DATE: July 31, 2019                        CONTACT: Priscilla Hopkins Smith 

Warren, NJ—Arts Ed NJ has received a ‘Citation of Excellence’ from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts along with new funding. New Jersey State Council on the Arts has approved $15.7 million in grant funding to support 700 arts organizations, projects, and artists throughout the state.  Included in this announcement is a General Operating Support Grant of $47,000 to Arts Ed NJ and a Co-Sponsored Project Grant of $16,000 for the NJ Governor’s Awards in Arts Education.

In addition Arts Ed NJ was honored with a Citation of Excellence. “20 organizations and projects received Citations of Excellence in recognition of the highest competitive evaluations by the panels of specialists.” states the NJ State Council of the Arts.
“We are grateful to the New Jersey State Council for this prestigious recognition. This Citation of Excellence validates the importance and impact of our work to create the proper conditions for ALL students in our great state to benefit from participation in an education that includes the arts.”

The mission of the Arts Ed NJ is to provide a unified voice for a diverse group of constituents who agree on the educational benefits and impact of the arts, specifically the contribution they make to student achievement and a civilized, sustainable society. Arts Ed NJ empowers anyone to support arts education with direct services, professional learning, research, and advocacy tools. Arts Ed NJ is the backbone of Arts Ed Now a statewide campaign to increase active participation in arts education at all schools in New Jersey (www.artsednj.org)

New Jersey Governor’s Awards in Arts Education began in 1980 to promote awareness and appreciation of the arts, recognizing the creativity, talent, and leadership of the award winners. Each year, awards are presented to approximately 20 educators and 80 students. National and statewide organizations select the students for their exemplary work in creative writing, speech, dance, music, theatre, and visual arts and the leaders for their exceptional commitment and contribution to arts education. The program also recognizes arts educators and arts education advocates, whose leadership has helped nurture the development of students in the arts across the state. (www.njgaae.org)

For more information on this the New Jersey State Council on the Arts grant announcement, visit https://bit.ly/2YrVdxL.

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