The New Jersey State Council on the Arts will distribute $492,700 in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds to help preserve jobs and stabilize arts organizations statewide.
Last month, the National Endowment for the Arts awarded nearly $30 million in CARES Act funds to the nation’s states and territories to ensure broad distribution throughout the country. The Endowment instructed State Arts Agencies, like the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, to regrant the funds to help arts organizations endure the economic hardships caused by the forced closure of their operations due to the spread of COVID-19.
As an essential part of our state’s economy and overall quality of life, New Jersey’s arts sector, when it is stable and thriving, employs thousands of people, engages millions, and provides irreplaceable value for communities, families, residents and visitors.
The Council has identified nearly 60 nonprofit arts organizations and 21 County Arts Agencies as eligible to receive the CARES Act funds. This swift and strategic distribution will ensure the funds reach organizations of varying sizes, touching communities throughout the state. Among the nonprofit arts organizations are: New Jersey Repertory Company, New Jersey Arts Education Partnership, The Garden State Film Festival and Youth Orchestra of Central Jersey. Eligible county arts agencies include: Monmouth County Arts Council, Inc., and Ocean County Cultural & Heritage Commission.
The New Jersey State Council on the Arts, created in 1966, is a division of the NJ Department of State. The council was established to encourage and foster public interest in the arts; enlarge public and private resources devoted to the arts; promote freedom of expression in the arts; and facilitate the inclusion of art in every public building in New Jersey. The council receives direct appropriations from the State of New Jersey through a dedicated, renewable Hotel/ Motel Occupancy fee, as well as competitive grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. To learn more about the council, please visit artscouncil.nj.gov.
The article originally appeared in the May 21 – 27, 2020 print edition of The Two River Times.
