Twenty-five Delaware artists to receive recognition

Wilmington, Del. (January 11, 2021) – Twenty-five Delaware artists are being recognized by the Delaware Division of the Arts for the high quality of their artwork. Work samples from 121 Delaware choreographers, composers, musicians, writers, folk and visual artists were reviewed by out-of-state arts professionals, considering demonstrated creativity and skill in their art form. The 25 selected fellows reside throughout Delaware including Arden, Bear, Clayton, Dover, Lewes, Long Neck, Milton, Newark, Rehoboth Beach, Smyrna, and Wilmington.

Awards are given in three categories: $10,000 for the Masters Award, $6,000 for the Established Professional Award, and $3,000 for the Emerging Professional Award. Fellows are required to offer at least one exhibit or performance during the upcoming year, providing an opportunity for the public to experience their work. Additionally, the work of the Fellows will be featured in a group exhibition, Award Winners XXI at the Biggs Museum tentatively set for June 4-July 25, 2021.

“Individual Artist Fellowship grants provide the recognition and exposure that artists need to successfully promote their work,” said Paul Weagraff, director of Delaware Division of the Arts. “The financial award allows them to pursue advanced training, purchase equipment and materials, or fulfill other needs to advance their careers. The Division was pleased to be able to allocate some additional funds to the Fellowship categories this year, thereby enabling the Division to recognize more artists this year.”

The Masters Fellowship is open to different artistic disciplines each year. In Fiscal Year 2021, Masters Fellowship applications were accepted in Dance, Jazz, and Music from artists who had previously received an Established Professional Fellowship. In addition to exemplifying high artistic quality, Masters Fellowship applicants must demonstrate their involvement and commitment to the arts in Delaware and beyond. Listed below are the Delaware Division of the Arts 2021 Individual Artist Fellows.

Jennifer Margaret Barker has been awarded this year’s Master’s Fellowship in Music: Composition. Described as “a composer of profound sensibility”, Barker has received performances of her compositions on six continents. Her compositions have been performed by orchestras such as the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and the Virginia Symphony; chamber and choral ensembles such as Orchestra 2001, Network for New Music, Vocal de Cámara Platense and Bearsden Choir; and an extensive list of international artists including Martin Jones. Recent international festivals in which her music has been featured include Malta’s Victoria International Arts Festival, Brazil’s Festival Internacional Compositores de Hoje, and America’s Festival Mozaic. Her compositions have been broadcast on American public radio (including Performance Today), Canadian radio, Hong Kong radio, Swedish radio, and the BBC. Published by Boosey & Hawkes, Theodore Presser, Southern Percussion, Vanderbeek & Imrie, and McKenna-Keddie, Barker’s compositions have been released on the Naxos, Albany, New World Records, Composers Recordings Inc., Meyer Media, and PnOVA labels.

2021 Individual Artist Fellows

Masters Award ($10,000)

Established Professional Award ($6,000)

Emerging Artist Award ($3,000)

The next deadline for Individual Artist Fellowship applications will be Thursday, August 2, 2021 by 4:30 p.m.

Learn more

About the Delaware Division of the Arts
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. Image: 2020 Award Winners exhibition at CAMP Rehoboth. Painting (left) by Chloe McEldowney, 2020 Emerging Professional, Visual Arts: Painting; Sculpture (center) by Aaron Paskins, 2020 Established Professional, Visual Arts: Sculpture; and Work on cardboard (right) by Michael Fleishman, 2020 Emerging Professional, Visual Arts: Works on Paper.

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