On January 21st, Matt Meyer was sworn in as the 76th Governor of Delaware. During the Inauguration, Delaware’s Twin Poets shared, “Let’s remain true. Keeping art at the heart of all that we do.” What else do we know about the next administration’s support for the arts?
“We’re kind of a hidden gem of artistic excellence. We can take away the hidden part and really become an extraordinary hub of artistic and economic activity for the region, the country, and maybe even the world.” – Gov. Matt Meyer, July 202
1. Governor Meyer prioritized the arts as New Castle County Executive.
As New Castle County Executive, Gov. Meyer helped in leveraging a $822K federal EDA grant with $205K in local funds to provide the Markell Trail with public art and wayfinding. This effort improved quality life for locals, as well as attracting tourism and highlighting natural assets – all of which provide positive value to the state’s economy.
In 2023, then-County Executive Meyer also formed the first New Castle County Public Arts Commission, which is tasked with infusing the county’s spaces with creative expression, seeking guidance of artists and art organizations, and advocating for arts policy. According to the Ordinance’s goals set forth: “By encouraging more tourism, the Public Arts Commission will be an economic driver through job creation, generating tax revenue, stimulating business activity, and boosting area property values.”
2. Governor Meyer supported the CREATE Plan since its launch.
In July 2024, The Delaware Arts Alliance invited Gov. Meyer to speak at the launch of the CREATE Plan at the Delaware Contemporary Museum. Gov. Meyer spoke about his efforts to support the arts as County Executive and asked that “investment in public arts lasts far beyond my short time left as county executive.” In addition, Gov. Meyer shared the following about the CREATE Plan:
“We have arts because of the intrinsic value that arts bring to individuals, families, and communities. Having said that, I know not everyone agrees with me, right? So, you have to show economic value too. I would do everything in my power to take this study that so many of you have spent so much time, effort, and investment working on, and put it to use for the people of our community… We are committed to taking your tremendous work and these recommendations are serious if we implement them. We were already on the map. Everybody already knows. We’re kind of a hidden gem of artistic excellence. We can take away the hidden part and really become an extraordinary hub of artistic and economic activity for the region, the country, and maybe even the world.”
Matt Meyer, CREATE Plan Launch. July 30, 2024 @ Delaware Contemporary Museum
3. As a candidate, Governor Meyer emphasized the need to hear from arts leaders.
Gov. Meyer at the CREATE Plan Launch, July 2024
In August 2024, at the Rotary Club of Wilmington’s Gubernatorial Debate, when asked what he would do as Governor to support the arts as an economic driver, Gov. Meyer responded “One of my first acts is going to sit down artist leaders from across the state and talk about how to reconstitute a higher education arts school for an Associate in the Arts in Delaware. DCAD (Delaware College of Art and Design) recently closed and there are a number of market reasons for it. We need to bring people together to make sure that our top artist talent grows here, stays here, and works here.”
4. Transition Report released by Governor Meyer’s Transition Committee’s Includes key themes of education, workforce development, and small business support that relate to CREATE Plan themes.
Governor Meyer, as is tradition, turned to community members and key stakeholders to make recommendations on key issues his administration should consider. The final product is a Transition Report with recommendations that will serve as a resource for the administration’s first term. Those recommendations include:
- “Restructure the state workforce development system to reduce redundancy, enhance funding, and improve alignment with the business community’s needs.”
- “Redefine and retool the Division of Small Business to increase its outreach and impact on the state’s entrepreneurship ecosystem.”
- “Strengthen student preparation for the workforce”
- “Expand apprenticeship programs”
- “Create a central, online resource for all state grants available for reward”
Governor Meyer Transition Report, January 2025
There is significant potential for overlap and pursuing these recommendations within the context of the creative economy, though the arts are not specifically called out in the Transition Report. The CREATE Plan found that 70% of Delaware’s Creative Economy are small businesses and found a large need for workforce development, training, and apprenticeships for the creative workforce to help sustain the current workforce and attract industries to Delaware.
5. Lt. Governor Kyle Evans Gay has demonstrated a commitment to the arts.
Lt. Governor Kyle Evans Gay attending the Arts & Culture Caucus with her daughter, March 2024
Lt. Governor Kyle Evans Gay is another familiar face to the Delaware Arts Alliance. During her time as Delaware State Senator, Lt. Governor Evans Gay was actively involved with the Arts & Culture Caucus, a bipartisan, bicameral group of state legislators dedicated to fostering a General Assembly that supports the arts. During this time, she signed a “Dear Colleague” Letter of Support that helped contribute to an increase in funding to the arts community through the Delaware Division of the Arts; she regularly attended Arts & Culture Caucus meetings about the development of the CREATE plan; and she worked alongside various arts groups in her district regularly attending meetings and events. Already in their first few weeks in office, Lt. Governor Gay and her team participated in an arts and beautification project at Towne Point Elementary during inauguration week and plan to continue regular affinity calls with the arts community.
6. New Secretary of State, Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez Supports the Arts.
During her hearing on Jan. 22 in front of the Delaware State Senate, Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez shared the following about the Creative Economy,
Secretary of State Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez
“The creative economy in Delaware is here, they have arrived, and we need to foster them… [Gov. Meyer] believes that the arts, and public art especially, are a way to drive the creative economy and support it… I fully support [the film industry] as well. I worked a lot with studios in LA during the TV Tax Credit debates there – when they were trying to attract more filming back to LA… We have incredible assets here in Delaware and we could potentially have a great program here to involve some movie productions. I look forward to expanding that more and working with our arts institutions, both large and small, and linking that to economic development, because I think you’re right, they are completely intertwined. We can really develop some revenue for the State.”
Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez Senate Hearing. January 22, 2025 @ Legislative Hall
Secretary of State Patibanda-Sachez has a track record of working with arts organizations, such as the Delaware Art Museum, and incorporating the arts into economic development efforts in her previous roles within New Castle County Government. Read more here about Secretary of State Patibanda-Sachez’s background. Delaware’s Secretary of State oversees a diverse department that includes the Division of the Arts, Division of Small Business (including the Delaware Tourism Office), Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, Division of Libraries, and Division of Corporations.
7. Arts leaders feel optimistic and encourage community participation in the Delaware Arts Alliance
In a recent op-ed, Delaware’s CREATE Plan brings together economic drivers to enrich & promote First State written by Board President and Executive and Artistic Director of Delaware Theatre Company, Matt Silva for Delaware Online, Silva shared:
“As the new board chair of the DAA, I invite and encourage you to be a part of this movement, to be a part of an overdue cultural shift in which we are recognizing the influence of our creative economy and empowered to go about supporting it. With the CREATE Plan in hand, with elected officials with strong track records of support for the arts, I see a massive opportunity to carry forward the momentum we’ve built…
Whether or not you’ve heard about the CREATE Plan before now, you are an important piece of our puzzle. You may already support our efforts in everyday ways – visiting an arts and culture venue, hiring an artist – but why not take your influence one step further?”
Matt Silva for Delaware Online. February 3, 2025
We appreciate leadership, such as Gov. Meyer’s, that recognizes not just the intrinsic value of the arts but understands and supports the role of the creative economy as an economic driver for Delaware, advocates for further investment, and actively spotlights the unique talents and benefits of our local arts & culture scene.
Statewide arts leaders celebrate at Governor Meyer’s inaugural ball.
Please be a voice for the importance of the creative economy by sharing CREATE Plan materials with your networks from delawareartsalliance.org/creativeeconomy/.
Then, get connected with us at delawareartsalliance.org/contact/ to stay informed of upcoming training, information, and opportunities to be champions for the future of Delaware’s creative economy.