FY2026 Grant Deadline - March 3 | |
Upcoming 2025 Poetry Out Loud State Finals | |
|
Join us on February 20, 2025 at 6 p.m. at the Smyrna Opera House for the 20th Annual Poetry Out Loud State Final Competition. 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 5-7, 2025, where $50,000 in awards and school stipends will be distributed.
This year's finalists are:
Cale Cooper, Delaware Valley Classical School
Trinity Gbolo, MOT High School
Becca Hurwitz, Concord High School
Brooke Kennedy, Saint Mark’s High School
Carmen Mestre-Tlacuatl, Delcastle Technical High School
Cathy Mosely, Paul M. Hodgson Vo-Tech High School
Elias Olvera, Cape Henlopen High School
Anawo (Nife) Olunifemi, Sussex Central High School
Kalor Pewee, First State Military Academy
Chase Reynolds, Sussex Academy of Arts and Sciences
Olivia Stevens, Mount Sophia Academy
| |
CreatiVeterans Pilot Program Launched | |
|
CreatiVeterans is a FREE eight-week art course, hosted at convenient locations throughout Delaware. Led by a trained teaching artist, this course introduces a range of artistic techniques and mediums to explore. No prior experience is required, as the teaching artist will guide participants through each step of the process.
The Delaware CreatiVeterans Program, in partnership with the Office of Veterans Services and Mariposa Arts, is designed to provide Delaware’s veteran population with opportunities for artistic expression, social interaction, and enhanced mental and physical health through meaningful engagement in the arts.
| | |
|
New Castle County
Working with Clay
Taught by Christine Gonzalez
Participants will learn hand building techniques with clay including pinching, coiling, slab construction, and incorporating texturing techniques and designs in an encouraging, supportive, and respectful space. Participants will also be working with low-fire glazes on their pieces. Projects will include pinch pots, coil pots, cups, and more. Each participant will receive clay and their own set of tools.
Thursday from 5-7pm from January 23-March 20
Location: New Castle County Art Studio
| | | |
|
Kent County
Gelli Plate Printing with “Es”
Taught by Esther Curtis
Try out this incredibly satisfying art form and rethink how you “paint.” A gelli plate is a gelatin-like plate made of solidified mineral oil. We will explore transferring magazine images, preserving nature and everything in between! Create beautiful gelli plate art, page after page, learn the basics, and dive into more complex projects throughout the course of this class. The possibilities are endless!
Friday from 1-3pm from February 7-April 11
Location: Biggs Museum of American Art
| | | |
|
Sussex County
Mixed-Media Collage Making
Taught by Vanita Leatherwood
During this eight-session workshop series participants may be playful and bold and anything in between as they experience the fun of mixed-media collage making. In this introductory class participants will explore the use of craft embellishments, paper, and “found art” materials to create mixed-media collages on wood. The creative process includes guided reflection work using music, quotes/affirmations and sharing with others as the catalyst to create three mixed-media pieces of various shapes/sizes.
Wednesday from 9-11am from January 15-March 19
Location: Rehoboth Art League
| | |
Professional Development Webinar for Musicians | |
Musicians—whether classically trained virtuosos, jazz improvisers, pop performers, or anything in between—have unique business and community needs. These quarterly meet-ups are designed to provide practical, real-world financial insights specifically tailored for Delaware musicians, along with opportunities for collaboration, support, and community-building. The mission is to build financial knowledge and skills while fostering a vibrant, creative community within Delaware – like a green room where the backstage conversations are all about money. | | |
|
Pricing Strategies for Musicians
January 27 from 6-7:30pm
FREE!
Capturing value for a performance, gig, or lesson can be a challenge, especially when so many factors are outside of the musician's control. Four factors—cost, competition, customers, and competencies—affect the price for a musician’s work or time, and we’ll explore the science (and the art) behind each one.
As part of this workshop, we’ll:
- Identify the four components of a comprehensive pricing strategy.
- Review the competitive landscape (and what others are charging).
- Navigate negotiation challenges.
- Re-do the math to make the numbers work.
| | | |
|
|
2024 Taxes for Musicians
April 7 from 6-7:30pm
FREE!
If it is true that the only certain things in life are death and taxes, this workshop will make navigating one of those things considerably easier. We’ll review federal income tax basics for Delaware musicians including common business deductions claimed. We’ll also outline how the tax landscape changes based on the type of income a musician earns and highlight key aspects of tax law that impact financial wellness, including deducting interest for student loan payments and saving for retirement. We’ll touch briefly on some state and local income tax issues, and we’ll conclude by reviewing some tips and best practices to keep excellent records.
As part of this workshop, we will:
- Identify ordinary and necessary deductions common to musicians.
- Review the overall income tax landscape for common federal and state filings.
- Identify records to retain for tax purposes and effective systems for tracking expenses and income.
| | | |
|
|
Community Funding
June 9 from 6-7:30pm
FREE!
Kickstarter, IndieGoGo, Patreon, Kofi, NFTs – The laundry list of options to raise money from a community of support is getting longer, but whether these options make sense for you is another question.
In this workshop, we’ll review the pros and cons of community funding options and share some strategies to consider if this is part of your business model.
As part of this workshop, we will:
- Review the pros and cons of subscription, contribution, and crowdfunding models.
- Share strategies to use these platforms effectively.
- Discuss case studies and examples.
| | |
Delaware State Employee Art Exhibition Registration Deadline Approaching | |
|
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.
| |
Important Dates
Registration Closes: January 27, 2025
Artwork Delivery: February 10-15, 2025
Exhibit Dates: February 25 – March 21, 2025
People’s Choice Voting: February 25 – March 20, 2025
Artist Reception and Awards: March 9, 2025
Artwork Pick Up: March 22-28 and April 1, 2025
| | |
Two Grant Programs Announced from the National Endowment for the Arts | | |
|
Creative Forces Community Engagement Grant Program
Applications are now open for the Creative Forces Community Engagement Grants. This national program engages military-connected individuals through experiences of art or art-making.
These grants of $10,000 to $50,000 support community arts programs that create opportunities for creative expression, resilience, social connectedness, and successful adaptation to civilian life.
Creative Forces is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in partnership with Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA).
Applications are due January 15, 2025.
| | |
Learn more and take the quiz to see if your organization is eligible: | |
Shakespeare in American Communities
Applications are now open for the
Shakespeare in American Communities program for 2025-26!
This national program from Arts Midwest and the National Endowment for the Arts supports theaters through three grant opportunities:
- Schools Program: Funding for Shakespeare-related performances and educational activities.
- Juvenile Justice Program: Theater experiences for youth in juvenile justice facilities.
- Apprenticeships Program: NEW! Paid apprenticeships for early-career professionals in community-based theater—no Shakespeare programming necessary!
Applications are due on February 13, 2025.
| | |
Deadline Approaching: Community Roots Program | |
|
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 10, 2025.
| |
Other Grant Opportunities from Mid Atlantic Arts | |
ArtsCONNECT
ArtsCONNECT supports performing arts touring projects collaboratively developed by presenters working together in the mid-Atlantic region.
Deadline: February 25, 2025
| |  |
Folk and Traditional Arts Community Projects Grants
Folk and Traditional Arts Community Projects grants fund projects that support the vitality of traditional arts and cultures in the mid-Atlantic region.
Deadline: March 10, 2025
| | |
Mid Atlantic Tours
Mid Atlantic Tours brings exemplary performing arts ensembles to communities across the mid-Atlantic region.
Deadline: March 27, 2025
| | |
Special Presenter Initiatives
The Special Presenter Initiatives provide additional opportunities for the support of small to mid-sized performing arts presenters in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, West Virginia, and Native nations that share this geography.
Deadline: March 13, 2025
| | |
Upcoming 2025 Mezzanine Gallery Exhibitions
Jennifer Small
Painting
February 7-28
Virginia Lockman
Photography
March 7-28
J.F. Arsenault
Painting
April 4-25
Shefon Taylor
Works on Paper
May 2-30
Jen Hintz Eggers
Painting
June 6-30
Daniel Tudares
Painting
July 11-25
| | | | |
|
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. | | | | |
