Individual Artist Fellowship Application Open! | | |
The Fiscal Year 2026 Artist Fellowship application is now open in smARTDE. Awards are $5,000 for Emerging; $8,000 for Established; and $12,000 for Masters. The deadline for applications is August 1, 2025.
In Fiscal Year 2026, Masters ($12,000 award) Fellowship applications will be accepted in the disciplines of Visual Arts and Folk Arts from artists who received an Established Professional Fellowship in the same artistic discipline more than seven years ago (prior to January 2019).
Individual Artist Fellowships are awarded for artistic quality to Delaware creative artists working in the visual, performing, media, folk, and literary arts. Due to high numbers of applications and limited funds, the program is highly competitive. Fellowships are designed to enable recipients to purchase equipment and materials, allocate working time, or fulfill other needs that will allow them to advance their careers (excluding foreign travel and lobbying). Fellowship recipients are required to present examples of their work to the public during their Fellowship year.
| | Save the Date: 2025 Delaware Arts Summit | | |
Agents of Change
Advancing New Ideas and Practices
Monday, October 27, 2025
Hotel Du Pont
42 W 11th St, Wilmington, DE 19801
Are you an artist, arts patron, or arts educator? Do you work in arts administration or arts programming? Do you volunteer at an arts organization? If you’re interested in the arts, then you belong at the Delaware Arts Summit!
As Agents of Change we can enable change to happen within our work, our organizations, and our communities. The 2025 Delaware Arts Summit will explore ways to identify the need for change and how to achieve it with new ideas and practices that address challenges, recognize opportunities, and promote future sustainability in the arts.
More information and registration details will be released in coming weeks!
| | 25th Annual Award Winners Ceremony Recap | | On Thursday, May 15, the Delaware Division of the Arts and the Biggs Museum of American Art hosted the opening celebration for Award Winners XXV, marking the 25th anniversary of the annual exhibition showcasing the state’s Individual Artist Fellowship recipients. The evening included an awards ceremony and live performances by music, dance, and literature fellows, followed by a reception and tour of the exhibit. The event brought together artists, arts supporters, and state leaders in a shared celebration of creativity, community, and a quarter-century of honoring Delaware’s vibrant artistic talent. | | | |
Photos from the Evening
Click below for photos from the Award Winners XXV opening celebration on May 2, 2025—an evening honoring Delaware’s 2025 Individual Artist Fellows with a gallery reception, live performances, and a special 25th anniversary tribute.
Photos by Moonloop Photography.
| | | First Annual Future in the Arts Celebration | | |
On Tuesday, May 13, Delaware celebrated the inaugural "Future in the Arts" graduation ceremony at the Smyrna Opera House, honoring high school seniors who are pursuing higher education in artistic disciplines. The event, organized by Dr. Lauren Conrad from the Delaware Department of Education, in collaboration with the Division of the Arts and the Delaware Arts Alliance, featured remarks from Secretary of Education Cynthia Marten, who emphasized the transformative and economic value of arts education. The event was also attended by distinguished guests including Representative Mara Gorman, Senator Kyra Hoffner, DDOA Director Jessica Ball, and DAA Executive Director Neil Kirschling, the ceremony highlighted the students' diverse talents through a video showcasing their visual and performing works, celebrating Delaware’s ongoing investment in its vibrant creative community.
Photos by Moonloop Photography
| | Potential Delays for FY2026 Grant Notifications | | Due to delayed notification from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) regarding federal funding, the Delaware Division of the Arts anticipates potential delays in announcing FY2026 grant awards. While we are working to minimize any disruption, we want to keep our grantees informed of this evolving situation. Click below to read the full update and learn what this may mean for your grant program. | | Delaware CreatiVeterans Program Wrap Up | | In 2025, Delaware CreatiVeterans offered six free 8-week arts classes across the state, engaging more than 60 veterans and their caregivers in creative expression and community connection. The diverse class offerings—from spoken word and pottery to gelli print making—provided welcoming spaces for participants to explore new skills and reconnect with themselves and others. As one veteran shared, “This has been one of the most transformative programs I've ever participated in. It encouraged us to let go of our need for perfection and focus on connection—not just with one another, but with ourselves.” | | Minerva Financial Arts Training Retreat | | |
Over the course of a dynamic two-day training, individual artists participated in an intensive workshop led by Elaine Luttrell of Minerva Financial Arts, designed to demystify some of the most challenging aspects of the business side of creative work. In a supportive and engaging environment, Elaine guided attendees through a series of exercises and discussions aimed at helping them confidently answer five key strategic business questions—equipping them with the tools to enhance their financial knowledge, skills, and sense of agency. Beyond practical takeaways, the workshop served as a valuable catalyst for connection and collaboration among Delaware’s creative community, strengthening bonds between Fellows and fostering a network of peer support that will last well beyond the sessions.
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Workshop Testimonials
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"It was great to meet all the other artists in person. Elaine’s program was truly helpful. It was refreshing to have business advice that caterers very specifically to a creative career."
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"This retreat empowered me to look carefully at my priorities and put me in a position to set financial goals I have previously avoided making. I have now set new financial goals and have drafted a new budget to meet my career goals."
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"I really enjoyed having time in person to meet all the other artists, and I thought the educational materials we covered were incredible. It's great to get business advice and guidance that's targeted specifically to the arts!"
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"Elaine was a fantastic presenter who really met the artists where we were in the different levels our careers.”
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"So grateful for this program. I learned more about financials in this weekend than in any other professional development workshop. Thank you."
| | | Mid Atlantic Arts Strategic Plan Survey | | |
Mid Atlantic Arts is shaping its next strategic plan (2025-2030), and we've created a short survey to gather the voices of artists, arts professionals, audiences, and communities in the region and beyond. You can get through it in 15-30 minutes, depending on how much you have to say.
What's broken? What's working? How are current changes in the ecosystem affecting your practice? Your insights will help us determine the areas where our work can have the most impact during the next five years.
Click on the link, say your piece, help us shape what's next.
| | Military Families Can Visit Select Museums for FREE this Summer as part of Blue Star Museums | | |
Actively serving military members and their families have the opportunity to visit participating museums nationwide for free as part of the Blue Star Museums program, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and Blue Star Families (BSF) in collaboration with the US Department of Defense. This year’s program begins on Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 17, 2025, and will continue through Labor Day, Monday, September 1, 2025. Additional information and a complete list of participating organizations are available at arts.gov/BlueStarMuseums.
Delaware’s participating museums include:
- Biggs Museum of American Art (Dover)
- New Castle Historical Society (Historic New Castle)
- Mt. Cuba Center (Hockessin)
- Delaware Museum of Nature and Science (Wilmington)
- Hagley Museum and Library (Wilmington)
- Nemours Estate (Wilmington)
- Old Swedes Historic Site (Wilmington)
A map of all participating museums is available on arts.gov.
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On the Mezzanine -
Jen Hintz Eggers
The Delaware Division of the Arts’ Mezzanine Gallery is pleased to present “Seeds of Life”, a solo exhibition by Delaware artist Jennifer Hintz Eggers. The show will be on view from June 6 to July 25, 2025.
“Seeds of Life” reflects Eggers’ deeply personal exploration of early motherhood. Her evocative oil paintings beautifully weave sacred geometric patterns, branching lines, and biomorphic “mammary flowers” inspired by physiological forms. These meticulously composed images layer rich colors and potent symbolism, emphasizing life’s cyclical, persistent, and hopeful nature.
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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 2025's Individual Artist Fellows, visit https://arts.delaware.gov/iafrecipients/
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Linda Susan Jackson
Literature: Poetry
“I bring the gimlet-eye of the mathematician/accountant to my poems, using simple speech and passion to convey life’s complexities.”
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Dennis Lawson
Literature: Fiction
“The challenge of the short story is what can make them as rich and rewarding as the best poems: the need to be concise.”
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Inner City Cultural League
2025 African American Festival
Dover
General Operating Support
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Milford Community Band
Biannual Concerts
Milford
General Operating Support
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Elevate Vocal Arts
Lift Every Voice:
A Juneteenth Celebration
Wilmington
Start Up Program
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Cab Calloway School Fund
SMArtSummer
Wilmington
Project Support
| | | | 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. | | | | |
