Hundreds of submissions from seven states and Washington, D.C. have been whittled down to 111 works now hanging in the Rehoboth Art League's Corkran and Tubbs galleries, part of the nonprofit's 12th Regional Juried Biennial Exhibition. Best in Show went to Frank Spino's “Colossal Citrus,” a 40-by-40-inch watercolor of citrus fruit slices, which carried away the top prize of a $2,500 total purse split among winners across the show.
The exhibition, which pulled from artists in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., Virginia and West Virginia, features roughly 70 artists total, according to WHYY. Nick Serratore, the league's exhibitions director, told the outlet that hundreds of entries were narrowed to the 111 now on view, with artists allowed to submit up to three pieces each in any media. The show runs every two years and was created, per the same report, to introduce more artists to Sussex County.
This year's juror was Lynn Marsden-Atlass, who reviewed the show virtually before selecting participating artists and award winners after seeing the finalists in person. Marsden-Atlass spent more than 35 years working as a museum director and curator, including a run as Executive Director of the Arthur Ross Gallery at the University of Pennsylvania from 2008 to 2023 and as University Curator of the Penn Art Collection from 2010 to 2023. She went on to found LMA Art Consultant in 2024 to advise museums and galleries.
A Citrus Watercolor Takes Top Honors
Marsden-Atlass singled out Spino's winning watercolor for its scale, calling the size exceptionally unusual for the medium and noting it was painted with great skill, the exhibitions director relayed to WHYY. Spino is an internationally recognized watercolorist and former sign painter who holds signature status in both the National Watercolor Society and the American Watercolor Society. His winning piece previously drew attention beyond the gallery walls — it was selected in January 2025 for digital display on a 50-by-70-foot billboard in downtown Baltimore.
Three Juror's Awards of Excellence went to “All Eyez on Me” by Amuri Morris, “Oceana” by Lisa Battle and “Acceptance” by Grace Barden, each worth $250. Two Honorable Mentions, worth $125 apiece, went to “Turquoise and Texture Moon Vase” by Ava Thaw and “Geared Up” by Michael Hower.
A Repeat Winner and a Lewes Couple's Work
Fiber artist Charlese Phillips submitted a mixed-media and fiber arts piece titled “In the Garden” for this year's show. Phillips previously won Best in Show at the 11th Regional Juried Biennial Exhibition in 2024 for her mixed-media piece “EmpowerMINT,” and the exhibitions director's account notes she has worked on similar pieces for about five years. She was also awarded a 2023 Emerging Artists Fellowship Grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts.
Also featured are Joe Barbella and Tim Barton, who have been members of the art league for several years after moving from Philadelphia to Delaware. Barton, who is based in Lewes, has two pieces in the exhibition, while Barbella has three portraits in the gallery. Among the other standout entries described in the exhibitions director's account are “Children at Play,” which uses a weathered “Slow / Children at Play” sign as its base, and “The Pansy Wars,” which incorporates a 1890s print depicting flower characters on a seesaw.
Nearly a Century of History in Henlopen Acres
The Rehoboth Art League was founded nearly a century ago, officially dedicated on June 18, 1938, after property owners Louise Corkran and Colonel Wilbur Corkran donated their Henlopen Acres property to create a permanent arts center, according to the Rehoboth Art League. Louise Corkran had previously chaired the art committee of the local Village Improvement Association and helped establish the Delaware Art Museum in Wilmington. Today the league counts more than 1,000 members.
The organization's 3.5-acre campus is anchored by the Peter Marsh Homestead, built in 1743 using native black walnut and handmade brick — making it the oldest building in Rehoboth still standing on its original foundation, according to the Cape Gazette. The historic home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and housed tenant farming families for over two centuries before becoming the Corkran home in 1929. Running alongside the biennial exhibition through September 20, the homestead is hosting “From Agriculture to Art: A History of the Rehoboth Art League,” a companion show marking the U.S. 250th anniversary that features Native American artifacts, early agricultural tools and pieces from the league's permanent collection.
The Henlopen Acres campus draws nearly 15,000 visitors annually through more than 20 yearly exhibitions, 150 art classes and signature events like its Outdoor Fine Art Show and Cottage Tour. All of the works on view in the biennial are available for sale, and artists whose pieces were submitted are also considered for other curated shows throughout the year.
Funding Pressures Loom Over Delaware Arts Groups
The exhibition's run comes as Delaware arts organizations confront tighter finances. In July, the state faced a proposed $550,000 reduction — nearly 20% — in arts grant funding from the Delaware General Assembly, sparking statewide advocacy from the Delaware Arts Alliance. The Rehoboth Art League relies in part on operational and program grants from the Delaware Division of the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, making juried shows with cash prizes and sales opportunities especially meaningful for regional working artists right now.
The 12th Regional Juried Biennial Exhibition remains on view through September 20. Once it closes, the league's calendar continues with “Art of the Flower” opening in September and the 42nd Annual Holiday Fair in November, alongside its regular Juried Photography Exhibition and rotating shows in the Member Sales Gallery.
