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.

Wilmington, Del. (June 13, 2023) – The Delaware Division of the Arts is thrilled to announce the highly anticipated exhibition, Award Winners XXIII, showcasing the exceptional talents of 17 artists who have been named the 2023 Individual Artist Fellows. This extraordinary exhibition is curated and hosted by the Biggs Museum of American Art in Dover, Delaware. This is the twenty-third year that the Biggs Museum has held an exhibition featuring the artwork of the Division’s Fellows. Award Winners XXIII will provide a unique opportunity for the public to engage with and appreciate the remarkable work of these accomplished artists.

The Division’s Individual Artist Fellowship program recognizes outstanding artists in various artistic disciplines, including choreography, folk art, jazz, literature, media arts, music, and visual arts. A rigorous selection process was undertaken, where the artists’ work samples were reviewed by out-of-state arts professionals who considered both the demonstrated creativity and skill in their respective art forms.

In 2023, the Division received an impressive number of work samples from 118 Delaware choreographers, composers, musicians, writers, and folk, media, and visual artists. Following an anonymous review process, 17 exceptional artists were awarded fellowships, representing the categories of two Masters, seven Established, and eight Emerging artists. These talented fellows reside throughout Delaware, from the communities of Bridgeville, Claymont, Felton, Harrington, Lewes, New Castle, Newark, Smyrna,  Wilmington and Wyoming.

Award Winners XXIII will be presented across three remarkable venues, each offering a distinctive atmosphere for visitors to immerse themselves in the captivating artwork:

Biggs Museum of American Art in Dover, DE

Exhibition Dates: July 13 – September 24, 2023

Reception & Award Ceremony: July 14, 6-9 p.m.

CAMP Rehoboth Community Center in Rehoboth Beach, DE

Exhibition Dates: August 10 – September 8, 2023

Reception: August 10, 6-8 p.m.

Cab Calloway School for the Arts in Wilmington, DE

Exhibition Dates: October 2 – November 3, 2023

Reception: October 6, 6-8 p.m.

Artist profiles for the 2023 Individual Artist Fellowship cohort can be found here.

“Supporting individual artists is vital for a thriving arts ecosystem,” says Jessica Ball, Director of the Delaware Division of the Arts. “These artists are the driving force behind innovation, creativity, and cultural expression. By investing in their work, we not only contribute to the growth and vitality of the arts community but also nurture the unique perspectives and voices that enrich our society.”

“Individual artists play a crucial role in inspiring new ideas,” says Deputy Director Kristin Pleasanton. “Through their work, they invite us to explore different perspectives, engage in meaningful dialogue, and reflect on the world around us. By attending these three exhibitions, the public can show their support for these remarkable artists and acknowledge the importance of their contributions to the artistic landscape of Delaware.”

“Some of these artists are well-known.  For others, this is their first museum show,” says Laura Fravel, Sewell C. Biggs Curator of American Art.  “It is exciting to see the range of voices and perspectives in the Award Winners XXIII exhibition.  The Biggs is dedicated to celebrating and advancing the arts in Delaware and, in honor of our 30th anniversary year, we are offering free admission during the run of this show to encourage greater public engagement with contemporary artists working in our state.” 

For additional information about the Individual Artist Fellowship program, please visit the Delaware Division of the Arts website at arts.delaware.gov/iafrecipients. For more information about the Award Winners XXIII exhibition, please visit the Biggs Museum of American Art website at https://www.biggsmuseum.org.

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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.

Wilmington, Del. (June 6, 2023) – Five organizations in the State of Delaware will receive a total of $1,030,000 in federal grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, as part of the National Endowment for the Arts’ second round of funding, announced today.

“The National Endowment for the Arts is pleased to support a wide range of projects, demonstrating the many ways the arts enrich our lives and contribute to healthy and thriving communities,” said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “These organizations play an important role in advancing the creative vitality of our nation and helping to ensure that all people can benefit from arts, culture, and design.”

In response to this generous support, Delaware Division of the Arts Director Jessica Ball said, “This significant investment is a testament to the immense talent and creative spirit that thrives in our vibrant arts community. The grant will undoubtedly empower these organizations to further enrich the cultural landscape of Delaware, fostering artistic excellence and accessibility for all residents. Together, we will continue to celebrate and support the arts, recognizing their profound impact on our society and the boundless opportunities they create for artistic expression and community engagement.”

The following Delaware arts organizations have received funding:

Delaware Art Museum (Wilmington, DE) will receive $40,000 to support an exhibition featuring work by members of the Rossetti family, active in both the Pre-Raphaelite and Aesthetic Movements of the 19th century.

Delaware Division of the Arts (Wilmington, DE) will receive $935,000 to support arts programs, services, and activities associated with carrying out the agency’s National Endowment for the Arts-approved strategic plan.

Delaware Shakespeare (Wilmington, DE) will receive $10,000 to support the Community Tour of a contemporary work adapted from a play by Shakespeare.

The Grand Opera House (Wilmington, DE) will receive $20,000 to support sensory-friendly performances for youth and their families.

Opera Delaware (Wilmington, DE) will receive $25,000 to support the premiere of “Fearless: the Story of Hazel Ying Lee and the Women Airforce Service Pilots” by composer and librettist Derrick Wang.

More information about the National Endowment for the Arts’ grant opportunities is available at arts.gov/grants. This section also includes resources for first-time and returning applicants as well as information on how to volunteer to be an NEA panelist.

The full NEA grant descriptions follow:

Grants for Arts Projects

Grants for Arts Projects (GAP) is the National Endowment for the Arts’ largest grants program for organizations. Matching grants range from $10,000 to $100,000, and are recommended for organizations in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. In July 2022, 1,927 eligible applications were received requesting more than $98 million in FY23 support. This round, 1,130 projects are approved for funding totaling more than $31 million.

Project-based funding will support opportunities for public engagement with the arts and arts education, the integration of the arts with strategies that promote the health and well-being of people and communities, and the improvement of overall capacity and capabilities within the arts sector.

State and Regional Partnerships

Each year, approximately 40 percent of the NEA’s appropriated program funds are awarded to state arts agencies, regional arts organizations, and the national service organization to support the work of the states and regions. In total, up to $67.9 million is recommended for these partners in FY 2023, with up to $55.1 million of that total designated for State Arts Agencies.

State & Regional Partnership Agreement grants extend the NEA’s reach to even more communities, reflecting investments in locally-determined priorities, and translate national leadership into local benefit. To learn more about how the National Endowment for the Arts is impacting individual states and regions of the country, select a state or territory on the state impact page or visit the regional map.

About the National Endowment for the Arts
Established by Congress in 1965, the NEA is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the NEA supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America. For more information, visit www.arts.gov.

About the Delaware Division of the Arts
The Delaware Division of the Arts, a branch of the Delaware Department of State, is committed to supporting the arts and cultivating creativity to enhance the quality of life in 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.

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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.

Wilmington, Del. (June 6, 2023) – The Delaware Division of the Arts is pleased to announce that Dr. JoAnn Balingit has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award in Literature: Creative Writing to the Philippines for the 2023-2024 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

Dr. JoAnn Balingit served as Delaware’s 16th poet laureate from 2008 to 2015. A poet and essayist, her work has been honored as a 2022 Individual Artist Fellow in Creative Nonfiction from the Delaware Division of the Arts and from the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation. She received a 2021 Pushcart Prize nomination and was featured in Poetry Magazine’s August 2021 Poetry Podcast. Her poems and essays are published widely. 

As an advocate for arts-in-education and community arts access, JoAnn has directed state-wide programs such the Delaware Writing Region of Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for middle school and high school students; led poetry workshops and writing retreats for adults, and has taught poetry writing at the University of Delaware. Dr. Balingit also teaches creative writing classes at New Castle County Libraries for the Creative Aging program, with an emphasis on storytelling through memory work. She has been a coordinator and teaching artist for Delaware’s Poetry Out Loud program for the past 15 years.

“Dr. Balingit is deserving of this prestigious award,” said Governor John Carney. “Throughout her career — and especially during her time as Delaware’s poet laureate — she has shown a passion for sharing creative storytelling with our community. I want to congratulate Dr. Balingit on this achievement and look forward to seeing her future work.”

“Congratulations to Dr. JoAnn Balingit on being awarded the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. Dr. Balingit’s selection for this esteemed honor is a testament to her exceptional talent and dedication to the literary arts. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a deep commitment to storytelling and fostering arts-in-education and community arts access. Her contributions as Delaware’s poet laureate and her extensive work in the field exemplify her passion for nurturing the artistic growth of others. We are thrilled for Dr. Balingit and look forward to the valuable cultural exchange and insights she will bring during her Fulbright journey. Congratulations once again on this well-deserved recognition,” said Jessica Ball, Director of the Delaware Division of the Arts.

Dr. Balingit’s project, entitled WHAT WERE the NAMES of the TREES? A Memoir, is a hybrid-genre lyrical work about growing up bi-racial in the American South, and coming of age in the aftermath of the violent loss of her parents. Separated from her eight younger siblings, the lonely teen enters adulthood desperate to belong. During her stay in Pampanga Province, she will seek an understanding of her Filipino family history and the forces that shaped her father’s education and environment as a U.S. colonial subject before he migrated to the United States.

With archival research, interviews, and a fuller view of race and empire, especially as it relates to erased Filipino American history, and diaspora, the mestiza writer traces her parents’ lives and her own path of survival to becoming a writer. Most compellingly, she traces how her attitude toward her mixed identify and her father’s legacy has changed. As a poet who experiences language as the rishest living tie to a silenced history, during this Fulbright grant she will continue to study in depth her father’s native language and culture, Kapampángan.

Dr. JoAnn Balingit is among over 800 U.S. citizens who will teach or conduct research abroad for the 2023-2024 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. Fulbrighters engage in cutting-edge research and expand their professional networks, often continuing research collaborations started abroad and laying the groundwork for forging future partnerships between institutions. Upon returning to their home countries, institutions, labs, and classrooms, they share their stories and often become active supporters of international exchange, inviting foreign scholars to campus and encouraging colleagues and students to go abroad.

As Fulbright Scholar alumni, their careers are enriched by joining a network of thousands of esteemed scholars, many of whom are leaders in their fields. Notable Fulbright alumni include 62 Nobel Prize laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize recipients, 78 MacArthur Fellows, and 41 who have served as a head of state or government. Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 400,000 participants from over 160 countries – chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential – with the opportunity to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to challenges facing our communities and our world.

In addition, over 2,000 U.S. students, artists, and early career professionals from all backgrounds in more than 100 different fields of study receive Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards annually to study, teach English, and conduct research overseas.

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program and is supported by the people of the United States and partner countries around the world. The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the Program. In the United States, the Institute of International Education supports the implementation of the Fulbright U.S. Student and Scholar Programs on behalf of the U.S. Department of State, including conducting an annual competition for the scholarships.

For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit https://fulbrightprogram.org.

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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.

Wilmington, Del. (May 25, 2023) – The Delaware Division of the Arts’ Mezzanine Gallery presents 2022 DDOA Individual Artist Fellow Aaron Terry’s exhibition, “Patterns for Saturn,” running June 2-July 28, 2023.  Guests are invited to attend a Meet-the-Artist Reception on Friday, June 2 from 5:00-7:00 p.m.

Aaron Terry, a Wilmington resident and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Art & Design at The University of Delaware, created site-specific work for the Mezzanine Gallery located in the Carvel State Office Building. Terry made a series of screen printed fabric wall hangings that provide a contrast to the hard surfaces and neutral palette of the building.

Aaron Terry’s work dances between sculptural, sonic, and printed materials that present visual allegories of personal politics embedded in the color, flash, and cadence of today’s rapid-fire media parade. Sourcing from personal drawings, recordings, sound bites and news media, the work resurrects new conversations with old ghosts, and questions the potential for a better future. As visual pop and politics synthesize in continuous flux to create an extended detournement; Terry utilizes repetitive sonic and visual elements to reinvigorate progressive ideas nested in music and cultural references that have devolved and diminished through false familiarity over time. His work grapples with finding “truth” in a sea of today’s excessive media.

Patterns for Saturn considers the importance of dreamlife: time spent outside of lived reality. This includes a loose sense of meditation: time spent shaking off contemplation and frustration with today’s crushing sense of political and cultural hooliganism. Abstract patterns and a soundtrack blanket the walls of the gallery, to remove the viewer from the space: the Carvel State Office Building in Wilmington, DE. This is both a respite from and a comment on the architecture and atmosphere of state and governmental buildings in general. The visual patterns and sounds produced in the space are meant to provide a space for escape, contemplation, and meditation.

Terry’s work has been seen in ten solo exhibitions and over 30 group shows, as well as a half-dozen murals and installations. He is a member of Philadelphia’s Vox Populi artist collective. In 2022, Terry received a Delaware Division of the Arts Fellowship in Visual Arts: Works on Paper.

The Mezzanine Gallery, open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., is located on the second floor of the Carvel State Office Building, 820 N. French Street, Wilmington. Please note that the Gallery will be closed on June 19 and July 4 in observance of holidays. 

Image: Aaron Terry. “Salad Daze”, Screen Print on Denim. 44”x96”. 2022.

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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.