The New Jersey State Council on the Arts convened its first public meeting of 2024 today in Trenton, NJ, announcing the allocation of over $1.7 million to 161 New Jersey artists through its Individual Artist Fellowship program. This initiative follows a 2022 decision by the Council to authorize an unprecedented investment of $2 million in the Fellowship program. The current cohort is noted as the largest addition to the Council's distinguished list of Fellows in over three decades.
The Fellowships are competitive awards granted solely based on independent peer panel assessments of work samples, focusing exclusively on artistic quality. Awards can be used by artists to produce new work and advance their careers. For this year, New Jersey artists applied for awards in categories including digital/electronic, film/video, interdisciplinary, painting, printmaking/drawing/book arts, and prose. The program operates in partnership with Mid Atlantic Arts.
Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way expressed her admiration for the state's artist community: "The continued creativity of our state’s artist community never ceases to amaze me," said Way, who oversees the Council as Secretary of State. "Artists bring together communities, provoking emotion and thought, and impacting our everyday lives."
Council Chair Elizabeth Mattson highlighted the importance of direct funding for artists: “Artists are at the heart of everything we do – not only as an agency but as an industry. Just as arts organizations are always in need of operating funds, these awards allow artists more freedom and flexibility to focus on creating and sharing their work.”
For a complete list of the 2024 Fellowship and Finalist Award recipients.
