New Jersey: Art Matters NJ

Photo courtesy of Art Matters NJ

Recognizing that statistics alone don’t make the case for the arts, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts partnered with ArtPride New Jersey Foundation and Stockton University to create Art Matters NJ, an on-line source of compelling stories that help a broad array of cultural stakeholders—from nonprofit leaders and legislators to property developers, school board members, health care providers, law enforcement professionals and others—to communicate the importance of the arts within their field. Art Matters NJ features a number of short, high-quality videos the team produced in collaboration with New Jersey filmmakers and local communities to highlight the economic, educational, community, and health and wellness benefits of arts engagement. Its most recent production, Public Art in NJ, celebrates the 40th anniversary of New Jersey’s 1978 Public Arts Inclusion Act, which created the state’s percent for art program and honors the power of public art to brighten lives and improve community spaces and interactions. As Art Matters NJ is a dynamic project, its content will evolve over time in response to social, technological and other changes affecting New Jersey’s arts and culture sector. To learn more, contact NJSCA Director of Communications Allison Tratner.