The Delaware Art Museum has partnered once again with District 8 Councilperson Nathan Field to launch a striking new mural project in Wilmington. Titled “Jazz Around Town,” this large-scale public art initiative celebrates the vibrant visuals of the Jazz Age (1919-1942) and is designed to complement the Museum’s current exhibition, Jazz Age Illustration. Supported by an AARP Challenge Grant, these murals are a unique way to immerse the community in the rich cultural history of early 20th-century America. 

The murals, featuring iconic illustrations from the Delaware Art Museum’s American Illustration collection, have been installed across District 8 in various locations, including: 

  • Luther Towers 
  • BrewHaHa Trolley Square 
  • Delaware Avenue and Dupont Street intersection 
  • Lincoln Towers 
  • Southeast Kitchen 
  • The intersection of Pennsylvania and Greenhill Avenues near the Marian Coffin Garden 

Each mural pairs stunning artwork by Jazz Age illustrators—Douglas Duer, George W. Gage, Jay Jackson, Neysa McMein, and Nicolai Remisoff—with inspiring quotes from period-defining authors like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Langston Hughes, Alain LeRoy Locke, and Dorothy Parker. This collaboration offers a visually engaging way to explore the cultural shift that emerged after World War I, a time marked by social change, artistic innovation, and a newfound energy in American life. 

Heather Campbell Coyle, Curator of American Art at the Delaware Art Museum, expressed her enthusiasm for the project: “This is a fun and immersive way to explore the mass visual culture that emerged at the end of the First World War—a period characterized by cultural vibrancy and dramatic social change.” 

Councilperson Nathan Field, a supporter of the project, praised the initiative, stating, “The Delaware Art Museum team has done it again! With ‘Jazz Age,’ Wilmington has yet another nationally, if not internationally, known exhibit right here in our backyard. It’s incredibly exciting to work with the team to cross-promote the event with a new round of murals in and around the 8th District.” 

The Jazz Around Town murals are part of the Museum’s broader celebration of its “Year of the Illustrator.” This year-long initiative highlights the art of American illustration from the 20th century and features several major exhibitions, including Jazz Age Illustration and Flapper Philosophy: Modern Women in the Jazz Age, which showcases materials from the Museum’s Helen Farr Sloan Library & Archives. The celebration will continue into 2025 with the Norman Rockwell Museum’s Imprinted: Illustrating Race, running from October 2025 through March 2026. 

The Delaware Art Museum’s public art project is made possible by the support of Councilperson Nathan Field and an AARP Challenge Grant, with additional backing from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. Visitors can explore these stunning murals while also enjoying a wide range of arts events and programs promoted on www.DelawareScene.com. 

For over 100 years, the Delaware Art Museum has connected people with art and culture, continually growing its diverse collection, which now boasts over 12,000 pieces, including the most comprehensive display of British Pre-Raphaelite art outside the United Kingdom. Through strategic efforts to engage the community, the Museum continues to position itself as a vital cultural hub in Wilmington. For more information on the latest exhibitions, events, and programs, visit delart.org or connect via social media.