Molly Giordano is the Executive Director of the Delaware Art Museum and has lived in Wilmington for 15 years! Read her story below as this week’s #PeopleofWilmDE!
“I grew up in West Virginia and came to Delaware to attend UD, where I met my husband, Attorney Phillip Giordano. After college, I landed a job on a political campaign that gave me a chance to travel up and down the state and really get to know all the places that make Delaware special. When picking a place to live, there was no question that Wilmington would be our home.
I always enjoy visiting big cities, but I love living in Wilmington because you can have a meaningful life here. You can anonymously take advantage of the gorgeous parks and green space, arts and culture activities, and the endless festivals and community events, but you can also step up and be a leader that makes a real difference. I’ve had so many opportunities to build the community I want for my family and give back. All of these connections have made our lives really meaningful here. In addition, I love the history and architecture in Wilmington.
Here are 3 interesting facts about me:
- I write fiction – including 3 unpublished novels. I hope to spend more time writing in the future!
- I love really thought-provoking visual art and fiction – but I love bad movies. I could spend all day watching cheesy rom-coms!
- My mom ran a community art center in my small West Virginia hometown. Her commitment to making art accessible to all inspires me every day.
My favorite place in Wilmington is the Delaware Art Museum. I first visited as a UD student, and then when I moved to Wilmington, it’s where I would go to relax and enjoy an afternoon looking at art–I feel so lucky that I get to lead this amazing institution now! I never would have imagined this is where I’d end up, but I’m grateful every day for the opportunity to be DelArt’s Executive Director.
My ideal Saturday is a long afternoon walk at Winterthur, drinks at Merchant Bar, dinner on Market Street, and a play at Delaware Theatre Company.
The connections I’ve been able to build [in Wilmington] really helped me professionally. Everyone in this community is so eager to help others succeed because we all want Wilmington to be a strong, vibrant city.
I’m excited to see all the new restaurants [in Wilmington]. Watching Wilmington’s many arts and culture organizations bounce back from COVID with great content that centers diverse perspectives is also exciting. Now we all just need to patronize these important businesses and organizations–our city can only succeed if we keep investing in our core assets.
[In the future, I’d like to see more] investing in Wilmington’s creative economy–like arts and culture venues and for-profit artistic businesses. [This] is going to be the key to our growth. New housing and restaurants are wonderful, but a strong cultural sector is what makes a city desirable and vibrant.
People who live in Wilmington should take pride in how much such a small city has to offer. And instead of comparing ourselves to much larger metro areas, we should fully invest in what makes Wilmington unique. My proudest moments are when I’m at a DelArt event and strangers come up to me to thank the Museum for our work. I hear this all the time from both long-time residents and transplants.
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