Awards & Recognitions,
Certifications,
New Clients
-
Social Good Fund Fiscal Partnership
Partnership began in Sept 2025, received first grant in March 2026 to support work with cancer survivors
DDOA Creative Aging Instructor
Instruction throughout DE at libraries and senior centers
M-AAA Creative Forces Grant Reviewer
Consultant for CreatiVeterans Spring Cohort 2026
3rd cohort for the Pilot program culminating with an exhibition at the Biggs Museum of American Arts
Partnership with the City of Wilmington at Hicks Community Center
NEW CLIENT
Freeman Foundation - at Seaford House
Art for Wellbeing workshop series at a therapeutic foster group home for teens
Network Delaware Fiscal Partnership
Get Experience in Mindfulness (GEM) Training
Train the Trainer curriculum- University of Delaware Cooperative Extension
-
NOAH (National Organization for Arts in Health) Reader for position paper, “Advancing Practice in Arts in Health: Artist Workforce Development and Certification”
Bank of America Institute at Cornell University
Women’s Entrepreneurship Centificate
M-AAA NEA Creative Forces Grant Reviewer
March - April Creative Forces Grant Reviewer Panel Contract
University of Delaware Partnership for Healthy Communities (UDPHC) Working Group
June - Working group formed
-
Vanesa Simon had the greatest honor of being nominated by President Joe Biden to the National Council on the Arts. This nomination was in recognition of her work in the Arts in Health.
NEW CLIENT
Consultant work began with the Delaware Division of the Arts and the Delaware Office of Veteran Services. The new Pilot program, Delaware CreatiVeterans, launched in January 2025. Find more information about this program HERE.
GLOBAL SOUTH ARTS & HEALTH ENVOY
As an Envoy, Vanesa Simon was tasked as the Lead for the 2024 Cohort of Envoys. She, along with colleague Sol Guerrero, coordinated bi-monthly global gatherings and project design.
Vanesa was featured as a GSAH Envoy Changemaker in the Arts in Health Week Convening in Qatar. Her work was highlighted at the global gathering.
NEWARK ARTS ALLIANCE JUROR
Socially Engaged Art Exhibition Juror in October 2024, exhibited artwork in the show.
ASIST CERTIFICATION
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training by Mental Health Association in Delaware.
NEW CLIENT
Wilmington Alliance - 6 weekly Art for Wellbeing workshops at the Art O Mat
-
OPEN STUDIO PROJECT FACILITATOR TRAINING
Became Certified as an Open Studio Project Facilitator. A curriculum that engages participants in the arts through the lens of Social Emotional Learning.
-
LIFETIME ARTS
Creative Aging Facilitation Training Certification
New Client
Grace Methodist Church - Gallery Coordination for Wilmington Art Loop - ended 2024
-
TRAUMA INFORMED TEACHING ARTIST CERTIFICATION
Certified by Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation
CREATIVE CATALYST CERTIFICATION
Thomas S. Kenan Institute of the Arts at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts - 9-month certification for Artists as Leader, Innovator and Entrepreneur.
NEW CLIENT
Grace United Methodist Church - established the Gallery at Grace, inviting a wide array of artists and diverse community guests to the monthly Art Loop experience. Through creative placemaking, we explored the intersection of spirituality and creativity.
-
MARIPOSA ARTS
Officially established as an LLC with a clear mission and vision of bringing the Arts in Health to Delaware.
FISCAL PARTNERSHIP
Mariposa Arts pitched and established the Fiscal Sponsor Partnership with the Delaware Art Museum.
-
ZENTANGLE TEACHER CERTIFICATION
Zentangle, Inc.
-
IDEATION & IMPLEMENTATION
Delaware Art Museum - in the Fall of 2017 I began to pitch my Pilot idea for what I would end up calling, Healing Through the Arts.
The Pilot was launched in the Spring of 2018, a small grant of funding supported 3 workshops for that year with a culminating event at the museum
Speaking Engagements
-
August - La Red Health Clinic & University of Delaware Partnership for Healthy Communities (UDPHC) Health Fair - Art for wellbeing demonstration
November - University of Delaware Public Health Exchange - Art for wellbeing activity
-
February - NEA Creative Forces Convening in Washington D.C. - Presenter & Art Demonstration
September - Mental Health Association of Delaware (MHA) Military Connected & Veteran Mental Health Summit - Panel Presenter
-
April – Moving Delaware Forward: From Equity Awareness to Action – Art Instruction Presenter
June - Global South Arts in Health Week Uganda Pavilion - Keynote Speaker
November - Global South Arts in Health Changemaker Presentation
November - Global Arts in Medicine Fellowship Closing Ceremony - Keynote Speaker
-
September – Umatter2DE –Suicide Prevention Conference – Art Instruction Presenter
-
April – Honoring Choices, Delaware Hospice – Art Instruction Presenter
May – Delaware Church Women’s Day of Wellness - Art Instruction Presenter
August – MILLSUMMIT - Panelist & Art Instruction Presenter
-
April – Honoring Choices, Delaware Hospice – Art Instruction Presenter
October – NAMI Delaware Inspiring Hope Conference – Presenter & Art Demonstration
Grants Awarded to
Healing Through the Arts
A program of Mariposa Arts in Fiscal Partnership with the Delaware Art Museum
Arsht-Cannon Fund
The Laffey-McHugh Foundation
Incyte
National Endowment for the Arts - Creative Forces