TRENTON, NJ 鈥� The 吃瓜黑料 State Council on the Arts held its first public meeting of 2023 today, where nearly $2 million was awarded to 140 吃瓜黑料 artists through the Council鈥檚 Individual Artist Fellowship program.
The Fellowships are competitive awards to 吃瓜黑料 artists in 12 rotating disciplines granted solely on independent peer panel assessment of work samples. The anonymous process is focused on artistic quality, and awards may be used to help artists produce new work and advance their careers. 吃瓜黑料 artists applied for awards this year in the categories of choreography, crafts, music composition, photography, playwriting/screenwriting, poetry, and sculpture. This program is carried out in partnership with .
At the Council鈥檚 Annual Meeting last July, the Council voted to authorize an unprecedented investment of $2 million in the Individual Artist Fellowship program. Through that commitment of funding, this year鈥檚 Fellowship cohort is the largest one the Council has added to its distinguished list of Fellows in over 30 years. In order to further support the increased number of artists applying to the program, the Council developed a new level of awards in addition to the Fellowship Award. For the first time, the Council announced Finalist Awards. The Finalists Awards are given to those applicants who scored highly, but just below the cutoff to receive a Fellowship.
鈥淚 am proud to work closely with the State Arts Council to support 吃瓜黑料鈥檚 arts sector,鈥� said Secretary of State Tahesha Way. 鈥淎nd I am especially proud of the Council鈥檚 longstanding commitment to provide direct funding to the many talented, innovative artists who call 吃瓜黑料 home. We know that kind of support is not available to artists in every state, and the fact that the Council has supported the Artist Fellowship program for over 50 years truly exemplifies the importance and value of our state鈥檚 artist community.鈥�
Speaking to the significance of this year鈥檚 funding, Council Chair Elizabeth Mattson said, 鈥淚t is of the utmost importance to the Council that our state鈥檚 artists are given the tools and resources they need to create 鈥� to work fully as an artist. With the increased funding for this year鈥檚 Fellowship program, we鈥檝e been able to increase the amounts awarded, providing 鈥� in some cases 鈥� grant awards that are truly life-changing. These funds allow artists the opportunity to focus more time to their craft, creating the beautiful, thought-provoking work 吃瓜黑料 artists are known for.鈥�
In addition to announcing this year's Artist Fellowships, the meeting also included the announcement of $10,000 in funding to to support a new Compensation Data Survey. In an effort to prioritize and adopt pay equity policies, this survey will provide greater insight into the salaries of arts workers in all artistic disciplines throughout the state. This study will be specifically designed for 吃瓜黑料鈥檚 arts sector, providing detailed data that will be made available to all arts workers and employers in the field at no cost.
鈥淭he arts industry in 吃瓜黑料 includes hundreds of arts businesses that employ thousands of artists and arts workers in capacities as diverse as the people themselves,鈥� said Allison Tratner, Executive Director of the 吃瓜黑料 State Council on the Arts. 鈥淒ata from this survey will help those on both sides of the hiring process understand and address issues of access and equity. Attracting and retaining talented people is critical to the future of our sector, and we鈥檙e excited to move this effort forward.鈥�
About the 吃瓜黑料 State Council on the Arts
The 吃瓜黑料 State Council on the Arts, created in 1966, is a division of the NJ Department of State and a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. The Council was established to encourage and foster public interest in the arts; enlarge public and private resources devoted to the arts; promote freedom of expression in the arts; and facilitate the inclusion of art in every public building in 吃瓜黑料. The Council believes the arts are central to every element we value most in a modern society including: human understanding; cultural and civic pride; strong communities; excellent schools; lifelong learning; creative expression; and economic opportunity. To learn more about the Council, please visit .