Art on the Town kicks off 22nd season

The city of Wilmington’s Art on the Town is back for its 22nd year and this year’s Loop adds three new downtown venues: Poppycock Tattoo, Burning Bush Enterprises and Union City Grill.

But one thing hasn’t changed – the monthly tour of citywide art exhibits is still free.

Need more enticement? There will be a Loop after party at Veritas Wine and Spirits on the Riverfront and anyone who has had their Art on the Town magazine stamped by five different venues gets a free Theatre N movie ticket.

So head downtown between 5:30 and 8 p.m. on Feb. 5 and see what all the fuss is about. Here are five exhibits you shouldn’t miss.

1. The Mezzanine Gallery (820 N. French St.) will host Ron Brignac, winner of a 2009 Individual Artist Fellowship in Photography from the Delaware Division of the Arts. Brignac merges multiple photographs into panoramic pictures. Confused? He’ll be on hand from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. to explain how he does it.

2. Photographer and graphic artist Sarah Davenport’s acrylic on canvas paintings will transport the audience at the Redding Gallery (800 N. French St.) back to the 60’s. The highlight: an 8-foot interpretation of Jimi Hendrix’s apocalyptic 14-minute psychedelic opus “1983 (A Merman I Should Turn to Be).” Saxophonist Jose Carmona III will set the mood.

3. Love is in the air at the Delaware Art Museum (2301 Kentmere Parkway), which will feature a make-your-own-Valentine table as well as a gallery chat, “Looking for Love in All the Art Spaces,” with Senior Docent Becky Rosen at 6 p.m. The museum is also opening a new exhibition on Friday night: “Women Collared for Work,” which explores the contributions of women between 1889 and 1999.

4. People’s Settlement Association (408 E. 8th St.) will show work by the youngest artist on the loop, 6-year-old Vincent Valdivieso, who prepared a photographic exhibit with his mother, Maria Cabrera. The exhibit shares Vincent’s photographical view of everyday images, like scenic views of nature. The Alfie Moss/Dexter Koonce project will provide jazzy background music.

5. Oil painter Carol Tippit Woolworth will be the guest of honor at newcomer Union City Grill (805 N. Union St.). She’s known for figures and still life paintings and has put in more than 30 years as an artist on both coasts. Tippit will be on hand to discuss her work and light refreshments will be served.