Wilmington, Del. (October 7, 2022) – At its June 2022 annual board meeting, Delaware Division of the Arts Director Jessica Ball was named by Mid Atlantic Arts as a new board member for the regional arts organization.

Mid Atlantic Arts was established in 1979 to promote and support multi-state arts programming in a region that includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia, and West Virginia. It is one of six regional arts organizations in the United States, and works in close partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and its member state and jurisdictional arts agencies. Mid Atlantic Arts distinguishes itself through its work in international cultural exchange, model programs in performing arts touring, its knowledge and presence in the jazz field, and its support of folk and traditional arts. The organization nurtures and funds the creation and presentation of diverse artistic expression and connects people to meaningful arts experiences within our region and beyond. 

Ball was named Director of the Division of the Arts in 2021, where she oversees all aspects of managing a state agency committed to supporting the arts and cultivating creativity to enhance the quality of life in Delaware. Jessica brings a collaborative, progressive, transparent approach to arts leadership and administration. Adept at creating and sustaining partnerships across private, government, and creative sectors she facilitates initiatives that expand access to the transformative power of the arts and arts education. Jessica is dedicated to strengthening the cultural sector and growing the creative economy and workforce. Before becoming the Director of DDOA Jessica was the Executive Director of the Delaware Arts Alliance. There, she developed sector wide strategies to advance arts and culture. She worked with cultural, community, and civic leaders on policy and funding initiatives to ensure that the creative sector is vibrant. Jessica graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Design with dual master’s degrees in Historic Preservation and Landscape Architecture Regional Planning. She has a Bachelor of Architecture from Florida International University. She spent the first part of her career in the fields of design and architecture. She is a visual artist, artisan, and co-founder of Handmade Modern Accessories–a Women and Black-owned creative business. Her diverse background gives her perspective on the importance of arts and culture’s positive impacts on communities. She volunteers on the Delaware Fund for Women’s Young Founders Committee and the Delaware MillSummit Planning Committee.

“I am thrilled to join Mid Atlantic Arts’ Board of Directors at such a critical time for the creative sector,” says Director Ball. “I look forward to advocating for arts organizations and artists in our region while ensuring that Delaware’s creative sector remains at the forefront of artistic ingenuity and innovation. Mid Atlantic Arts’ board is comprised of a diverse, talented slate of individuals looking to move the needle in our sector, and I am fortunate to be at the table working towards that same goal with them.”

To learn more about Mid Atlantic Arts, visit www.midatlanticarts.org.

To learn more about the Delaware Division of the arts, visit arts.delaware.gov.

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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.

WASHINGTON (June 22, 2017) — Delaware’s arts and culture industry generates $149.9 million in annual economic activity by supporting 4,062 full-time equivalent jobs and generating $10.5 million in local and state government revenues, according to the latest Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 national economic impact study, which was released on June 17 at the Americans for the Arts’ annual conference in San Francisco.

“This report demonstrates that the arts continue to be an important economic driver in Delaware, providing jobs for our citizens, generating business for our restaurants and other small enterprises, and tax revenue for our state and local governments. In addition to the important economic impacts, the arts benefit all Delawareans from children to senior citizens across the socioeconomic spectrum, and from rural communities to the cities,” says J. Mack Wathen, chair of the Delaware State Arts Council.

Results show that nonprofit arts and culture organizations spent $103.6 million during fiscal year 2015. This spending is far-reaching: organizations pay employees, purchase supplies, contract for services and acquire assets within their community. Those dollars, in turn, generated $111.6 million in household income for local residents and a $10.5 million in local and state government revenues, which is approximately a 3:1 return on investment. The Delaware Division of the Arts receives state funding approximately $3 million for grants to support arts and community-based organizations, schools and individual artists.

Arts Industry Boon for Local Businesses

In addition to spending by organizations, the nonprofit arts and culture industry leverages $46.3 million (excluding the cost of admission) in event-related spending by its audiences. As a result of attending a cultural event, attendees often eat dinner in local restaurants, pay for parking, buy gifts and souvenirs, and pay a babysitter. What’s more, attendees from out of town often stay overnight in a local hotel, which helps support local tourism offices.

“The report confirms that the arts mean business for Delaware. Investment in the arts contributes to a stronger economy and improved quality of life which attracts a talented workforce to Delaware. Delaware has countless arts and cultural events at any given time as seen in DelawareScene.com, an online calendar managed by the Delaware Division of the Arts. Corporations, small businesses and individuals looking for a vibrant location to call home should look to Delaware as a place to settle,” says Guillermina Gonzalez, executive director of the Delaware Arts Alliance.

In Delaware, 95 of the 135 eligible nonprofit arts and cultural organizations participated in this study—an overall participation rate of 70.4 percent. A list of the participating organizations can be found in the full report. In addition to organizational data, a total of 1,417 valid audience-intercept surveys were collected from attendees to nonprofit arts and cultural performances, events, and exhibitions during 2016.

The full report and one-page summary can be found at: http://arts.delaware.gov/resources/arts-research/

The Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 study was conducted by Americans for the Arts and supported by The Ruth Lilly Fund of Americans for the Arts. Americans for the Arts’ local, regional, and statewide project partners contributed both time and financial support to the study. Financial information from organizations was collected in partnership with DataArts™, using a new online survey interface. For a full list of the communities who participated in the Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 study, visit www.AmericansForTheArts.org/AEP5Partners.

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Contact: Leeann Wallett, Program Officer, Communications and Marketing
302-577-8280, leeann.wallett@delaware.gov

Delaware artists, arts administrators, community leaders, educators, elected officials, and citizens speaking up for the arts will convene for a special presentation, The Art$ Mean Bu$iness, on October 2nd at 3 p.m. at Dover’s Schwartz Center for the Arts. First Lady Carla Markell will make opening remarks. The event is organized by the Delaware Division of the Arts and the Delaware Arts Alliance.

Results from the recent Arts & Economic Prosperity IV study showed Delaware’s nonprofit arts industry generates $142.3 million in annual economic activity in the state. “People may be surprised by the significance of the economic impact in this study. What it indicates is that a healthy arts sector is an important contributor to Delaware’s overall economy,” said Paul Weagraff, Director of the Delaware Division of the Arts. “The Art$ Mean Bu$iness event is intended to highlight findings of the report and present ways in which this information can be used to shape policy and discourse about the role that the arts play in Delaware’s economy.”

Special guest Nina Ozlu Tunceli from Americans for the Arts will answer questions from moderators Rhonda Graham, News Journal Editorial Board Member, and Liane Hansen, Advisor, Delaware First Media, about the study and discuss how the results can be used by Delawareans to promote support for the arts on the local, state, and national level.

“Nina Ozlu Tunceli is a powerful and passionate advocate for the arts on the national scene. We are thrilled to have her come to the First State to discuss economic impact and advocacy,” said Guillermina Gonzalez, Director of the Delaware Arts Alliance.

The event is free and the public is invited to attend. Interested citizens can sign up via the Division’s website, www.artsdel.org, and follow the conversation on Twitter using #DEartsbiz.