About Newark Arts Council
Powering the arts to transform lives.
Focus Areas
Visual artsPerforming artsMusicDanceTheatreLiterary artsPublic art/muralsArts educationCommunity-based cultural projects
Who They Fund
individual artistsnonprofit arts organizationslocal community participants / arts audiences
Funding Style
direct grants to individuals and organizations
About Newark Arts Council
The largest recent grant in the record is $80,100 to Yendor LLC, a sign of how Newark Arts Council uses arts funding to support organizations and artists working in Newark and nearby New Jersey communities. The council’s grantmaking covers visual arts, performing arts, music, dance, theatre, literary arts, public art and murals, arts education, and community-based cultural projects. Recent awards also show support for Newark Moonlight Cinema LLC, Newark School of the Arts, Newark Boys Chorus School, and The Hubb Arts and Trauma Center, alongside individual artists and arts organizations. That mix points to a funder that works across the city’s cultural ecosystem rather than focusing on a single discipline. The council supports general operating needs through its Creative Catalyst Fund streams, while also making project-based awards and artist fellowships. Its recent grant list includes both larger organizational awards and smaller awards to artists and community programs, suggesting a funding approach that serves institutions, practitioners, and public-facing arts activity at the same time. With a local scope and nearly all grants landing in New Jersey, the council’s work is centered on Newark’s arts landscape and the people who participate in it.
What Newark Arts Council Funds
One clear thread is support for arts organizations that anchor Newark’s cultural infrastructure. Newark Arts Council gave $20,000 to Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District, $15,000 to Project for Empty Space, and $15,000 to Gallery Aferro Inc, all through the same general grantmaking stream. It also funds individual artists. The recent record includes $13,000 to Adebunmi Gbadebo and $12,000 to Cherub Stewart, showing direct support for artist practice alongside organizational grants. Community-facing arts programming is another recurring area. The council awarded $10,000 to Dream Play Media, $10,000 to Paul Robeson Gallery Rutgers, and $8,500 to Noelle Lorraine Williams, reflecting support for public cultural work, exhibitions, and related arts activity in Newark. Education and youth-oriented arts appear as well, including $10,000 to Newark Print Shop and $10,000 to Barat Foundation.
How Newark Arts Council Gives
Typical grant sizes cluster in a narrow band: the 25th percentile is $10,000, the median is $13,000, and the 75th percentile is $20,000. The recent record also shows a spread from small awards in the $8,250–$8,500 range to larger commitments above $50,000. This is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals directly outside its grant programs; however, those programs do include artist fellowships and need-based artist support. The record shows repeated recipients across years, including Glassroots and Newark Performing Arts Corp, which points to multi-year support for some grantees rather than one-time-only giving. Several active programs also accept unsolicited submissions, including Creative Catalyst Fund streams, ArtStart Grants, North to Shore Community Arts Program Grant, and proposal-based channels.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$113K
Total Assets
$607K
Total Revenue
$1.7M
Total Expenses
$1.8M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $20K, with a median of $13K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$13K
75th Percentile
$20K
Geographic Reach
Local3 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
LAUREN CRAIG
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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