Voices from the Field Blog

Newark’s Creative Catalyst Fund, a Case Study in Artistic Resilience

Students participating in the “Piano Bus” program led by Keys 2 Success, General Operating Support grantee through the Creative Catalyst Fund (Image courtesy of Keys 2 Success) In the spring of 2020, artists and cultural institutions across the country were unsure of their future. Recognizing that Newark’s artists and cultural organizations are critical to making the city vibrant and healthy...

Celebrate Discovery Jersey Arts, National Arts and Humanities Months This October and Prepare to Vote in November

This month is jam packed with cultural events for all to enjoy during Discover Jersey Arts Month. Be sure to check the Fall Guide to help you select the performances and exhibits that will help you celebrate during October and beyond. Governor Murphy again issued the annual proclamation designating October as Discover Jersey Arts Month, a uniquely New Jersey way to celebrate National Arts and...

Volunteer Shortage Stretches Arts Organizations

If you have enjoyed a cultural experience in New Jersey, chances are volunteers helped to make it happen. Across the country, however, volunteerism is down. According to a December 2021 Gallup Poll of 811 adults, the percentage who reported time spent volunteering fell to 56 percent, continuing a downward trend from 65 percent in 2013 to 64 percent in 2017. From ushers to docents to studio...

Development + Work Experience + Stipend = Internship  

I was matched with ArtPride New Jersey after being selected to participate in the Diversity in Arts Leadership program by Americans for the Arts. This year, DIAL matched undergraduate students whose backgrounds are underrepresented in the arts to select arts organizations in New Jersey, New York City, and Nashville. I will be using my experience with DIAL as a prerequisite when applying for future...

Passing the Jersey City Arts and Culture Trust Fund

This past November 3, Jersey City voted to create an Arts and Culture Trust Fund, becoming the first municipality in New Jersey to create a dedicated tax to support the arts. The trust will create funding sources for arts organizations in the city, and will support arts organizations and artists that benefit the culture, well-being, and economy of Jersey City, as well as provide increased...

When We All Vote

The election campaign is heated, and for the very first time, voting started early in New Jersey. Due to pandemic-prompted mail-in votes, New Jersey joins the nation in getting a jump on the November 3 election. Tired of people asking you to vote? Not me! I am energized by the amount of civic engagement around this election where there is so much at stake. I am delighted to see every single friend...

New Jersey Arts Enduring the COVID Crisis

Until around March 13 – as close to the Ides of March as one can get – the nonprofit arts sector in New Jersey had major bragging rights. And it still does. I know you miss arts experiences as we knew them before the quarantine shutdown. The music that lit up the night and made you dance. The anticipation you sensed when you entered a theatre, excited about what you were about to experience on...

Unintended Consequences of Legislation – S4204 and Independent Contractors

S4204/A5936, introduced on November 7, will codify how the government determines whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor. This bill is an attempt to increase the focus on misclassification of workers, to not only protect them, but to increase state income tax revenues, and bolster unemployment insurance and workers compensation. A similar law in California, AB5, will go into...

Climbing Capitol Hill - The 2019 National Arts Action Summit

New Jersey’s group of 28 delegates joined hundreds of art advocates to visit members of U.S. Congress on March 4 and 5 for the National Arts Action Summit hosted by Americans for the Arts. A full day of training was capped off by the inspiring remarks of Rita Moreno, who delivered the Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts & Public Policy at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Early on March 5, the...

Examining Inequities in the Cultural Landscape

I recently had the opportunity to plan and co-host a Council of New Jersey Grantmakers (CNJG) funder briefing in collaboration with New Jersey State Council on the Arts. The session featured nationally recognized philanthropy thought-leaders Holly Sidford and Edwin Torres. They spoke about inequities in philanthropic giving to arts and culture organizations, and although the session focused on the...