The Delaware Division of the Arts offers two grant options for artists including individual artist fellowships and opportunity grants. Please find a list of grants for artists that are Delaware residents, 18 years of age or older, not enrolled in a degree-granting program.
Individual Artist Fellowships are awarded for artistic quality to Delaware creative artists working in the visual, performing, media, folk, and literary arts. Due to high numbers of applications and limited funds, the program is highly competitive. Fellowships are designed to enable recipients to purchase equipment and materials, allocate working time, or fulfill other needs that will allow them to advance their careers (excluding foreign travel and lobbying). Fellowship recipients are required to present examples of their work to the public during their Fellowship year. Applicants select between Emerging or Established categories. The Masters Fellowship is available in select disciplines on a three-year rotating basis to artists who meet specific criteria.
The Fellowship program is administered in partnership with Mid Atlantic Arts (MAA). MAA identifies out-of-state arts professionals to serve as potential jurors and administers the jurors’ reviews of the applications. Awards are $5,000 for Emerging; $8,000 for Established; and $12,000 for Masters. Annual August 1 deadline.
To be eligible for Individual Artist Fellowship, applicants must:
Ineligible applicants:
Twenty disciplines are offered in Fiscal Year 2024:
An application may be moved to a different artistic discipline due to juror recommendations or at the discretion of Division staff.
*Folk Arts: Artists whose work expresses the traditions of their ethnic, occupational, religious, family, or geographic group and whose skills have generally developed without formal instruction or institutional direction are eligible to apply. Being self-taught does not automatically qualify one as a folk artist. Folk Arts applications may be switched to another discipline based on the recommendations of a Folk Arts specialist prior to the adjudication process. If you are unsure whether you qualify as a folk artist, contact Roxanne Stanulis, Program Officer at Roxanne.Stanulis@delaware.gov or 302-577-8283.
Applicants may select between the Emerging ($5,000 award) and Established ($8,000 award) Professional categories.
In Fiscal Year 2024, Masters ($12,000 award) 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:
The Masters is offered in select disciplines that rotate on a three-year basis:
In addition to the general Fellowship application materials, Masters applicants must submit a full CV or resume and a one-page narrative describing the breadth of their work to include the impact it has had in Delaware and beyond. Masters applicants should leave their name on their CV and in the narrative.
Please note, the Guidelines have been updated for the 2024 fiscal year. Please, download and read the 2024 Individual Artist Fellowship Guidelines here.
The smARTDE system uploads work sample files by how they are named, not in the order they were uploaded. To have work samples appear in a specific order, rename your samples with a two-digit number, an underscore, and a file name before uploading them. For example: 01_filename; 02_filename; 03_filename, etc.
Dance: Choreography
Folk Arts: Music
Folk Arts: Oral Literature
Folk Arts: Visual Arts
Literature (creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, playwriting)
Media Arts (film, video)
Music: Composition and Jazz: Composition
Music: Contemporary Performance, Music: Solo Recital, and Jazz: Performance
Visual Arts (crafts, painting, photography, sculpture, works on paper, interdisciplinary, and folk art)
The next deadline for the Individual Artist Fellowship is 11:59 p.m. on August 1, 2024. Please read through the guidelines before applying.
Applications must be submitted electronically through https://smartde.smartsimple.com/
Download the smARTDE Instructions to learn how to log in and navigate within the system.
Application Components:
To maintain your anonymity, do not provide any information which might reveal your identity to the jurors. Do not include your name in your artist statement, your work samples, embedded metadata, or in the work sample file names. Visual artists are encouraged to obscure their signatures.
Artists awarded a fellowship will enter into a contract with the State of Delaware. The Statement of Assurances can be found in the application and guidelines
The Delaware Division of the Arts (DDOA) contracts with Mid Atlantic Arts (MAA) for the purpose of administering the adjudication process of this program. Out-of-state artists and arts professionals with significant achievements and recognition in their respective fields are identified as juror candidates. One juror is selected for each artistic discipline, and new jurors are selected each year.
After DDOA staff approves the final juror candidates, the jurors review the applicant’s artistic statement and work samples in an anonymous review process. Each application is reviewed and ranked within subgroups based on the artistic discipline and category (Emerging, Established, Masters). The jurors are instructed to evaluate the work samples based upon artistic quality using a rubric within each of the categories. The artistic statement is an opportunity for applicants to put their work into context for the juror. To maintain anonymity, resumes are not provided to the jurors and are for DDOA and Delaware State Arts Council use only.
After the jurors finish their application review and ranking, MAA ensures completeness. The results are then analyzed by Division staff and a cohort of the highest ranked applicants by discipline is presented to the Delaware State Arts Council for review and approval. Delaware State Arts Council members view a presentation with the cohort’s names and work samples. The number of Fellow applicants presented to the Delaware State Arts Council for review is dependent on the Division’s available funding. There is no minimum or quota per discipline for awarding Fellowships.
The highest ranked Masters Fellowship applicants are evaluated by the Delaware State Arts Council for the significance of accomplishments in their fields and sustained history of artistic activity within Delaware as determined from the applicants CVs and Masters narratives. The Delaware State Arts Council votes on awarding the Masters Fellowship. The number of Masters Fellows presented to the Delaware State Arts Council for review is dependent on the Division’s available funding. There is no minimum or quota per discipline for awarding Masters Fellowships.
All applicants are notified of results via email after the December Delaware State Arts Council meeting. The cohort of Fellows is publicly announced in mid-January.
Funding decisions may be appealed only based on procedural error or impropriety. The Appeals Process is available on the Division’s website.
The list of jurors and their bios will be available to applicants in smARTDE under the Award Info tab after applicants are notified of results via email. The jurors’ suggestions for the applicant will be available upon request. Jurors are asked to provide a brief response to the question, “What suggestions (or comments) do you have for the artist regarding their work?” The answer to this question is not reviewed by the Delaware State Arts Council and has no bearing on the Division’s or Delaware State Arts Council’s review of the juror’s results. It is only provided for the applicant’s consideration.
Please note: Applicants are prohibited from communicating with jurors or using the juror’s comments in any context.
All applicants will be notified by email after the December Delaware State Arts Council Meeting.
To receive a grant payment, individuals must have an active State of Delaware eSupplier record.
We recommend that you choose to receive payments through Automated Clearing House, an electronic fund transfer, when completing or updating your eSupplier record. Electronic fund transfers are faster than mailing a check.
Please contact: Division of Accounting by email at FSF_Supplier_Maintenance@delaware.gov or by phone at (302) 526-5600.
After the Division staff receives confirmation of your eSupplier registration, payments will be sent to the accounting office to process. Please see the payment schedule below.
Application Opens | June 2024 |
Application Deadline | 11:59 p.m. ET August 1, 2024 |
Juror Review | Approx. October – November 2024 |
Delaware State Arts Council Review | Approx. December 2024 |
Funding Notification | Approx. December 2024 |
Grant Activity Period | January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025 |
First Payment | Approx. End of January 2025 |
Final Report Deadline | December 1, 2025 |
Final Payment (pending final report) | Approx. End of December 2025 |
In the event that you receive an Artist Fellowship, this Statement of Assurances and Obligations serves as your contract, if you as an applicant individual (ARTIST), are awarded a grant. Funding for the Division of the Arts (DIVISION) is provided by the Delaware General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts: Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Partnership Agreement #45.025. Individual grants consist of state funds, federal funds, or a combination. Submission of the application and acceptance of a fellowship award signifies the Artist agrees to the following requirements:
If awarded a fellowship, the ARTIST also agrees that:
The ARTIST acknowledges that his/her services regarding any award shall be as an independent contractor and that nothing contained herein shall be construed to constitute them as an employee of the Division, Department of State, or the State of Delaware.
A completed Final Report is required of all fellowship recipients. Final Reports are due by December 1 of the fellowship year, and must be submitted through smARTDE.
Fifteen percent (15%) of the fellowship amount will be forfeited if the Final Report has not been submitted to the Division by the December 1 deadline.
Roxanne Stanulis
Program Officer, Artist Programs and Services
302-577-8283
roxanne.stanulis@delaware.gov
Artist Opportunity Grants are awarded on a competitive basis to support unique professional and artistic development and presentation opportunities for artists. Examples include: materials to complete work for a specific show or program; the cost to rent a facility for a performance; study with a master for a specified period of time. Evaluation criteria include: anticipated impact on the artist’s work or career; financial feasibility and need; marketing plans; and uniqueness of the opportunity.
Applicants can request up to 80% of the opportunity cost not to exceed $1,000. Quarterly deadlines: January 1, April 1, July 3, and October 1*.
To be eligible for an Individual Artist Opportunity Grant, applicants must be:
Artists who have received an Opportunity grant must wait a year before applying for another one. Priority may be given to new applicants.
1. Professional and Artistic Development
Artists may apply for funding for unique, short-term opportunities that will significantly advance their work or careers, such as: study with a significant master available for a limited time, or participation in a residency or exchange program. Travel costs are not covered but should be included in the budget.
2. Presentation Opportunities
Artists may apply for funding for unique, short-term opportunities that will significantly advance their work or careers such as: materials to complete work committed to an exhibition, performance, or publication; contracting of professional services; or rental of equipment, instruments, or work space for a specific performance, exhibition, or publication opportunity.
Download the full Artist Opportunity Grant guidelines here.
Please read the guidelines before applying.
Applications must be submitted electronically through the smARTDE.
Apply HereAll applicants will receive notification via email within four weeks of the application deadline. Applicants approved for a grant will receive additional instructions from Division staff via email to receive their payments.
To receive a grant payment, individuals must have an active State of Delaware eSupplier record.
We recommend that you choose to receive payments through Automated Clearing House, an electronic fund transfer, when completing or updating your eSupplier record. Electronic fund transfers are faster than mailing a check.
Please contact: Division of Accounting by email at FSF_Supplier_Maintenance@delaware.gov or by phone at (302) 526-5600.
After the Division staff receives confirmation of your eSupplier registration, payments will be sent to the accounting office to process.
You can expect to receive your grant payment approximately two weeks after contacting Division staff with your eSupplier information.
Quarterly Deadlines
*No more than two Opportunity Grant applications may be made in any calendar year. |
|
Grant Committee Review | Approx. two weeks from application deadline |
Funding Notification | Approx. four weeks of application submission |
Full Payment | Two weeks after individual has updated or sent eSupplier information to Division staff |
Final Report | Report due 30 days after completion of the project |
Full payment will be issued following notification of their selection and after the grantee has completed or updated Delaware’s eSupplier Portal. Grantees may opt to receive payments through electronic fund transfer (recommended) when completing or updating Delaware’s eSupplier Portal. Note: Grantees who have previously received payments from the State of Delaware should not create a new vendor account on the eSupplier Portal, but may opt to update information through the “Change Profile” option.
The Statement of Assurances is the contract that all Division grantees must sign. Grant applicants must indicate that they have read and agreed to the obligations of grant recipients, should a grant be awarded. Receipt of state and federal grants carries with it certain obligations and responsibilities. By submitting a Division of the Arts grant application, applicants are affirming that they are familiar with the requirements of the Delaware Division of the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, as presented in the Division of the Arts Statement of Assurances, including but not limited to:
Grantees are required to submit a final report for each grant received. Final Reports are due 30 days after completion of the project. To complete and submit your final reports, you must log into smARTDE. Failure to submit this form may preclude future Division of the Arts funding.
Roxanne Stanulis
Program Officer, Artist Programs and Services
302-577-8283
roxanne.stanulis@delaware.gov
Related Topics: Delaware, delaware division of the arts, Department of State, government grants for artists, grants, grants for artists, grants for individual artists, individual artist grants