The New Jersey State Council on the Arts (Arts Council) is seeking grant review panelists for three upcoming grant opportunities:

The Creative Aging Initiative Grant is a two-year grant program that provides $10,000 a year to eligible arts organizations, libraries, veterans homes, senior and community centers, colleges/universities, and units of government to cover costs for arts learning experiences with New Jersey adults aged 55 and over.

New Jersey Heritage Fellowships are awarded to master folk and traditional artists. These fellowships recognize lifetime achievement, artistic excellence, and contributions to our state's living traditional arts heritage. Heritage Fellowships are New Jersey’s highest honor in folk and traditional arts.

The Local Arts Program supports the Arts Council’s partnerships with the twenty-one County Arts Agencies (CAAs) in providing the people of New Jersey access to quality arts experiences in every community. The Local Arts Program provides funding to the CAAs for the primary purpose of providing regrant funds for local, community-based arts organizations and projects that provide opportunities for local audiences and participants.

Each of these three grant programs depend on a review process conducted by panels of grant evaluators. Panelists review and evaluate grant proposals based on the evaluation criteria and rubric detailed in the grant guidelines. These outcomes are used by the Arts Council to inform its grant awards.

The panels comprise a diverse group of arts experts and other individuals with broad knowledge in the areas under review. Eligible panelists cannot work or reside in New Jersey and must ensure they are unaffiliated with those organizations submitting applications. Panelists can include arts administrators, arts workers, nonprofit specialists, artists, and teaching artists working in a wide variety of arts-related fields. This expertise informs the ability to critically evaluate grant applications and determine the level at which they are aligned with a grant program’s evaluation criteria.

In preparation of the panel meetings, grant evaluators attend an orientation meeting and receive training materials. Grant evaluators receive a stipend in recognition of the time contributed to this process.

Individuals who are interested in serving as a grant evaluator for the Arts Council are invited to complete the Grant Panelist Interest Form:

All interested individuals will have their information reviewed by the Arts Council. This information will not be shared with third parties. Submission of the form does not guarantee placement on a panel. Those who submit their information prior to December 6, 2024 will be considered.

Questions? Please contact Tammy Herman, Director of Grants & Strategies:

tammy.herman@sos.nj.gov | 609-292-4435 (NJ Relay 711)

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The New Jersey State Council on the Arts, created in 1966, is a division of the NJ Department of State and a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. 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 believes the arts are central to every element we value most in a modern society including: human understanding; cultural and civic pride; strong communities; excellent schools; lifelong learning; creative expression; and economic opportunity.



To learn more about the Council, please visit www.artscouncil.nj.gov.  

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