NJ State Council on the Arts Individual Artist Fellow Allison Strong. Photo: Jeremy Varner/Varner Creative
Artists are the creative capital of our communities. The Council supports artists in several important ways, through programs that recognize, encourage, and showcase their talents. In addition to providing direct funding to individual artists, the Council supports initiatives such as professional development sessions, paid calls for art, and showcase opportunities.
Since the passage of the Public Buildings Arts Inclusion Act in 1978, this program has led to the commissioning and installation of hundreds of artworks in state-financed construction projects of state buildings. Up to 1.5% of the construction budget is set aside for this purpose. The Council assists state agencies and state universities in the selection of artists for all projects including those for NJ TRANSIT’s Transit Arts Program. Announcements of Arts Inclusion Projects are publicized through CaFE and listed under the “Public Art” category when available.
For questions about this program, contact Danielle Bursk.
Since 1984, the Council has cosponsored this series of exhibitions highlighting the work of artists living or working in New Jersey. One exhibition takes place each year in partnership with a New Jersey museum or gallery.
Each exhibition will continue to be featured at one of seven major New Jersey museums and will be curated by the host museum. The participating museums include Montclair Art Museum, Morris Museum, The Newark Museum of Art, New Jersey State Museum, The Noyes Museum of Art, Rowan University Art Gallery & Museum, and Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University. Artists living and working in New Jersey are invited to submit entries during the submission period. When calls for the Arts Annual are open, they are shared broadly on the Council’s website, social media, and newsletter.
For questions about this program, contact Steph Nerbak.
With funds from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Council partners with the NJ Department of Environmental Protection to develop and implement the Community-Based Art Grant Program. The program addresses the need to involve and inform the public about coastal hazard impacts and risk reduction by offering grants to organizations to work with artists to create temporary public art projects that engage the community.
For questions about this program, contact Danielle Bursk.
The New Jersey State Council on the Arts is pleased to present Making It Public, a free five-week virtual training series designed for artists interested in exploring their public art making practice. This year’s workshop series, comprised of five 90-minute virtual workshop sessions, covering practical and tactical subject matters, will be focused on early career public artists. Session panelists include local and national public artists.
Making It Public is facilitated by Forecast Public Art Consultant Candida Gonzalez via Zoom. A pre-recorded video and preparatory materials will be emailed to registrants in advance of each week's Zoom session to support participants' learning.
Registration is now closed. To stay informed about future opportunities, be sure to sign up for the Council’s newsletter
Workshop Dates (all scheduled for 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM):
February 25, 2026 | Welcome and Introduction
March 4, 2026 | NJ Public Arts Inclusion & Partnerships that Support Early Career Public Artists
March 11, 2026 | Community Engagement
March 18, 2026 | Managing Your Projects
March 25, 2026 | Conclusion
For questions about this program, contact Steph Nerbak.
By undertaking this online archive of public art from across the state, the Council aims to make New Jersey’s vast collection of art in public spaces easy to find and enjoy. This online tool provides open access to public art for anyone visiting, studying, or passing by, and helps residents locate art in their own communities.
For questions about this program, contact Danielle Bursk.
In partnership with Monument Lab, New Jersey Historical Commission, and RevolutionNJ, the Council will commission a new performance series – Revolutionary Acts – that will animate stories of the American Revolution in time for the 250th anniversary in 2026. A selected artist will create performance-based work that will unfold across specific, historically significant sites in Camden, Trenton, and Fort Lee, and work with local community partners to activate these locations, weaving together stories of the state’s and nation’s past, present, and future. In May 2025, the Council shared an Artist Dossier with information about the project as part of the open call for artists.
In December 2025, it was announced that Nandi Jordan and Anika Grant (Idlewild Experiential) were selected as the Artist Team for the project. Their performance series, Ceremony for Revolutionary Seeds, will be a traveling public art installation that shines light on the pivotal yet under recoginzed roles of Black women in New Jersey during the Revolutionary War. Read the press release.
For questions about this program, contact Danielle Bursk.
The New Jersey Senior Citizen Art Show has celebrated the creative power of New Jersey’s older artists for more than half a century. Since 1998, the Council has administered the Senior Citizen Art Show because the arts and creative expression are important throughout a lifetime. The Show includes artists from all 21 counties, made possible by a multiagency partnership, coordinated since 2014 by the Mercer County Division of Culture & Heritage. The winners from each county show are exhibited at the Meadow Lakes Senior Living Community and on the program website.
For questions about this program, contact Steph Nerbak.
The Council hosts this annual, multipart series of professional learning for artists. The Business of Being an Artist series is free and open to any artist, teaching artist, or folk artist who lives and/or works in New Jersey. Sessions are led by local and national experts, covering topics such as writing artist statements, crowdfunding, health insurance options, and more.
The Business of Being an Artist FY26 Series
Every NJ Artist Insured | October 2025
Workshop Recording - October 2025
Workshop Materials – October 2025
NJ Department of Human Services Resources
Work Samples that Wow! | January 2026
Workshop Recording - January 2026
Workshop Materials - January 2026
In partnership with NJ TRANSIT, the Council created the TRANSITional Art Project, a temporary public art program specifically for transportation centers in New Jersey. The goals of TAP are to connect NJ TRANSIT customers and the surrounding community by bringing new and exciting experiences to the spaces customers pass through every day, as well as providing New Jersey artists exhibition opportunities and a supportive environment in which to create public art.
For questions about this program, contact Danielle Bursk or Steph Nerbak.
Official Site of The State of New Jersey