Page 14 - Delaware 222 - 2025

Neil Kirschling
Delaware Arts Alliance
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Neil Kirschling took over in 2022 as
executive director of the Delaware
Arts Alliance, a statewide nonprofi t
advocacy organization that develops
sector-wide strategies to advance arts
and culture. He brought his experience
from Rodel, where he helped shape
education policy research, to the
DAA. One of his fi rst major tasks
was creating Delaware's Creative
Economy and Cultural Tourism
Recovery and Growth Plan, a roadmap
for the necessary policy changes
and investments required to grow
and sustain the creative sector that
includes arts nonprofi ts, for-profi t
businesses, and individual artists. Th e
plan outlines a $3.7 billion economic
impact in Delaware, but also sets up a
roadmap on how to reduce barriers to
help the state's arts community thrive.
Francis “Skip” Pennella
The Grand Opera House
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Leslie Shaffer
The Delaware Contemporary
Leslie Shaff er came to the 45-year-old
Delaware Contemporary, the state’s
only contemporary art museum, in
2017 after having led Artspace in New
Haven, Conn., and the Contemporary
Museum in Baltimore. While she
initially led the museum’s programs
and public engagement, she was
promoted to its top job just two years
later. Th e Contemporary houses
seven galleries, 26 artist studios, an
auditorium, classroom, and more,
off ering resources to the community
to learn about and practice their
art. Shaff er has also committed
the Contemporary to support
underrepresented artists through
a new DE&I action plan and has
exhibited many local artists in recent
years.
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12 DELAWARE 222 | DelawareBusinessTimes.com
12 DELAWARE 222 | DelawareBusinessTimes.com
Following the leadership transitions
over the past two years, Th e Grand
Opera House turned to longtime
chairman and past banking executive
Skip Pennella to lead the historic
152-year-old arts center. Now at the
helm, Pennella is tasked with setting
the stage for Wilmignton’s historic
theater for continued success in
landing compelling stage shows and
concerts by handling the fi nancial
side of show business. Pennella had
served as the Grand’s board of director
chair between 2007 and 2018, and had
left retirement to take on the top job.
Pennella also oversees the 1,252-seat
Playhouse on Rodney Square and
305-seat Th e Baby Grand. Outside of
the arts, he has also served for many
years on several boards in Delaware,
including Easterseals and Metropolitan
Wilmington Urban League.
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Carl Shaw
Wilmington Public Library
Anyone still harboring notions that
a library is a quiet place fi lled with
dusty books hasn’t spent time at
the Wilmington Public Library in
recent years – and much of its public
transformation is the work of Carl
Shaw, assistant director of community
engagement and programs. For several
years, Shaw has helped organize and
book major speaking engagements
at the city library with the likes of
NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman,
activist Angela Davis, rappers Rakim
and Master P, actress Phylicia Rashad,
and more. His eff orts helped the
Wilmington Public Library to capture
the 2022 National Medal of Museum
and Library Service, the highest
national honor for U.S. libraries.
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