State of the Arts has been taking you on location with the most creative people in New Jersey and beyond since 1981. The New York and Mid-Atlantic Emmy Award-winning series features documentary shorts about an extraordinary range of artists and visits New Jersey’s best performance spaces. State of the Arts is on the frontlines of the creative and cultural worlds of New Jersey.
State of the Arts is a cornerstone program of NJ PBS, with episodes co-produced by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and Stockton University, in cooperation with PCK Media. The series also airs on WNET and ALL ARTS.
On this week's episode... Meet four remarkable Black women on this episode of State of the Arts. Artist Janet Taylor Pickett plays with Henri Matisse’s use of color and pattern and his African inspiration in “The Matisse Series.” Sheena Howard is an expert in the field of Black comics, and the author of the Encyclopedia of Black Comics. Laiona Michelle wrote and starred in Little Girl Blue: The Nina Simone Musical, which premiered at the George Street Playhouse. And we visit the New Brunswick studio of Grace Lynne Haynes, whose work has appeared on covers of the New Yorker.
During the Arts Council's annual public meeting, the Arts Council marked six decades of service to artists, arts organizations, and communities across the state. The Council also announced roughly $30 million in grants and debuted three videos – part of a series to recognize impactful art organizations in the state.
Read the full press release.
Deborah Mitchell, New Jersey Heritage Fellow. Photo: Thomas Fanelli
The Arts Council is looking for grant review panelists for its FY28 grant program opportunities, including: General Operating Support; General Program Support; Creative Aging Initiative; and the New Jersey Heritage Fellowship. Individuals who are interested in serving as a grant panelist for the Arts Council are invited to complete the interest form.
Learn more.
Credit: Diana K. Moore, Trenton Vessels. State Department Building, Trenton, New Jersey.
The 42nd New Jersey Arts Annual, “Common Ground: NJ Artists Think Monumental” is an outdoor exhibition that activates the Morris Museum’s grounds. The exhibit is currently on view until August 23rd.
Learn more about the exhibition.
Credit: Installation view of Robert Lobe’s Nature’s Clock, 2006 (Heat treated hammered aluminum) as presented on the Morris Museum campus, May 2026. Photo by Kenneth Petiote
The Art Council has published its Year in Review for Fiscal Year 2026. This publication highlights the impact of public investment in the arts through key accomplishments, reflections, and images from organizations and artists across New Jersey.
View the Year in Review: Fiscal Year 2026.
"See it Now: Contemporary Art from the Ann and Mel Schaffer Collection,” VIP Opening. Photo credit: Alex Pavljuk, Montclair Art Museum
Today, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts celebrated six decades of service to artists, arts organizations, and communities across the state at its Annual Meeting, held at Grounds For Sculpture in Hamilton.
During a New Jersey State Council on the Arts public meeting today, the Council announced a new partnership with the New Jersey Department of Veterans Affairs focused on serving older adult residents of veterans homes through high quality arts learning programs.
The New Jersey State Council on the Arts is proud to announce the creation of a best practice guide for serving systems- and justice-impacted youth through high-quality arts learning programs: The Transformative Power of Art: A Guide to Arts Learning for Systems-Impacted Youth in New Jersey.
The New Jersey State Council on the Arts held its first public meeting of 2026 today, where $2 million was awarded to 198 New Jersey artists through the Council’s Individual Artist Fellowship program.
The New Jersey State Council on the Arts, in partnership with Monument Lab, the New Jersey Historical Commission, and RevolutionNJ, has announced the selection of Nandi Jordan and Anika Grant as the artist team who will create a new performance series for Revolutionary Acts – a statewide public art project that will animate stories of the American Revolution in time for the 250th anniversary in 2026.
The 2025 New York Emmy Awards nominations were announced in July, and the acclaimed arts and culture series State of the Arts, which has covered the arts in New Jersey since 1981, received four.
Investment Strengthens Economic and Creative Vitality of Communities in Every County
Monument Lab, in partnership with the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the New Jersey Historical Commission, and RevolutionNJ, has launched an Open Call for Artist Ideas for a new performance series – Revolutionary Acts – that will animate stories of the American Revolution in time for the 250th anniversary in 2026.
The New Jersey State Council on the Arts held its first public meeting of 2025 today, where $2 million was awarded to 216 New Jersey artists through the Council’s Individual Artist Fellowship program - the highest number of artists awarded in one year in the program's history.
State of the Arts, one of the longest-running arts programs in the nation, has won its 35th Emmy Award for the segment "Layqa", which follows Newark-based Indigenous Ecuadorian artist Layqa Nuna Yawar as he creates a colossal mural for Newark Liberty International Airport's newly redesigned Terminal A.
One of the most diverse states in the country, New Jersey is home to an amazing array of traditional artists, each a keeper of an age-old art form.
Investment Strengthens Economic and Creative Vitality of Communities in Every County
The New Jersey State Council on the Arts has been approved for a grant of $1,195,200 from the National Endowment for the Arts.
The New Jersey State Council on the Arts held its first public meeting of 2024 today, where just over $1.7 million was awarded to 161 New Jersey artists through the Council’s Individual Artist Fellowship program.
The New Jersey Office of Faith-Based Initiatives, in collaboration with the New Jersey Redevelopment Authority and Kean University, is pleased to announce the "Unlock the Potential: Faith in Action in Sustainable Development Symposium."
Four New Jersey community-based organizations (CBOs) recently received funding to work with regional artists to develop community-engaged art projects that communicate climate risks to the public.
Our monthly newsletter with opportunities for artists, arts workers, and organizations. Browse professional development workshops, grant announcements, calls for artists, and more.
Welcome Guide for Current Grantees
Visual Identity Manual
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See the impact of the arts in your county, including job numbers, economic impact, and more.
DJA is a multifaceted program dedicated to increasing the awareness of and participation in the arts in NJ. Coordinated through the Jersey Arts Marketers network, this program provides resources for both arts organizations and patrons alike.
The New Jersey State Council on the Arts meets a minimum of five times annually in open public session at which it acts on matters of policy, funding, and program development. The Council's Annual Meeting, at which it elects officers, adopts a program plan and budget, and approves the majority of grant awards, is traditionally held in late July. Other meetings are conducted either virtually or at various locations around the state. All are conducted at fully accessible sites and the public is enthusiastically invited to attend. Persons who have sight, hearing or other disabilities are encouraged to notify the Council office two weeks in advance of any meeting so that appropriate accommodations may be arranged. In keeping with the Open Public Meetings Act, notice of each public meeting is shared with the required media outlets, posted in the Office of the Secretary of State, on the Council’s website, and shared via social media.
FY26 Council Public Meeting Dates: October 21, 2025 | October 2025 Agenda December 16, 2025 | December 2025 Agenda February 10, 2026 | February 2026 Agenda May 19, 2026 | May 2026 Agenda July 22, 2026 | July 2026 Agenda Information for each meeting will be shared via the Council’s website, newsletters, and social media at least four weeks prior to each meeting date. Please note: Dates and times listed here are subject to change.
Accessibility: The Council will provide CART (real time captioning) for the July meeting. Automated captioning will be made available in the Zoom virtual platform for all other meetings. If you require additional accessibility services, please contact Access Coordinator Lindsay Dandeo at least two weeks prior to the event date: lindsay.dandeo@sos.nj.gov | 609-984-7020 (NJ Relay 711).
In order to better familiarize prospective applicants with the Council’s various organizational and individual artist grant programs, Council staff annually conduct a battery of technical assistance workshops, webinars, and open office hours to accompany all grant opportunities. Information about the Council’s technical assistance workshops are shared widely in grant guidelines, on the Council website, and via social media. Please visit the Grants page for more information about grant application technical assistance, pending open funding opportunities.
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