The month of March is dedicated to commemorating and celebrating women's contributions and achievements in history, culture and society.
In celebration of Women’s History Month, we reached out to two notable women in Downtown Wilmington who have contributed to the vibrancy and enhancement of our community. Jean Dahlgren, President of Delaware College of Art and Design (DCAD) and Eunice LaFate, artist and owner of LaFate Gallery, reflect on their journeys to joining the Downtown community.
Jean Dahlgren is Delaware College of Art and Design’s first female president. As a former dean of undergraduate programs at Sage College in Albany, NY, she has over 30 years of experience in higher education and administration. Below, Ms. Dahlgren shares the foundations of her success as President of DCAD.
Jean Dahlgren
President of Delaware College of Art and Design
“I could not be more honored to serve in this role and appreciate being part of the creative community in Wilmington.”
It’s hard to believe that I arrived in Delaware only three and a half years ago to accept the position as President of Delaware College of Art and Design. I remember an event held at DCAD at which I was introduced to the community along with Mayor Purzycki, Chief Tracy, and Marty Hageman. I learned that evening what a welcoming community I had moved to, and soon afterwards began my job in earnest.
Three things have been essential to my success at DCAD:
Belief in what we do: As the only professional two-year independent school of art and design in the country, it’s exhilarating to see what our alumni have accomplished. Their stories (read here) explain the impact of their experience at DCAD.
Commitment to continuous improvement: In our twenty-fifth year we’re expanding! We’ve received some major grants that will enable us to build a new student center and gallery spaces in our main building on Market Street. We’ve put over $1 million dollars of improvements into our residence hall at 707 King Street and are developing exciting new majors.
Belief in the power of the arts in the community: DCAD students and faculty work with members of the community to make it better. The beautiful banners that hang outside The Wilmington Transportation Center were designed by DCAD students. We’ve worked with local businesses to design websites, logos and much more. The Toni and Stuart B. Young, the largest gallery in the creative district, has been an Art Loop stop since the beginning and continues to exhibit exciting, relevant and diverse programming. DCAD is at the heart of the Creative District and we’re working to make that more relevant and vibrant with partnerships moving forward.
DCAD was established in Wilmington 25 years ago this year by way of an unprecedented joint effort between the City of Wilmington, Downtown Visions, Wilmington Renaissance Corporation (now Wilmington Alliance), Pratt Institute and The Corcoran. Its mission and vision have evolved over time, but its value and importance as an economic driver and important cultural institution in the City cannot be overstated. I could not be more honored to serve in this role and appreciate being part of the creative community in Wilmington.
Award winning folk artist Eunice LaFate opened LaFate Gallery in 1993. She has won numerous awards for her work including the 2014 Governor’s Award for the Arts and Outstanding Artist by the Delaware Afro-American Historical Society in 1999. Below, Ms. LaFate shares her rise to becoming an award-winning artist and the hardships and successes of her business.
Eunice LaFate
Owner LaFate Gallery, LLC
“I am a social visionary, who uses my canvas to address social, economic, and political issues”
From teacher to banker, to human services administrator, from hobby to home-based business, to a commercial storefront, my business owner story is intriguing. My first job, after arriving from Jamaica in 1983, was a teacher at a Catholic school in Wilmington. My transition to corporate America after one year in teaching, landed me into a very stressful environment. I chose painting to cope with the stress. My art hobby advanced and later transformed into a business.
In 1992, as a volunteer at the Walnut Street YMCA, I experienced a renaissance in my folk art. My folk art came to the attention of Out & About Magazine owner Jerry DuPhilly in 1993, who commissioned me to create cover art for their magazine. That cover art was the catalyst for LaFate Gallery, which was licensed as a sole proprietorship in 1993 and became a home-based business for 22 years. During those years, I sold my art at various events in Wilmington and other nearby cities. Those were the“Golden Days,” as I had NO overhead! In time, my folk art became recognized statewide and nationally, and I received numerous awards and citations.
The transition to a commercial storefront and LLC business came in 2015, when I lost my dear husband of 31 years to cancer. LaFate Gallery relocated to 227 N. Market Street, and was my way of “Rebounding from Grief to Growth.” As a small, Black, and woman-owned business, I have faced and surmounted numerous challenges over the past 29 years. Starting and maintaining a commercial storefront has been a great financial challenge because I have had to subsidize the business with my retirement income. I have become social media savvy, using those platforms to get my message out on the issues.
As a woman in the arts, I am very proud of my accomplishments, in particular being named by the News Journal as “Most Influential Delawarean in the Arts & Entertainment, 2020.” I am a social visionary, who use my canvas to address social, economic, and political issues.
Celebrate Women’s History Month by honoring personal, local and national female heroes and supporting women-owned businesses in Downtown Wilmington and beyond.