$856K Funding Boost For Various Morristown Art Programs

MORRISTOWN, NJ — Three Morristown-based art programs and institutions have received a boost of more than half a million dollars in funding from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

In total, the council distributed more than $30 million in grants to over 900 arts organizations, projects, and artists across the state. The grants were approved at the Arts Council's 57th Annual Meeting in Trenton last week.

As the State Arts Council enters its third year, it is supported by a historic State appropriation of $31.9 million, which funds critical operating grants for nonprofits as well as key initiatives in economic and community development, arts education and lifelong learning, artist services and equity and access.

"The arts industry, like so many others, is made up of hundreds of businesses that have spent recent years focused on reinvention, innovation, and resilience in order to survive and meet their missions. The majority of Council grants are designed to help these organizations pay for basic operations—the toughest type of support for a nonprofit to secure," Council Chair Elizabeth Mattson said.

The Mayo Performing Arts Center, a focal point of arts and culture in Morristown and Morris County, was among those honored. It hosts more than 200 live performances each year. It received $293,929 in funding.

Click here to learn more about MPAC.

Morris Arts, which is a local arts program that was founded in 1973 under the belief that the arts are vital to the social fabric and economic prosperity of the area, received $340,200 from the council.

Morris Arts' diverse programs and services aim to inspire, connect, and engage people. They include arts education programs for children in grades K-12, the development of innovative community-building arts events such as concerts, gallery walks, and public art exhibits, and funding, advocacy, and professional development for area artists and arts organizations.

Finally, the Morris Museum, which has been actively running since 1913, and is the second-largest museum in New Jersey, received $222,320.

The origins of the museum can be traced back to 1913 when the Morristown Neighborhood House began displaying cultural artifacts from around the world for local children. Aldus Pierson oversaw the expansion of the House's collection, which by 1927 had grown to fill seven rooms with artifacts from Europe, South America, and Asia, as well as geological samples, nineteenth-century housewares and children's toys.

Over the last century, the Morris Museum has grown from a single collection displayed in a curio cabinet to one of New Jersey's most vibrant cultural destinations.

"We know that while the arts industry continues to deliver – offering exciting destinations, events, shows, classes, and more – in many cases, audience behavior continues to change, staffing levels are down, the cost of doing business has significantly increased, and revenue is less predictable than ever," Mattson said.

In addition to the announcement of the grants, the council also adopted a new five-year strategic plan for the selected arts programs, which will be shared in the next few weeks.