Contact The NJ State Council
on the Arts
Mailing Address:
NJ State Council on the Arts
P.O. Box 306
Trenton, NJ 08625-0306

Office Address:
225 West State Street, 4th Floor
Trenton, NJ 08608

Tel: (609) 292-6130
NJ Relay: 711

Email: Feedback@sos.nj.gov

NJ State Council on the Arts Selects
First-Ever Folk Arts Master Artist

Award commemorates 20th anniversary of State Folk Arts Program

Commemorating 20 years of the Council's Folk Arts Program, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, in partnership with WheatonArts, has selected Armando Sosa, Master Weaver, to be the first-ever recipient of the Folk Arts Master Artist Award.



"I feel very honored and humble, and grateful. It's hard for me to express, and something I didn't expect.
It's like a big door opening in my life!" - Armando Sosa

This award honors Sosa's lifetime achievement, artistic excellence, and significant contributions made to New Jersey's folk and traditional arts through community engagement. The Council announced the award at its public meeting on December 8th.

Sosa, now living in Hopewell, NJ, began weaving as a teenager in Guatemala, where he learned from the male members of his family who practiced the craft as a means of earning a living. After moving to the Princeton area in 1993, and with the encouragement of several local artists, he began to weave again. Sosa's textiles are woven on hand-made, wooden looms which he builds himself (one pictured above), and each work requires at least 100 hours to complete. His brilliantly colored tapestries present themes and images of Guatemala, which include symbols derived from dreams and memories of Guatemalan heritage.

In announcing Sosa's award, the State Arts Council reinforced its commitment to supporting New Jersey's diverse cultural communities through the talented artists working to keep valuable traditions alive. Council Executive Director Nick Paleologos said, "By honoring the immensely talented Armando Sosa this year, we celebrate the past two decades of unwavering support for Folk Arts, which will continue always to be a key component of our creative community."



"There is another important reason why
New Jersey is known as the Garden State. Because our welcoming climate and fertile
soil-more than any other in America--nurtures arts and culture from all over the world. Here,diverse traditions can take root, grow tall and strong, and blossom with breathtaking beauty." 


- Nick Paleologos, Executive Director,
NJ State Council on the Arts 





Volando Barrilete en Salacaja
Cotton and Silk Weaving (2013) -
Armando Sosa

The State Arts Council looks forward to highlighting Armando's artistry throughout 2016. Master weaver Armando Sosa was profiled by Council co-produced State of the Arts in 2004 as part of "Transcultural NJ," a project of Rutgers University. Full Story

The New Jersey State Council on the Arts is a division of the NJ Department of State. It receives funding in direct appropriations from the State of New Jersey through a dedicated Hotel/Motel Occupancy fee and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. Since 1966, its volunteer members and professional staff have worked to improve the quality of life in New Jersey by helping the arts to flourish. To learn about the Council, please visit www.artscouncil.nj.gov. For more information about what's happening in the arts statewide, visit www.jerseyarts.com