The Delaware Division of the Arts has opened its annual online application process for grants for arts programming and projects taking place during fiscal year 2025 (September 2024 – August 2025). Applications will be submitted through the smARTDE online system and are due by 4:30 p.m. EST on Friday, March 1, 2024.

New to smARTDE? View the login instructions for smARTDE or email smARTDE@delaware.gov for assistance.

The guidelines for all grant programs are available online at arts.delaware.gov/grant-overview. Past and new applicants should read the guidelines carefully as updates may have been made and contact Division staff with any questions.

Below are the Division’s grants programs and their respective deadlines. Please visit arts.delaware.gov/grant-overview/ to access the full guidelines for each program and a description of the grant review process. Some organizational grants are available throughout the year on a rolling deadline basis. Please see the list below for more details.

Requirement for new applicants: Organization grant applications require a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). Obtaining your UEI could take up to 30 days. Read more about obtaining a UEI to begin the process today. CLICK HERE and HERE for more instructions.

In FY24, the Division of the Arts awarded 112 grants – for a total of almost $4 million – to eligible Delaware-based organizations. You can read more here.

Grants for Delaware Arts Organizations:

General Operating Support (GOS) – support of annual operating expenses to ensure that year-round participation in the arts is available to the people of Delaware. This grant category utilizes a three-year application cycle. Full applications are due every three years, with Interim Applications due in the “off” years. March 1 deadline.

Arts Stabilization Fund (ASF) – support for improvements to facilities owned (or under long-term lease) and operated by the organization. ASF grants are funded through the Division’s participation in the Arts Consortium of Delaware, Inc. (ArtCo) endowment. March 1 deadline.

Education Resource (EDR) – grants to strengthen standards-based arts education projects, programs, and activities that utilize the arts education resources of the Delaware arts community or strengthen arts organizations’ capacity to serve as professional development resources for teaching artists and educators. March 1 deadline.

StartUp – financial support, training, and consultation to develop and strengthen the management capacity of emerging arts organizations, or those new to the Division, so that they can operate in a sustainable manner. Completion of the StartUp program is a prerequisite for emerging organizations seeking General Operating Support. Letter of intent due January 15. If LOI accepted, March 1 deadline.

Arts Access – provides up to $1,250 to support the presentation of performing, visual, literary, media, or folk arts in communities throughout the state. Rolling deadline.

Grants for Delaware Community-Based Organizations (CBOs):

Project Support – support of arts programs provided by CBOs that assist in the growth of a vibrant cultural environment by encouraging the continued development of arts activities in communities throughout the state. March 1 deadline.

Arts Access – provide up to $1,250 to support the presentation of eligible arts-related programs throughout the state, including performing, visual, literary, media, or folk arts in communities. Rolling deadline.

Grants for Delaware Schools and School Districts:

Artist Residency – grants for residencies with visual, literary, performing or media artists working with students in the classroom or in professional development workshops with teachers. Rolling deadline.

Education Resource (EDR) – grants to strengthen standards-based arts education projects, programs, and activities that utilize the arts education resources of the Delaware arts community or strengthen arts organizations’ capacity to serve as professional development resources for teaching artists and educators. March 1 deadline.

TranspARTation – grants that support transportation costs up to $500 per field trip for schools to travel to Delaware arts and cultural institutions and venues for students to attend arts performances, events, and exhibits. Rolling deadline.

Grants for Delaware Individual Artists:

Artist Fellowship – support of individual artists in their work as visual, performing, media, folk, and/or literary artists. Download the smARTDE Instructions to learn how to log in and navigate the system. Application opens Spring 2024 with an August 1 deadline.

Artist Opportunity Grant – grants up to $1,000 in support of individual artists with unique professional and artistic development or presentation opportunities. Quarterly deadlines.

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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.

The Delaware Division of the Arts has announced the return of the popular transpARTation grant opportunity for Delaware schools. Schools may request up to $500 toward travel expenses, to include buses, fuel, parking, and tolls associated with these trips.

“Access to the arts is pivotal to our students’ creative learning experiences and academic development as well as a well-rounded curriculum,” says Director Jessica Ball. “We encourage teachers up and down the State to apply for these funds in order to open their students’ eyes to the transformative power of the arts.” 

Recognizing the importance of connecting schools with cultural institutions to promote creative learning, the Delaware Division of the Arts is now accepting applications for TranspARTation Grants— a program developed to assist schools with transportation costs to attend arts and cultural events throughout the state. Schools may request funding to cover travel expenses to include buses, fuel, parking, and tolls associated with the trip. Applications are reviewed in the order they are received until all available funds have been awarded. The deadline is six weeks prior to the project start date. Click here for program guidelines and instructions on how to apply.

To be eligible for a TranspARTation grant, applicants must be a Delaware nonprofit K-12 public, private, charter, or parochial school. Pre-K programs affiliated with public schools are also eligible to apply. Please Note: Schools may receive only one TranspARTation grant per school year. Title I schools may be considered for more than one TranspARTation grant per school year if funding is available.

The grant category was developed in response to feedback received during the Division’s strategic planning process in 2014. “Our constituents urged us to consider ways to increase access to arts education in the state through targeted funding that removes barriers to participation,” said then Division Director Paul Weagraff. “This program addresses that concern and helps to ensure access to quality arts education for all Delaware youth.”

For questions related to this granting program, please contact Sheila Dean Ross at Sheila Dean Ross 302-577-8286 or sheila.ross@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.

This year the Division will invest nearly $3 million
in more than 100 arts and community organizations

WILMINGTON, DEL. (July 15, 2022) – The Delaware Division of the Arts is investing nearly $3 million in more than 110 arts and community organizations that will serve Delawareans statewide with arts programming and services, arts education, and arts marketing and promotion. This first round of funding for FY2023 includes: General Operating Support, Project Support, Arts Stabilization, StartUp and Education Resource grants.

“Artists and arts organizations state-wide have been on the cutting edge of innovation and community impact over the last two years. As they turn to a new phase of recovery from the shutdowns related to Delaware’s public health emergency, it is critical that the Delaware Division of the Arts continue our significant investment into the sector,” said Jessica Ball, director of the Delaware Division of the Arts. “This investment in the creative workforce—artists and organizations alike—enhances education, stimulates local economies, and enriches our communities.”

“Delaware’s financial support of our artists and arts organizations is engrained into the fabric of what we do at the state level,” said Secretary of State Jeffrey Bullock. “Our roster of artists and arts institutions makes the State attractive for our residents, employers, and employees who spend their free time and money to enjoy the many experiences available to them. Attending an event in the State is not just about the admission price to that organization, but so often includes secondary spending at restaurants and local shops. Supporting the arts makes sense any way you look at it.”

Grant updates for fiscal year 2023:

• TranspARTation has returned! The grant will re-open in August 2022 to support travel expenses, to include buses, fuel, parking and toll costs of up to $500 (an increase of $200 from previous years) for schools to travel to Delaware arts and cultural institutions and venues in order for students to attend arts performances, events, and exhibits.
• Artist Opportunity Grants have increased to $1,000. Artist Opportunity Grants are awarded on a competitive basis to support unique professional and artistic development and presentation opportunities for artists. Applicants can request up to 80% of the opportunity cost not to exceed $1,000. Quarterly deadlines: January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1.

The awards include:

• General Operating Support for sixty-one (62) arts organizations.
• Project Support for twenty-nine (29) community-based organizations that provide arts programming for children and adults with physical or intellectual disabilities; students whose schools are under-resourced and face multiple barriers, individuals and family members dealing with cancer; and young children and community members from across Delaware.
• Eight (8) Arts Stabilization projects that support capital improvements and repairs to facilities owned by arts organizations.
• StartUp Support for two emerging arts organizations, Jester Artspace and Reed’s Refuge, providing a combination of technical assistance and financial support for these new organizations.
• Fourteen (14) education-based partnerships between Delaware’s schools, arts organizations and artists that provide teacher training and standards-based arts learning experiences for pre K-12 students statewide, in alignment with the Delaware Standards for Learning in the Visual and Performing Arts.

Grants for Fiscal Year 2023

Grant Program	# Grants	Amount Awarded
General Operating Support	62	$2,467,700
Project Support	29	$291.400
Arts Stabilization	8	$90,000
StartUp	2	$24,500
Education Resource	14	$130,700
TOTAL	115	$2,984,300

 

 

Funding for the Delaware Division of the Arts comes from the Delaware General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, an independent federal agency. In addition, the funds for capital improvements grants—provided by the Arts Stabilization Fund—are drawn from the Arts Consortium of Delaware, Inc. (ArtCo) endowment. A complete list of grants for the first round of FY2023 can be found here.

Grant review panels made up of Delaware artists, arts educators, arts and nonprofit organization administrators, corporate and fundraising managers, and interested community members, provided an impartial peer review of these grant applications based on established evaluation criteria, reflecting the importance of having diverse public and expert participation in the grant-making process.

The Division also awards grants on an on-going basis throughout the year, including Arts Access grants, Artist Residencies, Individual Artist Fellowships, and Individual Artist Opportunity grants. Full grant descriptions are available on the Division’s website and at the end of the release.

Interested members of the public, artists, arts organizations, and community leaders are encouraged to visit the Division’s website to learn more about these programs. Notification of grant deadlines, guidelines and applications, as well as technical assistance opportunities are published in the monthly e-newsletter, Arts E-News. Please visit our website at arts.delaware.gov for more details.

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GRANT PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS

Arts Organizations: Non-profit Delaware organizations whose primary mission is the promotion, production, presentation, or teaching of the arts

General Operating Support – support of annual operating expenses to ensure that year-round participation in the arts is available to the people of Delaware. This grant category utilizes a three-year application cycle. Full applications are due every three years, with Interim applications due in the “off” years. Annual March 1 deadline.

Arts Stabilization – supports improvements to facilities owned (or under long-term lease) and operated by the organization. Arts Stabilization grants are funded through the Division’s participation in the Arts Consortium of Delaware, Inc. (ArtCo) endowment. Annual March 1 deadline.

StartUp – a comprehensive program of financial support, training, and consultation to develop and strengthen the management capacity of emerging arts organizations so that they can operate in a sustainable manner. Completion of the StartUp program is a prerequisite for emerging organizations seeking General Operating Support. Annual March 1 deadline.

Arts Access – supports small budget projects that include the presentation of performing, visual, literary, media, or folk arts in communities throughout the state. Applications must be submitted at least six weeks prior to the project start date, and are reviewed as they are received, beginning on July 1 of each year. Organizations that receive General Operating or Project Support from the Division are not eligible to apply. Rolling deadline.

Community-Based Organizations: Non-profit Delaware organizations, colleges, universities, and government entities that do not have the arts as their primary mission

Project Support – supports arts programs provided by CBOs that assist in the growth of a vibrant cultural environment by encouraging the continued development of arts activities in communities throughout the state. College and university projects must be non-credit and serve the general community.  Annual March 1 deadline.

Arts Access – supports small budget projects that include the presentation of performing, visual, literary, media, or folk arts in communities throughout the state. Applications must be submitted at least six weeks prior to the project start date, and are reviewed as they are received, beginning on July 1 of each year. Organizations that receive General Operating or Project Support from the Division are not eligible to apply. Rolling deadline.

Schools: Delaware pre-K through 12 public, charter, private, and parochial schools

Artist Residency – grants for residencies with visual, literary, performing, or media artists working with students in the classroom or in professional development workshops with teachers. Rolling deadline.

TranspARTation – grants that support transportation costs for schools to travel to Delaware arts and cultural institutions and venues in order for students to attend arts performances, events and exhibits. The FY2023 TranspARTation application will be available in August 2022 for the 2022-2023 school year.

Arts Organizations and Schools:

Education Resource – grants to strengthen standards-based arts education projects, programs, and activities that utilize the arts education resources of the Delaware arts community or strengthen arts organizations’ capacity to serve as professional development resources for teaching artists and educators.  Annual March 1 deadline.

Individual Artists: Delaware residents, 18 years of age or older, not enrolled in a degree-granting program

Artist Fellowships – supports individual artists in their work as visual, performing, media, folk, and/or literary artists. Applications are received and processed by Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation. FY2022 Masters categories are Literary and Media Arts. Annual August 1 deadline (August 2 in 2021).

Artist Opportunity Grants – provides up to $1,000 to support individual artists with unique professional and artistic development or presentation opportunities. Quarterly deadlines, January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1.

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Contact: Andrew Truscott, Program Officer, Marketing and Communications
302-577-8280, andrew.truscott@delaware.gov

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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.