Two Somerset Hills Recipients Awarded NJ Arts Grants

The New Jersey State Council on the Arts on July 31 awarded more than $15.7 million in grant funding to nearly 800 arts organizations, projects and artists throughout the state, including The Center for Contemporary Art in Bedminster and the Matheny Medical and Educational Center in Peapack-Gladstone.

Matheny was awarded $31,152 for general program support. The center's Arts Access Program is a multi-layered arts experience for the center's developmentally disabled inpatients and outpatients.

Matheny artists The exhibit just closed on July 31.

The Center for Contemporary Art, which hosts many exhibits in its building on Burnt Mills Road, received $18,547 earmarked for general program support. The grants were awarded for 2013.

The awards were announced at the Arts Council’s 46th Annual Meeting held at the War Memorial in Trenton.

“Investing in the arts is critical to New Jersey’s future. Today’s grants will serve as a catalyst of economic growth and jobs, not to mention a key contributor to improving our overall quality of life,” Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno, who also serves as Secretary of State, said in a news release on the state Council on the Arts website. “Governor Christie and I remain committed to maintaining New Jersey’s place as a national leader in support for the arts.”

The individual awards were broken down by county on the state website.

The arts are a business, too, employing thousands

The Christie According to a recent study by Dun & Bradstreet on the arts and economic prosperity, New Jersey is home to more than 25,000 arts-related businesses employing more than 87,000 people.

In commenting on the results of the meeting, Arts Council outgoing chair Ofelia Garcia stated, “The Council is confident that we have made the most responsible investment of valuable resources, recognizing the highest standards of excellence among the diverse arts communities in the state, that they may provide their critical and irreplaceable services to our citizens."

Linda Sadlouskos contributed to this story.