First State Times

Wilmington, Del. – At its June 2022 annual board meeting, Delaware Division of the Arts Director Jessica Ball was named by Mid Atlantic Arts as a new board member for the regional arts organization.

Mid Atlantic Arts was established in 1979 to promote and support multi-state arts programming in a region that includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia, and West Virginia. It is one of six regional arts organizations in the United States, and works in close partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and its member state and jurisdictional arts agencies. Mid Atlantic Arts distinguishes itself through its work in international cultural exchange, model programs in performing arts touring, its knowledge and presence in the jazz field, and its support of folk and traditional arts. The organization nurtures and funds the creation and presentation of diverse artistic expression and connects people to meaningful arts experiences within our region and beyond. 

Ball was named Director of the Division of the Arts in 2021, where she oversees all aspects of managing a state agency committed to supporting the arts and cultivating creativity to enhance the quality of life in Delaware. Jessica brings a collaborative, progressive, transparent approach to arts leadership and administration. Adept at creating and sustaining partnerships across private, government, and creative sectors she facilitates initiatives that expand access to the transformative power of the arts and arts education. Jessica is dedicated to strengthening the cultural sector and growing the creative economy and workforce. Before becoming the Director of DDOA Jessica was the Executive Director of the Delaware Arts Alliance. There, she developed sector wide strategies to advance arts and culture. She worked with cultural, community, and civic leaders on policy and funding initiatives to ensure that the creative sector is vibrant. Jessica graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Design with dual master’s degrees in Historic Preservation and Landscape Architecture Regional Planning. She has a Bachelor of Architecture from Florida International University. She spent the first part of her career in the fields of design and architecture. She is a visual artist, artisan, and co-founder of Handmade Modern Accessories–a Women and Black-owned creative business. Her diverse background gives her perspective on the importance of arts and culture’s positive impacts on communities. She volunteers on the Delaware Fund for Women’s Young Founders Committee and the Delaware MillSummit Planning Committee.

“I am thrilled to join Mid Atlantic Arts’ Board of Directors at such a critical time for the creative sector,” says Director Ball. “I look forward to advocating for arts organizations and artists in our region while ensuring that Delaware’s creative sector remains at the forefront of artistic ingenuity and innovation. Mid Atlantic Arts’ board is comprised of a diverse, talented slate of individuals looking to move the needle in our sector, and I am fortunate to be at the table working towards that same goal with them.”

To learn more about Mid Atlantic Arts, visit www.midatlanticarts.org.

To learn more about the Delaware Division of the arts, visit arts.delaware.gov.

Original source can be found here.