to this exciting new dining experience.” 

The Challenge Program:

Founded in Wilmington in 1995, The Challenge Program teaches construction and life skills to youth with serious barriers to employment, empowering them with the direction, training, and confidence to become self-sufficient. 

The Challenge Program’s employment social enterprise, Challenge Program Furniture, has been commissioned to create all the interior tabletops and seats and much of the outdoor seating. This beautiful custom woodwork is being fabricated at their woodshop in Wilmington. 

Local Artists Shine at The Chancery Market  

The indoor spaces of The Chancery Market will feature contemporary European design elements, enhanced by the color and energy from original works of art crafted by local Wilmington artists including: 

Monique Rollins:

Wilmington-native Monique Rollins’ portfolio includes oil and acrylic paintings and charcoal drawings, as well as paper collage paintings that incorporate several mediums including pencil, acrylic, watercolor, and pen and ink. Her work has been exhibited internationally and her first downtown Wilmington exhibition of 2022, Exquisite Delineations, opened in the atrium of 1313 North Market Street on Monday, Oct. 17.  

Rollins will hold a live exhibition during The Chancery Market’s opening week, in which she will paint a large-scale piece directly on site at the food hall. Her creative muse for this process will be the guest experiences of visitors to this innovative new space.  

Milton Downing:

Paintings by local artist Milton Downing will be on display in various areas of the venue, including the private dining room and events space. Downing has taught art in Delaware schools for several years and was named 2021 Art Educator of the Year by the Delaware Art Education Association.  

Downing uses mixed media to create “Jux-T” art, which he describes as “spontaneous thinking in congruence with mechanical precision to fuse an assemblage of elements.” He uses fabrics and other materials to give his art dimension and life.  

Christian Kanienberg:

Wilmington-based multidisciplinary artist Christian Kanienberg has worked in the arts for more than 20 years. While his work can be found up and down the East Coast, he is recognized locally for his stunning murals and sculpture work, including murals on display in Wilmington’s Trolley Square, the City of Newark and Stanton.  

For The Chancery Market, Kanienberg will transform an air intake vent between the main dining area and the indoor-outdoor Nectar Bar into a piece of functional metal work that will incorporate laser-cut branded letters from The Chancery Market name. In addition, he will create a custom illustration highlighting the Wilmington Bike Loop and its connection to The Chancery Market and local landmarks.  

Don’t forget to make a stop by the Chancery Market and check out the wonderful art, the fantastic artists and the delicious food! Whether you want to sit outside or inside the atmosphere will draw you in.