Rhythm & Roots: New Jersey Heritage Fellows

This Week's Episode

New Jersey Heritage Fellowships honor artists who preserve cultural traditions by grounding them in community, history, and place.

On this special episode of State of the Arts, we meet three fellowship winners: Tyrese Bright Flower Gould Jacinto, a Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape member, artist, and community leader; Alessandra Belloni, performer and teacher of Tarantella, an ancient healing dance from Southern Italy; and Neelima Raju, a master of the dramatic Indian dance form of Kuchipudi.

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!

In Memoriam

State of the Arts joins the creative community in mourning internationally-renowned sculptor Ursula von Rydingsvard (1942-2026). Known for her mammoth visual odes to the natural world, her work has been held in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the National Gallery of Art, Storm King, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. State of the Arts met her in 2015 as she completed Uroda, an 18.5 foot copper sculpture created for Princeton University's campus. Our story can be seen here.

Indigenous Artists

This month, we're sharing stories about work by Indigenous artists.

In this "Land and Art," hear from artists Denise Bright Dove Ashton-Dunkly (pictured), Tyrese Bright Flower Gould Jacinto (also featured on this week's episode!), and Tyrone Dancing Wolf Ellis—all of the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation. Plus, we talk with Ryann Casey, the curator of Indigenous Approaches, Sustainable Futures at the Stockton University Art Gallery. Watch here.

On the Blog

State of the Arts has an extensive archive, with documentary videos reaching back into the 1980s! This is a treasure trove for educators back in the classroom this autumn. Read here.

Happening Now

See Wendel White: Memory and Power, featuring works from the renowned photographer's Schools for the Colored and Manifest projects, at the TCNJ Art Gallery through December 4. | Pictured: Bellevue School for the Colored, Trenton, New Jersey, 2007.

Our related stories: Schools for the Colored, Manifest.

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

Howard Finster (1916-2001) was a prolific artist with a mission to communicate his visions to the world. This story from our archive visits Finster’s “Paradise Garden” in Georgia, where he was busy making art.

Our 1992 story: Howard Finster, Man of Visions.

Korean American artist Nam June Paik (1932-2006) is generally considered the father of video art. This feature looks at the restoration of one of his major works, PBS (1963-2000), at the former NJN Public Television building in Trenton.

Our 2019 story: Nam June Paik.