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For Immediate Release
June 3, 2008
Media Contact
- Allison Tratner
- 609.292.4524
- allison@arts.sos.state.nj.us
NJ State Council on the Arts Makes Funding Recommendations and
Announces New Senate Ex-Officio Council Member
(Trenton, NJ) The New Jersey State Council on the Arts held its May Council meeting at the Rutgers-Camden Center for the Arts in Camden. Arts Council Chair Carol Herbert announced the Council’s newest ex-officio member, Senator Thomas H. Kean, Jr., from District 21. Herbert praised the Senator for being a strong supporter of the arts in the state and continuing the important legacy of his father, former Governor Kean.
The May meeting is typically devoted to highlighting the Council’s work in arts education as well as fiscal year-end business. The Council voted on recommendations of the Grants and Arts Education Committees and the following motions were approved:
$40,000 in available FY08 funds awarded as a cosponsored project grant to the South Jersey Cultural Alliance for support of the 2008-2009 South Jersey Regional Marketing and Tourism Initiative.
$6,500 in available FY08 funds awarded as a cosponsored project grant to the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs for support of the fall 2008 New Jersey State Senior Art Show.
The balance of remaining FY08 funds awarded to support the 2008-2009 Artists in Education (AIE) program which includes long-term in school and after-school artist residencies statewide. The Council also made a commitment to continue to support all current arts education cosponsorships to the fullest extent possible in FY09.
Approval of the roster of artists to conduct in-school residencies and designation of teaching artist Lauren Rutten of South Orange as a Distinguished Teaching Artist.
The Arts Education Committee also reported on the progress of an array of Arts Council programs including an update on the New Jersey Arts Education Partnership, the AIE after-school program, Poetry Out Loud and the upcoming Artist/Teacher Institute (aTi), cosponsored with Arts Horizons, which provides professional development for teachers and artists from across the state. The Committee and the full Council recognized Maggie Hunter, the Director of Education at Arts Horizons and the project director for aTi who will be retiring this year, for her many years of service to the arts and education field.
Frank Mazzeo, Chair of the Council’s Arts Education Committee, reported that the NJ Arts Education Partnership, cosponsored with Music for All and in partnership with the Department of Education, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and a coalition of arts and education organizations, has continued to respond to the findings and recommendations from the Arts Education Census Project report, Within Our Power. Recommendations that have been achieved or are in progress include the following:
Appointment of a liaison from the State Board of Education to the NJ Arts Education Partnership
Proposed legislation to equally weigh arts credits with other core subjects
Establishment of a model schools recognition program
There were two presentations made during the Council meeting, the first delivered by Amanda Newman-Godfrey, AIE Arts Education Associate, about the AIE After-School Program, which continues to grow and build on the benefits of the in-school artist residencies. Ms Newman-Godfrey presented images and spoke about how the AIE after-school program provides quality, meaningful, engaging arts activities for youth throughout the state when the school day ends. The second presentation was a performance of poetry by Allison Strong, a high school senior from Union City and the NJ Poetry Out Loud State Champion. Thousands of high school students nationwide competed in school, regional and state competitions for the opportunity to compete in the Poetry Out Loud National Contest. Ms. Strong represented New Jersey against the champions from 52 states and territories and finished among the top five! At the Council meeting Ms. Strong performed her award winning recitations of “Fever 103°” by Sylvia Plath and “A Supermarket in California” by Allen Ginsberg.
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