Viet Dinh of Newark, an assistant professor of English at the University of Delaware, has been designated a Master Fellowship through the Delaware Division of the Arts’ Individual Artist Fellows program.

Dinh is joined by 20 other artists from across Delaware who received fellowships — 11 in the Established category and nine in the Emerging category.

Dinh was born in Vietnam and grew up in Colorado. He attended Johns Hopkins University and the University of Houston. He has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Delaware Division of the Arts, and the O. Henry Prize. His debut novel, After Disasters, was released in 2016 and recounts the story of four aid workers who travel to India.

“While affirmation is always appreciated, especially for an artist, for me, as a writer who is constantly in my own head, it’s a grateful acknowledgment that my work can have an impact on the worlds that exist outside my own brain—that art has an impact on others and can help shape people’s lives as much as it has shaped my own,” Dinh told Delaware Live.

The Division received 191 applications from Delaware choreographers, composers, musicians, writers, and folk, media, and visual artists. Out-of-state arts professionals reviewed the work samples.

Awards are given in three categories: $12,000 for the Masters Award, $8,000 for the Established Professional Award, and $5,000 for the Emerging Professional Award. Fellows are required to offer at least one exhibit or performance during the upcoming year, providing an opportunity for the public to experience their work.

The Masters Fellowship is open to rotating artistic disciplines each year. For 2025, Masters Fellowship applications were accepted in Literary Arts and Media Arts from artists who had previously received an Established Professional Fellowship. In addition to exemplifying high artistic quality, Masters Fellowship applicants must demonstrate their involvement and commitment to the arts in Delaware and beyond.

“Individual Artist Fellowship grants recognize Delaware artists for their outstanding work and commitment to artistic excellence. Our commitment to Delaware’s individual artists is at the heart of our work, and this year we’re thrilled to expand our support by increasing the funding pool for the Individual Artist Fellowships by 15%,” says Jessica Ball, director of the Delaware Division of the Arts. “In response to the unprecedented number of applications, we are introducing a cohort of runners-up who will each receive an honorarium to recognize even more talented artists for their exceptional work and dedication to their craft.”

The 21 selected Fellows reside in Bear, Clayton, Dagsboro, Lewis, Milton, Newark, New Castle, Rehoboth Beach, Smyrna, and Wilmington.

 

Winners of the Established Fellowships are:
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Emerging Fellowship winners were:

• Paula Brown, Wilmington, Painting
• Renita Coursey, Wilmington, Folk Art: Visual Arts
• Irene Fick, Lewes, Creative Nonfiction
• Don James, Milton, Photography
• Tim Lynch, Wilmington, Poetry
• Maximillian Remmler, Newark, Video/Film
• August Ryan, Wilmington, Fiction
• Shana Starks (“Blue Tulip”). Wilmington, Contemporary Performance
• Benjamin Wagner, Wilmington, Creative Nonfiction

It’s rewarding to see what the artists to do with the funds,” said Roxanne Stanulis, program officer for the Delaware Division of the Arts. “This is a launching point to a lot of opportunities, and is also validation given that national experts have reviewed their work.”

Asked what he’ll do with the $12,000 monetary award, Dinh said, “To paraphrase a panel from Matt Groening’s Life in Hell: What’s the best question to annoy a writer? ‘But what do you do for work?’ While I’ve been fortunate to have a steady income, I’ve always imagined a writer’s life as almost taking a vow of poverty. But this award allows me to take some necessary to advance my work, from upgrading my beloved but decrepit laptop to exploring the possibilities of hiring a publicist for my future work.”

Dinh said he’s finishing up his second novel, tentatively titled “The Dirt Eaters,” which “follows a family of German immigrant farmers in the American Midwest between the World Wars. The son might have magical powers. And did I mention it’s inspired by the  Choose-Your-Own-Adventure books?”

The work of the Fellows will be featured in a group exhibition at the Biggs Museum of American Art in Dover and will travel statewide throughout 2025.