Individual Artist Fellowship Application Open! | | |
The Fiscal Year 2027 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 3, 2026.
In Fiscal Year 2027, Masters ($12,000 award) Fellowship applications will be accepted in the disciplines of Dance (Choreography), Jazz, and Music 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.
| | 2026 Writers Retreat Applications Deadline Approaching on July 1 | | |
The Delaware Division of the Arts is hosting the 2026 Writers Retreat from November 5-8, 2026 at the Biden Environmental Center in Cape Henlopen State Park. This is a special opportunity to get away from everyday life and focus on creative writing in a relaxed coastal setting. Participants will have time to write, connect with peers, work alongside established authors, give and receive feedback in workshops, and get inspired!
Applications will be accepted from creative writers in the following areas: fiction; creative nonfiction; and poetry. The application process is competitive, and participants will be chosen based on the merit of their work. If selected, there will be a fee for the Retreat, which includes a private room and most meals.
Applications due by July 1, 2026 at 11:59pm.
| | Award Winners XXVI Open Now | | The Delaware Division of the Arts is thrilled to announce the exhibition, Award Winners XXVI, marking the 26th consecutive year of hosting this exhibition in partnership with the the Biggs Museum of American Art. Showcasing the exceptional work of Delaware's Individual Artist Fellowship recipients, the exhibition will be on view from May 28 to August 16, 2026. | | |
Biggs Museum of American Art
Now open thru August 16
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Historic Houses of Odessa
September 1-October 25
Reception: Thursday,
September 17 I 6-8pm
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CAMP Rehoboth
Community Center
November 4-January 8
Reception: Saturday,
November 7 I 2-4pm
| | Second Annual Futures in the Arts Event | | |
Forty Delaware high school seniors were honored on at the second annual Future in the Arts celebration at the Smyrna Opera House. The May 12 event, presented by the Delaware Department of Education (DDOE), the Delaware Division of the Arts (DDOA), and the Delaware Arts Alliance (DAA), recognized graduating seniors who will pursue arts-related fields in college or professional careers. Honorees represented schools from across Delaware and are heading into programs in music, dance, theater, visual arts, film, design, and education.
The ceremony featured remarks from Secretary of Education Cindy Marten, Secretary of State Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez, Director of the Delaware Division of the Arts Jessica Ball, Representative Mara Gorman (D-23rd), and Executive Director of the Delaware Arts Alliance Neil Kirschling. Each honoree received a graduation cord, two certificates of recognition, presented jointly on behalf of DDOA, DDOE, and DAA and from the Delaware State Senate, along with a commemorative gift. The evening also featured a video reflection of artistic performances by students and a reception catered by the culinary program from Dover High School.
| Video produced by the Government Information Center | | | |
Photos from the Evening
Click below for photos from the Futures in the Arts ceremony on May 12.
Photos by Moonloop Photography.
| | | 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 16, 2026, and will continue through Labor Day, Monday, September 7, 2026. 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)
- First State Heritage Park (Dover)
- New Castle Historical Society (Historic New Castle)
- Mt. Cuba Center (Hockessin)
- Delaware Art Museum (Wilmington)
- Delaware Museum of Nature and Science (Wilmington)
- Hagley Museum and Library (Wilmington)
- Nemours Estate (Wilmington)
- Old Swedes Historic Site (Wilmington)
- Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library (Winterthur)
A map of all participating museums is available on arts.gov.
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Division of the Arts Earns 20 Awards at 2026 Delaware Press Association Communications Contest
The Delaware Division of the Arts (DDOA) earned 20 awards at the annual Delaware Press Association (DPA) Communications Contest Awards Banquet, held on May 13 in Dover, recognizing the work of the Division for excellence in communication and storytelling.
In total, DDOA earned eight first-place awards, four second-place awards, two third-place awards, and six honorable mentions.
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Upcoming FREE Training: Writing About Yourself and Your Work
Monday, June 15
6:30-8:00pm
A career as an artist comes with constant demands for texts: bio, statement, social media, blurbs for proposals, grant applications, digital content of all kinds. In this series of two 90-minute workshops, Robin Cembalest will teach skills to write about art, your projects, and yourself for all your professional needs.
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Submit your upcoming events to DelawareScene.com
DelawareScene.com is a comprehensive, up-to-date website calendar featuring Delaware’s arts and cultural events and attractions in and around Delaware. Acquaint yourself with one of Delaware’s many artists, get carried away by the magic of a theater performance, frequent one of Delaware’s world-renowned museums, experience one of Delaware’s many unique festivals.
REMINDER: All grantees MUST list all events on DelawareScene.com as soon as they are announced.
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Upcoming Grant Deadline at the National Endowment for the Arts
The NEA is committed to supporting excellent arts projects for the benefit of all Americans. Activities funded through Grants for Arts Projects (GAP) enable Americans throughout the nation to experience the arts, foster and celebrate America’s artistic heritage and cultural legacy, and benefit from arts education at all stages of life. We also support arts and health programs, including creative arts therapies, that advance the well-being of people and communities.
Visit NEA website for important dates and deadlines.
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On the Mezzanine
Milton Downing's A Good Tree
The Delaware Division of the Arts’ Mezzanine Gallery is pleased to present A Good Tree, a solo exhibition of new work by Milton Downing, on view June 5 – July 3, 2026.
A Good Tree draws on the biblical image of the good tree as a framework for exploring growth, refuge, and unseen connection. Working in his signature Juxt58 style, Downing combines fabric, found materials, and paint into assembled compositions that begin in close observation of the natural world and evolve through instinct. In his hands, branches, water, and sky become grounds for emergence – faces, figures, and presence surface from within the forms, suggesting that what is visible often carries something spiritual, waiting to be recognized.
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Yalonda J.D. Green
Established, Literature: Poetry
"My writing examines the ways that we collectively remember, frame, and vocalize our stories, particularly those that encircle the lives and afterlives of Black women."
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Jim Hawkins
Established, Literature: Playwriting
“I have been a storyteller throughout my adult life … and I am drawn to stories that inspire people to work to make the world a better place."
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Deborah E. Baker
Literature: Fiction
“I believe in the fluidity of language and have been a student of its dynamic nature – socially, culturally, and technologically"
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Hadrian Cerulean
Emerging, Literature: Poetry
“Since I write while immersed in nature, I consider myself a ‘plein air poet.'"
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Rainbow Chorale of Delaware
Community Performances
Wilmington
General Operating Support
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CAMP Rehoboth Community Center
LGBTQ+ Veterans Group
Rehoboth Beach
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. | | | | |
