"Railroad Graveyard" on Display at the Delaware State Visitor Center
Dover, DE - June 26, 2006 - "Railroad Graveyard," a painting by the renowned Delaware artist, Edward L. Loper, Sr., will be on display through July 31, 2006 at the Delaware State Visitors Center and Galleries, 406 Federal St. in Dover, Delaware. On July 1, 2006, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Loper will be on-site to discuss this painting and his work. Video screenings of the film, "Edward Loper: Prophet of Color," (1999, Teleduction, Inc.) will take place in the gallery throughout the time that "Railroad Graveyard" is on display.
Edward L. Loper Sr. was born on the east side of Wilmington on April 7, 1916. He displayed a keen interest in art at an early age and quickly taught himself the basic techniques of drawing and painting. From 1936-1941, Loper worked for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) Art Project (a New Deal program designed to provide work for unemployed artists). In 1947, he became a full-time art instructor and quickly earned a legendary reputation as a teacher. Loper has taught at the Delaware Art Museum, Lincoln University, and Wilmington's Jewish Community Center, among others.
Edward Loper's paintings are found in many of the nation's most prestigious art collections including the Philadelphia Art Museum, the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C., Howard University, the Museum of African-American Art in Tampa, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and the Clark-Atlanta University Collection of African-American Art. Locally, Loper's paintings are found in the collections of the Delaware Art Museum, the Biggs Museum, the University of Delaware's Paul R. Jones Collection of African-American Art, and many others.
"Railroad Graveyard" was painted c. 1936 while Loper was working for the WPA Art Project. For many years, the painting was displayed at the Industrial School for Colored Girls of Delaware in Marshallton. After the school closed, the painting was acquired by a private collector. The painting was recently donated to the State of Delaware by that same collector who wished to see this work, which was commissioned by the United States government through the WPA, kept in the possession of the citizens of Delaware. The painting will be conserved by the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs.
The display of "Railroad Graveyard" is being held in conjunction with the interactive exhibit, "Remember Me: Stories About Delawares African-Americans, 1700s1800s" which tells the stories of a variety of the state's 18th and 19th century African-Americans including a family of fugitive slaves utilizing the Underground Railroad; Delaware's contingent of United States Colored Troops who fought in the American Civil War; and such notable individuals as James Summers, William Henry Neal, John Vining, and Dinah, a slave owned by Samuel Dickinson, father of John Dickinson, one of the founding fathers of the United States.
The Delaware State Visitors Center and Galleries is one of eight museums administered by the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs (HCA), an agency of the State of Delaware working in partnership with the First State Heritage Park at Dover. HCA enhances Delaware's quality of life by preserving the state's unique historical heritage, fostering community stability and economic vitality, and providing educational programs and assistance to the general public on Delaware history and heritage. In addition to its museums, HCA operates two conference centers and manages over thirty historic properties across Delaware. Funding for HCAs museums, programs, and services is provided by annual appropriations from the Delaware General Assembly, revenue from HCA's History Stores, and grants from the National Park Service, a federal agency.
