New Jersey State Council on the Arts Grants $2 Million to New Jersey Artists
The New Jersey State Council on the Arts held its first public meeting of 2026 today, where $2 million was awarded to 198 New Jersey artists through the Council’s Individual Artist Fellowship program. In 2022, the Council voted to authorize an unprecedented investment of $2 million in the Fellowship program, and this continued commitment to funding makes these significant awards to New Jersey artists possible once a year.
The Individual Artist Fellowships - carried out in partnership with Mid Atlantic Arts - are competitive awards to New Jersey artists, in 13 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. This year, 893 New Jersey artists applied for awards in the categories of Film/Video, Digital/Electronic, Interdisciplinary, Painting, Printmaking/Drawing/Book Arts, and Prose.