Founding year 2026 · Wilmington, Delaware
A donation-supported arts academy. Join the Founding Circle →
About Luna

A nonprofit on the river,
building the room everyone deserves.

A Wilmington native gathering local artists, board governance, and grassroots credibility into a single donation-supported home for creative practice.

In one paragraph

Wilmington has the artists,
the audience, and the appetite.

What it lacks is an entry-tier arts academy where cost is never the barrier. LunaWilm fills that gap with donation-based access to music, painting, and a rotating monthly art method.

Programs are taught by paid local artists. Programming is multicultural by design. The doors are open to every age and every income.

We are a Delaware nonprofit corporation pursuing 501(c)(3) recognition. Governed by an independent board. Built for the long haul.

What we are

Mission, vision, and purpose.

/ 01 — MISSION

Artistic equity, on every block.

Luna expands artistic equity in Wilmington by providing donation-supported creative learning — music, painting, and rotating multicultural arts experiences for people of all ages — centering local artists, cultural inclusion, and the belief that everyone deserves space, tools, and community to create.

/ 02 — VISION

A city where everyone makes.

A Wilmington where every person — regardless of age, income, background, or experience — has access to the joy, discipline, healing, and opportunity of making art.

/ 03 — PURPOSE

Removing the barrier.

Luna exists to remove barriers between everyday people and artistic creation. A child touching an instrument for the first time. An adult returning to painting after years away. A local artist teaching, and being paid. A community gathering across cultures through creativity.

What we hold

Seven values
that shape every choice.

From hiring to programming to who gets a seat at the table — these are the principles that make the work decision-ready.
VALUE 01

Artistic equity

Creative education should not depend on wealth, connections, or formal training.

VALUE 02

Inclusion

All ages, cultures, skill levels, and identities are welcome — without conditions.

VALUE 03

Local leadership

Wilmington artists, musicians, teachers, students, service workers, and small business owners shape the organization.

VALUE 04

Multicultural expression

The center honors many traditions, sounds, styles, and creative methods — programmed by design, not afterthought.

VALUE 05

Artist dignity

Local artists are treated as educators, cultural workers, and community builders. They are paid for their labor.

VALUE 06

Donation-based access

No one is excluded because they cannot pay. Sliding scale, pay-what-you-can, and free options are the norm — not the exception.

VALUE 07

Community over perfection

The goal is participation, confidence, visibility, and connection — not elitism. Showing up matters more than polish.

— OUR PROMISE

Wilmington first.

If a choice helps Luna grow but doesn't serve Wilmington's people, we don't make it.

Founder · placeholder Alejandra · Founder & Proposed Executive Director
Meet the founder

Alejandra grew up here.

A 32-year-old Wilmington native with deep family, service-industry, and cultural roots in the city.

Her network spans hospitality, local arts, and small business — built-in audience reach, partnership pathways, and grassroots credibility from day one. The kind of foundation a new arts space usually has to spend its first three years building.

Luna emerges from a simple observation: Wilmington is full of creative potential, and a population that mostly experiences art as audience rather than as maker. Private lessons, after-school enrichment, adult continuing-ed — they run hundreds of dollars a month. For working families, service-industry households, and adults returning to creative practice later in life, those numbers function as a wall.

A nonprofit has no private owner. Luna isn't mine. It's governed by an independent board and exists for public benefit. My role is to hold the door open behind me.

Alejandra serves as Founder and proposed Executive Director. Compensation is set, approved, and reviewed by independent board members, documented as reasonable, and kept fully separate from any benefit to adjacent businesses — including Over the Border Tacos, the hospitality anchor next door to the proposed home.

Conflict of interest policy. Annual disclosures. Recusal protocols. Clean lines. The trust we ask Wilmington to give us, we earn every quarter.

The Founding Board

Five to seven seats.
Each brings expertise and community.

The founding board adopts bylaws, a conflict-of-interest policy, financial controls, gift acceptance rules, a youth safety policy, and an artist payment policy — all before any serious fundraising begins.

Board seat
CHAIR

Board Chair

Primary responsibility for governance and board leadership. Sets meeting cadence and stewards strategy.
Board seat
TREASURER

Financial Oversight

Owns the financial controls policy, monthly reconciliations, and the quarterly board financial report.
Board seat
SECRETARY

Compliance & Records

Compliance, minutes, and document retention. Keeps the paper trail that earns trust.
Board seat
ARTIST REP

Working Artist

Drawn from working Wilmington artists. The voice that keeps program design honest to practice.
Board seat
EDUCATION REP

Youth & Schools

School or after-school program experience. Ensures youth safety, age-appropriate design, and school partnerships.
Board seat
FUNDRAISING

Business & Philanthropy

Relationships in local business, real estate, or philanthropy. Owns sponsorship pipeline development.
Board seat
COMMUNITY REP

Parent / Student Voice

A community member, parent, or student. The lived-experience check on every program decision.
OPEN INVITATION

Seat 8 is yours.

Bring expertise, lived experience, and a willingness to roll up your sleeves. Founding board service is a two-year commitment.

Express interest
Year-one launch plan

Twelve months,
three phases.

DAYS 0 — 90 · INCORPORATE

Stand up the nonprofit.

  • Confirm Delaware name availability
  • Recruit the founding board
  • Draft bylaws & conflict-of-interest policy
  • Incorporate as a Delaware nonprofit
  • Obtain EIN, open nonprofit bank account
  • Build placeholder brand assets
  • Confirm Whale Building feasibility
  • Set up donation platform
  • Build founding donor list
  • Host one soft-launch gathering
MONTHS 4 — 6 · PILOT

Run the programs.

  • Pilot painting workshops
  • Pilot music sessions
  • Launch first rotating method
  • Host first public fundraiser
  • Submit IRS Form 1023
  • Build volunteer database
  • Document attendance & demographics
  • Begin grant relationship building
MONTHS 7 — 12 · GROW

Build the rhythm.

  • Consistent monthly programming calendar
  • Secure 3–5 business sponsors
  • Open Founding Luminary donor circle
  • Host a quarterly showcase
  • Build 3+ school & community partnerships
  • Apply for arts & startup grants
  • Publish first community impact report
  • Review founder compensation against actual revenue

Help us open the door.

Every founding donor, board candidate, sponsoring business, instructor, and volunteer makes the first year possible.