Wilmington, Del. (June 13, 2023) – The Delaware Division of the Arts announces the opening of its annual application process for its 2024 Individual Artist Fellowship program. Administered in partnership with Mid Atlantic Arts (MAA), this program aims to recognize and support exceptional artists in Delaware working across various artistic disciplines, including the visual, performing, media, folk, and literary arts.

The Individual Artist Fellowship is a prestigious award for artists who demonstrate outstanding artistic quality and creativity in their respective fields. Fellowship grants range from $5,000 to $12,000. Artists  must read the updated guidelines for eligibility requirements, and submit their applications electronically.

The Individual Artist Fellowship is a highly competitive program – in 2023, 118 applications were received, and 17 artists were awarded fellowships. The Fellowship grants are to be used for purchasing equipment and materials, allocating working time, or fulfilling other needs that contribute to their artistic growth and development. Fellowship recipients are also required to present public programs or exhibits of their work during their fellowship year.

The fellowship program offers three categories with varying monetary awards:

Emerging Professional Fellowships: $5,000

Available to artists in the early stages of their careers who have not yet established reputations in their fields. Please note that artists applying in a discipline they teach at the undergraduate level are ineligible for the Emerging category and must apply in the Established category.

Established Professional Fellowships: $8,000

Available to artists who have demonstrated significant achievements in their respective fields.

Masters Fellowships: $12,000

Available to artists who have previously received an Established Fellowship in the same discipline more than seven years ago.

In Fiscal Year 2024, Masters Fellowship applications will be accepted in the disciplines of Dance, Jazz and Music from artists who received an Established Professional Fellowship in the same artistic discipline more than seven years ago (prior to January 2017). Masters Fellowships will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• Excellence of work
• Significant accomplishments in their field
• Sustained history of artistic activity within Delaware

“We are excited to offer these fellowships to Delaware artists, as we believe in the transformative power of art and its ability to enrich our communities,” says Division Director Jessica Ball. “By providing financial support and recognition to Delaware’s talented artists, we aim to foster their artistic growth and enable them to sustain their artistic careers.”

To be considered for the fellowship, artists must demonstrate their creativity and skill in one of the twenty disciplines offered in Fiscal Year 2024. These disciplines include Dance: Choreography; Folk Art: Music; Folk Art: Oral Literature; Folk Art: Visual Arts; Jazz: Composition; Jazz: Performance; Literature: Creative Nonfiction; Literature: Fiction; Literature: Playwriting; Literature: Poetry; Media Arts: Video/Film; Music: Composition; Music: Contemporary Performance (hip-hop, popular, R&B); Music: Solo Recital (classical); Visual Arts: Crafts; Visual Arts: Painting; Visual Arts: Photography; Visual Arts: Sculpture; Visual Arts: Works on Paper; and Visual Arts: Interdisciplinary.

Applicants should note that their application may be moved to a different artistic discipline based on juror recommendations or at the discretion of Division staff.

To be eligible for Individual Artist Fellowship, applicants must:

• Must be a resident of Delaware for at least one year at the time of application. A legal resident possesses a valid Delaware driver’s license or DMV-issued identification card and files state income taxes in Delaware as a full-year resident. All awards are subject to verification of Delaware residency.
• Must be at least 18 years of age at the time of application.
• Must remain a Delaware resident during the grant period (January 1 – December 31, 2024).

Ineligible applicants include:

• Students currently enrolled in a degree or certificate-granting educational program at the time of application.
• Any recipient of a Masters Fellowship.
• Fellowship recipients who have received an award within the past three years (FY2021, FY2022, and FY2023) are ineligible to apply in the Emerging or Established Professional categories.
• Applicants who submit incomplete applications or applications that do not follow the required format.
• A member or relative of a member of the Delaware State Arts Council or Division staff.
• Applicants with outstanding final reports from any past Division of the Arts grants.

The deadline for submitting applications is August 1, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. EST. For more information about the Individual Artist Fellowship (including requirements, eligibility, and application materials), visit the Grants for Artists page on the Division’s website.

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Contact: Andrew Truscott, Program Officer, Marketing and Communications

302-577-8280, andrew.truscott@delaware.gov

The Delaware Division of the Arts, a branch of the Delaware Department of State, is dedicated to cultivating and supporting the arts to enhance the quality of life for all Delawareans. 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. For more information about the Delaware Division of the Arts, visit arts.delaware.gov or call 302-577-8278.

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