Current Exhibitions

A Small but Mighty Press: The University of Delaware Press 100th AnniversaryOn View

When former University of Delaware President Walter Hullihen led the establishment of the University of Delaware Press in the summer of 1922, he probably could not have imagined the many ups and downs the press would face, nor the significant growth of the press, over its first 100 years. This exhibit explores how the press came to be and the many changes it has undergone over the last century to become a leading scholarly publisher in such areas such as literary studies, art history, and early modern studies, while striving to serve the Delmarva region with books on the area’s history, culture, and natural landscape. The press’s story is one of perseverance, as its small size has never limited its horizons, and its partnerships with other publishers and publishing consortia over the years have become gradually more advantageous—leading to today, when the press is growing its staff, launching new series, and entering into open access publishing.

First and Last: Delaware’s Fraught History with Slavery and AbolitionOn View

Despite being the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution in 1787, Delaware refused to sign the 13th Amendment to formally abolish slavery until the 20th century. In First and Last: Delaware’s Fraught History with Slavery and Abolition, explore the state’s complex history with slavery and abolition.  

Visitors will learn about slavery and colonization efforts in the state; Black Delawareans’ involvement in the underground railroad; and the notorious Patty Cannon gang, who kidnapped, sold and killed free and enslaved Black people in the state. Materials on view include books, letters, photographs, deeds of sale for enslaved persons, newspaper ads for runaway slaves, copies of Delaware legislative bills, and more.

Focus on PaintingOn View

Through painting, artists have a blank canvas to experiment with form and technique and to capture an array of subjects and emotions. In Focus on Painting, explore the breadth of paintings within the University’s collections where you will find perennial favorites alongside artwork that hasn’t been on display in years.

Ground Minerals from Pigments to PaletteOn View

Throughout history, minerals have been used as vibrantly colored pigments to make paint. View an array of pigment minerals used by artists throughout time in Ground Minerals from Pigments to Palette.

Mineralogical Museum: Permanent CollectionOn View

Opened in 1971 and renovated in 2009, the Mineralogical Museum has approximately 350 specimens on display. The entire collection contains more than three thousand specimens of minerals, meteorites, gemstones and carvings and is divided into a display collection and a reference collection. The founding collection, gifted to the University of Delaware in 1964 by Irénée du Pont, shows early examples from gemstone mining in the United States and South America and major finds from Europe. Other cases show specimens from the different continents and individual themes of crystallography and cave minerals.

Seeing Textiles in Painting, Printing, and Papermaking, 1960-TodayOn View

Every day, people engage with textiles in the woven materials of clothing, the pieced fabric of quilts and the hand stitching of embroidery. Seeing Textiles in Painting, Printing, and Papermaking, 1960-Today explores how modern and contemporary artists take inspiration from textiles.

The Artist’s Book in Our TimesOn View

Artists’ books are a type of artistic expression that uses the form or function of a book as inspiration. The book itself is the art, incorporating techniques from typography, design, printmaking, papermaking and bookbinding to bring an idea to life. The medium allows for a great amount of innovation and creativity on the part of an artist seeking to make a unique statement.

In The Artist’s Book in Our Times, discover the many ways that book artists use the medium to explore social issues, including race, gender and sexuality, politics, the climate crisis, COVID-19, and more. The exhibition will include work by some of the most accomplished book artists in works drawn from the important collection of artists’ books in the University’s Special Collections.

What's New? Recent Additions to the Mineral CollectionOn View

At the University of Delaware, the mineral collection is constantly expanding through careful and deliberate purchases and the generosity of donors. In What’s New? Recent Additions to the Mineral Collection, visitors will explore newly acquired mineral specimens while learning about gem minerals and important mineral discoveries.