An all new episode of State of the Arts!

This Week's Episode

During the World Cup, fans in New Jersey and New York were met with giant soccer balls created by artists. The one created by Jersey City artist Nyugen Smith honors the tradition of hand-made soccer balls crafted in communities where factory-made balls are a rarity.

Just named one of the “Top 100 People in the Arts” by Time magazine, Hank Willis Thomas talks with State of the Arts as we visit his studio and LOVERULES, an exhibition of his work now at the Zimmerli Art Museum.

And, a visit to the New Jersey Folk Festival—a daylong, multi-stage celebration of traditional music.

NJ PBS

Wed - 8 pm

Sat - 7:30 pm

Sun - 9:30 am

WHYY

Thur - 7:30 pm

ALL ARTS

Fri - 1 pm, 6 pm, & 11 pm

Sun - 6 am, 11 am, & 4 pm

WNET

Sun - 11:30 am

Find out where (and how) to watch!

National Book Month

Flip through our archives with us as we celebrate National Book Month throughout October!

Author Jhumpa Lahiri considers herself linguistically an orphan. Although one of the most honored and widely read fiction writers in America today, she has now turned to writing in Italian. Her book of essays about the process of learning a new language, In Altre Parole, was also published in a bilingual edition as In Other Words by Knopf. Watch here.

On the Blog

As of October, the transition to the new NJ PBS—now being led by Montclair State University—is complete. This week's blog post shares some highlights from our upcoming season—and when and where to catch our new airtimes! Read here.

Happening Now

Be sure to check out Garden State Lens at the Morris Museum, featuring candid photography by eleven artists!

Our related story: Photographer Erik James Montgomery.

Don't miss the genre-defying work of a legendary Baltimore-based artist in Joyce J. Scott: Declarations at the Princeton University Art Museum, up until Jan 10!

Our related story: Joyce J. Scott.

See Voices in Print the Morven Museum & Garden through Feb 28. This special exhibition features work by Black women printmakers, all with a connection to New Jersey. Read more on our blog.

Our related stories: Janet Taylor Pickett, Nell Painter, both featured artists

Highlights

Mighty Writers is on a mission to help kids think clearly and write with purpose. In Atlantic City, Senior Director Tom Sykes and his team use creative approaches and community partnerships to spark imagination and connection—redefining what care and community look like, uplifting young voices with the power of the written word.

Our 2025 story: Mighty Writers in Atlantic City.

State of the Arts producer Eric Schultz profiled pianist Simone Dinnerstein back in 2008, shortly after her ground breaking recording of J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Classical Chart. The surprise success of her self-produced CD launched her international career.

Our 2018 story: Simone Dinnerstein.