Art is subjective, open to interpretation, expression and experience. Art is not one specific thing or idea … but in Rehoboth Beach, Art is a Festival! One that kicks off the unofficial start of summer, just a week before Memorial Day Weekend.
The Rehoboth Art League, (located on historic 3.5+ acres of the former Corkran home, in Henlopen Acres), along with The City of Rehoboth Beach, is proud to join forces, yet again, and present the 5th Annual Rehoboth Arts Festival. An amazing way to bring local and regional artists together and give them a platform to showcase their work in a cool, funky and sophisticated way (pinky’s up).
The Rehoboth Arts Festival will take place, rain or shine, on Saturday, May 17 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. It is expected to draw over 2,000 people, with 35 confirmed artists showcasing their work in a wide range of media. Painting, pottery, print making, tile, photography, and even jewelry, dazzle downtown Rehoboth’s picturesque Grove Park. All ages are welcome, and the event is free and open to
the public.
In marriage, a 5th anniversary is a significant milestone, celebrating a union’s continued growth and stability. We think the same is true for the coupling of The Rehoboth Art League and City of Rehoboth, whose union for the past 5 years conceived the Rehoboth Arts Festival. Enticing both art connoisseurs, local collectors and beach visitors from as far south as Baltimore and Washington DC, and as far north as Philadelphia and New York City, to celebrate the local art-scene in Rehoboth. At its 5th anniversary, the festival celebrates its deep roots, established in its inception during the COVID pandemic of 2020.
Jenny Morningstar, the Events & Outreach Manager at the Rehoboth Art League, is in her first year spearheading the festival, and explains that in 2020, the festival took shape as a result, of following the COVID guidelines. This drove the event to an outdoor gallery, and required each artist keep a designated “safe distance” from one another. Today, 5 years later, each artist still commands their own tent, displaying their unique artwork.
Each year they add more and more tents, to showcase more and more vendors. The Rehoboth Art League wants to “focus on expanding artists and encourage buyers to shop for local, unique art that celebrates coastal Delaware,” Morningstar said. She herself is a self-proclaimed “Coast-hopper” and has spent the entirety of her career coordinating and managing programs for various art organizations across the country.
The programs were always on a coast, but she settled in Rehoboth Beach after the COVID pandemic, because she was drawn to the tranquility and “special vibe” of the area. “The Rehoboth Art League is a gem. There is an essence of both historic nature and this immense feeling of community, that is so welcoming, and they just fold in new people—like me. It’s a haven and I’m so excited to be a part of it,” she gleamed.
Damon Pla is among one of the local featured Delaware Beach artists, who will be in attendance, with his own tent, at the festival. He has been involved in the Rehoboth Arts Festival since the inception in 2020 and will host his own tent for a third year. Pla has a gallery on Rehoboth Ave, Damon Pla Fine Arts (conveniently located on the 1st floor of the same building housing the rooftop acclaimed Cultured Pearl restaurant). Pla is widely known for his gorgeous acrylic paintings and his stunning local murals, one donning the side of the Beacon Motel in downtown Lewes Beach, and others featured at Kids Cottage in both Lewes and Dover.
“I’ve been a part of the August show [The Rehoboth Art League’s Outdoor Fine Art and Fine Craft Show] for 20 years—I know that because my first-born daughter was born a week after the first show.” Pla reminisces. “But this show, [The Rehoboth Arts Festival] is more personal,” Pla explains. “It’s one day, it’s small, quaint and an incredible opportunity to open up the season and get eyeballs on your work.” Pla plans on bringing 10-12 original pieces, framed and ready for sale, as well as prints to sell at the festival.
Pla explains that the art community in southern Delaware is “weirdly friendly,” he says with a smile. “We have a professional understanding of what we’re doing, and we support each other.” The diversified art scene in Rehoboth is saturated with creativity and Pla explains that “there is a flare for art here in the atmosphere, and Rehoboth is so open and accepting of that.”
Pla is inspired by the local landscape and culture of southern Delaware. “My inspiration happens in a second. I can be driving, and it’s so saturated you can feel it in the air,” he says. Pla states that he is “obsessed with light” and making it resonate in his work—which is evident in his pieces, as it looks like he’s created specific lighting inside each one.
Pla shared that one of his favorite quotes is by American painter Edward Hopper, “If I could say it in words there would be no reason to paint.” And when you see Pla’s work, you’ll understand exactly how much he’s able to say and convey in his pieces. You can feel the light and beauty when you stand in front of them.
If you don’t believe me, go check him out Saturday, along with the 34 other incredible artists at the Rehoboth Arts Festival, for yourself. It will be an extraordinary experience!
