Bridge Art Gallery opens on Market St. in Wilmington
The Bridge Art Gallery opened Thursday on Market St. in Wilmington showcasing artist from Delaware and around the country. 2/27/25
Wilmington’s newest arts spot has launched a string of events and exhibitions that its creators say meet their mission of “creating a safe space where people feel seen, heard and understood.”
Bridge Art Gallery at 213. N. Market St. showcases work from local and international artists. The current exhibit – Fiber Secrets: The Art of Maurice Evans – is showing through May 31. Evans is Atlanta-based.
But Bridge Art Gallery is more than a visual arts center. It’s a hub for art exchanges, professional development, youth activities, meet-and-greets, venue rental and open-mic nights. Owners Christopher and Cheryl Mack also collaborate with other Delaware arts entities through their Bridging the Arts initiative. In mid-April, a ticket-only event allowed patrons to explore the current exhibition, enjoy an evening of wine and appetizers, and then head to the Grand Opera House for a Delaware Symphony Orchestra performance.
There is also a monthly community café session for a civic empowerment group to discuss community resources.
“This gallery is not just a space for beautiful artwork,” said Marcus Henry, the newly elected New Castle County executive. “It’s really transformative. … It will reduce barriers to arts engagement for the larger community.”
Henry was among dozens of arts supporters who attended the downtown gallery’s opening at the end of February. “This is a powerful symbol of the diversity and creativity that defines our city of Wilmington. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the end of Black History Month than by celebrating here with you,” he said.
Henry noted, to thunderous applause, that Bridge Art Gallery is the largest Black-owned art space in Wilmington.
Henry said it is heartwarming to see revitalization in the city of Wilmington, and a lot that starts with the arts. “Arts is also economic development, and you’re going to have a multiplier effect, I believe, on this block, in this city,” he said.
The Macks are vanguards of the arts scene. Cheryl chairs the New Castle County Public Arts Commission. They also have a second Bridge Art Gallery, which opened in Jersey City in 2016. The couple, who also are the creators of Bridge Arts Festival and Bridge Arts Magazine, moved to Delaware in 2021.
“We are the bridge to businesses and corporations figuring out how they can be involved in the creative community and how they can support the arts,” Cheryl Mack said.
“We are also here to … let people know that big creative ideas come out of small places like Delaware.”
To learn more: bridgeartgallery.net, 302-353-4527, connect@bridgegallery.net. Gallery hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday.
Jamesetta Miller Walker is the editor for emerging audiences and inclusion storytelling. Reach her at jmwalker1@gannett.com.
