DELAWARE DIVISION OF THE ARTS ANNOUNCES FIRST ROUND OF GRANTS
IN SUPPORT OF ARTS PROJECTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2017

The Delaware Division of the Arts is investing nearly $3 million in more than 100 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 FY2017 includes the major grant categories: General Operating Support, Project Support, Arts Stabilization Fund, Education Resource, and StartUp.

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, reflecting the importance of having diverse public and expert participation in the grant-making process.

“We are proud to invest in communities across Delaware, from Claymont to Selbyville, through grants that support arts education, arts and community development, arts service organizations, and arts for underserved communities,” said Paul Weagraff, Director of the Division of the Arts.

“In Delaware, the arts were one of the top ten employers and contributed over $150 million dollars in revenue to the state with nearly a 7 to 1 return on public investment,” said Governor Jack A. Markell. “The arts are integral to Delaware’s economic vitality, and these grants ensure sustained arts programming for all Delawareans.”

The awards include general operating support for more than 70 arts organizations statewide, including three emerging arts organizations, and 43 grants support integration of the arts with learning, health and well-being, and community engagement. These project and education-based grants bring teaching artists into the classroom to integrate the arts in the STEM curriculum, provide reading readiness activities in early childhood centers, support after-school arts learning opportunities, and provide arts activities for those struggling with addiction, physical and intellectual disabilities; and incarceration. Six grants provide support for capital improvements and repairs to facilities owned by arts organizations.

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 (Arts Stabilization Fund) are drawn from the Arts Consortium of Delaware, Inc. (ArtCo) endowment. A complete list of grants for the first round of FY 2017 can be found here.

GRANT BREAKDOWN BY TYPE

Grant Program	# Grants	Amount Awarded
General Operating Support	71	$2,535,100
Project Support	27	$206,500
Arts Stabilization Fund	5	$75,000
Education Resource	16	$140,000
StartUp	3	$4,000
TOTAL	122	$2,960,600

The Division also awards grants on an on-going basis throughout the year, including Arts Access grants, Artist Residencies, Individual Artist Fellowships, Individual Artist Opportunity grants, and TranspARTation 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 Delaware Division of the Arts 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 artsdel.org 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” year. Annual March 1 deadline.

Arts Stabilization – supports 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. Annual March 1 deadline.

StartUp – a comprehensive program of financial support, training and consultant input 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.

Arts Access Grant – provides up to $1,000 for 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.

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. Rolling deadline.

Arts Organizations and Schools:

Education Resource – grants to strengthen school-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.

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 Grant – provides up to $1,000 for 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.

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.  FY17 Masters categories are Visual and Folk Arts. Annual August 1 deadline. Applications now open. Deadline August 1 by 4:30 p.m.

Artist Opportunity Grants – supports individual artists with unique professional and artistic development or presentation opportunities. Rolling deadlines.

For more information about these grants, please visit our website at artsdel.org/grants.

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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.

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

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DELAWARE SEASHORE STATE PARK – Today at the Indian River Marina with DNREC Secretary David Small, legislators, and members of the Delaware Waterways Management and Financing Advisory Committee looking on, Governor Jack Markell signed legislation that establishes a dedicated and sustainable funding  source for the state’s waterway management operations. Sponsored by Senator Gerald Hocker and Representatives Ronald Gray and Ruth Briggs King, Senate Bill 261 allocates increased revenue from the state’s boat registration program to a newly-created Waterway Management Fund for the exclusive support of Delaware’s waterway management operations, as directed by DNREC, to keep channels open and safe for boaters.

“Improving the navigation of Delaware’s waterways supports our economy and tourism, as well as commercial and recreational fishing,” said Gov. Markell. “With almost 60,000 boats registered in Delaware, this legislation is a critical step toward improving the safety and access of our waterways for the boating public. I want to thank the bill sponsors, the Delaware Waterway Management and Financing Advisory Committee, and DNREC for their work in establishing dedicated funding for waterway management operations.”

Fishing is integral to state and local economies. According to American Sportfishing Association, the economic value of recreational fishing in Delaware is almost $150 million annually, while the commercial fishing industry’s annual value is estimated at about $10 million. However, commercial and recreational boaters continue experiencing difficulties in navigating the state’s waterways due to the buildup of silt and sediment along main channels.

“This legislation is essential in helping DNREC achieve its mission of keeping Delaware waterways safe and navigable for boaters,” said DNREC Sec. Small. “The responsibility for dredging and channel marking in federally authorized waterways has fallen to DNREC in recent years, but during an era of challenging state budgets, funding has not kept pace with need. Having a dedicated revenue stream will be a great boost to our waterway management program.”

DNREC estimates the increase in boating registration fees will generate approximately $1.3 million annually. Priorities for dredging in the state include many channels in the Inland Bays where boating activity is the highest. Massey’s Ditch, connecting Rehoboth and Indian River Bays, the Lewes & Rehoboth Canal, Herring Creek, Love Creek, and Whites Creek are all in need of dredging. The Massey’s project is estimated to cost $4 million, the Lewes & Rehoboth Canal project is estimated at $2.4 million, and Herring Creek project is estimated at $2.4 million. Planning and engineering costs for Love Creek and Whites Creek are estimated at $700,000.

Since 1970 DNREC has dredged waterways to maintain adequate depths in them. Over the years, waterway management activities have been conducted solely with General Fund and Bond Bill appropriations provided by the state legislature. Due to substantial reductions in federal funding and assistance, DNREC is now responsible for the dredging and maintenance of all but three of the 20 federal channels in Delaware, as well as having responsibility for additional waterway activities, including navigational channel marking and removal of derelict vessels and debris.

To address the funding needs, the Delaware Waterway Management and Financing Advisory Committee was created in 2014 by Senate Resolution 64 and directed to develop recommendations for sustainable and dedicated funding for waterway management activities statewide. The Committee was comprised of a broad range of interests, including legislators, recreational boaters, commercial watermen, fishing interests, dock and marina owners, and business owners with staff and support provided by DNREC. In 2015 the committee recommended increasing boat registration fees as a funding source for waterway management operations, which led to Senate Bill 261.

Sen. Hocker (R-Ocean View) said, “With tourism being so important to this state, it is a must that we do all we can to keep our bays in the best condition possible for our boaters, for both recreational and commercial activities. Fishing, clamming, crabbing, and waterskiing are just a few examples of why it’s important to keep our channels open and properly marked. As a result of the U.S. Coast Guard turning this responsibility over to the states, a task force was formed for the purpose of coming up with a revenue source necessary for dredging operations. The 148^th General Assembly passed legislation, SB 261, to ensure a dedicated revenue source of an estimated $1.3 million to be used for our channel dredging and marking. This represents about 1/3 of the monies needed annually.”

Rep. Gray (R-Selbyville), who served on the Delaware Waterways Management and Financing Advisory Committee, stated that “This is a very good day for the people of Sussex County and, in particular, the residents of the 38^th District. Our committee spent months looking at a lot of different options on how to fund the much-needed dredging of our waterways. Establishing a dedicated funding source from revenue generated by people who use the waterways made the most sense. I am confident that this will enable our state to continue cleaning waterways in order to keep boaters and other recreational users as safe as possible.”

Rep. Briggs King (R-Georgetown) said she was “thrilled to be part of today’s bill signing. Ensuring our waterways are clean for safe boating and recreational use is essential to our tourism industry in Sussex County, as well as to our residents’ quality of life. Channel dredging, especially in parts of my district, cannot start soon enough. This funding source will go a long way to help address the serious and very legitimate concerns that many of us have been hearing over the years from our boating community.”

Highlights of Senate Bill 261:

• Doubles current boat registration fees, with the increased revenue allocated to the Waterway Management Fund.

• The remaining half of total boat registration revenue will continue to be used to administer the boat registration program and for boating education and safety.

• Requires that Waterway Management Fund revenues are used exclusively to support navigational channel dredging and marking and debris removal from waterways
• Increases the current service charges being retained by licensing agents to offset the costs of processing boat registration and boat ramp certificates.

The legislation becomes effective January 1, 2017.

Contact: Melanie Rapp, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 46, No. 265

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The Delaware General Assembly will host a Wreaths Across America ceremony on Monday, Dec. 7, 2015 at 11:30 a.m. and the public is invited. State House ceremonies in all 50 states and Washington D.C., are part of a week-long celebration of America’s veterans and their service to our country, with a particular focus on family during the holidays.

Volunteers conduct the WAA State House Ceremonies each year in their state capitols. “This nationwide program is about remembering our fallen heroes, honoring those who serve, and teaching our children about the sacrifices made by veterans and their families to preserve our freedoms,” said Lori Christiansen, event coordinator. The originator of the wreath laying program was Morrill Worcester, owner of a wreath making company in Maine who in 1991 donated and delivered wreaths to Arlington National Cemetery to be placed on the graves of the fallen. The WAA program’s mission of “Remember, Honor, Teach,” spreads the message of the importance of remembering our fallen heroes, honoring those who serve, and teaching our children about the sacrifices made by veterans and their families to preserve our freedoms. A large wreath honoring all five branches of the armed forces will placed at the base of the Delaware Continentals Statue. Additional wreaths will be laid at four locations on the grounds of Legislative Hall, at the new Gulf War Memorial, the Dover Light Infantry Memorial Wreath, the World War II Memorial and the Medal of Honor Memorial. Dave Skocik, president of the Delaware Veterans Coalition, will provide welcoming remarks and act as the Master of Ceremonies.

“The simple act of laying these wreaths will honor their legacies and serve as a visible reminder of their sacrifices,” said State Representative Earl Jaques, Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee. Delaware Senator Bruce C. Ennis, Chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, agreed. “Delaware is proud to participate in the Wreaths Across America Program at its capital in Dover. The mission is to remember, honor and teach, by laying wreaths at the capitals in all 50 states, as well as at Arlington and all veterans cemeteries.”

http://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/