Eighteen Delaware artists are being recognized by the Division for the high quality of their artwork. Work samples from 126 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 18 selected fellows reside throughout Delaware including Arden, Dover, Hockessin, Milton, Newark, Rehoboth Beach, 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 – and 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. The work of the Fellows will be featured in a group exhibition, Award Winners XVII, at the Biggs Museum this summer.

“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 Masters Fellowship is open to differing artistic disciplines each year. In Fiscal Year 2017, Masters Fellowship applications were accepted in Folk Arts or Visual Arts 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. Listed below are the Delaware Division of the Arts 2017 Individual Artist Fellows and four Honorable Mentions.

Yolanda Chetwynd has been awarded this year’s Masters Fellowship in Visual Arts: Painting. Chetwynd is a practicing artist who has been living in Newark, Delaware since 1987. She holds an advanced painting degree from The Slade School of Fine Art, University College London as well as a Masters in Professional Studies in Art Therapy from The Pratt Institute. An award-winning painter, Chetwynd has been invited to participate in exhibitions locally, nationally, and internationally. She is also devoted to reinforcing the role of art in education. Chetwynd has worked with the Delaware Institute for Arts in Education since 1992 and has collaborated with teachers on over 100 art projects in Delaware classrooms. She was selected as one of eight regional teaching artists from the National Association of Aesthetic Education Institutes to implement a series of national training workshops and served on the team to write the Visual Arts standards for the state of Delaware. Chetwynd has previously served on the boards of directors of Delcaps and the Newark Arts Alliance.

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2017 Individual Artist Fellows

Masters Award ($10,000)
Yolanda Chetwynd, Newark, Visual Arts: Painting

Established Professional Award ($6,000)
Phillip Bannowsky, Newark, Literature: Poetry
Arden Bardol, Dover, Visual Arts: Crafts
Mahasveta (Gitu) Barua, Newark, Literature: Fiction
Kathryn Canavan, Wilmington, Literature: Creative Nonfiction
A.T. Moffett, Wilmington, Dance: Choreography
Hugh Phibbs, Wilmington, Visual Arts: Works on Paper
Troy Richards, Wilmington, Visual Arts: Painting
Chad States, Rehoboth Beach, Visual Arts: Sculpture
Beth Trepper, Wilmington, Visual Arts: Photography

Emerging Professional Award ($3,000)
Jennifer Borders, Arden, Visual Arts: Sculpture
Daniel Carunchio, Wilmington, Music: Solo Recital
Larry Kelts, Newark, Literature: Poetry
Kathy Maas, Hockessin, Literature: Creative Nonfiction
Ray Magnani, Newark, Visual Arts: Photography
Terrance Vann, Wilmington, Visual Arts: Painting
Aaron Wright, Newark, Literature: Playwriting
David Yurkovich, Milton, Literature: Fiction

Honorable Mention
Dennis Beach, Wilmington, Visual Arts: Sculpture
Luigi Ciuffetelli, Hockessin, Visual Arts: Photography
Liz Dolan, Rehoboth Beach, Literature: Fiction
Linda Harris Reynolds, Wilmington, Visual Arts: Work on Paper

The next deadline for Individual Artist Fellowship applications will be Tuesday, August 1, 2017 by 4:30 p.m.

To contact an individual artist, please email or call: Roxanne Stanulis, Program Officer, Artist Programs and Services, Roxanne.Stanulis@delaware.gov or 302-577-8283.

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

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HARRINGTON – Today at the Delaware State Fair, Governor Jack Markell, DNREC Secretary David Small and DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship Director Acting Director Robert Palmer appraised the top entries in this year’s youth rain barrel painting contest before announcing the winning barrel, as voted by fairgoers this year, was “Tiki – H2O Progenitor,” painted by Kara Scarangella, a high school sophomore at St. Thomas More Academy, Magnolia.

Fairgoers had the opportunity to view the top five finalists’ painted barrels on display in the DNREC Building at the Fair, and to vote until Tuesday’s deadline for their favorite. All five barrels will remain on display until the fair closes Saturday, July 30. The other finalists were:

• Second place: “Reign of the Sea,” by Sophia Birl, Savannah Stewart and Chloe Wilson of Delmarva Christian School, Georgetown
• Third place: “Mrs. Minion,” by Rachel Santos of Phillip C. Showell Elementary, Selbyville
• Fourth place: “United States of Water,” by fourth graders Alec Ciesinski, Owen Reazor and Alex Ozor of Maclary Elementary School, Newark
• Fifth place: “Nature Preservers,” by fourth graders Jordan Short, Katrina Endres, Ella Baldwin and Olivia Kessler of Maclary Elementary School, Newark

Also recognized was the grand prize winner in the adult rain barrel painting contest, Nathan Zimmerman of Milton, a construction reviewer with DNREC’s Sediment and Stormwater program. His barrel, “Early to Rise at Sundown,” which depicts a barred owl perched over water, will be placed at Woodburn, the Governor’s Residence in Dover.

DNREC sponsored the two rain barrel painting contests to educate the community on the benefits of using rain barrels to reduce rainwater runoff and improve water quality. Ten youth participants and 10 adult participants were chosen for the contests based on their applications, design ideas and site placements. Individuals or groups chosen each received a fully-assembled, primed 55-gallon plastic barrel, topcoat and bubble wrap; they supplied their own paint, brushes and other materials or tools. They then had five weeks to finish their artistry and submit final photographs and information, as well as a short biography of themselves.

As part of the program, each selected individual or group is required to find a public home for their finished rain barrel. Placement can be at a school, with a nonprofit organization, church, municipal building, or other public location.

For more information about the rain barrel painting contests, including photos of the entries, please click 2016 Rain Barrel Art Contest. For more information on the contests, please email Sara Wozniak or call 302-382-0335.

What is a Rain Barrel? A rain barrel is a container that collects and stores the water from roofs and downspouts for future uses such as watering lawns, gardens, and house plants; cleaning off gardening tools; and washing your car. Rain barrels help lower your water bills, particularly in the summer months by collecting thousands of gallons of water a year. Rain barrels are also important for our environment because they help reduce water pollution by decreasing the amount of stormwater runoff reaching our streams and rivers. An average rainfall of one inch within a 24-hour period can produce more than 700 gallons of water that run off a typical house. Such stormwater runoff picks up anything on the ground such as litter, excess fertilizer, pet waste, and motor oil, transporting it to storm drains that dump the untreated water directly into our waterways.

Media Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 46, No. 276

DOVER – Do you know a Delaware student who is working to make a difference for the environment? The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control is encouraging teachers, classmates, parents, club or group leaders and others whom a youth’s efforts might have impressed to nominate these students for the 2016 Young Environmentalist of the Year Awards. Nominations must be based on actions or projects which have taken place between July 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016.

Nominations will be accepted through Thursday, June 30, 2016. A winner will be chosen from each of the following categories:

• Elementary for students in grades 1-4
• Middle School for students in grades 5-8
• High School for students in grades 9-12

The Young Environmentalist program honors Delaware students whose actions have resulted in the protection, restoration or enhancement of Delaware’s natural resources through one or more of the following means:

• Demonstrating Environmental Stewardship
• Initiating an Innovative Project
• Increasing Public Awareness
• Demonstrating Environmental Ethics

This is the 23rd year for the award, which was established by colleagues and friends in honor of Dr. Edwin H. Clark II, who served as Secretary of DNREC from 1989 until 1993.

A gift card and a Delaware State Parks prize pack will be awarded to each category winner in recognition of his or her contribution to the community.

Winners will be honored in a special ceremony on Governor’s Day at the 2016 Delaware State Fair Thursday, July 28.

For more information, including nomination forms, please contact Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, at 302-739-9902 or by email at Joanna.wilson@delaware.gov, or visit www.dnrec.delaware.gov/Admin/Pages/YoungEnv.aspx.

Media Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 46, No. 223

Sixteen Delaware artists are being recognized by the Delaware Division of the Arts for the high quality of their artwork. Work samples from 118 Delaware choreographers, composers, musicians, writers, and visual artists were reviewed by out-of-state arts professionals, considering demonstrated creativity and skill in their art form. The 16 selected fellows reside throughout Delaware including Claymont, Dover, Greenville, Lewes, Middletown, Newark, Rehoboth Beach, 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 – and Artist 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.

“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 Masters Fellowship is open to differing artistic disciplines each year. In Fiscal Year 2016, Masters Fellowship applications were accepted in Literary or Media Arts 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.

Ramona DeFelice Long (Newark) has been awarded this year’s Masters Fellowship.  Long, an award-winning author and daily writing proponent, has shared her expertise and enthusiasm for writing via “how-to” articles on her website; participating in local writing groups, readings, and retreats; leading Free Write workshops at Delaware libraries; tutoring, mentoring, and judging youth writers in Delaware schools; and editing other writers’ work, including co-editing an anthology of prose and poetry by Delaware authors.

Listed below are the 16 Delaware Division of the Arts 2016 Individual Artist Fellows and four Honorable Mentions. To contact an individual artist, please email or call: Roxanne Stanulis, Program Officer, Artist Programs and Services, Roxanne.Stanulis@delaware.gov or (302) 577-8283.

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2016 INDIVIDUAL ARTIST FELLOWS

Masters Award ($10,000)

Ramona DeFelice Long, Newark, Literature: Fiction

 

Established Professional Award ($6,000)

Siobhan Carroll, Greenville, Literature: Fiction

Lisa Dill, Wilmington, Literature: Creative Nonfiction

Diane Lorio, Dover, Visual Arts: Painting

Ron Meick, Wilmington, Visual Arts: Works on Paper

Joshua Meier, Middletown, Visual Arts: Photography

Abby Millager, Newark, Literature: Playwriting

Kiandra Parks, Wilmington, Media Arts: Video/Film

Maggie Rowe, Newark, Literature: Poetry

Phillip Scarpone, Wilmington, Visual Arts: Sculpture

Bruce Tychinski, Newark, Music: Solo Recital

 

Emerging Professional Award ($3,000)

J. Barbagallo, Claymont, Literature: Fiction

Linda Celestian, Wilmington, Visual Arts: Painting

Sherry Gage Chappelle, Rehoboth Beach, Literature: Poetry

Victor Letonoff, Lewes, Literature: Creative Nonfiction

Zaneta Zubkova, Wilmington, Visual Arts: Works on Paper

 

Honorable Mention

Mahasveta Barua, Newark, Literature: Creative Fiction

Jen Epler, Wilmington, Literature: Fiction

Glenn Holmstrom, Claymont, Visual Arts: Painting

Mia Muratori, Wilmington, Visual Arts: Painting

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The next deadline for Individual Artist Fellowship applications is Monday, August 1, 2016 by 4:30 p.m.

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 artsdel.org or call 302-577-8278.

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Nominations Open for Governor’s Outstanding Volunteer Service Awards; Submission Deadline Is Aug. 26

NEW CASTLE – Nominations for the Governor’s Outstanding Volunteer Service Awards are being accepted by the State Office of Volunteerism through Wednesday, Aug. 26. These awards recognize the important contributions that Delaware’s volunteers, 18 and older, make to their communities. Award recipients will be honored in October at a special ceremony at Dover Downs Hotel.

The awards honor individuals, organizations, community groups, and corporate volunteerism in the areas of arts and culture, education, community service, environment, health, human needs and social justice. The Paul Wilkinson Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to a person who has had a longtime commitment to volunteerism. Volunteer efforts must have been performed during 2014.

“I am appreciative of the volunteer efforts that happen every day across our state,” Gov. Jack Markell said. “I see the difference that people are making in their communities, especially on behalf of our most vulnerable residents. These dedicated volunteers support individuals and families, and help to build stronger communities. That’s why I am in awe each year of the passion they have for the causes they serve.”

“The volunteer does not do his or her work expecting to be rewarded. Volunteers give generously of their time and abilities to serve their local community and, in some cases, the world community. They do it quietly and thoughtfully,” said Nancy Forster, Chair of the Governor’s Commission on Community and Volunteer Service. “The Governor’s Commission on Community and Volunteer Service is pleased to participate in the Governor’s Adult Volunteer award program and gratefully acknowledge the good work our citizens perform in service to others.”

The nomination form is available on https://volunteer.delaware.gov. Nominators may also request a nomination form by emailing deborah.tokarski@delaware.gov or calling (302) 255-9893. Prior to submission, you may email the nomination form to Deborah Tokarski for review and feedback.

Nominations must be delivered by Wednesday, Aug. 26, to the Office of Volunteerism, Attn: Governor’s Volunteer Service Awards, c/o Deborah Tokarski, 1901 N. Dupont Highway, Charles Debnam Building, New Castle, DE 19720 or emailed to deborah.tokarski@delaware.gov.

According to a 2013 study by the Corporation for National & Community Service, more than 187,700 Delawareans volunteered, contributing 21.7 million hours of service to nonprofit and community organizations. That volunteerism is valued at almost $500 million a year.

The Governor’s Outstanding Volunteer Service Awards are sponsored by the Office of the Governor and are coordinated by the State Office of Volunteerism and the Governor’s Commission on Community and Volunteer Service.

For more information about the awards or volunteer opportunities, go to https://volunteer.delaware.gov, or contact Deborah Tokarski, Volunteer Service Administrator, at (302) 255-9893 or via email deborah.tokarski@delaware.gov.

NEWS FROM THE DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES

For more information, contact Jill Fredel, Director of Communications, (302) 255-9047 (office) or (302) 357-7498 (cell).

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.