$5M in Grants Announced in Support of the Arts | | |
From small-town theaters to statewide education partnerships, from capital improvements to programs reaching underserved communities, the arts in Delaware are more than entertainment. They are a driver of jobs, an inspiration for young people, a catalyst for community pride, and a contributor to Delawareans’ well-being.
That’s why the Delaware Division of the Arts is investing $5,056,525 in grants to 125 arts and community organizations that will deliver programming, education, and cultural opportunities to Delawareans in every county. This first round of FY2026 funding includes General Operating Support, Project Support, Arts Stabilization, StartUp, and Education Resource grants.
| | 2025 Arts Summit Registration Now Open! | | |
Agents of Change
Advancing New Ideas and Practices
Monday, October 27, 2025
Hotel Du Pont
42 W 11th St, Wilmington, DE 19801
Registration: $65 with FREE parking
Do you work in arts administration or arts programming? Are you an artist, arts patron, or arts educator? 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.
| | | | The Jonathan Whitney Project featuring Jea Street Jr. | | | Award Winners XXV Upcoming Schedule | | |
Historic Odessa Foundation
Odessa
September 19 – October 26
Reception: Thurs., September 25
from 6-8pm
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Rehoboth Art League
Rehoboth Beach
November 7-30
Reception: Fri., November 7
from 5-7pm
| | Poetry Out Loud Registration Now Open | | |
Poetry Out Loud (POL) is a national program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition to high schools across the country. POL uses a pyramid structure that begins at the classroom level. Winners advance to a school-wide competition, then to a regional and/or state competition, and ultimately to the National Finals in Washington, DC. More than 100,000 students are expected to take part in POL nationwide each year.
Registration for Delaware high schools begins August 18, 2025.
Deadline to register is October 31, 2025.
Have a question about Poetry Out Loud?
Contact Briana Henry at Briana.Henry@delaware.gov!
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Important Dates
School Registration Deadline - October 31, 2025
Classroom Instruction/School Competitions - November - December 2025
Deadline to Report School Winners - December 23, 2025
Student Coaching and Preparation - January - February 2026
Delaware State Finals - February 19, 2026 at Smyrna Opera House
Poetry Out Loud National Finals - April 27-29, 2026 - Washington D.C.
| | Upcoming DDOA Grant Opportunities | | The Delaware Division of the Arts offers a variety of grant programs for individual artists; nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations chartered and based in Delaware; and schools and government entities that support arts activities. | | |
Arts Access - Supports small budget projects that include the presentation of performing, visual, literary, media, or folk arts in communities throughout the state. Organizations that receive General Operating Support are generally not eligible to apply. Rolling deadline – submit at least 6 weeks prior to the project start date.
Artist Opportunity - Grants provide up to $1,000 to support individual artists with unique professional and artistic development or presentation opportunities. Next deadline: October 1.
Artist Residency - Grants for residencies with visual, literary, performing or media artists working with students in the classroom or in professional development workshops with teachers. Rolling deadline – submit at least 6 weeks prior to start of the scheduled residency.
TranspARTation - Grants that support transportation costs (up to $500) for schools to bring students to Delaware arts and cultural institutions and venues in order to attend arts performances, events, and exhibits. Rolling deadline – submit at least 6 weeks prior to the field trip date.
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Coming Soon: National Arts in Education Week!
September 15-19, 2025
National Arts in Education Week is a nationwide celebration of the transformative power of the arts in education. Passed by Congress in 2010, this week is designated to highlight the benefits of and need for the arts in education so that elected officials and educational decision-makers nationwide can find ways to support equitable arts access for students of all backgrounds.
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Delaware Art Education Association presents their 2025 State Arts Conference
The Delaware Art Education Association (DAEA) is a non-profit organization that promotes visual arts education in the State of Delaware.
Teachers, artists, and advocates of visual arts are encouraged to attend.
When: Friday, October 10 from
7:30am-3:30pm
Where: Dover Middle School 1 Patrick Lynn Dr, Dover, DE 19904
Cost: $60 for members, $90 for non-members
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Visitor Experience Group 2025 Conference
The theme for the 2025 Visitor Experience Conference is People First. This year, we’ll explore how prioritizing people—visitors, staff, & communities—can transform cultural institutions, foster inclusion, and create meaningful connections. VEX25 will take place September 28 - October 1 in Chicago, IL. Conference sessions will be held on Monday, September 29 at the Field Museum.
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Submit your upcoming events to DelawareScene.com
DelawareScene 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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On the Mezzanine -
Geraldo "The King of Transit" Gonzalez
The Delaware Division of the Arts’ Mezzanine Gallery is pleased to present Artist of Life, a solo exhibition of works by Delaware artist Geraldo Gonzalez. The show will be on view through September 26, 2025.
Geraldo Gonzalez invites audiences to step into a kaleidoscopic, utopian world where good triumphs over evil and public transportation reigns supreme. A passionate transit enthusiast, Gonzalez centers his work on the systems of the greater Delaware Valley – rendered in bold color, intricate pattern, and radiant light. His depictions of buses, trains, and transit stations are not merely documentary; they are visionary spaces that convey agency, community, and joy.
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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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Shannon Woodloe
Visual Arts: Photography
“My greatest reward is when I can see the bigger picture, present it clearly, and create a wordless dialogue with my audience”
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Paula Brown
Visual Arts: Painting
“My muse is nature. I love to see deep into the ordinary to express its extraordinary.”
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Kent County Theatre Guild
Pie in the Sky
Dover
General Operating Support
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Wilmington Concert Opera
Les Contes d'Hoffman
Wilmington
General Operating 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. | | | | |
