The $3 million in grants will be used to strengthen and expand Delaware’s arts and culture scene. (Courtesy: Delaware Division of Art)
The Delaware Division of Arts has announced a $3 million grant distribution to 115 community arts organizations.
They range from $1,300 for Wilmington Wintergrass Inc., which is an annual bluegrass festival, to $246,000 for the Delaware Art Museum.
The museum will use the funding to support its exhibitions, including the upcoming Pre-Raphaelite show A Marriage of Arts & Crafts: Evelyn & William De Morgan.” The grant also helps the museum showcase educational and cultural offerings that connect the community with art, such as B. the annual celebration of Dia de los Muertos and museum school tours.
Further funding rounds are expected over the course of the year. This first round of funding is aimed at general operational support, project support, art stabilization, startup and educational resource grants.
“Delaware has a long history of investing in the arts and culture sector,” said Jessica Ball, director of the arts department. “We were founded in 1989 and since then have received funding from the federal and state governments and have invested in art and culture.”
A portion of the money will be used to bring back TranspARTation in August, a program that supports travel expenses for Delaware schools to visit state arts and cultural institutions so students can see performances, visit exhibits and tour historic sites.
Up to $500 in expenses are covered by the program. That’s more than the $200 stipend in previous years. The money can help Delaware schools pay for buses, fuel, parking and tolls.
The department is also increasing support for grants for artistic opportunities. This year’s grants are $1,000.
They are intended to support an artist’s professional development and to help them seize opportunities to exhibit their work.
Application deadlines for Artist Opportunity grants are January 1, April, July and October. Individuals can reapply each quarter.
Breakdown of the $3 million grant
What does each grant do?
First off, the lion’s share of grants fall into the category of general operational support.
These grants are designed to support arts and cultural centers and ensure Delaware residents have access to them.
This type of scholarship uses a three-year application cycle with an annual application deadline of March 1st.
project support is the next higher funding area.
The money that flows here will support non-profit organizations that offer arts programs with a focus on the advancement of their students and their teaching.
Over $130,000 was provided as educational resource Grant that strengthened educational programs, projects, and activities in the Delaware arts community and established standards-based criteria used by teaching artists.
money goes artistic stabilization Funded through the department’s involvement in the Arts Consortium of Delaware Foundation, it will help maintain and improve arts studios and other facilities.
The smallest pool of grants awarded this round were the two tarnishing Grants dedicated to emerging arts organizations, providing them with advice, training and financial support as they seek to grow.
The organization must complete the startup program before receiving the funds.
This year, Reed’s refuge ($2,500) and Jester Artspace ($2,000) are the two startups that received funding.
The Project Support, Educational Resource, Arts Stabilization, and Startup Scholarships all have annual application deadlines of March 1st.
Click here for a complete list of grants and applications for individuals and organizations here.
Who gets surgical help?
Here are the organizations that have received general operational support:
| organization | Crowd | ||
| Delaware Museum of Art | $249,900 | ||
| Big Opera House | $246,800 | ||
| Joshua M. Freeman Foundation | $197,300 | ||
| Delaware Theater Company | $146,300 | ||
| Music School of Delaware | $136,500 | ||
| Delaware Symphony Association | $105,600 | ||
| Biggs Museum of American Art | $104,000 | ||
| Christina Cultural Center for Art | $98,200 | ||
| New Candlelight Productions, Inc. | $88,300 | ||
| OperaDelaware, Inc. | $86,700 | ||
| The Delaware Contemporary | $84,200 | ||
| Clear Space Theater Company | $73,800 | ||
| Rehoboth Art League | $73,200 | ||
| The Henry Francis DuPont Winterthur Museum, Inc. | $72,500 | ||
| The Choral School of Delaware, Inc. | $58,000 | ||
| Rehoboth Beach Film Society | $52,000 | ||
| First State Ballet Theater | $43,400 | ||
| Delaware Celebration of Jazz | $43,000 | ||
| Delaware Dance Company | $42,300 | ||
| Creative Arts Center | $38,700 | ||
| The Everett, Inc. | $36,700 | ||
| Wilmington Ballet Academy of the Dance Inc | $32,100 | ||
| Delaware Shakespeare Festival Inc | $30,900 | ||
| Smyrna-Clayton Heritage Association | $30,500 | ||
| Delaware Institute for the Arts in Education | $23,700 | ||
| Delaware Children’s Theater | $19,500 | ||
| Wilmington Drama League | $18,700 | ||
| Kulturbund Inner City | $16,000 | ||
| Wilmington Children’s Choir Inc | $15,400 | ||
| Brandy wine baroque | $13,900 | ||
| Possum Point player | $13,000 | ||
| Works of art for everyone | $11,900 | ||
| Develop artistic collaboration | $10,800 | ||
| Milford 2nd Street Players Inc. | $10,800 | ||
| Coastal Concerts Inc | $10,300 | ||
| Mispillion Art League | $10,300 | ||
| pieces of a dream | $9,500 | ||
| Art Therapy Express Program, Inc. | $9,300 | ||
| Newark Symphony Orchestra | $9,300 | ||
| Newark Arts Alliance | $9,100 | ||
| Delaware Choral Society | $6,600 | ||
| Market Street Music Corporation | $5,900 | ||
| Kent County Theater Guild Foundation, Inc. | $5,500 | ||
| Municipal Theater Company | $5,300 | ||
| Rehoboth Summer Children’s Theatre | $5,100 | ||
| Seaford Community Concert Association | $4,900 | ||
| University Drama Group Inc | $4,800 | ||
| Delaware Choral Arts Association | $4,500 | ||
| Arts League of Dover | $4,500 | ||
| Capital Ringers Inc | $4,400 | ||
| Delaware rainbow chorale | $4,300 | ||
| Southern Delaware Chorale | $4,300 | ||
| Bootless Stageworks | $3,900 | ||
| Milton Arts Guild | $3,400 | ||
| CoroAllegro | $2,900 | ||
| The Children’s Theater, Inc. | $2,800 | ||
| New Light Theater Company | $2,400 | ||
| Delaware Photographic Society | $2,300 | ||
| Milford Community Band | $2,100 | ||
| Rehoboth Wind Orchestra | $2,100 | ||
| Wilmington Concert Opera, Inc. | $2,000 | ||
| Wilmington Wintergrass Inc | $1,300 |
Related: Bruce Munro hopes you enjoy Longwood’s light art
The art division gets its money at the federal level from the National Foundation for the Arts and by the Delaware General Assembly on the state’s art budget.
According to Ball, the group’s annual budget is about $3.9 million.
Why invest in art?
Ball said there are three reasons why investing in art is crucial: economic, social and civic prosperity.
“The return on investment for federal money that goes into the arts is really good,” said Ball, who previously ran the Delaware Arts Alliance. “What ends up happening is that patrons who come to arts and culture events tend to spend a lot of money at surrounding local businesses.”
This can mean going to a bar or restaurant for something to eat and drink, buying a new outfit or fashion clothes for the show, getting rides to and from the venue, hiring babysitters, or attending before or after the show Check out other local businesses.
“Going to an event really benefits the whole local economy,” she said, “and it tends to increase local spending and create local jobs.”
At a societal level, the arts are well suited to meet the social and educational needs in the community, she said.
Art therapy, for example, has become a more popular method, for example to help someone heal from a traumatic brain injury or to comfort veterans who have returned home from war.
The pandemic has forced many art museums and galleries to close, and Ball said people’s sanity is on the brink because of it.
“Now we’re seeing art play this unique role of being the catalyst to get people back out and social and connecting with others.” she said.
The ideal scholarship holder
There are hundreds of applicants who apply to the Department of Arts for grants each year, and the decision on who gets the money depends on several factors.
“Artistic merit is definitely one of the many factors that we look at, but more and more we’re starting to look at our organizations that offer programs that are equitable and accessible,” Ball said, “and organizations and artists that have diversity, equity.” and inclusion in their program.”
Another determinant, Ball said, is whether an organization interacts with its audience and understands what their audience needs and expects from their cultural institutions.
At the end of the day, she said, the arts department is interested in reaching out to as many arts and culture organizations and individuals as possible.
Jarek Rutz can be reached by email at [email protected] or by calling (215) 450-9982. Keep following him Twitter @jarekrutz and so on LinkedIn.
Jarek grew up in Doylestown, Pennsylvania and earned a BA in Journalism and a BA in Political Science from Temple University in 2021. After managing Michael Smerconish’s CNN YouTube channel, Jarek became a reporter for the Bucks County Herald before joining Delaware LIVE News.