THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS ANNOUNCES
$34 MILLION IN GRANTS TO SUPPORT THE ARTS

The Choir School of Delaware and State Education Agency Directors of Education to receive federal funding for arts projects

Wilmington, Del. (January 17, 2023) — As the only funder in the country to support arts activities in all 50 states and five U.S. jurisdictions, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced that two Delaware organizations will receive $50,000 in federal grants. This is the first of the NEA’s two major grant announcements each fiscal year and includes grants to organizations through the NEA’s Grants for Arts Projects, Challenge America, and Research Awards categories. This announcement also includes grants to individuals for Literature Fellowships in creative writing (poetry) and translation.

“Together, these grants show the NEA’s support nationwide for strengthening our arts and cultural ecosystems, providing equitable opportunities for arts participation and practice, and contributing to the health of our communities and our economy,” said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “I encourage everyone to explore these projects and the ways they help provide inspiration, understanding, and opportunities for us to live more artful lives.”

The full list of recommended grants is available in a state-by-state listing and organized by grant category/discipline. Additional information about the projects can be found using the NEA’s Grant Search.

The Choir School of Delaware will receive Challenge America grant in the amount of $10,000 to support the professional recording of an intergenerational choir.

“The Choir School is grateful to be among this year’s NEA funding recipients. Our Challenge America grant will facilitate a professionally recorded album of our intergenerational choir, our first since the 1970s,” says Deputy Director Brittney Stanton. “This is an invaluable opportunity to uplift the talents of our students and connect them to the unforgettable experience of recording an album. It sends them a clear message: their voices deserve to be heard and celebrated.”

The State Education Agency Directors of Education (SEADAE) will receive an Art Works – Arts Education grant in the amount of $40,000 to support professional development training for teachers and teaching artists using the National Core Arts Standards as the basis for assessing student learning in the arts.

“It is an honor to be recognized by the NEA regarding the work we do to ensure equitable access to arts instruction across the country,” said Todd Shipley, SEADAE president and Director of Arts Education for the Tennessee Department of Education. “Through the support of the NEA, directors of the arts in state departments of education across the nation will be provided with resources and professional learning focused on building the capacity of constituents to meet the needs of diverse populations. SEADAE will evaluate current instructional practices for equity and inclusivity and develop appropriate resources and strategies—including a turnkey toolkit—to support arts learning for all student populations.”

The full NEA grant descriptions follow:

Challenge America
The Challenge America category primarily supports small and mid-sized organizations 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. Challenge America grants are awarded in all artistic disciplines to reach historically underserved communities that have rich and dynamic cultural identities. The NEA received 447 eligible applications and will award grants to 262 organizations for a total of $2,620,000 in funding.

Grants for Art Projects
Art Works is the NEA’s principal grantmaking program designed to support artistically excellent projects that celebrate our creativity and cultural heritage, invite mutual respect for differing beliefs and values, and enrich humanity. Grants for Arts Projects is the agency’s largest grant program. For this round of funding, the NEA received 1,939 eligible applications and will award grants to 1,251 organizations for a total of nearly $28.8 million in funding.

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. For more information, visit www.arts.gov.

About the Delaware Division of the Arts
The Delaware Division of the Arts, a branch of the Delaware Department of State, is committed to supporting the arts and cultivating creativity to enhance the quality of life in 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.

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The National Endowment for the Arts grants funding to 567 arts organizations to save jobs and to fund operations and facilities, health and safety supplies, and marketing and promotional efforts

Wilmington, Del. (February 2, 2022) – At the end of January, four Delaware arts organizations – Art Works for All, Inc., The Delaware Contemporary, Delaware Shakespeare, and Wilmington Children’s Chorus – received either $50,000 or $100,000 American Rescue Plan (ARP) grants directly from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). These four organizations are among 567 arts organizations nationwide – located in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Washington, DC – that will receive a total of $57.75 million in nonmatching funds to save jobs and to fund operations and facilities, health and safety supplies, and marketing and promotional efforts to encourage attendance and participation.

“Our nation’s arts sector has been among the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Endowment for the Arts’ American Rescue Plan funding will help arts organizations rebuild and reopen,” said Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson, chair of the NEA. “The arts are crucial to helping America’s communities heal, unite, and inspire as well as essential to our nation’s economic recovery.”

The NEA received more than 7,500 eligible applications requesting $695 million. To review applications, the agency employed more than 450 expert readers and panelists to review and score each application using the published review criteria.

The ARP grant awardees represent the diverse nature of arts organizations around the country, serving both rural and urban communities and representing all 15 of the NEA’s artistic disciplines. Seventy-eight percent of the awardees are small or medium sized organizations with budgets of less than $2 million and 27 percent are first-time NEA grantees due to the NEA’s active encouragement of applications from a variety of organizations for this opportunity while providing numerous resources for navigating the application process.

The ARP was signed into law in March 2021 and included $135 million to the NEA for the arts sector. This is the third installment of ARP funding. In April 2021, the NEA announced $52 million (40 percent) in ARP funding will be allocated to 62 state, jurisdictional, and regional arts organizations for subgranting through their respective programs. With this special award, the Delaware Division of the Arts developed two short-term grant opportunities to help secure jobs and support Delaware’s nonprofit arts organizations and artists that add value to the state’s economy and bolster the creative life of our communities. The Delaware Division of the Arts awarded ARP funds to 36 arts organizations and 13 individual artists.

About the National Endowment for the Arts

Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts 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 Arts Endowment 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.

Image Credit: Delaware Shakespeare’s performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream taken by Alessandra Nicole

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

“I applaud the U.S. Senate for reaching an agreement to raise the nation’s debt limit. While not everyone understands exactly what that means, just about all of us will benefit from the decision. Raising the debt limit allows the country to basically “pay its bills.” It doesn’t open the door for additional spending, it enables us to borrow what we need to pay for expenses we’ve already incurred.

We’ve heard a lot about the impact on Social Security and veteran’s benefits had this agreement not been reached, but the impact would have been felt by most everyone across Delaware and the country. Federal dollars help sustain many essential programs on the state level; Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, special education, programs providing free or reduced-cost school meals for low-income students, the list goes on and on.

For the sake of all Delawareans, I thank our leaders for stepping up to help protect the services that are so essential to our citizens and our economy and look forward to passage in the U.S. House of Representatives.”

The National Endowment for the Arts grants funding to 855 organizations to support staff salaries, fees for artists or contractual personnel, and facilities costs

Wilmington, Del. (July 10, 2020) – Earlier this month, four Delaware arts organizations—Delaware Art Museum, Delaware Shakespeare, OperaDelaware and State Education Agency Directors of Arts Education—received $50,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. These four organizations are among 855 organizations nationwide—located in every state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico—that will receive a total of $44.5 million in nonmatching funds to support staff salaries, fees for artists or contractual personnel, and facilities costs.

The National Endowment for the Arts received more than 3,100 eligible applications requesting $157 million for the $45 million available in direct assistance. To review the applications, the agency used more than 200 application readers and panelists to review and score each application using the published review criteria.

“All of us at the National Endowment for the Arts are keenly aware that arts organizations across the country are hurting, struggling, and trying to survive and that our supply of funding does not come close to meeting the demand for assistance,” said Arts Endowment Chairman Mary Anne Carter. “That said, I am enormously proud of the over-and-above efforts of the Arts Endowment staff to swiftly and professionally manage such a large amount of additional work in a relatively short period of time on behalf of the American public.”

These awardees represent the diverse nature of arts organizations around the country. Overall funding is divided nearly evenly between small, medium, and large arts organizations.

CARES Act grants chart by organization size

In April, the agency announced the distribution of the required 40 percent of the CARES Act’s $75 million appropriation to the state and regional arts agencies for their granting programs. With this special award and additional federal funds, the Delaware Division of the Arts developed two short-term grant opportunities to help secure jobs and support Delaware’s nonprofit arts organizations and artists that add value to the state’s economy and bolster the creative life of our communities.

Of the approximately 60 arts organizations that receive General Operating Support, and an additional 25 community-based arts programs, 55 arts and community-based organizations and 11 artists received relief funds.

The Division has also opened up a second cycle of the CARES Artist Relief program which provides grants up to $500 to Delaware artists impacted by the cancellation of a specific, scheduled event, gig, or opportunity (e.g. commissions, performances, readings, contracts, teaching classes, etc.) because of COVID-19.  Guidelines and application link here. Deadline to apply July 31, 2020.

About the National Endowment for the Arts

Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts 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 Arts Endowment 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.

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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.

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney on Thursday released the following statement on the Graham-Cassidy Health Care legislation in the U.S. Senate, which could cost Delaware more than $2 billion in federal funding reductions by 2026, cuts that would reduce access to quality health care and shift costs onto Delaware families and the state budget:

“This bill would be a disaster for Delaware seniors, Delawareans with disabilities, and children and adults in low-income households who depend on Medicaid as their connection to care. It would force our Medicaid program to limit eligibility, cut benefits or pay a far greater share of the cost for the Delawareans who are covered today. This bill also would eliminate the Affordable Care Act’s federal assistance for individuals and families buying coverage on the Health Insurance Marketplace, raising premiums for most of the 27,000 Delawareans who get their coverage there. This bill is clearly the wrong direction for Delaware and the wrong direction for our country.”

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