October is National Arts & Humanities Month (NAHM)—a collective recognition of the importance of culture in America. This month-long celebration’s objectives are to:

• Focus on equitable access to the arts at local, state, and national levels;
• Increase and support individual, organizational, and diverse community participation in the arts;
• Raise awareness about the positive impact of the arts and humanities in our communities and lives.

In Delaware, there a number of ways for you to get more involved:

• Attend an art or cultural event in your community or participate in an arts-related class or workshop. You can find arts and cultural events and workshops, both in-person and virtual, happening across the state at DelawareScene.com.
• Send an email through VoterVoice to your public officials in support of one or more of the arts and culture campaigns listed.
• Become a member of or volunteer for your favorite arts organization. You could also consider making a donation to support them financially.
• Try something new and take a class in creative writing, dance, painting, or whatever strikes your fancy. Search the internet for in-person or online arts classes in your community.

The 2024-2025 school year marks the 20th anniversary of Poetry Out Loud, an arts education program and dynamic poetry recitation competition for high school students that lifts poetry off the page, creating community and connection. A partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Poetry Foundation, and state and jurisdictional arts agencies, Poetry Out Loud takes place in all 50 states, American Samoa, District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Schools and organizations are encouraged to contact Dr. Traci Currie and Sheila Dean Ross to get involved in this year’s competition.

Participating in Poetry Out Loud and using poetry in the classroom can have a positive impact on students' Social Emotional Learning (SEL). By engaging with poetry, students are able to explore complex emotions and ideas, and develop empathy and understanding for others. Additionally, the act of reciting poetry in front of an audience can help students build self-confidence and overcome anxiety. Poetry and Literature can improve SEL by offering positive avenues to explore emotions, cultural difference, and understanding. 

The National Leaders of Color Fellowship (LoCF) is accepting applications! LoCF is a transformative leadership development experience curated by WESTAF in order to establish multicultural leadership in the creative and cultural sector. By partnering with the other United States Regional Arts Organizations (USRAOs) the program has expanded nationwide and its mission has become a national endeavor.

Mid Atlantic Arts is pleased to provide support for the Fellows from the 10 states, territories, districts, and commonwealth's that make up our region - DC, DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA, PR, USVI, VA, and WV.

The Fellowship will take place completely online, typically from late fall through early summer of the subsequent year. During this no-cost eight-month Fellowship, fellows receive access to specialists in the field, strategic learning objectives determined to deepen thought on anti-racist and culturally-oriented leadership practices, and national-level network and cohort building. Upon completion of this program, participants transition to alumni status and have opportunities to collaborate with the USRAO in their region as advisors, funding panelists, and/or other professional capacities.

At the Delaware Division of the Arts, we are committed to continuously improving how we serve our creative community, and your insight is valuable to us. As part of this effort, we are beginning to evaluate our current website, Arts.Delaware.Gov, with plans to launch a redesigned site in 2025.

To ensure that our new website meets the needs of the organizations and individual artists we support, we are seeking your feedback on the current site’s layout, functionality, and content. Your perspective as a stakeholder and grantee is critical in helping us enhance the user experience, provide more relevant resources, and ensure that our online presence reflects the needs of our vibrant arts community.

We ask that you take 10-15 minutes to evaluate our current website and share your thoughts. Your honest and transparent feedback—whether it's suggestions for new features, areas that need improvement, or identifying aspects that are working well—will directly influence the direction of our website updates.

By completing the survey by Tuesday, October 15, you'll be entered into a drawing to win a $100 Amazon gift card!

Delaware’s Individual Artist Fellowships recognize artists for their outstanding quality of work. Each year, the Biggs Museum of American Art curates an exhibition of the Fellows’ artwork called Award Winners. Mark your calendars!

Opening reception at Cab Calloway School of the Arts is scheduled on Friday, October 4 from 5-7pm.

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.

In this first webinar, we’ll cover five essential things to know, do, and believe about money. And in future webinars, we’ll cover relevant topics based on your feedback. 

This series is facilitated by Elaine Grogan Luttrell, Founder of Minerva Financial Arts.

Arts Alive Delaware is a captivating new documentary series brought to you by the Delaware Division of the Arts and DETV. This series offers an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the vibrant non-profit arts organizations that enrich communities across Delaware. Join us as we delve into the creative worlds of these organizations, uncovering the passion, innovation, and dedication of their leaders and staff members. Episodes of Arts Alive Delaware will be released every two weeks this fall. Don't miss the chance to explore the heart and soul of Delaware's arts scene!

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.

Brandan Henry

Emerging, Visual Arts: Works on Paper

“I feel a deep sense of responsibility to contribute to the celebration of black culture and highlight important aspects of daily life, capturing the richness and dignity of represented black bodies.”

Aaron Keith Hoffer

Emerging, Visual Arts: Painting

“My work documents a search for visual novelty through an application of incongruent materials, techniques, and color schemes.”

Town of Milton, DE

Art in the Park



Milton, Project Support

Possum Point Players

Somthing Rotten



Georgetown, General Operating Support