Delaware Division of the Arts Announces 2026 Individual Artist Fellowship Awardees

The Delaware Division of the Arts (DDOA) has announced the recipients of its 2026 Individual Artist Fellowships, awarding a total of $184,000 to 27 Delaware artists in recognition of exceptional artistic quality and achievement.

This year’s program drew 246 applications from musicians, writers, and folk, media, and visual artists across the state—marking the highest number of submissions in the program’s history. In response to the increased demand, the Division expanded its fellowship funding pool by 20 percent. Since 2020, DDOA has awarded more than $950,000 through the Individual Artist Fellowship program.

Applications were reviewed by panels of out-of-state arts professionals, who evaluated work samples for artistic excellence, creativity, and skill within each discipline. The 2026 awards include one Master Fellow, 14 Established Professional Fellows, and 12 Emerging Professional Fellows, along with five runners-up who will each receive an honorarium.

Fellowships are awarded in three categories: $12,000 for the Master Award, $8,000 for the Established Professional Award, and $5,000 for the Emerging Professional Award. Fellowship funding is intentionally flexible, allowing artists to advance their work in ways that best support their individual practice. All fellows are also required to present at least one public exhibit or performance during the award year, ensuring opportunities for Delaware residents to engage with the work supported by state investment.

The 2026 fellowship recipients represent communities throughout Delaware, including Georgetown, Middletown, Bear, Townsend, Newark, Magnolia, Bethany Beach, New Castle, Rehoboth Beach, Farmington, Lewes, Milford, Smyrna, and Wilmington.

“Delaware’s individual artists are the foundation of our cultural life, and these fellowships invest directly in their ability to make new work,” said Jessica Ball, Director of the Delaware Division of the Arts. “With record-breaking interest this year, we expanded the funding pool and recognized additional finalists so more exceptional artists can take creative risks and share their work with the public.”

“Artist fellowship funding helps cover the real costs of creation—from materials and equipment to rehearsal space and dedicated time,” added Roxanne Stanulis, Program Officer for Artist Programs and Services. “That flexibility strengthens individual artists while returning measurable value to communities through exhibitions, performances, and cultural vitality across the state.”

Master Fellowship

The Master Fellowship is offered in rotating disciplines each year. For 2026, applications were accepted in Visual Arts and Folk Arts from artists who had previously received an Established Professional Fellowship. In addition to artistic excellence, applicants must demonstrate sustained commitment to the arts in Delaware and beyond.

Dennis Beach was selected as the 2026 Master Fellow in Visual Arts: Sculpture. A Delaware-based sculptor and painter, Beach has maintained a full-time studio practice for more than two decades. His work explores color, geometric form, and movement through spatial and visual experimentation.

Beach earned an M.F.A. from the University of Delaware and a B.F.A. from the Maryland Institute College of Art. He has exhibited widely across the East Coast, with more than 40 group exhibitions and 19 solo presentations, including recent solo exhibitions at the Delaware Art Museum and Schmidt/Dean Gallery. His work is included in public, corporate, and museum collections, and he is represented by Schmidt/Dean Gallery. Based in Newport, Delaware, Beach actively engages the community through studio visits, educational programming, and public events.

2026 Individual Artist Fellows

Master Fellow

• Dennis Beach, Visual Arts: Sculpture — Wilmington

Established Professional Fellows

• Catharine Fichtner, Visual Arts: Painting — Wilmington

• Michael Fleishman, Visual Arts: Works on Paper — Milford

• Yalonda JD Green, Literature: Poetry — Wilmington

• Jim Hawkins, Literature: Playwriting — Smyrna

• Jawanza Kobie, Jazz: Composition — Wilmington

• Erin Magnin, Music: Contemporary Performance — Newark

• Jonathan Chaiim McConnell, Literature: Fiction — New Castle

• Teddy Osei, Visual Arts: Crafts — New Castle

• Martha B. Pitts, Literature: Creative Nonfiction — Middletown

• Alan B. Tuttle, Visual Arts: Painting — Lewes

• Jonathan Whitney, Music: Composition — Wilmington

• Brian Wild, Media Arts: Video/Film — Wilmington

• Rebecca Wilt, Music: Solo Recital — Newark

• Andre’ Wright Jr., Visual Arts: Photography — Wilmington

Emerging Professional Fellows

• Itzel Aguilar, Folk Art: Visual Arts — Georgetown

• J.F. Arsenault, Visual Arts: Painting — Rehoboth Beach

• Deborah E. Baker, Literature: Fiction — Bethany Beach

• Hadrian Cerulean, Literature: Poetry — Wilmington

• Logan Farro, Visual Arts: Painting — Farmington

• Vik Hart, Visual Arts: Works on Paper — Wilmington

• Susan Isaacs, Visual Arts: Sculpture — Wilmington

• Valerie Lane, Literature: Creative Nonfiction — Bear

• Orlando Lewis (aka Raylo), Music: Composition — Townsend

• Adaysela Reyes (aka Dayesla Ixtli), Visual Arts: Interdisciplinary — Newark

• Jonathan Rivera (aka J Pvpi), Music: Contemporary Performance — Magnolia

• David Warren Norbut, Visual Arts: Photography — Wilmington

Runners-Up

• Cassandra Lewis Slattery, Established, Literature: Creative Nonfiction — Wilmington

• Carly Maiorano, Emerging, Visual Arts: Painting — Wilmington

• Jennifer Polillo, Established, Visual Arts: Painting — Wilmington

• Jennifer Small, Established, Visual Arts: Painting — Wilmington

• Justin Tanksley (aka TANKSLEY), Established, Music: Contemporary Performance — Middletown

For artist inquiries, please contact:
Roxanne Stanulis
Program Officer, Artist Programs and Services
📧 Roxanne.Stanulis@delaware.gov
📞 302-577-8283

The application deadline for the 2027 Individual Artist Fellowship is Monday, August 3, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.