Run by the Delaware Division of the Arts with a new Delaware artist on exhibition every monthread more

I visit dozens of galleries up and down the east coast and Somerville Manning is one of the best by…read morefar. The art of course is absolutely excellent. They represent some of my favorite artists, Robert C. Jackson, Christine Lafuente and Bo Bartlett, just to name a few. When you move beyond the art you are greeted by a knowledgeable and pleasant staff that complement the elegance of the gallery space. Finally you have the stunning Breck's Mill that houses the gallery on the beautiful Brandywine River. Every time that I am in the Willmington area I make sure to visit Somerville Manning.

From the owner: Located in historic Breck's Mill adjacent to the Hagley Museum, Somerville Manning is unique among…read moresmall city galleries. Since 1981 the Somerville Manning Gallery has been committed to exhibiting art from the historic tradition of the Brandywine Valley, to presenting the best of regional artists, and to bringing to Wilmington artists of national and international stature.

I have taken about four classes here, with two different teachers. My artistic ability is about…read moreaverage. I love looking at mosaics. Therefore, I took two mosaics arts courses. The instructor provided a detailed handout how you do everything, and she was very patient with the class. Later, on my own, I ordered a marble mosaics art kit from Italy, using the skills that I learned from the two classes. Later on, I took two embroidery classes from a different teacher. The two classes had beginner students, and students had some skills. The teacher was very, very understanding with my limited skills. I particularly love to do embroidery. I found a new hobby! If I had time, I would take a class from each of these instructors again.

I have supported the Arts Alliance for years through their craft shows and buying from their…read moreartists. I took my first class here a couple weeks ago to make a dried flower wreath. It was $70 for two hours. We literally did nothing for the first hour. We waited for two women to arrive 20 minutes late. We watched a slideshow about the artist's previous life running a daycare. Then we went around the room and took turns introducing ourselves. We were given a wreath and some sort of twine. There was no demonstration about how to connect the flowers to the wreath. We were given photos of different kinds of arrangements, but those flowers were not there. It was clear other people had taken classes before, and some were quite advanced. I had no idea and had never used a glue gun, as this was supposed to be open to all levels. The teacher would just say things like "attach the flowers in groups" but I didn't know how I was supposed to attach them? I was so frustrated and humiliated. I was going to throw my wreath out but another student took it home to use the materials. The teacher also mentioned another pressed flower class, and a student mentioned that she'd be taking it and was excited. The teacher mentioned they'd be doing advanced techniques bc wildflowers were so boring. The student said she'd never done this before, but the teacher completely blew her off and started talking about how exciting it would be to deconstruct a rose. I contacted the Arts Alliance about my concerns, and they just said that other people liked this teacher and that she was new, but they'd pass on my concerns. I asked for a refund, as $70 is quite a lot of money for me. There was no reply. I think the Arts Alliance is a fantastic place to support artists, I'd just avoid their classes.

Everything went well except that it was raining all day. I felt that if it had not been raining all…read moreday a lot more people would have come out the studio is amazing upstairs it's an art gallery in the back is a recording studio downstairs. The vendors were doing their thing. It was a great day.Kaceys Food Truck was on site. was on was on site outside bringing her delicious food to the table.

A great place for work by local artists. Everyone is very friendly…read more Classes are available during evenings and weekends in arts like crochet, knit, mosaic and more.

Such a delightful place to shop!…read more Tucked into the sweet artsy Bellefonte neighborhood is this small but very active artist cooperative store. The shop represents a large variety of local artists, allowing them space within the shop, putting together street fairs and classes when these things are possible, and with online newsletters and social media presence. I was introduced to Bellefonte Arts by a friend who exhibits her handmade bears in the shop. Thanks to her I've now made multiple trips to the store, always finding something wonderful and unexpected, just what I hope to find when exploring a shop filled with the works of different artists. I highly recommend attending one of their craft fairs, which happen a few times per year. Sign up for the newsletter for details and dates, and get ready to fill all of your gift lists!

I have trusted George for many years for all my framing needs. He is professional, offers great…read moresuggestions, ad never disappoints. I would trust no one else for my framing projects.

I am a first time customer and was extremely happy with the the work I had done. George has been…read moreat this a long time and his experience comes through. He recommended a very cool contemporary frame for the piece I brought in. The workmanship is top notch and I could not be more pleased with the results. Like so many things these days the materials were delayed due to supply chain issues but the delivery was right on time, as advertised. 100% satisfied and will be back.

For a DE native, this was my first time here. I came during the day and I was the only person…read morethere. The receptionist let me know the exhibits that were on and what was scheduled to leave at the end of the month. She was so helpful! I took my time taking everything in. I loved that there was a mix of found art, sculpture, collage and film. There was even art on display for sale, which I could definitely see myself taking advantage of. They also have a store with prints, pottery, jewelry, and clothing. Honestly, such a gem of a space. They have a night market coming up in June with vendors and food trucks and they are part of the Art Loop which is every first Friday of the month. Admission is free those days, or if you go during normal hours is $7 for adults. Definitely worth it.

Interesting exhibits, but very small with no permanent collection. Many of the exhibit descriptions…read moreneeded copy editing. There was one description that referenced Palestine and included a disclaimer that seemed discriminatory.