At the Biggs Museum of American Art’s Harvest Party on Sept. 20, its newest exhibit, Keith Duncan’s “Battle of the Bands: The HBCU Marching Band Series,” took the stage.
Mr. Duncan, based in New Orleans, is the contemporary artist behind the display. “Battle of the Bands,” on the museum’s third floor, invites viewers to learn about the cultural significance of historically Black college and university marching bands, as well as open a dialogue around the history of such institutions.
“There was a time, in terms of fundraising for the colleges, … during the semester breaks, (those in the arts) would get on the road, and they would travel to different states, performing the choirs, as well as bands,” explained Dr. Wilma Mishoe, the president of the Biggs’ board of trustees, a Howard University alumna and the former president of Delaware State University.
“And that’s the way they raised money for the university. People came to look for those performances.”
Other schools in the exhibit include Norfolk State University, Morehouse School of Medicine, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, and Texas Southern University.
Dr. Mishoe noted that, though Delaware State had not originally been part of the Biggs show, she asked Mr. Duncan if it could be, considering its proximity.
The marching band for Delaware’s sole HBCU is called The Approaching Storm. And the first floor of the Biggs is now dedicated to it, with a mural and musician uniforms both past and present.
Hassan Najjar, the executive director of the museum, said he became aware of the availability of the traveling “Battle of the Bands” and was immediately hooked.
“We’ve got this wonderful exhibition of HBCU marching bands. We’ve got a wonderful HBCU in our own backyard, so it was a natural match,” he stated.
He called the partnership between the museum and the local university a “natural one,” with both entities stressing education.
That’s a sentiment shared by Delaware secretary of state Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez, a Biggs board member and a fellow organizer of the display. She explained its significance, in addition to the works being visually beautiful.
“I think pieces like this, in the museum like this, in an area like this really help promote the diversity of our state and can help promote and educate folks about different perspectives in life,” she said.
“And I think the piece is really capturing what it’s like to be on an HBCU campus, in a marching band.”
The show runs through Jan. 25, 2026. The Biggs is at 406 Federal St. and is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays.
