The Delaware Arts Summit brought the state’s arts community together downstate.
Over 200 Delaware artists, arts administrators, and advocates gathered at the 2023 Arts Summit in Dewey Beach Monday.
The Delaware Division of the Arts sponsors the gathering which brings together a small but diverse representation of the First State’s arts economy. It touted the state’s commitment to the arts, noting this year’s state budget increased arts spending to over a million dollars.
Lt. Governor Bethany Hall Long says the arts contribute significantly to the state’s quality of life.
“We really want Delaware to be the place where people live, work and raise a family. Arts are a very important component, and having been raised here in Sussex, in the beach area, as a whole component to tourism - this all goes together.”
Secretary of State Jeff Bullock adds attendees should be proud of their impact.
"The arts today play a more important part in our economy, in our education, in the fabric of society than they ever have in our state’s history."
And Delaware Arts Alliance Executive Director Neil Kirschling says arts advocacy needs to reflect the economic impact artists’ work has.
“That term creative economy is intentional -we’re not just calling it arts and culture sector, which may be synonymous. We are placing the arts in economic terms.”
The Delaware Arts Alliance is conducting a survey to establish creative economy advocacy guidelines in time for the 2024 election.
The Delaware Arts summit is a biennial gathering of the Delaware arts community held since 2005. Monday’s summit was the first since 2019 after the 2021 edition was canceled during the COVID pandemic.
Delaware Public Media' s arts coverage is made possible, in part, by support from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
