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For Immediate Release
August 8, 2006
Media Contact
- Allison Tratner
- 609.292.4524
- allison@arts.sos.state.nj.us
State Arts Council Votes FY07 Awards
Approves $18.8 Million in Support of Hundreds of Arts Organizations and Projects
(TRENTON) The New Jersey State Council on the Arts today held its Annual Meeting at the War Memorial in Trenton and voted to disburse awards totaling $18.8 Million dollars that will support over 800 hundred arts organizations, programs and projects across the state. In addition, the Council elected new officers for the coming year and highlighted the work of the Council, which marked its 40th Anniversary this year. Numerous former Council members, staff and other invited VIP guests were in the audience and recognized for their many years of service to the State’s arts community and advancing the work of the Arts Council.
In a message to the audience of hundreds of arts administrators, board members, artists and arts volunteers, Secretary of State Nina Mitchell Wells thanked them for their support and their tireless efforts to ensure that the arts in New Jersey continue to enrich our lives, today, tomorrow and for generations to come. On behalf of Governor Jon S. Corzine, Secretary Wells also presented the Council with a proclamation acknowledging the importance of the Arts Council in serving the residents of New Jersey and congratulating them for their 40 years of distinguished service.
This year, the Council received an appropriation of $19.1 million from the State Legislature, a reduction from the previous year. Acknowledging the extremely difficult circumstances surrounding the state’s budget, NJSCA Chair Carol Herbert thanked Governor Corzine and the Legislature for “providing these substantial funds and demonstrating tremendous support for our work.” She went on to say that “State arts funding, even if tough times mean reductions, is nonetheless absolutely vital to the well being of the arts and the communities they serve.” Ms. Herbert closed by saying “ …we all look forward to working together to restore funding to the level needed for the arts to provide their fullest measure of public value and benefit to the people of New Jersey.”
The principal order of business was the award of FY07 funding which totaled $16,331,650 in 226 matching grants, and $2,426,947 in 27 cosponsored projects that support state and regional initiatives and partnerships in arts education, artist’s services, community and regional development and arts promotion and service leadership. Additionally, the Council approved $32,539 in funding to 11 Folk Arts Apprenticeships. Some $2,122,950 of the Council grants were made to 21 County Arts Agencies for local arts development that will fund over 525 local arts organizations and programs.
In her report Grants Committee Chair Sharon Harrington stated “Addressing the highest ever demand for Council support, $44 million, with a $19.1 million appropriation made the Grants Committees work very challenging. While funding to all organizations currently receiving support had to be reduced, we were able to hold reductions to 14% on average and still add 20 new applicant groups, support 14 new Arts Education Special Initiatives and 20 new art projects that address Council priorities for artists, arts education, community cultural planning and the role of the arts in improving community life, and provide enough support to keep the cosponsored Council initiatives moving forward.”
In addition, 32 organizations and projects that received the highest evaluations of the peer panels that evaluated their applications were recognized with Citations of Excellence. Aso 38 arts groups were designated or confirmed as Major Arts Institutions or Major Arts Presenting or Service Organizations in recognition of their history of excellence, the breadth of their impact and their longstanding leadership. These organizations serve as the anchor cultural institutions of the State.
In other business, the Council elected officers for the year, including Carol Herbert as Chair, Arthur Factor as 1st Vice-Chair and Sharon Burton Turner as 2nd Vice-Chair. The Council also adopted an administrative budget, approved a program plan and received reports on activities of its Executive, Arts Education, Pubic Value and Planning Committees. Among the major plans reported for the coming year are the adoption and implementation of Arts Plan NJ, the statewide blueprint for the arts and its own agency strategic plan, a new grant category to bolter participation in the arts, and new initiatives to increase after school arts programs, cultural tourism and service to artists.
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