Delaware’s Arts Community Reimagines Sustainability, Collaboration, and Cultural Impact at Biennial Summit

Performances, workshops, and a keynote from former Kennedy Center President Deborah Rutter inspired collective action

Wilmington, Del. (November 20, 2025) – The Delaware Division of the Arts welcomed more than 225 artists, cultural workers, educators, and community leaders to the 2025 Delaware Arts Summit at the Hotel Du Pont. Guided by the theme Agents of Change, the Summit explored how we can enable change within our work, our organizations, and our communities. Throughout the day, participants examined ways to identify when change is needed and how to move toward it—through new ideas, collaborative practices, and approaches that address challenges, recognize emerging opportunities, and strengthen the long-term sustainability of the arts in Delaware.

An archival page with recordings from the day, photos, and presentations can be found here.

In her opening remarks, Delaware Division of the Arts Director Jessica Ball reflected on the state’s long history of cultural leadership and collaboration, emphasizing the shared responsibility to carry that legacy forward. “We are welded together by a philosophy of progress,” she affirmed. “We’re no longer waiting in the wings – we are at the table.”

Governor Matt Meyer welcomed attendees with a message underscoring Delaware’s commitment to supporting the arts even amid national pressures to reduce cultural funding. He noted recent increases in state arts funding and emphasized the importance of protecting artistic expression and cultural participation. Meyer shared that, “Art is an extraordinary language that allows us to share our common humanity. I’m proud to lead a state where we will speak unapologetically about the value of artistic expression and continue investing in our creative community.”

Delaware Secretary of State Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez expanded on the Summit’s theme, highlighting the role of the arts as both catalyst and connector across communities. She noted that “creativity is not just a cultural asset, it is a catalyst,” adding that the arts nurture empathy, spark dialogue, and drive innovation. “Change requires vision, courage, and the kind of collaboration this Summit embodies,” she stated, urging attendees to continue building relationships that lead to lasting impact statewide.

The day featured a keynote address from Deborah Rutter, former President of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Attendees described her remarks as reassuring, energizing, and deeply resonant, noting her reminder that artists are truth-tellers and that “the artist will always prevail.”

Performances throughout the day showcased Delaware’s artistic talent, including The Jonathan Whitney Project featuring Jea Street, Jr., 2025 Individual Artist Fellow Ananya Goswami, and pianist Giampiero Bugliarello.

Workshops were led by regional and national experts, including:

• Kristine Alvarez – Strategic budgeting and scenario planning
• Susannah Laramee Kidd – Evaluating and articulating arts impact
• Keri Mesropov – Organizational culture and multigenerational leadership
• Francesca Olsen – Digital marketing strategy and audience engagement
• Ryan Stubbs & Captain Moira McGuire – Arts & health collaboration

Attendees praised the sessions as “practical, energizing, and directly applicable,” noting that they left with new tools to implement immediately.

The Summit also welcomed the attendance of U.S. Representative Sarah McBride, Senator Virginia Lockman, and Representative Mara Gorman, highlighting strong statewide support for the arts as a public good.

The impact of the Delaware Arts Summit reaches far beyond this single day of gathering. The ideas exchanged, relationships formed, and commitments made in this room directly influence the strength and sustainability of Delaware’s creative economy and cultural life. When artists, educators, administrators, policymakers, and supporters come together with intention, we reinforce our shared capacity to advocate for resources, expand access to meaningful artistic experiences, and ensure that the arts continue to serve every community in our state. A connected arts sector is a resilient one – and the Summit remains one of the few opportunities for collaboration on this scale.

As Delaware continues to recognize culture as essential to community well-being, education, economic vitality, and civic identity, the work done here becomes foundational. The Summit serves as both reminder and catalyst: a reminder of the arts’ role in nurturing expression, belonging, and imagination, and a catalyst for continued collective action. Together, we are building a future in which creativity is not an afterthought, but a shared public value – one that enriches lives, strengthens communities, and reflects the very spirit of Delaware.

The next Delaware Arts Summit will occur in the fall of 2027 at a location to be determined.

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Contact: Andrew Truscott, Program Officer, Marketing and Communications

302-577-8280, andrew.truscott@delaware.gov

About the Delaware Division of the Arts
The Delaware Division of the Arts is an agency of the State of Delaware. Together with its advisory body, the Delaware State Arts Council, the Division administers grants and programs that support arts programming, educate the public, increase awareness of the arts, and integrate the arts into all facets of Delaware life. Funding for Division programs is provided by annual appropriations from the Delaware General Assembly and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. For more information about the Delaware Division of the Arts, visit arts.delaware.gov or call 302-577-8278.