Somerset County Government: Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission To Receive $150,000 Grant From The National Endowment For The ...

Press release from the Somerset County Government:

12/14/2021 4:04 PM

SOMERVILLE, NJ – The Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission has been selected to receive an American Rescue Plan grant for $150,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to help the arts and cultural sector recover from the pandemic.

“The pandemic has significantly impacted the arts with restrictions on gatherings, a decrease in consumer spending, and layoffs. We need to be there to support this vital part of our community,” said Somerset County Commissioner Melonie Marano. “Our Cultural & Heritage team was key to securing these funds and will be instrumental for ensuring the grant helps Somerset County’s local arts organizations recover and reopen.”

The Cultural & Heritage Commission will use the funding to distribute sub-grants to eligible recipients to save jobs, and to fund operations and facilities, health and safety supplies, and support marketing and promotional efforts to encourage the public’s attendance and participation. 

Sub-grants will be awarded via a competitive application process similar to the Cultural & Heritage Commission’s Local Arts Program grant. Eligibility criteria, guidelines and applications will be published in 2022.

The NEA will award grants totaling $20,200,000 to 66 local arts agencies nationwide for sub-granting. Somerset County is one of only three recipients in New Jersey.

For more information about NEA American Rescue Plan grants, and a list of local arts agencies that have received American Rescue Plan grants, visit www.arts.gov/COVID-19/the-american-rescue-plan.

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This press release was produced by the Somerset County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.