The Delaware Division of the Arts has opened its annual online application process for grants to organizations and schools for arts programming and projects taking place during fiscal year 2026 (September 2025 – August 2026). Applications will be submitted through the smARTDE portal and are due by 4:30 p.m. EST on Monday, March 3, 2025.

The guidelines for all grant programs are available on the Division’s Grants Overview page and in smARTDE. Applicants should read the guidelines carefully as updates may have been made. For questions, reach out to Division staff listed under the “Contact” tab within each program.

In FY25, the Division of the Arts awarded 121 grants – for a total of $4.4 million – to eligible Delaware-based organizations. You can read more here.

New Requirement: Organization grant applications require a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). Obtaining your UEI could take a few weeks. Read more about obtaining a UEI to begin the process today. CLICK HERE

Please note: Some organizational and individual grants are available throughout the year on a rolling deadline basis. Grant deadlines for Artist Opportunity Grants, Arts Access Grants, TranspARTation Grants, Artist Residency Grants, and the Individual Artist Fellowships can be found on our website.

Say hi to a new employee here at the Division, but not a stranger to many of us.

Lauren E. Peters joins us as the Executive Administrator to the Director. Lauren is a visual artist working with the concepts of identity and gender through self-portraiture. Peters has exhibited on a national level and is also active locally in her home state as a studio artist at The Delaware Contemporary. She has been a recipient of a 2016 Emerging Artist Fellowship and a 2023 Established Artist Fellowship.

Lauren also enjoys working or volunteering locally for organizations like the Somerville Manning Gallery, City Theater Company, and Arden Concert Gild.

Are you a state employee or the family member of one? Don’t miss your chance to be recognized in Delaware for your creativity!

Enter your artwork in The Delaware State Employee Art Exhibition. Sponsored by The National Arts Program® in support and cooperation with the State of Delaware and the Delaware Division of the Arts, the exhibit is judged by professional artists and visual art professionals. The Delaware State Employee Art Exhibition is designed to give artists at all skill levels a unique opportunity to exhibit their creative work and to compete for cash prizes.

Mid Atlantic Arts’ Cultural Sustainability: Community Roots program provides unrestricted operational funding to arts organizations founded by, with, and for communities of color, allowing them to sustain and expand their practices, benefiting the communities they serve. It also supports cross-cultural arts experiences and fosters stronger collaboration between artists, communities, and the regional arts organizations.

The program provides general operating support to arts and culture organizations serving BIPOC communities with budgets under $500,000 and at least three years of programming. Mid Atlantic Arts will select up to 20 grantees from the ten states and territories it serves (DC, DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA, PR, USVI, VA, and WV).

Applications due January 6, 2025.

Creative West is thrilled to announce the 2024-25 Leaders of Color Fellowship awardees from the western region, recognizing outstanding individuals who are shaping the future of the arts through their innovative leadership and vision. This fellowship, administered in collaboration with five other US Regional Arts Organizations (USRAOs), seeks to empower and connect leaders of color across the nation.

AliShah Watson is educator and cultural advocate, committed to uplifting communities through culturally centered, transformative programming. She is the founder and executive director of Culture Restoration Project Inc., an African-centered arts and culture nonprofit that serves nearly 500 youth annually by fostering positive self-identification and cultural pride. The organization is also a general operating support grantee of the Division's.

A graduate of the University of Delaware, Watson earned bachelor’s degrees in Africana studies and English-ethnic and cultural studies. Her academic foundation informs her work, blending scholarly insight with hands-on community initiatives. Under her leadership, the acclaimed Beyond Those Bars Hip-Hop Cultural Enrichment program leverages hip-hop as a tool for character development, cultural awareness, and self-empowerment. By integrating African-centered values, the program equips youth to tackle societal challenges, build confidence, and achieve academic and personal success. Another impactful initiative under her leadership, Knowledge of Self, fosters self-awareness and community engagement by connecting students to their heritage while addressing systemic inequality.

Watson contributed to Delaware’s historic HB 198, which mandates Black history curricula in K–12 schools, and previously served on the University of Delaware’s Africana Studies Advisory Board. She has been honored with the 2024 HER Legacy Award and recognized as a Delaware Business Times “40 Under 40” honoree. Watson remains dedicated to driving meaningful change through education, arts, and cultural advocacy.

Meet the 2024 Fellows

The prestigious Individual Artist Fellowships from the Delaware Division of the Arts recognize a variety of disciplines and outstanding quality of work. Each month, we will highlight a few fellows from the 2024 cohort.

Jennifer Morrell

Emerging, Literature:

Creative Nonfiction

“Writing is painting with words, and I feel rewarded when I am able to get beyond stick figures, conveying something full-bodied.”

M. Amber Spivey

Emerging, Dance: Choreography

“My hope is to replicate the thought-provoking and uplifting conversations I have with people through my choreography.”

Wilmington Ballet Academy of the Dance

The Nutcracker



Wilmington, General Operating Support

Forward Journey

Adult Day Services



New Castle/Smyrna, Project Support