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.

Step right up and into DNREC’s newly-climate-controlled fair building for exhibits and environmental displays galore!

HARRINGTON  – With the 2017 Delaware State Fair throwing open the gates today for its fun-filled 10-day run (Thursday, July 20 thru Saturday, July 29), DNREC is again right in the middle of the annual extravaganza – with an array of environmental displays in a newly-climate-controlled State Fair building, and game prizes to be won by kids of all ages for showing their knowledge about the state’s natural resources and environment.

Under the banner with this year’s theme, “DNREC – Your ECOnnection,” DNREC’s displays link visitors to environmentally-friendly programs and ideas. Fairgoers will find information and activities from DNREC’s divisions and programs. Featured this year: DNREC’s refurbished Energy House and a new interactive watershed display demonstrating how water flows and wetlands hold water, plus a 3-D map of stormwater runoff flowing from a suburban yard to Delaware’s wetlands, rivers, streams, bay and the ocean. State Fair visitors young and older also are invited to play DNREC’s scavenger hunt game for discovering eco-friendly facts about Delaware that can be found within the DNREC building, and to pick from a wide range of prizes after their successful “hunt.”

Meanwhile, the DNREC On Stage theater offers a preview of programs from parks, nature centers and other facilities statewide owned and operated by the Department’s Divisions of Fish & Wildlife, Parks & Recreation and Watershed Stewardship. Stop by daily to learn more about what we have to offer – and discover unique new places you and your family can visit!

ECOnnect with DNREC!
At the Fair, adults and kids of all ages can learn more about the science behind the work DNREC does in protecting the environment and Delaware’s natural resources. DNREC’s building includes displays, hands-on activities and educational games. At DNREC on Stage, in the building’s air-conditioned theater, they will also see live animal shows and presentations ranging from maritime history to geology to Delaware’s unique plants and animals. DNREC’s building is located on the fair grounds’ East Rider Road – admission is free and the building is open from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. daily during the fair. For more information, please visit www.dnrec.delaware.gov.

DNREC on Stage Schedule

Thursday, July 20

• Noon – 3 p.m. Build Your Own Horseshoe Crab! Kids of all ages are invited to color and create their own model of a horseshoe crab, and learn more about these unique aquatic creatures. (From the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve)

Friday, July 21

• Noon – 3 p.m. Wildlife in the Parks … and in your Backyard! Learn about the animals that call Lums Pond home – and the critters in your own backyard. Plus, meet some park residents, including a turtle and toad. (From Lums Pond State Park)

Saturday, July 22

• Noon – 3 p.m. Herbivore, Omnivore, Carnivore! Mammal teeth tell the story of what their owners eat, as illustrated by skulls such as black bear, beaver, deer, and others, along with animal pelts to touch. (From White Clay Creek State Park)
• 3 – 6 p.m. Live Music with Switchback! Stay awhile and enjoy upbeat rock and pop from the 70s to now with this three-piece local band!

Sunday, July 23

• Noon – 3 p.m. Bringing the Zoo to You! Meet a few of the residents of Delaware’s very own zoo and learn about where and how they live. (From the Brandywine Zoo)

Monday, July 24 – Senior Day

• Noon – 3 p.m. Beach Comes to the Fair! Live horseshoe crabs and other beach creatures travel inland to DNREC’s fair building to meet visitors. (From Cape Henlopen State Park)
• 3 – 6 p.m. Who’s in the Bay Today? Learn about some aquatic species that live in the Delaware Bay and meet some up close! (From the DuPont Nature Center)

Tuesday, July 25 – Kids Day

• Noon – 3 p.m. Reptiles and Amphibians of Delaware! Meet the often-unnoticed creatures that crawl, hop, swim and slither in our wetlands, woods and waterways. (From Killens Pond State Park)
• Noon – 3 p.m. Experience Colonial Games and Toys! Costumed interpreters invite visitors to play games and check out toys from Colonial times, on the DNREC building’s porch. (From First State Heritage Park)
• 3 – 6 p.m. Shipwrecks & Surfman Selfies! Celebrate Delaware Seashore State Park’s 50th anniversary with displays telling the park’s unique story and maritime history activities.

Wednesday, July 26 – Armed Forces Day/Military Appreciation Day

• Noon – 3 p.m. Creating Power through Natural Resources! See how water creates power by watching a steam engine in action, then create your own pinwheel to harness wind and make energy (From Auburn Heights Preserve)
• 3 – 6 p.m. Travel Back to the Civil War Days! Interpreters in period costume invite children to play games and try on period costumes, then march in children’s infantry drills. (From Fort Delaware State Park)

Thursday, July 27 – Governors Day/Senior Day

• 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Join DNREC’s Volunteer Olympics! Get a taste of some of the volunteer opportunities DNREC offers by competing in fast and fun games including beach grass planting and horseshoe crab counting … with prizes.
• 1 – 2 p.m. DNREC Awards at Mann Tharp Pavilion! DNREC’s Young Environmentalists, Youth Fishing Tournament winners, Wetland Warriors, Volunteers of the Year, Hunting and Fishing Photo Contest winners and Rain Barrel Art Contest winners will be recognized. Also, get a close-up look at one of DNREC’s environmental Emergency Response Team vehicles.
• 1:40 p.m. Bayshore Forever! Catch the premiere of this new video tour of Delaware’s beautiful Bayshore region.
• 3 – 6 p.m. Horseshoe Crabs and Skins, Scat and Tracks! Two fascinating programs about Delaware’s resident living fossil – the horseshoe crab – and a close-up look at identifying animals by their tracks, scat and skins. (From the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve)

Friday, July 28

• Noon – 3 p.m. Beauty and the Beaks! Learn about how different kinds of Delaware birds use their specialized beaks and feathers – and try being a bird. (From Alapocas Run State Park/Wilmington State Parks)
• 3 – 6 p.m. Primitive Skills: Making Slate Cutting Tools! Learn how our ancient ancestors created cutting tools from slate and try making your own slate tools with help from a park naturalist. (Killens Pond State Park)
• 4:30 – 9 p.m. How Does Your Deer Measure Up? Learn how Boone & Crockett’s white-tailed deer scoring system works, see some examples of mounted record-holders and get your own evaluated. (On the DNREC Bldg. porch)

Vol. 47, No. 163

Media contact: Joanna Wilson, 302-739-9902 or Joanna.Wilson@delaware.gov

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NEWARK – The staff at White Clay Creek State Park invites the public to a very special extension of their free Wednesday Night Concert series. Starting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 31, visitors will enjoy songs and interactive storytelling followed by interactive dancing at the park’s Carpenter Recreation Area, 880 New London Road, Newark DE, 19711. The programs are free; however, state park entry fees will be in effect.

Starting the evening will be Oni Lasana as Mama Earth. Lasana is an advocate for storytelling, Arts-in-Education and community theater, and is dedicated to coaching and collaborating youth and adults. She will share stories and songs of nature for families.

At 7 p.m., University of Delaware’s premier Bollywood-fusion dance team, Delaware Kamaal Dancers, will bring various styles of dance to the park. This nationally ranked group will perform and interacts with the audience by instructing them in the dance.

Delaware State Parks is able to offer these free, family-friendly programs thanks in part by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. The Division of Parks & Recreation promotes Delaware arts events on DelawareScene.com.

More information about this and other Delaware State Parks programs is available at destateparks.com.

Media Contacts: Barbara Woodford, White Clay Creek State Park, 302-368-6560, barbara.woodford@delaware.gov; or Necia Beck, Delaware State Parks, 302-739-9175, Necia.Beck@delaware.gov

Vol. 46, No. 306