2017 Delaware Art Summit Keynote Speaker: Liz Lerman
Liz Lerman Headshot

Announcing Liz Lerman as the Keynote Speaker at this year's Delaware Arts Summit! Ms. Lerman is an internationally recognized choreographer, performer, writer, educator and speaker, who has been the recipient of such honors as a 2002 MacArthur Fellowship and a 2017 Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award for her visionary work. Her artistry crosses all divides with results that are participatory and universally relevant.

The Arts Summit brings together Delaware’s arts community to connect, learn, and get inspired. The speakers and sessions will illuminate ways to create value and increase the impact of the arts to purposefully enhance well-being, understanding, learning, and creativity for all.

The Delaware Arts Summit will be held on Monday, October 30 at Dover Downs Hotel & Casino. Online registration opens in September. Learn more

Photo Credit: JS Rosenthal

Delaware Orgs. Receive Grants from Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation

Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, in partnership with the Division, has announced grants to seven organizations to support 13 touring artist engagements in Delaware.

The Delaware Special Presenter Initiative offers small and mid-sized Delaware presenting organizations the opportunity to apply for grants to broaden and/or diversify their programming and expand audiences.

  • Christina Cultural Arts Center: Vincent E. Thomas
  • Coastal Concerts: Dali Quartet & So Percussion, Inc
  • The Freeman Stage at Bayside: Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra & Ryan Keberle & Catharsi
  • Market Street Music: Ayreheart
  • University of Delaware Master Players: Shanghai Quartet
  • Wilmington Wintergrass Festival: Mountain Ride

The Southern Exposure program is a national initiative that brings exemplary contemporary and traditional performing arts from Latin America to audiences across the United States. The program provides fee support to nonprofit presenters who book artists on a curated roster that changes annually.

  • Arden Concert Gild: Joan Soriano

The Mid Atlantic Tours program provides funding for mid-Atlantic-based presenters engaging artists from the Mid Atlantic Tours roster. The annual roster features performing artists and ensembles chosen to engage broad regional participation and promote access to high quality performing arts in underserved communities. 

  • The Freeman Stage at Bayside: Melissa Aldana & The Church Sisters

The Jazz Touring Network is a presenter-based membership program that provides support for professional development opportunities and performance fee subsidies for its participants. New members are selected on an annual basis through an open, competitive selection process. 

  • Arden Concert Gild: Etienne Charle
  • Christina Cultural Arts Center: Alicia Olatuja
Arts & Economic Prosperity 5
Delaware’s arts and culture industry generates $149.9 million in annual economic activity by supporting 4,062 full-time equivalent jobs and generating $10.5 million in local and state government revenues, according to the latest Arts & Economic Prosperity 5.
Learn more
From the Delaware Arts Alliance

The Delaware Arts Alliance (DAA) launched a robust campaign, #WhyDEArtsMatter, to advocate for preserving arts funding, when the Joint Finance Committee voted on May 30 to cut state arts grant funding by $550,000, a nearly 20% cut.

Throughout June, DAA disseminated calls to action from VoterVoice, urging advocates to express their support of maintaining arts funding. Nearly 500 messages were sent to legislators, with many DAA members and Institutional Supporters also making personal calls. Members and Institutional Supporters also showed their support during the “The Arts Mean Business” Town Hall hosted by Governor Carney in New Castle County on June 12.

In addition, the 41 Institutional Supporters signed a united statement in support of arts funding and by finding alternative sources of revenue to close the deficit, which appeared in the News Journal on June 27. That same day, a delegation representing DAA’s Institutional Supporters went to Legislative Hall to meet with Legislative Aides for Melanie George Smith and Debra Heffernan – Jon Patterson and Hadey Salem, respectively – to make the case for the arts.

DAA’s advocacy efforts continued through July 2, when late in the evening the General Assembly approved the FY2018 operating budget.  While the Delaware Division of the Arts received a $70,000 reduction in funding for grants, this represents less of a decrease than some proposals that were considered during a challenging budgeting process. DAA will continue to communicate to legislators the social and economic value of the arts and advocate for a strong arts budget. Learn more

Save the Date!
Award Winners XVII features the work of the 2017 Delaware Individual Artist Fellowship award winners. Exhibit opens August 4 through October 22. The annual reception and award presentation will be held on August 30 from 5-7 p.m. Free and open to the public.
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Welcome New Arts Leaders!
  • Irene Averitte, Mispillion Art League, Operations Manager
  • Amos Fayette, Music School of Delaware, Milford Branch Director
  • Joseph J. Gonzales, PhD, The Delaware Contemporary, Executive Director
  • Nanci Hersh, Delaware Institute for the Arts in Education, Executive Director
  • Linda Majewski, Newark Arts Alliance, Executive Director
  • Patrick McDevitt, Wilmington Ballet Academy of the Dance, Executive Director
Meet the Artist Fellows
Kathy Maas
Emerging Professional, Literature: Creative Nonfiction
Kathy Maas’ essays that included character sketches and reflections on everyday life earned her the Fellowship. She loves to observe and analyze “the nano” in people. Maas will be reading at the Lewes Creative Writers’ Conference on August 19. Read more
Troy Richards
Established Professional, Visual Arts: Painting
Troy Richards often incorporates technology in the art-making process. The body of work that earned him the Fellowship was painted in part by a machine he created. Richards will exhibit a virtual reality project at the Delaware Art Museum this fall. Read more.
On the Mezzanine
Recent Landscapes

Morning Light on the River Grand Canyon, 2016, oil on canvas, 30” x 40”

Recent Landscapes, an exhibition of paintings by Meinrad Leckie, will be on view in the Mezzanine Gallery from August 4-25, 2017. An opening reception to meet the artist will be held on Friday, August 4 from 5-7 p.m.

Leckie, a Wilmington resident, retired from a career as a designer and the Art Director of the DuPont Company. He attended the Philadelphia College of Art, the Cape Cod School of Art in Massachusetts, and studied with artist Charles Sovek. The paintings in this exhibition capture scenic views from his travel out west to Colorado, Utah, and Arizona, as well as the Caribbean.

View the Meet the Artist video with Leckie.
Plan your visit

The Mezzanine Gallery, open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., is located in the
Carvel State Office Building, 820 N. French Street, Wilmington. 

Featured Opportunities

Delaware State Arts Council Seeks New Members


Four members of the Delaware State Arts Council are concluding their second three-year terms.  Since they are ineligible to serve a third term, the Governor’s Boards and Commissions office is now accepting nominations to fill the open seats.

The Delaware State Arts Council is the advisory body to the Delaware Division of the Arts. 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.  

If you are interested in being considered for appointment to the Delaware State Arts Council, complete the Board and Commission Application , found on the Governor’s site, and return it to the Governor’s office. Please indicate Board #0014: Delaware State Arts Council on the application.

10th Annual Lewes Creative Writers' Conference - Saturday, August 19

Nationally and internationally known writers, including nature writer Lisa Couturier and poet Gerry LaFemina, will lead open sessions and small workshops in poetry, novel, short stories, flash fiction, memoir, and personal essay. Lunchtime Chats will include readings by 2017 Delaware Division of the Arts Fellows in Literature. The evening before the Conference on Friday, August 18 at 5 p.m., the library will host readings by workshop leaders. Free registration. Register now

Calling All Artists! First Annual Art in the Park, Killens Pond State Park

Apply to be an arts or crafts vendor at the first annual Art in the Park to be held at Killens Pond State Park on Sunday, September 24, 2017. The application fee is $50, all types of arts and crafts will be considered, however this is a juried event. Deadline to apply: August 15. Register now

12th Annual North American Sea Glass Festival - September 23-24
The North American Sea Glass Festival is the premier sea glass event in the country celebrating the history and beauty of sea glass. The event will be held on Saturday, September 23 from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, September 24 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at the Chase Center on the Riverfront, Wilmington. Sea glass artisans, jewelers, authors and crafters from all over the country will travel to Wilmington to showcase their beautiful handcrafted wares. Learn More
TranspARTation Grants Now Available Online
The TranspARTation Grant, available to Delaware schools, supports travel costs to Delaware arts and cultural institutions and venues so that students may attend events, performances, and exhibits that have high-quality arts components. Eligible programs include the exhibition or presentation of guest artists or ensembles (not school shows or student groups). Please read the  guidelines prior to submitting an application.
Division Grant Deadlines

Artist Opportunity: deadline 10/1/17, for activities happening between 11/15/17-2/15/18

Artist Residency: rolling deadline, submitted at least 6 weeks prior to start of scheduled residency

Artist Roster: rolling deadline.

Arts Access Grants: rolling deadline, submitted at least 6 weeks prior to project start date


The Delaware Division of the Arts is an agency of the State of Delaware. Together with its advisory body, the Delaware State Arts Council, the Division administers grants and programs that support arts programming, educate the public, increase awareness of the arts, and integrate the arts into all facets of Delaware life. Funding for Division programs is provided by annual appropriations from the Delaware General Assembly and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. For more information about the Delaware Division of the Arts, visit arts.delaware.gov or call 302-577-8278.