The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Fellowship creates an organizational culture that aligns with our core values of respect, integrity, creativity, excellence, and empowerment.  

 The fellow provides their input for programs and practices to better promote DEI by engaging with the board, reviewing internal and external communication, and participating in staff meetings and Art League events. 

By constructing activities and events that stimulate conversation around diversity in the community, they help to encourage inclusivity.

 Working with the Executive Director, the DEI fellow develops new programs for otherwise under-represented communities. These classes, workshops, and events give everyone an opportunity to participate in what the Art League has to offer. 

Past Recipients
2022: Ian Postley
2021: Ashley Ash’iz Cuffee

Click here for the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Fellowship Application

Ian Postley will serve as the 2022 Fellow for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.

“Ian Postley has been part of the Art League family since 2013, when he was awarded an Art League scholarship to help with his education at Delaware College of Art & Design. Since then, he designs the wonderful posters every year for the OC Film Festival. Postley will be working with school outreach and helping the Art League bring diversity and inclusion within our organization, part of our core values,” Rina Thaler, executive director of the Art League, said. 

During his year-long fellowship, Postley will visit with high school students to guide them in preparing their portfolios for art school applications, and to discuss ways to make art a career. He also just completed a one-person show of his work in Studio E at the Ocean City Center for the Arts. Postley is dedicated to making his fellowship a successful venture, and has the patience and vision to see it through.

“Before I accepted the opportunity to take part in the fellowship program, I actively made a point to be aware of not only the position in question but also who I am as an artist,” Postley said. “My first instinct with the role was to visit my high school alma mater of Stephen Decatur and speak to their outgoing art students. In high school, like many young artists … I had trouble seeing a future for myself artistically on the Eastern Shore without compromising significantly my art to make a living. Times change, but perhaps this is still a sentiment shared with many high school students today…

“One of the many things I discuss with younger artists is the importance of integrating and interacting with your peers. We’re all here with the intentions of making and creating. When given the opportunity, together, we can uplift and benefit from each other. My involvement in the Diversity Fellowship, for the time being, is expressing to artists and creatives that the Art League is, and has always been, a welcoming hub for the arts. There’s always room for improvement and betterment. Metaphorically speaking, it’s always going to take some effort to cultivate a space and sow seeds. It’s also going to take time to witness what blooms. The Art League simply is here to lend a helping hand and space, to broaden the horizons of what the creatives of the Eastern Shore can bring to the masses,” Postley concluded.

Read the Courier Article About Ian Here