Lewes artist selected for career development program

Three Delaware artists, one in each county, have been selected for the Artist Career Development pilot program that provides two years of sustained career support for emerging or mid-career Delaware artists.

The three ACD artists for the program are Hannah Whiddon (Sussex), Guy Miller (Kent) and Stephanie Boateng (New Castle).

“This initiative represents a tremendous opportunity for emerging artists to receive increased funding and jump-start the next phase of their careers as creative entrepreneurs,” said Jessica Ball, Delaware Division of the Arts director. “By supporting their artistic and business practices, we aim to empower these talented individuals to realize their full potential and make a significant impact on the cultural scene in our state. We believe that through this strategic investment, we are fostering a thriving community of artists who will drive innovation, creativity, and collaboration across Delaware.”

The selected artists will receive $10,000 each program year to advance their artistic and business practices, and to build community connections. In year two, the three ACD artists will continue growing their businesses while planning and executing an arts activity for a community in the artist’s county of residence, in partnership with an arts or community-based organization.

“It didn’t hit me until now how deeply the division is investing in me and my career,” said Hannah Whiddon, a painter from Lewes who draws inspiration from the beauty inherent in everyday life and the human form. “The headshots and the various career-focused workshops all support my growth as an emerging artist.”

The application process was competitive, and the division received letters of intent from 47 Delaware musicians, writers and visual artists for the three spots in the program. An experienced panel reviewed the 47 letters of intent and selected seven artists to submit a full application.

Four semifinalists have each received $1,500 to support professional development expenses including but not limited to equipment, materials and supplies, space rental, marketing and event publicity.

The ACD program includes a hybrid cohort model with some professional development and meetings in person and others asynchronous focused on the artists’ current and future needs to sustain their work. Courses include targeted career development workshops presented by Springboard Arts and covering Career Planning, Engaging Your Customers, and Artist Working in Community; financial literacy coaching with Elaine Grogan Luttrull of Minerva Financial Arts including Tax Basics for Creative Entrepreneurs and individual sessions; and resources from the Delaware Division of the Arts – Delaware Artist Roster, Delaware Arts Summit, marketing and communications workshop by program officer Andy Truscott, and professional headshots by Moonloop Photography’s Joe del Tufo.

The ACD program was created to expand geographic reach of funded programming and address specific outcomes as outlined in the Delaware Division of the Arts Strategic Plan: enhance artists’ career-building skills by facilitating artist connections and providing training opportunities, engage artists by connecting them to one another to enhance their work, and encourage greater collaboration among arts organizations and artists statewide.