Dover, DE - The Biggs Museum is pleased to present Edward Grant: Forgotten Dreams, an exhibition rediscovering the beauty of the Delmarva Peninsula and reintroducing the work of a local arts hero, on display until February 22. Born in Wilmington, Delaware’s 40 Acre section in 1907, Edward Grant exhibited an early interest in the visual world with his rendered maps of the rapidly changing neighborhood and the houses of his family’s extensive social circle.

In his early years as a student and illustrator, Grant studied under local artistic giants like Howard Pyle, N.C. Wyeth, Thorton Oakley, Henrietta Stadleman and Frank Schoonover. His interest in the arts extended into teaching, serving as a regular art instructor in the Wilmington Academy of Art, the Studio Group, the Art Club, and the Rehoboth Art League. During the Great Depression, Grant was hired as a supervisor for Delaware’s WPA/FAP Mural Program and his work from this period can still be seen in Smyrna and Middletown public schools. In the early 1940s, the painter was hired as the artistic director of the Hercules Powder Company where he remained until his 1968 retirement.

Until his death in 1998, Edward Grant was a tireless painter. His artistic career spanned more than an astounding 70 years. Within this exciting period of artistic revolution, Grant experimented widely with illustration art of the 20s, the Social Realism of the 30s ad 40's, the Abstraction of the 50's, and Photorealism of the 60's and 70's. In his later years, Grant focused the bulk of his attention on the pastoral, moody landscapes of his Delmarva Peninsula. Throughout his artistic adventures, Grant dwelled in a world of the vanishing Delaware Scene. The worlds he recorded with his paintings often focus on topics such as the forgotten architecture of Wilmington’s 18th- and 19th-century origins and the encroaching urbanism, on the displaced populations of Delaware’s modern metropolis, and elegant erosion of the region’s rural and coastal lifestyles.

Edward Grant was a preservationist who beautifully indexed the State’s disappearing traditions. With the local interest in recognizable and nostalgic art forms of Delaware’s landscape, it is remarkable that Edward Grant’s work was allowed to become obscured over time. Interestingly, research of this monumental and touching artist suggests that he was far less interested in selling his works than simply creating them.

Forgotten Dreams features the artist’s personal collection from his Maryland studio. Displayed in a comprehensive format, displaying a diverse array of the varied techniques and styles Grant utilized. Edward Grant received very little direct attention in the local news; he exhibited infrequently and has never been extensively published. He was to the simplest extent passionate for painting.

The Biggs Museum seeks to serve a diverse public as a regional museum of fine and decorative arts, made from 1700 to present, representing the State of Delaware and the surrounding Mid-Atlantic region. The Biggs Museum engages audiences through a compelling program of temporary exhibitions and programming. The Biggs Museum encourages the development of creativity and an appreciation for art by offering a comprehensive slate of educational programming for all ages. The Biggs Museum of American Art is a private, non-profit 501(c) (3) organization.

Tuesday through Saturday; 9:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Sunday; 1:30 p.m. until 4: 30 p.m.

Admission: Biggs Museum is free to the public year-round. Fees may apply to certain programs and special events.

The Biggs Museum of American Art - 406 Federal Street - Dover, DE 19901 - 302.674.2111 - www.biggsmuseum.org