Ten artists from South Orange and Maplewood are among 216 artists statewide to receive grants from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts for 2025.
Five SOMA artists received fellowship grants of $13,000 each. Five received finalist grants of $3,000 each.
Overall, the Council awarded a total of $2 million in grants in this annual cycle of awards. The Council said that the number of grantees — 216 New Jersey artists — is “the highest number of artists awarded in one year in the program’s history.”
The local grantees are:
- Ivan Amato, Photography Fellow, South Orange
- Lydia Johnson, Choreography Finalist, South Orange
- Ann Vollum, Crafts Fellow, South Orange
- Adam Rudolph, Music Composition Fellow, Maplewood
- George Brandon, Music Composition Fellow, South Orange
- Aaron Emmanuel, Music Composition Finalist, Maplewood
- Afia Serena Nathaniel, Playwriting/Screenwriting Finalist, Maplewood
- Tina Kelley, Poetry Finalist, Maplewood
- Jamie Lehrhoff Levine, Sculpture Fellow, South Orange
- Celine Browning, Sculpture Finalist, South Orange
According to the Council, “The Individual Artist Fellowships – carried out in partnership with Mid Atlantic Arts – are competitive awards to New Jersey artists in 13 rotating disciplines granted solely on independent peer panel assessment of work samples. The anonymous process is focused on artistic quality, and awards may be used to help artists produce new work and advance their careers. New Jersey artists applied for awards this year in the categories of Choreography, Crafts, Music Composition, Photography, Playwriting/Screenwriting, Poetry, and Sculpture.”
See the complete list of 2025 Fellowship and Finalist Award recipients here.
“Here in New Jersey, we are so fortunate to live in a state full of artists – a state where artists want to live and work,” said Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way, who oversees the Council in her capacity as Secretary of State. “And I’m so proud of the work we’re doing to support New Jersey artists. All New Jerseyans benefit from their inspiring creativity, imaginative perspectives, and their ability to bring our communities together and make them stronger.”
Artist Services Manager Stephanie Nerbak, who manages the Individual Artist Fellowship program at the State Arts Council, said, “Before I started my career at the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, I was a dancer and a past recipient of an Individual Artist Fellowship award in Choreography. So, it brings me deep joy to do this work in supporting other New Jersey artists. Speaking from my experience, I understand how impactful this award can be.”
Speaking to the significance of direct funding for artists, Council Chair Felicia Grant said, “New Jersey is an amazing place for the arts, and always has been. And we do the work we do at this agency so that it can continue to be. These awards mean more freedom and flexibility for New Jersey artists to explore and dream, and to share their talent, passion, and vision with the world.”
In addition to the announcement of the Individual Artist Fellowships, the Council’s Director of Community Partnerships and Artist Services, Danielle Bursk, shared information on the diverse array of programs and services that are poised to uplift and support New Jersey artists, including New Jersey’s longstanding public art programs. More information about the Council’s current opportunities for artists can be found on the Council’s website.
About the New Jersey State Council on the Arts
The New Jersey State Council on 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.
