Twenty-five Delaware artists to receive recognition

Wilmington, Del. (January 13, 2022) – Twenty-five Delaware artists are being recognized by the Division for the high quality of their artwork. Work samples from 132 Delaware choreographers; composers; musicians; writers; and folk, media and visual artists were reviewed by out-of-state arts professionals, considering demonstrated creativity and skill in their art form. The 25 selected fellows reside throughout Delaware including Dover, Georgetown, Hockessin, Lewes, Magnolia, Middletown, Newark, Smyrna, Townsend 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. 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. Additionally, the work of the Fellows will be featured in a group exhibition, Award Winners XXII, at the Biggs Museum of American Art tentatively set for June 3 through July 23, 2022.

“Individual Artist Fellowship grants recognize Delaware artists for their outstanding work and commitment to artistic excellence,” said Jessica Ball, 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 Division of the Arts understands that artists have been hard hit by the economic fallout of the pandemic and was pleased to be able to allocate some additional funds to recognize more artists this year.”

The Masters Fellowship is open to different artistic disciplines each year. In Fiscal Year 2022, Masters Fellowship applications were accepted in Literary Arts and 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 and beyond. Listed below are the Delaware Division of the Arts 2022 Individual Artist Fellows.

Linda Blaskey has been awarded this year’s Masters Fellowship in Literature: Poetry. Blaskey’s work has been chosen for inclusion in Best New Poets, 2014, and in North Carolina’s Poetry on the Bus project for National Poetry Month. She is poetry/interview editor emerita for Broadkill Review, is coordinator for the Dogfish Head Poetry Prize, and current editor for the new online journal, Quartet. She organized a presentation of Icelandic poetry for the Rehoboth Beach Film Festival, and her work was included in Southern Delaware Choral Society’s presentation of Haydn: “Mass in the Time of War.” She sat on the panel, “Collaborative Publishing,” for Western Maryland Indie Lit Festival at Frostburg State University. Blaskey’s work has been published in numerous journals and anthologies, and she is the author of four poetry collections, two of which are collaborations, one forthcoming in 2022. She lives with her husband on a small horse/goat farm in Sussex County, Delaware.

2022 Individual Artist Fellows

Masters Award ($10,000)

Established Professional Award ($6,000)

Emerging Artist Award ($3,000)

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.

The next deadline for Individual Artist Fellowship applications will be Monday, August 1, 2022 by 11:59 p.m.

Learn more

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 arts.delaware.gov or call 302-577-8278.

Image: 2021 Award Winners exhibition at the Biggs Museum of American Art. Artwork by Jack Knight, 2021 Established Professional, Visual Arts: Sculpture.

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Contact: Kaitlin Ammon, Program Officer, Marketing and Communications
302-577-8280, kaitlin.ammon@delaware.gov

Twenty-five Delaware artists to receive recognition

Wilmington, Del. (January 11, 2021) – Twenty-five Delaware artists are being recognized by the Delaware Division of the Arts for the high quality of their artwork. Work samples from 121 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 25 selected fellows reside throughout Delaware including Arden, Bear, Clayton, Dover, Lewes, Long Neck, Milton, Newark, Rehoboth Beach, Smyrna, 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. 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. Additionally, the work of the Fellows will be featured in a group exhibition, Award Winners XXI at the Biggs Museum tentatively set for June 4-July 25, 2021.

“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 Division was pleased to be able to allocate some additional funds to the Fellowship categories this year, thereby enabling the Division to recognize more artists this year.”

The Masters Fellowship is open to different artistic disciplines each year. In Fiscal Year 2021, Masters Fellowship applications were accepted in Dance, Jazz, and Music 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 and beyond. Listed below are the Delaware Division of the Arts 2021 Individual Artist Fellows.

Jennifer Margaret Barker has been awarded this year’s Master’s Fellowship in Music: Composition. Described as “a composer of profound sensibility”, Barker has received performances of her compositions on six continents. Her compositions have been performed by orchestras such as the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and the Virginia Symphony; chamber and choral ensembles such as Orchestra 2001, Network for New Music, Vocal de Cámara Platense and Bearsden Choir; and an extensive list of international artists including Martin Jones. Recent international festivals in which her music has been featured include Malta’s Victoria International Arts Festival, Brazil’s Festival Internacional Compositores de Hoje, and America’s Festival Mozaic. Her compositions have been broadcast on American public radio (including Performance Today), Canadian radio, Hong Kong radio, Swedish radio, and the BBC. Published by Boosey & Hawkes, Theodore Presser, Southern Percussion, Vanderbeek & Imrie, and McKenna-Keddie, Barker’s compositions have been released on the Naxos, Albany, New World Records, Composers Recordings Inc., Meyer Media, and PnOVA labels.

2021 Individual Artist Fellows

Masters Award ($10,000)

Established Professional Award ($6,000)

Emerging Artist Award ($3,000)

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.

The next deadline for Individual Artist Fellowship applications will be Thursday, August 2, 2021 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 arts.delaware.gov or call 302-577-8278. Image: 2020 Award Winners exhibition at CAMP Rehoboth. Painting (left) by Chloe McEldowney, 2020 Emerging Professional, Visual Arts: Painting; Sculpture (center) by Aaron Paskins, 2020 Established Professional, Visual Arts: Sculpture; and Work on cardboard (right) by Michael Fleishman, 2020 Emerging Professional, Visual Arts: Works on Paper.

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Nineteen Delaware artists and two Honorable Mentions
to receive recognition

Wilmington, Del. (January 14, 2020) – Nineteen Delaware artists are being recognized by the Division for the high quality of their artwork. Work samples from 139 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 20 selected fellows reside throughout Delaware including Dover, Lewes, Milford, Milton, Newark, New Castle, 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.

“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 work of the Fellows will be featured in a group exhibition, Award Winners XX at the Biggs Museum from June 5 to July 23, 2020 with an award ceremony and reception on Wednesday, June 10 at 5 p.m. Selections from Award Winners will travel to CAMP Rehoboth for the entire month of August and then Cab Calloway School of the Arts from September 4 to October 25. Opening receptions will be held June 5, August 1, and October 2 and are free and open to the public (Dates are subject to change).

The Masters Fellowship is open to differing artistic disciplines each year. In Fiscal Year 2020, Masters Fellowship applications were accepted in Visual and Folk 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 and beyond. Listed below are the Delaware Division of the Arts 2020 Individual Artist Fellows and two Honorable Mentions.

Mark Unruh has been awarded this year’s Master’s Fellowship in Folk Arts: Music. Unruh, a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, composer and instructor, teaches at The Music School of Delaware, Accent Music Store, Wilmington and Pro Musica Studios in Kennett Square, Pa. He covers a variety of musical styles including bluegrass, classical, jazz, blues, rock and ragtime and averages around 2,000 lessons annually. In addition to his teaching, Unruh is an established performer who has shared the stage with legends such as David Bromberg, Jay Unger and Molly Mason, Tammy Wynette, Bob and Ted Lundy, Jr., Wayne Henderson, David Grier, and Muriel Anderson, to name a few. Unruh’s passion for folk music leaves him “thankful to be able to give of (himself), serve the song, and bond with students, players and listeners.”

2020 Individual Artist Fellows

Masters Award ($10,000)

Established Professional Award ($6,000)

Emerging Artist Award ($3,000)

Honorable Mention

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.

The next deadline for Individual Artist Fellowship applications will be Monday, August 3, 2020 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 arts.delaware.gov or call 302-577-8278. Image: 2019 Award Winners exhibition at the Biggs Museum. Paintings by Geraldo Gonzalez, 2019 Established Professional, Folks Arts: painting

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

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

WHAT: Thirteen Delaware high school students will participate in the state finals for Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest at the Smyrna Opera House. The winner of this competition will represent Delaware and advance to the National Finals in Washington, DC on April 25-26, 2017, where $50,000 in awards and school stipends will be distributed. This program is sponsored by the Delaware Division of the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Poetry Foundation.

WHEN: Tuesday, February 28 2017 at 7:00 p.m. Students start arriving at 5 p.m.

WHERE: Smyrna Opera House: Click here for directions.

WHO:  Featured speakers and judges will be:

• Speakers:
  • The Honorable Jeffrey W. Bullock, Secretary of State
  • Paul Weagraff, Director, Delaware Division of the Arts
  • J. Mack Wathen, Chair, Delaware State Arts Council
• Master of Ceremonies:
  • Scott F. Mason, President of Chapel Street Players and award-winning actor, playwright, and director
• Judges:
  • Chantalle Ashford, Choral Director and English Teacher, Indian River High School
  • Russell Susumu Endo, Poet, 2011 Individual Artist Fellow: Poetry
  • Ajit Matthew George, Organizer, TEDxWilmington
  • Joseph Masiello, Adjunct Professor, Wilmington University
  • Devon Miller-Duggan, Professor of Creative Writing, University of Delaware
  • Jane Rubini, Founder and Chair, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Communication Contest
  • Dr. Donna Blakey, Delaware State Arts Council member will serve as the accuracy judge
• Entertainment:
  • JW2, is made up of James Witherite (organ) and Jonathan W. Whitney (drums), who bring their own originals and favorites from the jazz, funk, and old-school R&B genres to life.

OTHER: Attendance at Smyrna Opera House is free and open to the public, although seating is limited. The 2017 Poetry Out Loud Media Kit for this event is available on our website. Hi-Res photos will be available the day after the event.  Use hashtags: #POL17, #iampoetryoutloud, and #Delaware. Tag us at: @ArtsDelaware

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. For more details about the partnership and program, see the program overview here.

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