Delaware Art Museum honors essential workers in new exhibition

WILMINGTON, Delaware (WPVI) -- Opening Wednesday at The Delaware Art Museum, a celebration of Wilmington's essential workers will be on display to honor the heroes who have selflessly been on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This exhibition features portraits and the personal stories behind them. It's a salute to our essential workers - everyone from doctors to bus drivers to grocery cashiers.

In this exhibit, you will see the faces of the people who went to work every day, those who didn't have the luxury of staying home or calling off.

"We have to take the risk every day, not knowing what we might come home with, or might not come home at all," says Iz Balleto, an Operation Technician at the museum. "We serve our nation, we serve our people. These are the heroes of our today."

Balleto lost two family members to COVID-19. He is considered an essential worker at the museum and had the idea to fill the empty walls with the everyday heroes among us.

"This concept that was born out of the love and sacrifice of two family members that I lost during COVID," Balleto says. "One was a cook, and one was a nurse's aide. I wanted also to pay respect to those that are serving their community."

"I was happy to see that the people who were a part of this project felt honored by our acknowledgment of them, and they really appreciated that," said JaQuanne LeRoy, the Curator in Residence.

The Essential Workers Photography Campaign opens Wednesday.

The Delaware Art Museum felt it was appropriate to honor these heroes on Veterans Day.