6 Somerset County Arts Organizations Awarded Grants

SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ — Six arts organizations were awarded grants by the Somerset County Board of County Commissioners.

The County received the funds through the National Endowment for the Arts American Rescue Plan (NEA ARP) grant. The grants help local artists and organizations still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic to help fund jobs and provide financial support so organizations can continue to operate.

Somerset County is one of only three counties in New Jersey to receive grant money from the NEA. Grant money totaling $20,200,000 was awarded to 66 arts agencies nationwide.

The following Somerset County organizations received NEA ARP grants of $25,000 each:

American Theatre Group, Basking Ridge
Funding will help pay artists’ fees and marketing for a mainstage production.

The Center for Contemporary Art, Bedminster
The grant money will help fund crucial upgrades to the Center’s website, which reflects its current mission and brand of inclusive programming in the contemporary arts. These updates will improve user accessibility through captioning and other interpretive digital features.

Frontline Arts, Branchburg
All funds will partially compensate the organization’s Executive Assistant, who handles the social media, website, newsletter, marketing, exhibits, education and event planning.

Light Opera of New Jersey, Bernards
Funding will help compensate the singers, instrumentalists, director and choreographer as well as offset venue and production rental fees for their production of Don Giovanni in February of 2023.

Music in the Somerset Hills, Bernardsville
Funds will pay for performing artists, technicians, and administrative personnel.

Ukrainian History and Education Center, Franklin
Funding will support the salary of the organization’s museum professional who coordinates the arts-related educational programming. Funds will also partially cover the salary of the archivist, who handles essential website maintenance, publicity and graphic design, and manages the archival and historical contextualization of arts programming.

For more information about NEA American Rescue Plan grants, and a list of local arts agencies that have received American Rescue Plan grants, visit arts.gov/COVID-19/the-american-rescue-plan.