For Immediate Release

 SAMUEL MCGARVEY TO REPRESENT DELAWARE IN
2018 POETRY OUT LOUD NATIONAL FINALS IN WASHINGTON

Dover, Del. (February 28, 2018) – From a competitive field of 12 Delaware high school students, Samuel McGarvey, a sophomore from Tall Oaks Classical School, earned the title of 2018 Poetry Out Loud Delaware State Champion at the state finals held in Dover, Del. on Feb. 27. The first runner-up was Dounya Ramadan from Newark Charter Jr./Sr. High School and the second runner-up was Richard Matthews from Dover High School.

McGarvey’s final recitation, I Remember, I Remember by Thomas Hood, earned him high marks with the judges.

For his winning presentation, McGarvey will receive $200 and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington with a chaperone to compete at the national championship on April 23-25. Tall Oaks Classical School will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry materials. Dounya Ramadan, the first runner-up will receive $100, and Newark Charter Jr./Sr. High School will receive $200 for its school library.

The Poetry Out Loud state competition, sponsored by the Delaware Division of the Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, is part of a national program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance, and competition.

To learn more about the State Finalists and for hi-res photos from the event, please see our page here. For hi-res photos, please contact Leeann Wallett.

About Poetry Out Loud
The Delaware Division of the Arts sponsors the Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest program in Delaware schools and the state finals. Competition begins at the classroom level in the fall and culminates with the state finals each spring. Twenty schools and over 2,000 Delaware students participated in the Poetry Out Loud program in the current academic year. The Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest competition is presented in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation.

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

Banner image: Samuel McGarvey

THE MEZZANINE GALLERY TO EXHIBIT TERRANCE VANN’S
“EDGE OF DESTINY” PAINTINGS

Wilmington, Del. (February 23, 2018) – Edge of Destiny will be on view in the Mezzanine Gallery from March 2-29, 2018. A free opening reception to meet the artist will be held on Friday, March 2 from 5-7 p.m. Live music will be provided by a local band led by Vernon James Jr.

Wilmington artist Vann received a 2017 Delaware Division of the Arts Established Fellowship in Painting. This exhibition features all new work and some of Vann’s most ambitious paintings to date. His themes often deal with the human experiences of development and awareness in hopes to inspire critical thoughts from the audience.

He describes his style as “living at the intersection of street art and fine art.” Several of the works feature complex fragmented characters painted on a large scale with colorful graffiti-esque backgrounds. Utilizing symbols and words, Vann’s works promote mindfulness and tell stories. Will Power, a portrait of Vann’s fiancée, Keyanna, is a tribute to her, illustrating this new direction in his work.

Learn more about Vann with our YouTube Meet the Artist video series.

The Mezzanine Gallery, open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., is located in the Carvel State Office Building, 820 N. French Street, Wilmington.

Image: Will Power, 2018, acrylic and spray paint, 60” x 60”

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

MEDIA ADVISORY
February 26, 2018

THE DELAWARE DIVISION OF THE ARTS ANNOUNCES
2018 DELAWARE STATE EMPLOYEE ART EXHIBITION

WHAT: This program is designed to give Delaware state employees and their families, at any skill level, a unique opportunity to exhibit their artwork and to compete for cash prizes. Several special recognition ribbons will also be awarded. The exhibition is free and open to the public. Photos are allowed in the Gallery.

WHEN: Now through March 19, 2018. Gallery Hours: Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm; Wed 9:00 am – 6:00 pm; Sat, (3/3 and 3/10) 12:00 – 4:00 pm

WHERE:

Delaware State University Art Center/Gallery
1200 N. DuPont Hwy, Dover, DE 19901
302.857.6697
Click here for directions

WHO: Over 220 pieces will be displayed at the seventh annual Delaware State Employee Art Exhibition sponsored by The National Arts Program®. Participants must be a current employee, or immediate family member of a current employee (parent, spouse, sibling, or child), of the State of Delaware (participating group members are also eligible).

The reception and awards ceremony will be held on Sunday, March 18, 2018 from 1 to 3 pm in the Bank of America Building auditorium. Free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served prior to the ceremony. Speakers will include the Honorable Jeffrey W. Bullock, secretary of state and Kristin Pleasanton, deputy director, Delaware Division of the Arts.

OTHER: Make sure to tag us on Facebook or Twitter when you visit the Gallery at @ArtsDelaware.

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

Banner image: Delaware State Employee Art Exhibition gallery image from 2016

THE DELAWARE DIVISION OF THE ARTS TO HOST
ANNUAL POETRY OUT LOUD STATE FINAL COMPETITION
Twelve students to compete to advance to the National Finals in DC

Dover, Del. (February 14, 2018) – From a competitive field of 20 Delaware high school students, 12 remain to compete at the statewide recitation competition that will be held at a new location this year, Dover High School on Tuesday, February 27 at 7 p.m.

The finalists will compete for the opportunity to represent Delaware and advance to the National Finals in Washington from April 24-25, where $50,000 in awards and school stipends will be distributed.

2018 Delaware State Finalists

The competition encourages high school students to learn about poetry through memorization, performance and competition. Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest is sponsored by the Delaware Division of the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation.

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. Visit arts.gov to learn more about NEA.

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

Banner image: 2016 Delaware Poetry Out Loud State Finalist, Hannah Sturgis. Photo by: Kathleen Buckalew

THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS ANNOUNCES
FY 2018 GRANTS TO SUPPORT THE ARTS
Two Delaware organizations will receive $20,000 in federal grants

Wilmington, Del. (February 7, 2018) – Each year, more than 4,500 communities large and small throughout the United States benefit from National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grants to nonprofits. For the NEA’s first of two major grant announcements of fiscal year 2018, more than $25 million in grants across all artistic disciplines will be awarded to nonprofit organizations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. These grants are for specific projects and range from performances and exhibitions, to healing arts and arts education programs, to festivals and artist residencies.

“It is energizing to see the impact that the arts are making throughout the United States. These NEA-supported projects are good examples of how the arts build stronger and more vibrant communities, improve well-being, prepare our children to succeed, and increase the quality of our lives,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “At the National Endowment for the Arts, we believe that all people should have access to the joy, opportunities, and connections the arts bring.”

OperaDelaware will receive an Art Works grant in the amount of $10,000 to support new productions of Puccini’s “Il Trittico” (“The Triptych”) and composer Michael Ching’s “Buoso’s Ghost.”

“We’re delighted that the NEA has chosen to support our work for the third season in a row,” said General Director, Brendan Cooke. “This grant will allow us to return to Wilmington’s Grand Opera House (which received a 2017 NEA Art Works grant) for the 2018 Spring Opera Festival which will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the premiere of Puccini’s “Il Trittico” (“The Triptych”) and feature seven one-act operas over two weekends.”

For fiscal year 2018, the NEA will award 936 Art Works grants totaling more than $24 million to organizations in 49 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

The Wilmington Renaissance Corporation will receive a Challenge America grant in the amount of $10,000 to support the artist-led creation of a community public artwork.

“To receive this recognition and award from the NEA is an honor,” said Dr. Carrie W. Gray, managing director of Wilmington Renaissance Corporation. “We truly believe that the arts are an engine for community and neighborhood development. This is at the core of our Creative District initiative. Thanks to the NEA’s help, we will be able to continue to provide access to arts and culture programming to neighborhoods that will benefit from it. We look forward to sharing the details of our project with everyone soon.”

For fiscal year 2018, the NEA will award 138 Challenge America grants of $10,000 each for a total of $1.38 million to organizations in 42 states.

The full NEA grant descriptions follow:

Art Works
Art Works is the NEA’s largest funding category and supports projects that focus on the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and/or the strengthening of communities through the arts.

Challenge America
The Challenge America category features NEA support for projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations—those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability. A number of these grantees have a history of support in both the Challenge America and Art Works categories.

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. Visit arts.gov to learn more about NEA.

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

Banner image: 2016 production of Amleto (Hamlet), OperaDelaware