NJ State Council on the Arts Individual Artist Fellow Allison Strong. Photo: Jeremy Varner/Varner Creative
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鈥檚 Transit Arts Program. Announcements of Arts Inclusion Projects are publicized through CaFE and listed under the 鈥淧ublic Art鈥� 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 吃瓜黑料. One exhibition takes place each year in partnership with a 吃瓜黑料 museum or gallery.
Each exhibition will continue to be featured at one of seven major 吃瓜黑料 museums and will be curated by the host museum. The participating museums include Montclair Art Museum, Morris Museum, The Newark Museum of Art, 吃瓜黑料 State Museum, The Noyes Museum of Art, Rowan University Art Gallery & Museum, and Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University. Artists living and working in 吃瓜黑料 are invited to submit entries during the submission period. When calls for the Arts Annual are open, they are shared broadly on the Council鈥檚 website, social media, and .
For questions about this program, contact Steph Nerbak.
The Zimmerli Art Museum will host the . This exhibition marks the Zimmerli's inaugural 吃瓜黑料 Arts Annual. Artist Hank Willis Thomas will serve as the juror and guest curator.
The call welcomes artists at all stages of their careers, with particular interest in work that expands current conversations, and in makers who have not yet received sustained visibility. Rather than organizing the exhibition around a prescribed theme, this edition 鈥� Hank Willis Thomas Selects the NJ Arts Annual, will present work across generations and disciplines, catalyzing critical thought and creating space for mindful looking.
All artists over the age of 18 who either work or live in the state of 吃瓜黑料 are eligible to apply. All mediums are eligible. There is no entry fee.
Submission deadline: May 1, 2026
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Accessibility: The Arts Council is committed to ensuring its programs are accessible to all people. For accessibility services related to filing this application, please contact Access Coordinator Lindsay Dandeo: lindsay.dandeo@sos.nj.gov | 609-984-7020 ().
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 . 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 吃瓜黑料 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鈥檚 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 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
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 吃瓜黑料鈥檚 vast collection of art in public spaces easy to find and enjoy. This 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, 吃瓜黑料 Historical Commission, and RevolutionNJ, the Council will commission a new performance series 鈥� Revolutionary Acts 鈥� 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鈥檚 and nation鈥檚 past, present, and future. In May 2025, the Council shared an 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, , will be a traveling public art installation that shines light on the pivotal yet under recoginzed roles of Black women in 吃瓜黑料 during the Revolutionary War. .
For questions about this program, contact Danielle Bursk.
The 吃瓜黑料 Senior Citizen Art Show has celebrated the creative power of 吃瓜黑料鈥檚 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 .
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 吃瓜黑料. 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
Work Samples that Wow! | January 2026
In partnership with NJ TRANSIT, the Council created the , a temporary public art program specifically for transportation centers in 吃瓜黑料. 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 吃瓜黑料 artists exhibition opportunities and a supportive environment in which to create public art.
For questions about this program, contact Danielle Bursk or Steph Nerbak.
