As we wrap up an exciting May at the Biggs, we invite you to join us for two special events to close out the month in style:

Tonight, enjoy a free Pop-Up Performance by Opera Delaware from 5:30–7:30 PM an evening of music, mingling, and unforgettable moments.

Tomorrow, we launch our very first Biggs Senior Day from 11 AM–4 PM, packed with exclusive tours, activities, and a relaxed social hour designed just for guests 55+.

Then, we roll right into June with a calendar full of fun! From family festivals and hands-on crafts to community celebrations and wellness events, there’s something for everyone this month at the Biggs. Scroll down to explore all the exciting ways to engage with art, culture, and creativity!

Programs & Events

Programs are free unless otherwise noted. Members receive a 20% discount on all paid programs. Registration is requested for all fee-based programs.

June 5

DIY Art Gallery & Family Craft Night

5:30 PM – 7:30 PM

Get hands-on with a fun family art night! Create your own artwork and display it in our pop-up gallery or collaborate on a miniature gallery model. All materials provided.

June 7

Family Creative Studio: Family Dual Perspective Illusion Artwork

11:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Create an innovative optical illusion art piece that shifts between time periods depending on the viewer’s angle. Designed for all ages!

Free Museum Highlights Tour

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Enjoy a guided walkthrough of the museum’s highlights and uncover the stories behind the collection’s most fascinating works.

Pride Festival on the Legislative Mall

All Day – Offsite

Celebrate love, equality, and inclusion at the Pride Festival just steps from the museum. Drop in before or after for more family fun!

June 8

Book Club: Small Rain by Garth Greenwell

2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Join a thoughtful discussion over tea as we explore this month’s book pick through conversation and its connection to art.

June 12

Read & Make Adventures

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

In Partnership with Dover Public Library, kids will listen to a delightful story followed by a hands-on craft inspired by the book. Perfect for early learners and families! (Thursdays through August 7 – No session on July 19 in recognition of Juneteenth)

Members Pop-Up Show

5:30 PM – 7:30 PM

Celebrate the creativity of our museum community with this one-night-only showcase featuring artwork by Biggs Museum members.

Members: Interesting in showing your work? Email [email protected] by June 4

June 14

Dover Con Comic Festival

10:00 AM – 5:00 PM – Offsite

Celebrate comics, pop culture, and creativity in downtown Dover! Stop by the Biggs for related events and fun.

Super Smash Bros Tournament Hosted by Small Town Gaming

Time: 10:00 AM-4:00 PM

Gamers of all ages—battle it out in this exciting tournament at the museum!

"Comic Couture: Beyond the Panels" Artist Talk

Time: 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM–

Join artists and curators for a behind-the-scenes look at Comic Couture, where comic book style meets fine art. Discover how speech bubbles, heroes, and panels are reimagined in bold, high-concept works that blend pop culture with visual storytelling.

June 15

Father’s Day Family Trivia Hunt

10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Celebrate Dad with a fun, self-guided trivia scavenger hunt throughout the museum. Solve clues and earn a prize at the end!

June 19

Juneteenth Reflection Walk (Self-Guided)

10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Take a powerful, self-guided journey through exhibits highlighting African American history, freedom, and reflection.

Happy Hour – Discount for Veterans

5:30 PM – 7:30 PM

Celebrate Juneteenth with drinks, live music, and a toast to our veterans—featuring a special discount for those who’ve served.

June 21

Art and Wellness at The Biggs

CrossFit Workout

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM

Start the day strong with a high-energy CrossFit workout on the Biggs lawn, followed by museum activities and refreshments.

Yoga in the Galleries

10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Find peace and flexibility in a gentle, all-levels yoga session surrounded by inspiring art.

Self-Guided Exploration

10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Stroll through reflective stations in the galleries and explore how art enhances mental wellness and mindfulness.

Juneteenth Festival on the Legislative Mall – Offsite

Join the community for a celebration of culture, history, and heritage just across the street from the museum.

June 24

Zach’s Street Grill – Food Truck at the Museum

11:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Grab lunch from Zach’s Street Grill right outside the museum. Enjoy it in our sculpture garden or inside surrounded by art.

June 26

Biggs Home School Day

11:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Homeschool families: enjoy themed activities, interactive learning, and meetups in an inspiring museum setting. Email [email protected] to reserve your seat.

Read & Make Adventures

Time: 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

Literary Café featuring Dennis Spence

5:30 PM – 7:30 PM

Join us for a relaxed evening of poetry, storytelling, and conversation with local writer Dennis Spence in a café-style setting.

June 27

Biggs Senior Day

11:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Senior Social: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Enjoy themed tours, hands-on activities, and a social hour with refreshments. Seniors (55+) are invited for a day of fun and learning.

June 28

Monthly Artists Café

2:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Sip coffee, meet local creatives, and enjoy open conversation and light performances at this casual monthly gathering.

America’s Tapestry Project: Delaware Panel

11:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Help stitch history as we join the nationwide celebration of America’s 250th Anniversary! Delaware’s panel honors Major Henry Fisher, who helped defend the Delaware River in 1776. Stop by to contribute a few stitches to this hand-embroidered work of art, part of a 13-panel series—one for each original colony.

All supplies provided (or bring your own!).

To schedule a stitching session, email [email protected].

Follow along: @250tapestry | www.americastapestry.com

Positively Dover African American Festival – Offsite

Celebrate culture and community with this vibrant festival featuring music, food, and family-friendly activities on the Legislative Mall.

June 29

Open Read in Galleries

10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Bring a book and enjoy a peaceful day reading among inspiring artworks. Find a cozy spot and settle in for a literary escape.

Permanent Collection

Thomas Cole (1801-1848)
Landscape Composition (Summer Sunset)
ca. 1844-46
Oil on canvas
24 x 30 in. (61 x 76.2 cm)
Gift of the Estate of Sewell C. Biggs, 2004.446

Born in Lancashire, England, Thomas Cole began his career printing patterns on fabric for his family’s wool business. Displaced by the Industrial Revolution, his family became economic migrants and immigrated to the United States. Cole was 17 years old when they settled in Steubenville, Ohio, and then he set out on his own at age 22 to pursue a career in art. After a brief period in Philadelphia, he finally settled in Catskill, New York, in 1825. 

There, Cole fell in love with the undeveloped landscape. On his first trip on a boat up the Hudson River, he filled his sketchbook with drawings of the rocky cliffs, twisting trees, and towering waterwalls.  Rather than viewing the wilderness with fear, Cole’s paintings celebrated the dramatic natural beauty of the young nation and offered American viewers a source of pride. 

Largely self-taught, Cole wanted to improve his own work and traveled to Europe for a period to study. When he returned, he was distressed how much of the natural landscape in the United States was being destroyed by industry. Through his art and writing, he advocated for preserving the natural scenery of the United States. 

Cole is credited as the founder of the Hudson River School, a loosely organized group of the artist’s peers and students that is recognized as the nation’s first major art movement. Members of the school include Cole’s close friend Asher B. Durand and his pupil Frederic Edwin Church, who built his home near Cole’s. 

Cole worked on this painting near the end of his life and it remains unfinished. Landscape Composition (Summer Sunset) remained in possession of his family for more than a century after his death. It shows many of his typical approaches to composition, with taller trees framing either side and subtle X-pattern diagonals helping to develop a sense of depth. 

In the underpainting for the sky, streaks of sunlight radiating upwards are visible. In his writings, Cole discussed the importance of the sky in landscape painting:

“The soul of all scenery, in it are fountains of light, and shade, and color. Whatever expression the sky takes, the features of the landscape are affected in unison, whether it be the serenity of the summer’s blue, or the dark tumult of the storm.”[i]

He noted that sunsets, like the one pictured here, appear to cover the landscape in liquid gold. 

Landscape Composition (Summer Sunset) is on view at The Biggs as part of the newly reinstalled gallery focused on Hudson River School landscape painters.