(SUMMIT, NJ) -- The Visual Arts Center of New Jersey (VACNJ) was recently awarded $134,800 in Fiscal Year 2023 General Operating/Program Support grant funds by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts (NJSCA). NJSCA awarded more than $28 million in grants to support over 700 arts organizations, projects, and artists throughout the state. This grant award will provide operating support for VACNJ to cover program and curatorial staff salaries, facility costs, and administrative costs.

“It has been an honor to witness the ongoing dedication and boundless creativity of our state’s arts sector,” said Secretary of State Tahesha Way. “I am proud to work closely with the State Arts Council as they grow and innovate, finding new ways to best serve the artists, arts workers, and organizations that continue to engage and inspire communities throughout the state.

The New Jersey State Council on the Arts, created in 1966, is a division of the NJ Department of State. The Council was established to encourage and foster public interest in the arts; enlarge public and private resources devoted to the arts; promote freedom of expression in the arts; and facilitate the inclusion of art in every public building in New Jersey. The Council receives direct appropriations from the State of New Jersey through a dedicated, renewable Hotel/Motel Occupancy fee, as well as competitive grants from the National Endowment for the Arts.

For 90 years, the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey has been exclusively dedicated to viewing, making, and learning about contemporary art. Recognized as a leading non-profit arts organization, the Art Center’s renowned Studio School, acclaimed exhibitions, and educational outreach initiatives serve thousands of youth, families, seniors, and people with special needs every year. 

The Visual Arts Center of New Jersey is located at 68 Elm Street in Summit, NJ. Gallery hours: Monday– Thursday, 10:00am–8:00pm; Friday & Saturday, 10:00am–5:00pm; and Sunday, 11:00am–4:00pm. Please call 908.273.9121 to confirm holiday hours.  Significant support for the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey is provided by the Wilf Family Foundation; Peter R. & Cynthia K. Kellogg Foundation; New Jersey State Council on the Arts; The Estate of Pamela Hauptfleisch; and the Art Center community of supporters.