Grants Available

The eGrant system is now open for all Division grant programs with a March 2, 2015 application deadline. This includes the following grant programs for Delaware-based organizations: 

• Project Support - for community organizations (non-arts) offering arts activities
• Education Resource - for arts organizations, public schools, or school districts with school-based arts-education programs
• StartUp - for emerging arts organizations
• Arts Stabilization - for arts organizations with facility improvement projects
• General Operating Support - for eligible arts organizations

Use the links above for more details on all programs and eligibility.  Questions should be directed to the appropriate Division staff member.

Mack Wathen Appointed to MAAF Board

J. Mack Wathen (Hockessin), a member of the Delaware State Arts Council, has been appointed to the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation's board of directors. 

Mr. Wathen has been a business leader and in the utility industry for 33 years. He has a successful track record in leading groups responsible for strategic planning, finance, communications, public policy and regulatory affairs. Mr. Wathen presently serves Pepco Holdings, Inc. as Vice President, Regulatory Affairs.

Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation (MAAF) was established in 1979 to promote and support multi-state arts programming. MAAF serves the states and territories of Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia, and West Virginia. Additionally, MAAF engages in national and international work focused on performing arts touring, jazz, and independent filmmakers.

Delaware State Arts Council Positions Open

In March 2015, five members of the Delaware State Arts Council will conclude their terms.  Nominations for the open slots are now being considered. The Council advises the Division of the Arts on matters of arts policy, funding for the arts, and other issues relevant to support for the arts in Delaware. The Council, according to its enabling legislation, "shall be composed of not more than 15 members" appointed by the Governor, who represent the state geographically and politically and are appointed on the basis of their interest and experience in the arts. For more information about the Council and how to submit a nomination, download here.

4th Annual DE State Employee Art Exhibition

Registration is now open for the Delaware State Employee Art Exhibition sponsored by The National Arts Program� and the Division of the Arts. The exhibition is open to entries from current Delaware state employees and their immediate family members, and is judged by professional artists and visual art professionals in several categories. This is a free program designed to give artists at all skill levels a unique opportunity to exhibit their creative work and to compete for cash prizes. The show will be on view for the general public from February 23 - March 14, 2015 at the Arts Center/Gallery at Delaware State University in Dover. For more information and to register, visit www.artsdel.org/NAP

Faith Kuehn, Best In Show Award, 2014 Scraps from the Understory, 2013 

Design Delaware 2.0

The Delaware Division of the Arts has concluded its formal collection of public input, in preparation for developing a draft strategic plan for FY2016-FY2020.

Working with Maren Brown Associates, the Division has convened six focus groups, sponsored three regional public meetings, collected data from two online surveys, and coordinated 30 individual interviews with key stakeholders throughout the state. This input is being reviewed by the consultants, Division staff, and State Arts Council members for the writing of a draft plan.

In February 2015, a draft of the new Design Delaware 2.0 Strategic Plan for FY2016-FY2020 will be released for public comment, and in March 2015, the final plan, incorporating revisions, will be formally approved by the Delaware State Arts Council and published online.

Details on the planning process, and the draft plan, when ready, can be viewed at: www.artsdel.org/DesignDelaware

Delaware Day Fourth Grade Competition Winners!

This is the first year that the Division of the Arts has been a partner in the Delaware Day Fourth Grade Competition, a Department of State program that encourages students to study the Constitution and to understand Delaware's role in its writing and ratification. More than 1,100 students from 26 schools from across the state participated. The Division was pleased to assist with arts expenses and to offer Artistic Merit Awards. Our thanks go to the Newark Arts Alliance, which collaborated with us in this project. The Artistic Merit Awards are based on a review of the visual design and impact, the composition, and the artistic excellence of the presentations. Arts Award judges included Kristin Pleasanton, the Division's Deputy Director, along with Yolanda Chetwynd and Karen Berstler, who are artists and members of the Newark Arts Alliance. 

Artistic Merit Awards:

Bunker Hill Elementary School, Middletown

Learning Express Academy, Newark

Richardson Park Elementary School, Wilmington

William C. Lewis Dual Language Elementary School, Wilmington

Wilmington Friends School, Wilmington

Artistic Merit Honorable Mention:

North Dover Elementary School, Dover

Image: Bunker Hill Elementary School presentation, Middletown