Hussein named Delaware’s finalist for second consecutive year

Wilmington, Del. (March 7, 2024) – Following a spirited competition featuring eleven talented high school students from Delaware, Maiss Hussein, a senior from Paul M. Hodgson Vocational Technical High School, emerged as the 2024 Poetry Out Loud Delaware State Champion. The exhilarating state finals took place on February 29th, 2024, at the Smyrna Opera House. Joelle Caternor from Smyrna High School secured the first runner-up position, while Jono McGarvey from Delaware Valley Classical School claimed the second runner-up title.

This victory marks Maiss as only the third participant in Delaware’s 18-year involvement with the program to secure consecutive wins. Reflecting on her achievement, Hussein remarked, “My first win was unforgettable, but the second time around has left me in awe. It feels like I’m still in shock!”

Hussein’s captivating recitation of “If They Should Come For Us” by Fatimah Asghar earned high praise from the adjudicators. The profound poem can be explored on the Poetry Foundation’s website.

In an ode to Maiss’s exceptional achievement, Jessica Ball, Director of the Division of the Arts, remarked, “Maiss Hussein’s victory is not just a triumph for her, but a testament to the power of poetry to transcend and inspire. We are immensely proud of her accomplishment and look forward to witnessing her shine on the national stage.”

As the 2024 Poetry Out Loud Delaware State Champion, Maiss will be awarded $200 and the esteemed opportunity to compete at the National Finals in Washington, D.C., scheduled from April 30th to May 2nd, 2024. Furthermore, Paul M. Hodgson Vocational Technical High School will receive a $500 stipend for the acquisition of poetry materials. Joelle Caternor, the first runner-up, will be granted $100, and Smyrna High School will receive $200 for its school library.

The Poetry Out Loud state competition, presented by the Delaware Division of the Arts in collaboration with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, serves as a pivotal platform encouraging high school students to delve into great poetry through memorization, performance, and spirited competition. A recording of this year’s Competition can be found on the Division’s YouTube page.

For further details regarding the competition and a comprehensive list of state finalists, kindly visit our website.

Photo Credit: Sam Wilson, Moonloop Photography

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Contact: Andrew Truscott, Program Officer, Marketing and Communications

302-577-8280, andrew.truscott@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.

Twelve students to compete to advance to the National Finals in Washington, DC

Wilmington, Del. (February 27, 2024) – Delaware’s Poetry Out Loud State Finals returns to the Smyrna Opera House on Thursday, February 29, 2024, at 6:00pm. Twelve student finalists will compete for the opportunity to represent Delaware and advance to the National Finals in Washington, DC from April 30-May 3, 2024, where $50,000 in awards and school stipends will be distributed. The event is FREE to the public and seating is limited.

At their school, students selected and recited works from an anthology of more than 1,200 poems. Their teachers or facilitators ran their school’s local Poetry Out Loud competition that then selected a winner to be moved on to the state finals.

 “Congratulations to the twelve talented and creative high school students who have been selected as finalists in the 2024 Delaware Poetry Out Loud competition,” says Division Director Jessica Ball. “Your hard work and passion for the arts is truly inspiring. The arts play a critical role in creating well-rounded individuals, fostering imagination, creativity and critical thinking skills that are essential to success in all aspects of life. Keep up the great work and we can’t wait to see where your passion for the arts takes you in the future.”

The twelve finalists are:

2024 Delaware State Semi-Finalists

Jono McGarvey, Delaware Valley Classical School

Grace Sullivan, MOT Charter High School

Olivia Stevens, Mount Sophia Academy 

Maiss Hussein, Paul M. Hodgson Vocational Technical High School

Hunter Brown, Red Lion Christian Academy

Abigail Ehemann, Saint Mark’s High School

Perrin Brown, Sanford School

Joelle Caternor, Smyrna High School

Harrison Dabbs, Sussex Academy of Arts & Sciences

Nife Anawo, Sussex Central High School

Caliana Velasquez, Sussex Technical High School

Jamie Feldman, Wilmington Friends School

Those wishing to watch the event from the comfort of their own home can do so via the link below.

Poetry Out Loud—presented in partnership with the Delaware Division of the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, and Poetry Foundation—is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition for high school students across the country. Since the program began in 2005, more than 4.1 million students across the country have participated in Poetry Out Loud.

At their school, students recite works selected from an anthology of more than 1,200 poems. Judges will evaluate student performances on criteria including voice and articulation, evidence of understanding, and accuracy. The National Endowment for the Arts and Poetry Foundation have created free, standards-based curriculum materials to support Poetry Out Loud including a teacher’s guide, lesson plans, an online anthology, posters, and video and audio on the art of recitation. These resources are available for free at PoetryOutLoud.org.

The Delaware state champion will receive $200 and will advance to the national finals next spring where $50,000 in awards and school/organizational stipends will be distributed. The representing school or organization of the state champion will receive $500 for the purchase of poetry materials. The first runner-up in each state will receive $100, with $200 for their school or organization. The Poetry Foundation provides and administers all aspects of the monetary prizes awarded and travel arrangements for the Poetry Out Loud National Finals.

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Contact: Andrew Truscott, Program Officer, Marketing and Communications

302-577-8280, andrew.truscott@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. (June 13, 2023) – The Delaware Division of the Arts announces the opening of its annual application process for its 2024 Individual Artist Fellowship program. Administered in partnership with Mid Atlantic Arts (MAA), this program aims to recognize and support exceptional artists in Delaware working across various artistic disciplines, including the visual, performing, media, folk, and literary arts.

The Individual Artist Fellowship is a prestigious award for artists who demonstrate outstanding artistic quality and creativity in their respective fields. Fellowship grants range from $5,000 to $12,000. Artists  must read the updated guidelines for eligibility requirements, and submit their applications electronically.

The Individual Artist Fellowship is a highly competitive program – in 2023, 118 applications were received, and 17 artists were awarded fellowships. The Fellowship grants are to be used for purchasing equipment and materials, allocating working time, or fulfilling other needs that contribute to their artistic growth and development. Fellowship recipients are also required to present public programs or exhibits of their work during their fellowship year.

The fellowship program offers three categories with varying monetary awards:

Emerging Professional Fellowships: $5,000

Available to artists in the early stages of their careers who have not yet established reputations in their fields. Please note that artists applying in a discipline they teach at the undergraduate level are ineligible for the Emerging category and must apply in the Established category.

Established Professional Fellowships: $8,000

Available to artists who have demonstrated significant achievements in their respective fields.

Masters Fellowships: $12,000

Available to artists who have previously received an Established Fellowship in the same discipline more than seven years ago.

In Fiscal Year 2024, Masters Fellowship applications will be accepted in the disciplines of Dance, Jazz and Music from artists who received an Established Professional Fellowship in the same artistic discipline more than seven years ago (prior to January 2017). Masters Fellowships will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• Excellence of work
• Significant accomplishments in their field
• Sustained history of artistic activity within Delaware

“We are excited to offer these fellowships to Delaware artists, as we believe in the transformative power of art and its ability to enrich our communities,” says Division Director Jessica Ball. “By providing financial support and recognition to Delaware’s talented artists, we aim to foster their artistic growth and enable them to sustain their artistic careers.”

To be considered for the fellowship, artists must demonstrate their creativity and skill in one of the twenty disciplines offered in Fiscal Year 2024. These disciplines include Dance: Choreography; Folk Art: Music; Folk Art: Oral Literature; Folk Art: Visual Arts; Jazz: Composition; Jazz: Performance; Literature: Creative Nonfiction; Literature: Fiction; Literature: Playwriting; Literature: Poetry; Media Arts: Video/Film; Music: Composition; Music: Contemporary Performance (hip-hop, popular, R&B); Music: Solo Recital (classical); Visual Arts: Crafts; Visual Arts: Painting; Visual Arts: Photography; Visual Arts: Sculpture; Visual Arts: Works on Paper; and Visual Arts: Interdisciplinary.

Applicants should note that their application may be moved to a different artistic discipline based on juror recommendations or at the discretion of Division staff.

To be eligible for Individual Artist Fellowship, applicants must:

• Must be a resident of Delaware for at least one year at the time of application. A legal resident possesses a valid Delaware driver’s license or DMV-issued identification card and files state income taxes in Delaware as a full-year resident. All awards are subject to verification of Delaware residency.
• Must be at least 18 years of age at the time of application.
• Must remain a Delaware resident during the grant period (January 1 – December 31, 2024).

Ineligible applicants include:

• Students currently enrolled in a degree or certificate-granting educational program at the time of application.
• Any recipient of a Masters Fellowship.
• Fellowship recipients who have received an award within the past three years (FY2021, FY2022, and FY2023) are ineligible to apply in the Emerging or Established Professional categories.
• Applicants who submit incomplete applications or applications that do not follow the required format.
• A member or relative of a member of the Delaware State Arts Council or Division staff.
• Applicants with outstanding final reports from any past Division of the Arts grants.

The deadline for submitting applications is August 1, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. EST. For more information about the Individual Artist Fellowship (including requirements, eligibility, and application materials), visit the Grants for Artists page on the Division’s website.

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Contact: Andrew Truscott, Program Officer, Marketing and Communications

302-577-8280, andrew.truscott@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. (March 3, 2023) – From a field of twelve Delaware high school students, Maiss Hussein, a junior from Paul M. Hodgson Vocational Technical High School, earned the title of 2023 Poetry Out Loud Delaware State Champion at the state finals held on March 2 at the Smyrna Opera House. The first runner-up was Kaylee Rathbone from Sanford School and the second runner-up was Abigail Ehemann from Saint Mark’s High School.

Hussein’s recitation, “The Poem You’ve Been Waiting For” by Tarfia Faizullah, earned her high marks with the judges. The full poem can be found on the Poetry Foundation’s website.

As the 2023 Poetry Out Loud Delaware State Champion, Hussein will receive $200 and the opportunity to compete in the national semifinals from May 8-10, 2023, which will be streamed on arts.gov. Paul M. Hodgson Vocational Technical High School will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry materials. Kaylee Rathbone, the first runner-up will receive $100, and Sanford 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 competition and for a full list of state finalists, please view our website.

To view the entire livestream of the competition, click the YouTube video below:

Photos by Joe del Tufo, Moonloop Photography.  Livestream by Terry Cruz.

Wilmington, Del. (February 8, 2023) – Following a three year hiatus, Delaware’s Poetry Out Loud State Finals returns for the first in-person competition since 2020. The recitation contest will be hosted at the Smyrna Opera House on Thursday, March 2, 2023, at 7:00pm. Twelve student finalists will compete for the opportunity to represent Delaware and advance to the National Finals in Washington, DC from May 8-10, 2023, where $50,000 in awards and school stipends will be distributed. The event is FREE to the public and seating is limited.

At their school, students selected and recited works from an anthology of more than 1,200 poems. Their teachers or facilitators ran their school’s local Poetry Out Loud competition that then selected a winner to be moved on to the state finals.

 “Congratulations to the twelve talented and creative high school students who have been selected as semi-finalists in the 2023 Delaware Poetry Out Loud competition,” says Division Director Jessica Ball. “Your hard work and passion for the arts is truly inspiring. The arts play a critical role in creating well-rounded individuals, fostering imagination, creativity and critical thinking skills that are essential to success in all aspects of life. Keep up the great work and we can’t wait to see where your passion for the arts takes you in the future.”

The 2023 Delaware State semi-finalists are:

Bekah Booth, Delaware Valley Classical School

Maiss Hussein, Hodgson Vo-Tech High School

Emily Roth, MOT High School

Aiden Morris, Mount Sophia Academy

Lale Ergen, Newark Charter High School

Julia Nowaczyk, Padua Academy

Hunter Brown, Red Lion Christian Academy

Abigail Ehemann, Saint Mark’s High School

Kaylee Rathbone, Sanford School

Joelle Caternor, Smyrna High School

Morgan Burnett, Sussex Central High School

Ololade Olubowale, Tatnall School

Poetry Out Loud—presented in partnership with the Delaware Division of the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, and Poetry Foundation—is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition for high school students across the country. Since the program began in 2005, more than 4.1 million students across the country have participated in Poetry Out Loud.

The National Endowment for the Arts and Poetry Foundation have created free, standards-based curriculum materials to support Poetry Out Loud including a teacher’s guide, lesson plans, an online anthology, posters, and video and audio on the art of recitation. These resources are available for free at PoetryOutLoud.org.

The Delaware state champion will receive $200 and will advance to the national finals next spring where $50,000 in awards and school/organizational stipends will be distributed. The representing school or organization of the state champion will receive $500 for the purchase of poetry materials. The first runner-up in each state will receive $100, with $200 for their school or organization. The Poetry Foundation provides and administers all aspects of the monetary prizes awarded and travel arrangements for the Poetry Out Loud National Finals.

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Contact: Andrew Truscott, Program Officer, Marketing and Communications

302-577-8280, andrew.truscott@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.