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MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Department of State is to preserve and promote New Jersey's arts, history and culture in order to enhance the quality of life in the Garden State. The Department's initiatives focus on New Jersey's diversity of residents, but of particular interest to urban organizations may be our grant programs in the arts, history, youth and human rights arenas and our educational resources at the New Jersey State Museum and the Division of Archives and by policies of equal access, constituent self-determination, and fiscal accountability.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS

New Jersey State Council on the Arts
Barbara Russo, Executive Director
PO Box 306
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0306
Phone: (609) 292-6130
www.njartscouncil.org
Discover Jersey Arts
www.jerseyarts.com
Phone: 1-800 THE ARTS

The mission of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts (NJSCA) is to improve the quality of life of this state, its people and communities by helping the arts to flourish. Since its founding in 1966, the Council has supported and led the ascent of a remarkable community of artists and arts and cultural organizations that reside in New Jersey, bringing the joy and full benefits of the arts to audiences exceeding 15 million, annually, and helping to build our communities and our economy.

The NJSCA awards grants on a highly competitive basis, employing standardized criteria for eligibility and evaluation published in guidelines and convening panels of independent experts in the various fields of endeavor for objective feedback and recommendations. Only non-profit organizations or New Jersey artists may be considered for grant funding through the NJSCA.

General Operating Support Grants are awarded every three years to NJ based, non-profit arts organizations to help underwrite the expense of their total operation including their expense of producing and presenting arts events.

General Program Support Grants are awarded every three years to other NJ based, non-profit organizations to help underwrite the expense of presenting major, on-going arts programs.

Special Project Grants are awarded annually to NJ based, non-profit organizations and agencies to help support specific public arts events

Arts Education Special Initiative Grants are awarded ever three years to recipients of General Operating or General Program Support to assist them in reaching their potential as resources to educational systems across the state.

Projects Serving Artists Grants are awarded annually to assist non-profit organizations and agencies meet the needs of artists and advance their development.

Community Arts Collaboration Grants are awarded to a consortium of three or more different community organizations (one of which must be the official County Arts Agency) to assist in meeting a community challenge through the arts.

The Local Arts Program contains multi-year grants for County Arts Agency Support and Re-grants to local groups and Local Arts Staffing available to the 21 officially designated county arts agencies for local arts development.

Artists Fellowships are awarded on a highly competitive basis in each disciplinary category every other year, the fellowships are intended to assist professional artists in their artistic development.

Artists As Catalyst Grants are awards to organizations throughout the Mid Atlantic region for long term artist residencies that reveal the artistic process to a wider public through the development of new work or employ the arts to help meet a community challenge.

Folk Arts Apprenticeships are awarded annually to support the passing on of folk arts by enabling apprentices of a traditional art form to study with a master artist.

Special Initiatives: From time to time the Council establishes funding programs to meet the goals of special initiatives.

While direct grant funding may represent the largest area of agency activity, the Council accords a very high priority to several other areas of endeavor and has active programs to serve them.

Arts Education: Through several partnerships, the Council annually places professional artists in over 175 short- and long-term residencies in NJ schools throughout the state.

Long-Term Residencies are offered in several different arts disciplines and are applied for by the school or other sponsoring agency.

Short-Term Residencies are offered in prose, poetry and playwriting with Council funds providing the artists' fees.

Artists may also apply to become eligible to conduct residencies. Special artist residency initiatives are in place for the greater Camden area schools. Artists wishing to conduct residencies may apply through the Council for a highly competitive, three-year certification based upon assessment of both artistic and teaching excellence.

Artist/Teacher Institute (ATI) is a multi-day, non-residential multidisciplinary program in which educators, working with nationally renowned artists switch hats - the educators become the artists and explore the creative processes with artists who are their teachers. The results are remarkable and are taken back to the classroom. ATI also offers educators the opportunity to advance their knowledge through New Jersey education reform efforts. Two institutes are offered annually, one in north Jersey and one in south Jersey

Arts Create Excellent Schools (ACES) is a long-term commitment the Council and its co-sponsors have made to help develop pilot schools that demonstrate how the arts can fully infuse a school's curriculum. Four pilot schools are being advanced and along with ten others that form the ACES Consortium have developed the ACES Leadership Institute to disseminate information on advances, new models and best practices.

Arts Inclusion Program: For nearly 25 years the Council has administered the process by which artists are selected for the commissioning and installation of artwork in public buildings financed by state funding. The Council maintains an extensive artists slide registry from which artists are frequently selected for purposes of developing proposals.

New Jersey Historical Commission
Dr. Marc Mappen, Executive Director
P. O. Box 305
Trenton, NJ 08625-0305
Phone: 609-292-6062
Fax: 609-633-8168
www.state.nj.us/state/history

The New Jersey Historical Commission was established by law in 1967. It is the state's statutory entity for the advancement of public knowledge and preservation of New Jersey history. Its mission is to enrich the lives of the public by preserving the historical record and advancing interest in and awareness of New Jersey's past. The Commission advances public knowledge of the history of New Jersey by providing grants, conducting research, helping to preserve resources, and producing publications, public programs and classroom materials.

General Operating Support Grants provide general assistance to historical organizations, museums, historic sites, archives, libraries, and similar organizations. To qualify for assistance, organizations must have collections or programming relating to the history of New Jersey.

Special Project Grants provide funding for expenses of exhibitions, public programs, conservation of historical materials (manuscripts, books, costumes, historical visuals), and educational initiatives relating to New Jersey history.

Research/Publications/Media/Fellowship Grants provide funding for expenses of research, oral history, national and New Jersey register of historic places nominations, archaeological projects, fellowships, editorial, publication, films, radio, videotape, and digital media projects relating to New Jersey history.

Mini-grants are offered by the Commission to provide support for smaller projects of the type covered by Special Projects and Research, Publication, and Media.

The Mildred Barry Garvin Prize is an award of $1000 that recognizes the accomplishments of a teacher, guidance counselor, or school librarian in promoting the study of African American history in a New Jersey elementary, middle, or high school. The Garvin Prize recognizes such things as outstanding teaching at any level, the development of curriculum materials, projects that involve historical organizations and the public, and related activities. Special note is taken of the teaching of New Jersey African American history.

The Alfred E. Driscoll Prize is given for an outstanding doctoral dissertation in New Jersey history. The prize is an award of $1000 to the author.

The Richard P. McCormick Prize is an award of $1000 to the author of an outstanding scholarly work on New Jersey history published during the preceding two years.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission
Pamela Sims Jones, Acting Director
225 West State Street
P.O. Box 456
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-O456
General Information: 609-777-4134
Fax: 609-633-7250
www.state.nj.us/state/mlk

The New Jersey State Martin Luther King Jr. Commission was established on September 25, 1984, under Executive Order 83, c. 188, and signed into law on September 26, 1989, making New Jersey the first state in the nation to secure a legislated commission.

The mission of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission is to raise public awareness of Dr. King's ideals and philosophy. This includes:

• A commitment to preserving Constitutional freedoms for all Americans
  
• Assisting all components of American society to embrace Dr. King's messages on achieving social justice through nonviolent activism
  
• Celebrating our diversity, promoting education and accepting and appreciating others
  
• Helping youth make a difference in their lives and inspiring them to contribute to the well being of their families, schools, communities and government
  
• Encouraging the citizens of New Jersey to recognize their commonalities and to appreciate the potential strength of the racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity that so richly enhances out great state and nation.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission sponsors a wide array of educational and cultural programs that include but are not limited to the following:

King Commemorative Celebration is held on or about the third Monday in January. The Commemorative Celebration is a free event that is open to every citizen in New Jersey, and is handicapped accessible. Watch the Web site for information about the next celebration.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission Grant Program funds non-profit organizations in New Jersey that promote the ideals, philosophy and legacy of Dr. King with grants ranging from $1500 to $5000. The Commission has strong interest in the revitalization of New Jersey's urban communities and thus encourages Urban Coordinating Council communities to apply to its Grant program.

Behold Sculpture: The Commission coordinates programming around the 10-foot bonded-bronze Behold sculpture inspired by the baptism scene in Roots in which the slave Kunta Kinte, according to ancient African ritual, raises his newborn child to the heavens and recites the words "Behold, the only thing greater than yourself."

Travelling Poster Exhibits consist of framed black and white photographs that highlight the contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. And other prominent African Americans.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission Lending Library is a collection of literature related to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. And the American Civil Rights Movement.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission Scholarship Program awards scholarships annually to New Jersey college students who have demonstrated an active interest and meaningful involvement in areas of human rights, social justice, labor, and world peace; and who intend to pursue academic and/or career paths that would enable them to further these causes as future leaders. Students must demonstrate knowledge of the legacy and life's work of Dr. King and must be able to show how their academic pursuits reflect the ideals that he has come to symbolize.

The New Jersey Center for Youth Policy and Programs
Michael Gowdy, Director
225 W. State Street
P.O. Box 456
Trenton, NJ 08625
Phone: 609-777-1200
Fax: 609-633-7250
Email: njyouth@sos.state.nj.us
Web Address: www.njyouth.com

The Center for Youth Policy and Programs was created in April 1999 to act as a conduit in state government in terms of bringing people, organizations and services together to address the needs and concerns of New Jersey youth. In addition to this role, the CYPP serves as an information clearinghouse on youth policy and programs; violence leadership and mentoring. Under the leadership and direction of Secretary of State DeForest B. Soaries, Jr., the CYPP's four-prong mission is to coordinate information, advocacy, prevention and intervention services for New Jersey's youth in an effort to encourage a greater sense of personal responsibility and enhance the quality of life for our next generation.

The V-Free Initiative is a comprehensive program administered through the CYPP. It was created to address the three -"V's" -violence, vandalism and victimization- that impede safe, productive education and community environments. The focus of the initiative is to challenge New Jersey's youth to become V-Free through participation and action.

V-Free Mini Grants are available to help young people promote V-Free schools and communities. The mini grant program provides funding to youth to support activities designed to foster an environment that is free of violence, vandalism and victimization. Any student or youth group with the help of a teacher or advisor may apply for a grant to carry out their V-Free project.

New Jersey State Museum
Helen Shannon, Director
205 West State Street
P. O. Box 530
Trenton, NJ 08625-0530
Phone: 609-292-6300
Fax: 609-599-4098
Web Address: www.state.nj.us/state/museum/index.html

Established in 1895, the New Jersey State Museum is a general museum that collects, exhibits and interprets in four broad areas of interest: natural history, archaeology/ethnology, cultural history and fine art. The New Jersey State Museum features a four-level main building, an adjacent 416-seat auditorium, and an adjoining 150-seat state-of-the-art Planetarium.

All space on the first level of the main building is devoted to changing exhibitions. Other galleries allocated for short-term exhibitions are devoted to showcasing New Jersey Arts, as well as the New Jersey State Museum's permanent collections. Second floor and lower level exhibitions feature the natural history of New Jersey, and selections from the New Jersey State Museum's collection of fine arts, cultural history, archeology and ethnology, all organized thematically and contextually.

The State Museum also offers hands-on workshops, talks, gallery walks, demonstrations, performing arts events, children's theatre, group tours, and planetarium sky shows. Annual special events include Super Science Weekend, held one weekend every January, and, Space Day, held one Saturday each July. Telephone 609-292-6464 for a complete schedule of current events.

With support from the Friends of the New Jersey State Museum, the Museum makes available exhibition catalogues and related Publication of interest.

The New Jersey State Museum publishes a Quarterly Calendar, which contains a three-month schedule of events and Friends news. The Calendar is mailed to members of the Friends of the NJ State Museum. It is also available in the Museum and at other cultural and tourist sites throughout the state and region. Other brochures include the Kaleidoscope Kids Program Brochure and the Educator's Guide.

New Jersey State Archives
Division of Archives and Records Management
Karl J. Niederer, Director
225 West State Street
P.O. Box 307
Trenton, NJ 08625-0307
Phone: 609-292-6260 - Archives and Historical Information
Phone: 609-530-3200 - Public Records Management and Access Information
Fax: 609-396-2454 - Archives
Fax: 609-530-6121 - Public Records
Web Address: www.njarchives.org

Preserving our history - New Jersey's remarkable history as a colony and state spans more than three centuries. The Division of Archives and Records Management preserves that history in the priceless manuscripts and research collections of the State Archives, and defines New Jerseyans as a people by overseeing the management of all public records throughout the state.

As a public trust, the division enables citizens to access all records that protect their civil and property rights, and that ensure the accountability of public agencies and officials for the conduct of government affairs.

Connect with your past - The Archives is the State of New Jersey's History Research Center. More American families can trace their roots to New Jersey than to any other state. Some families have called the Garden State home for more than three centuries, while others have stayed here only briefly before moving on to settle the great continent to the south and west. All of them helped shape the state's rich history, and nearly all of them left their mark in the records of the New Jersey State Archives.

Family history research, America's fastest-growing family hobby, is the State Archives' biggest business. For those who have caught the genealogy bug, the Archives offers an ideal place for a family reunion with past generations.

Just steps away from the State House in Trenton, the Archives has the state's largest collection of records relating to New Jersey family history. Its documents date from the beginning of English settlement in the 1660s, and range from colonial-period wills and naturalization records to birth, marriage, and death records from the 20th century.

New Jersey's documentary heritage is as immense as it is rich. The Archives serves as caretaker to more than 27,000 cubic feet of manuscripts, books, maps, atlases, and photographs, as well as 25,000 reels of microfilmed county records and New Jersey newspapers. More than half of these holdings are indispensable resources for genealogy and local history research.

Collections and access - Among the noteworthy holdings of the Archives are such valuable sources as:

• governors' papers
  
• election returns
  
• wills and land conveyances
  
• railroad, turnpike, and canal maps and records
  
• petitions to the legislature
  
• military records for conflicts dating up to World War I
  
• records of state institutions
  
• birth, marriage, and death records
  
• judicial records for courts before 1850

The Archives has received records from many of the state's counties and municipalities. These include:

• township minute books
  
• Court of Common Pleas records
  
• tavern licenses
  
• 18th- and early 19th-century tax ratables

The Archives also holds records compiled by the following federal agencies:

• Historic American Building Survey
  
• Works Progress Administration's Historical Records Survey

The Archives also maintains some non-governmental materials, including the records of the Morris Canal and Banking Co., documents from local subsidiaries of the Pennsylvania Railroad Co., and a variety of family, church, and other business records.

In addition to records and manuscripts, the Archives maintains a large and growing microfilm collection that includes 12,000 reels of pre-1900 county records, federal and state census records, wills and colonial deeds, and over 8,000 reels of New Jersey newspapers.

The Archives operates reference rooms for manuscripts and microfilm where visitors can undertake research, assisted by the staff. Researchers must adhere to the Archives' rules to ensure the safe handling of delicate and valuable historical materials.

Mail reference services - Researchers can obtain photocopies of documents through the mail from selected indexed collections. A schedule of these collections and service fees is available upon request. Researchers must pay applicable fees in advance. Contact the Archives for more information about mail reference services.

Publications - The State Archives produces a variety of print publications, including the popular Guide to Family History Sources in the New Jersey State Archives. The Archives also publishes transcriptions of state historical documents, including Minutes of the Governor's Privy Council, 1777-1789, and Laws of the Royal Colony of New Jersey, 1703-1775 (4 vols.).

The Archives sells microfilm of many historical documents, including state and special federal census schedules, county tax ratables, and over 600 titles of New Jersey newspapers. Call, write, or e-mail the Archives for further information about publications.

Visit the State Archives - The Archives is open to the public Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It is closed on weekends and state holidays. The public research rooms are located on the second floor of the Department of State building, 225 West State Street, in Trenton. Visitor parking is available in the State House Complex Garage.