Delaware Arts Division Wins National Access Award
The Delaware Division of the Arts received the 2026 Arts Access Agency Award from the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Cultural
Director Jessica Ball accepted the Arts Access Agency Award at NASAA's 2026 National Conference in Washington, D.C., held October 7 through 9. The award recognizes agencies that expand public access to the arts across their state.
Why it matters
The honor recognizes state-level efforts to reduce barriers to arts participation for residents across Delaware. It also highlights how public arts investment can reach communities beyond major population centers.
NASAA's membership spans 56 state and jurisdictional arts agencies, placing Delaware's recognition within a national pool. The extraction does not provide program funding totals or attendance figures for Delaware's initiatives.
The players
Delaware Division of the Arts
An agency of the State of Delaware that funds and runs arts programs statewide, supported by appropriations from the Delaware General Assembly and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts.
National Assembly of State Arts Agencies
A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization serving 56 state and jurisdictional arts agencies, which presents the Arts Access Agency Award.
Jessica Ball
Director of the Delaware Division of the Arts who accepted the award at the NASAA conference.
The details
The Division has offered free art classes for older adults in libraries and senior centers and for veterans in all three counties. It has also increased direct funding for individual artists and offered free exhibitions and events to the public.
Timeline
October 7 through 9, 2026: NASAA 2026 National Conference held in Washington, D.C.
November 2, 2026: Delaware Division of the Arts announced the award.
Access Framework
The Arts Access Agency Award, presented by NASAA, recognizes state agencies that reduce barriers so public arts investment reaches residents across their state. Delaware's recognition places its county-wide free classes and individual artist funding within that national access framework.
Residents can take free art classes through libraries, senior centers and veteran programs in all three Delaware counties. The Division also offers free exhibitions and events, and maintains a statewide events calendar for finding them.
The takeaway
Public arts access depends on how agencies design programs, not only on how much they fund. Readers can check the state's events calendar to find free classes and exhibitions near them.
Further reading
Explore more in Delaware Cultural coverage.
More information
Find programs and events on the Delaware Division of the Arts official website.
Source note: This article includes information reported by State of Delaware News.
