[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 79 (Thursday, June 6, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S3983]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  RECOGNIZING THE REHOBOTH ART LEAGUE

 Mr. CARPER. Madam President, on behalf of Senator Coons, 
Congressman Carney, and myself, I wish to recognize the Rehoboth Art 
League, its staff and artist members who on June 21, 2013, will 
celebrate its founding in 1938 and the 75 subsequent years of 
cultivating the arts in Sussex County and the State of Delaware.
  The Rehoboth Art League was Sussex County's first organized cultural 
arts center and has been recognized by the State of Delaware Division 
of Historical and Cultural Affairs for its significance and influence 
that extends far beyond Rehoboth and even the borders of our State. The 
Rehoboth Art League grew out of the tradition of the Federal Arts 
Project, which was a subset of the Works Progress Administration during 
the Great Depression. This tradition of art appreciation, support for 
working artists, and the concept of enriched community living, inspired 
the late Mrs. Louise Corkran to organize the Rehoboth Art League, with 
the help of her husband, COL Wilbur Corkran. Her involvement with the 
founding of the Delaware Art Museum, as well as her collaboration 
through the years with such renowned national artists as Howard Pyle, 
Frank Schoonover, N.C. Wyeth and others from the Brandywine and Hudson 
Valley Schools, were a significant factor in the Rehoboth Art League's 
development. Over the years, it has become a place that attracts and 
nurtures artists from all over the country, and inspires art 
appreciation through its many educational offerings.
  The Rehoboth Art League sits in the small village of Henlopen Acres, 
DE, on an historic campus overlooking the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal and the 
Valley of the Swans, and maintains two colonial period buildings, The 
Paynter Studio, 1791, the Peter Marsh Homestead and Stables, 1743, as 
well as Louise Corkran's garden, which is one of the only public 
gardens in Sussex County. The Rehoboth Art League owns and cares for a 
significant collection of Delaware art and archives, with pieces by 
Howard Pyle, Jack Lewis, Howard Schroeder, Ethel P. B. Leach, and 
others. Its collection includes the renowned ``Doors of Fame,'' 
providing tangible evidence of the legacy and history of the Rehoboth 
Art League. The tradition of signing doors was prevalent in art 
colonies around the country in the first half of the twentieth century. 
The Rehoboth Art League has, since its dedication in 1938, provided 
three doors for signatures by artists, dignitaries, and national and 
international visitors. These doors record the persons who have 
contributed to its success over the years. Today there are nearly 300 
signatures, often accompanied by a personal artistic flourish or 
drawing. These signatures include six Delaware Governors, along with 
many artists from the State and national pantheon, educators, 
scientists, musicians, and other notables.
  Today, the Rehoboth Art League continues to attract artists and 
visitors from all over the country. Its members hail from 19 different 
States. It partners with 13 other organizations from the arts, 
education, and health and human services across the region to provide a 
variety of programming, both on the campus and around the county. Works 
from its collection have been on display at the Biggs Museum, Buena 
Vista Conference Center, the Governor's mansion, and the Federal 
offices of Senator Chris Coons. The Rehoboth Art League also 
collaborates with First State Community Action Agency to take arts 
education to 600 at-risk students in Sussex County and to many senior 
citizens in the region as well.
  Today we are delighted to recognize the Rehoboth Art League, which 
for more than 75 years has been a community of artists who share their 
art, inspire and support one another and enrich the lives of us 
all.

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