SOMETHING BIG IS COMING TO THE FAIRGROUNDS THIS FALL! The Delaware State Fair together with the Biggs Museum of American Art present The Great Delaware Pumpkin Carve Festival - an annual Fall-tastic event for the entire family! Friday, October 26th from 5pm to 9pm and Saturday, October 27th from 3pm to 9pm. Come check out the Pumpkin Patch - 50 amazingly-carved giant pumpkins, each weighing over 150lbs that will scare you, amaze you, or make you laugh and smile! And don’t miss out on the festival - hayrides, a bonfire, kids pumpkin crafts, all kinds of food selections, seasonal craft beers, wines and ciders, spooky ice bumper car rides, haunted barns walk-through attractions, and much more! On-grounds weekend Halloween themed camping opportunities are also available. Let the fall festivities begin!

Help the Biggs close its 25th Anniversary year! This event, happening alongside the First State Heritage Park’s annual 18th Century Market Fair on The Green, includes more fun for the whole family. Come add a few birds to our forest in the museum’s sculpture entry to commemorate the current grand exhibition, Audubon, Then and Now. Browse artworks by Biggs artist members, Delaware By Hand artists for purchase in front of the museum. And what’s a birthday party without cake? Visitors will enjoy mini cupcakes in Child HELP Foundation Gallery to help celebrate a quarter century of sharing art with Delaware. Admission to the whole museum and our special family-friendly projects is free.

In celebration of Audubon’s adventurous spirit and our exhibition of his works, the Biggs has partnered with the renowned Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge for a series of birding events. Each program will feature a different bird species, conservation topic, or trail. All registrations include a tour through the refuge with a Bombay Hook staff member who will guide visitors through the site on foot and by van while assisting with bird watching. Registration also includes same-day admission to the Biggs to see the Audubon exhibit. There are no rain dates for these events and participants will be refunded in the event of rain. Registration is limited and pre-registration is required. The Biggs is proud to partner with Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge on this program. To read more about this organization, you can visit the following: http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Bombay_Hook/ http://www.facebook.com/bombayhookwildliferefuge

Help the Biggs close out our blockbuster show “Audubon: Then and Now” with a brunch and panel discussing Audubon from multiple perspectives. The panel will be moderated by Jeffrey Gordon, President of the American Birding Association and panelists will include Dr. Jean Woods, Curator of Birds at the Delaware Museum of Natural History, and Dr. Stephanie Delamaire, Associate Curator of Fine Arts at Winterthur Museum, Garden, and Library. This is a member event and includes a continental breakfast and Bloody Mary and Mimosa bar. Depending on membership level, members are invited to bring 1 or more "future members" as guests, provided they register additional guests. For questions on member benefits, please call 302-674-2111 ext. 105.

Special “Kids Only" Holiday Shop – children ages 4-12 can purchase gifts (ranging from $1-$10) for their family and decorate their own gift bags. Items include handmade ornaments, jewelry, key chains, bookmarks and more. • Fifer's donuts, cider and coffee all day! • Local children’s choir performances throughout the day • An expanded gift shop of handmade holiday items, from Delaware By Hand artists, available for purchase all day • Live demonstrations from local craftsmen: • An expanded gift shop of handmade holiday items, from Delaware By Hand artists, available for purchase all day • Live demonstrations from local craftsmen • Special display of miniature holiday themed dollhouses by Dover, Delaware craftsman and a unique “poinsettia tree”

Enjoy refreshments while you are the first to see the 2018 Biggs Shot Juried Photography Compeition. Arists will be present for a meet-and-greet.

In the spirit of Fred Wilson’s landmark exhibition, Mining the Museum, the Biggs Museum has invited seven scholars to explore important cultural absences within its collections, interpretation and public programs-to find and add underrepresented perspectives of America’s historical minorities. These researcher will be looking critically at the Biggs, and American art museums generally, to describe new and better ways of incorporating the experiences and artistic accomplishments of African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos, the LGBTQ community, Native Americans, the disabled and of women. As the Biggs Museum of American Art finishes celebrating its 25th anniversary, we are taking time to reflect on the institution’s past to frame its goals for public inclusivity and cultural equity for The Next 25 years. This day-long symposium is free to the public and will be followed by a reception.

Join the juror of the Biggs Shot Photography Competition, David Norbut, for a lecture on his jurying process and a group critique. Participants are invited to hear how a photography competition is judged and have the chance to bring some of their own work and receive feedback from the juror. This program will be beneficial to photographers who are interested in entering their work in competitions, selling their work professionally, or getting their work published. Old hats and up-and-comers alike are welcome. Norbut is a professional photographer whose work has been published in The Guardian and The New York Times, and he has shown his photography across the globe. Pre-registration is recommended by January 13th.

To coincide with the museum’s feature exhibit, “Rooted, Revived, Reinvented: Basketry in America,” Biggs’ Delaware by Hand artist member, Denise Bendelewski, will lead a day long basket weaving class. By the end of the class, participants will have learned to make a small market basket. This introductory class is meant for beginners and intermediate students. There will be a break for lunch midday and participants can bring their own lunches. Registration includes all supplies. Pre-registration is required by February 9th.