Aug. 29, 2008
Vol. 38, No. 393

Contact: Barbara Woodford, Interpretive Manager, Wilmington State Parks, 302-577-7020, Barbara.Woodford@state.de.us, Jennifer Sykes, Program Coordinator, Alapocas Run State Park, 302-577-7020, (Cell) 302-383-4608, Jennifer.Sykes@state.de.us; or Necia Beck, Delaware State Parks, 302-739-9175, Necia.Beck@state.de.us.

Experience Contemporary Folk Arts in Action at the Blue Ball Barn

WILMINGTON, Del. – The unique Blue Ball Barn in Alapocas Run State Park invites the public to meet contemporary folk artists who will share their experiences and their creative process during informative and fun demonstrations presented on selected days each month.

Artists will work throughout the day, so visitors can drop in and see them in action. Art from the Delaware State Parks’ Folk Art Collection will be featured in each program, and fun and exciting hands-on projects will be available for all. More information is available by calling the Blue Ball Barn at 302-577-1164.

Each month, different artists will demonstrate folk art techniques that illustrate diverse local cultures. Visitors will enjoy crafts and music, and can learn more about folk art by touring the collection and speaking with the artists themselves. These programs are free and suitable for all ages. A park entrance fee is charged through Nov. 30.

Traditional White Oak Basket Making and Decoy Carving
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 20 
Meet the artists as they share their craft. Each artist transforms wood into a purposeful piece of art. 

The Blue Ball Barn Can Jam 
1 to 4 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 26 
Salvage artists take everyday discarded items and transform them into art. Featured in this fun family program is the art of Charles Veil, who creates planes, trains and automobiles from aluminum cans. Local steel drum musician, Atiba will perform throughout the afternoon. Crafts, activities and entertainment are free with a donation of canned goods to the Delaware Food Bank.

A Delaware Lenape Artist Shares his Culture
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 22 
Dick ‘Quiet Thunder’ Gilbert engages visitors with the traditions, tools and music of the Lenape dating from before the arrival of European settlers. Children’s activities are planned throughout the day.

The Blue Ball Barn in Alapocas Run State Park is located at the intersection of Route 202 and Foulk Road in Wilmington. It is the home of Delaware’s Folk Art Collection and can be reserved for meetings and special events. 

The park is open from 8 a.m. until sunset, daily.  The Blue Ball Barn is open 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Park entrance fees are in effect from March 1 through Nov. 30.  

Additional information about the Blue Ball Barn, Alapocas Run State Park and other events can be found at www.destateparks.com.

These programs are made possible, in part, by grants from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.