Join us for the annual Poetry Out Loud State Final Competition at Smyrna Opera House. The competition encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance and competition. The State winner will represent Delaware and advance to the Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest, National Finals in Washington, DC on May 8-10, 2023, where $50,000 in awards and school stipends will be distributed.

Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition for high school students across the country. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life. Poetry Out Loud is a partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts, Poetry Foundation, and the state and jurisdictional arts agencies.

Congratulations to this year's Delaware State Competition participants!

As the only funder in the country to support arts activities in all 50 states and five U.S. jurisdictions, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced that two Delaware organizations will receive $50,000 in federal grants. This is the first of the NEA’s two major grant announcements each fiscal year and includes grants to organizations through the NEA’s Grants for Arts Projects, Challenge America, and Research Awards categories.

The Choir School of Delaware will receive Challenge America grant in the amount of $10,000 to support the professional recording of an intergenerational choir.

“The Choir School is grateful to be among this year’s NEA funding recipients. Our Challenge America grant will facilitate a professionally recorded album of our intergenerational choir, our first since the 1970s,” says Deputy Director Brittney Stanton. “This is an invaluable opportunity to uplift the talents of our students and connect them to the unforgettable experience of recording an album. It sends them a clear message: their voices deserve to be heard and celebrated.”

The State Education Agency Directors of Education (SEADAE) will receive an Art Works – Arts Education grant in the amount of $40,000 to support professional development training for teachers and teaching artists using the National Core Arts Standards as the basis for assessing student learning in the arts.

“It is an honor to be recognized by the NEA regarding the work we do to ensure equitable access to arts instruction across the country,” said Todd Shipley, SEADAE president and Director of Arts Education for the Tennessee Department of Education. “Through the support of the NEA, directors of the arts in state departments of education across the nation will be provided with resources and professional learning focused on building the capacity of constituents to meet the needs of diverse populations. SEADAE will evaluate current instructional practices for equity and inclusivity and develop appropriate resources and strategies—including a turnkey toolkit—to support arts learning for all student populations.”

The Delaware Division of the Arts will close its annual online application process for grants for arts programming and projects taking place during fiscal year 2024 (September 2023 – August 2024) on Tuesday, March 1, 2023 at 4:30pm.

The guidelines for all grant programs are available online at arts.delaware.gov/grant-overview. Past and new applicants should read the guidelines carefully as updates may have been made and contact Division staff with any questions. A list of the Division staff members who manage the grants process, including their responsibilities and contact information, is available at the end of this release.

In FY23, the Division of the Arts awarded 115 grants for a total of $2.9 million to eligible Delaware based organizations. You can read more here.

New Requirement This Cycle: Organization grant applications require a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). Obtaining your UEI could take a minimum of 30 days. Read more about obtaining a UEI to begin the process today. CLICK HERE

Below are the Division’s grants programs. Please visit arts.delaware.gov/grant-overview/ to access the full guidelines for each program and a description of the grant review process. Some organizational grants are available throughout the year on a rolling deadline basis. 

The Division also awards grants on an on-going basis and at other deadlines throughout the year, including Arts Access grants, Artist Residencies*, Individual Artist Fellowships, Individual Artist Opportunity grants, and TranspARTation grants. Full grant descriptions are available on the Division’s website.

The 12th annual exhibition featuring the work of State of Delaware employees and their family members will open on February 21. More than 200 participants submitted artwork and will be competing for awards and cash prizes.

The exhibition will be judged by art professionals in Youth, Teen, Amateur, Intermediate, and Professional categories.

The exhibition will be open from February 21 through March 12 at the Delaware State University Art Center/Gallery.

Meet the Fellows

The prestigious Individual Artist Fellowships from the Delaware Division of the Arts recognize a variety of disciplines and outstanding quality of work. From writers to visual artists to musicians, these award-winning creatives have unique stories and talents.

To see the full listing of 2023's Individual Artist Fellows, visit https://arts.delaware.gov/iafrecipients/

B. Proud

Master, Visual Arts: Photography

As both a commercial and fine art photographer, B. Proud has exhibited her work in solo and group shows around the globe. She is an Adjunct Professor at the University of the Arts, Philadelphia, and faculty at the International Center of Photography (ICP), New York.

B. Proud’s recent work is a series of socially conscious documentary projects focused on the LGBTQ+ community. "First Comes Love" is a traveling exhibition of portraits, stories, and videos of couples in long-term relationships. The project’s hardbound book received two publishing gold medals. “Transcending Love,” focuses on transgender and gender non-conforming couples across the country in an attempt to further acceptance of a community deserving of understanding and fundamental human rights.

Proud has received grants from the B.W. Bastian Foundation, the Puffin Foundation, The University of the Arts, and the Delaware State Arts Council. Her work is included in the Weeks Gallery, Jamestown, NY, Center for Photography at Woodstock, the Delaware Art Museum, Eastman Kodak, Haverford College, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and private collections.

TAHIRA

Master, Folk Art: Oral Literature

TAHIRA, a nationally recognized storyteller and performing artist, who boldly blurs the lines between storyteller, singer/songwriter and muscian. 

Whether performing her original works or her vast repertoire of stories from the African oral tradition, she brings to her audience messages of courage, hope, and spiritual strength. Blending, song, poetry and story in a high-energy performance, TAHIRA captivates and enthralls audiences in schools, libraries, festivals and social services organizations nationally and internationally.

TAHIRA says she has been writing since she was old enough to hold a pencil. Her childhood passion for words has led to her mission to use storytelling and music to empower young people to think critically, choose wisely, and believe fervently in their ability to succeed. She spells her name with all capital letters as a reminder of the enormous responsibility she has to use her gifts to be of service to her community. 

Photo Credit: I Creatively Understand Photography 

Winterthur Aspiring Artist Spaces at their Artisan Market

Present your outstanding wares to more than 5,000 visitors this summer at Artisan Market, set within the beautiful, historic Winterthur Garden and estate. 



All interested artisans will submit a vendor application for consideration. For artisans interested in applying for a space, listed below is the weekend schedule as well as information about locations, fees, and requirements. Please note: Deadline for applications is March 1, 2023. Winterthur will review all applications and notify artisans who have been selected during the week of March 20, 2023.

39th Annual Small Museum Association Conference

February 20-22, 2023

Hotel Du Pont

Wilmington, Delaware

While the small museum workplace of the past was one of long hours and little compensation, the last three years have inspired many of us to reevaluate what we look for in a workplace. How do we find a work-life balance and still care for the cultural and historic resources that our institutions are entrusted with and serve our communities? And how can leaders at small museums empower their employees to find time for guilt-free self-care?

The annual SMA conference attracts more than 300 museum professionals, board members, and volunteers from a wide variety of small museums. They attend sessions on topics ranging from collections and education to staffing and board issues.

USArtists International

USArtists International® (USAI) supports U.S. artists' engagements abroad with grants of up to $18,000 towards eligible expenses. The program funds individuals and ensembles across all performing arts practices and disciplines with eligible engagements at international festivals and global presenting arts marketplaces outside of the United States. Non-festival engagements in select countries are now eligible. 

Confirm eligibility

Applicants with eligible performance engagements between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024 can apply at the next deadline: March 29, 2023. Notifications of funding by June 20, 2023.  

Mid Atlantic Arts Grants Open!

Mid Atlantic Arts’ grant programs for organizations strengthen the region’s presenter network, give communities access to high quality artistic experiences, build audiences, and provide opportunities for greater understanding and appreciation of the arts.

ArtsCONNECT

Jazz Touring Network

2023-2024 Mid-Atlantic Tours

Mid Atlantic Arts’ grant programs for artists allow artists to explore and create, provide touring engagements regionally and internationally, help to build audiences, and provide support and services to assist in career development.

Each month we feature arts and community-based organizations and their programs and projects funded by the Delaware Division of the Arts.

The Choir School of Delaware

We Hold These Truths: A Celebration of Black Excellence



Wilmington, General Operating Support

Biggs Museum of Art

Art Deco Glass from the David Huchthausen Collection



Dover, General Operating Support

The Music School of Delaware, Serafin Ensemble, Grace United Methodist Church, and Trinity Episcopal Parish

Hallulujah Handel!



Wilmington, General Operating Support