Category: Division of the Arts

Delaware Division of the Arts Announces Second Round of Grants in Support of Arts Projects for Fiscal Year 2026

$572,573 in Rolling Grants Will Expand Community Access to Arts Experiences Across Delaware The Delaware Division of the Arts (DDOA) today announced a second round of Fiscal Year 2026 grant awards through several rolling and recurring grant opportunities that support timely, community-based arts activities across the state. This round represents $572,573 awarded through 209 grants, […]

May 7, 2026

Delaware Division of the Arts Accepting Applications for 2026 Writers Retreat

The Delaware Division of the Arts (DDOA) is now accepting applications for the 2026 Delaware Writers Retreat, a four-day residential experience for creative writers taking place November 5–8, 2026, at the Biden Environmental Center in Cape Henlopen State Park, Lewes, Delaware. Applications are due on Wednesday, July 1, 2026. The Retreat gives writers an opportunity […]

May 6, 2026

Delaware Division of the Arts Announces Upcoming Retirement of Deputy Director Kristin Pleasanton After 33 Years of Public Service

STATEWIDE, Del. (May 1, 2026) – The Delaware Division of the Arts (DDOA) today announced the upcoming retirement of Deputy Director Kristin Pleasanton, effective June 1, 2026. Pleasanton concludes a 33-year career in Delaware state service in which she served under eight Governors. Pleasanton’s state service began in 1988 as Kent County Site Supervisor for […]

May 1, 2026

Delaware Veterans Connect, Create, and Showcase Their Work Through Free Statewide Art Classes

Statewide, Del. (March 30, 2026) –  Delaware veterans are picking up paintbrushes, gelli plates, and drawing pencils — and discovering that making art alongside fellow veterans is an experience unlike any other. The Delaware Division of the Arts, in partnership with the Delaware Office of Veterans Services, has announced a new round of free eight-week […]

March 30, 2026

Delaware Division of the Arts Announces 15th Annual State Employee Art Exhibition Winners

Statewide, Del. (March 24, 2026) – Every day, Delawareans rely on state employees – people who maintain public spaces, support families, protect public health, manage resources, and keep essential services moving. The Delaware State Employee Art Exhibition offers a different way to meet the public workforce: through the creative work of employees and their immediate […]

March 24, 2026

Delaware Division of the Arts Seeks Public Input in New Statewide Strategic Planning Process

Wilmington, Del. (March 11, 2026) – The Delaware Division of the Arts (DDOA) has launched a statewide strategic planning process to develop a new five-year roadmap for how Delaware will support artists, arts organizations, and creative communities across the state. Across Delaware – and across the nation – arts and culture organizations are navigating rising […]

March 11, 2026

Natalia Gatti Named 2026 Delaware State Champion for Poetry Out Loud

Statewide, Del. (February 26, 2026) – “I believe that poetry is freedom. It is freedom of self, of expression, of love — and I believe that my poetry is my dignity. I believe that without poetry, there is no life.” Those were the words of Natalia Gatti, a tenth grader from Sussex Academy of Arts […]

February 26, 2026

15th Annual State Employee Art Exhibition Now Open at Delaware State University

Statewide, Del. (February 24, 2026) – The Delaware Division of the Arts is proud to host the 15th Annual Delaware State Employee Art Exhibition, showcasing the artistic talents of state employees and their immediate family members. The free exhibition will be open to the public from February 23 – March 20, 2026, at the Arts […]

February 24, 2026

Delaware Announces Second Annual “Futures in the Arts” Celebration Announced

STATEWIDE, Del. (February 11, 2026) – The Delaware Department of Education (DDOE), in partnership with the Delaware Division of the Arts (DDOA) and the Delaware Arts Alliance (DAA), today announced the second annual “Futures in the Arts” celebration, to be held on Tuesday, May 12, 2026 at 6:00pm at the Smyrna Opera House. The event […]

February 11, 2026

Delaware Division of the Arts Announces 10 Finalists for Delaware’s 2026 Poetry Out Loud State Finals

Statewide, Del. (February 9, 2026) – Delaware’s Poetry Out Loud State Finals returns to the Smyrna Opera House on Thursday, February 19, 2026, at 6:00pm. Ten student finalists will compete for the opportunity to be named state champion and advance to the National Finals in Washington, DC from April 27-29, 2026 to represent Delaware, where […]

February 9, 2026

Delaware Division of the Arts Announces 2026 Individual Artist Fellowship Awardees

Statewide, Del. (January 21, 2026) – The Delaware Division of the Arts (DDOA) today announced the 2026 recipients of its Individual Artist Fellowships, recognizing 27 Delaware artists for exceptional artistic quality and awarding $184,000 in individual artist grants. The Division received 246 applications from Delaware musicians, writers, and folk, media, and visual artists—an unprecedented level […]

January 21, 2026

From Ancestry to Artistry: Mezzanine Gallery presents Renita Coursey’s “The Garden”

Wilmington, Del. (December 3, 2025) – The Delaware Division of the Arts’ Mezzanine Gallery is pleased to present The Garden, a solo exhibition of new work by 2025 Individual Artist Fellow in Folk Arts, Renita Coursey. The exhibition will be on view from December 5–26, 2025, with an opening reception on Friday, December 5, from […]

December 4, 2025