Since the passage of the Public Buildings Arts Inclusion Act in 1978, this program has led to the commissioning and installation of hundreds of artworks in state-financed construction projects of state buildings. Up to 1.5% of the construction budget is set aside for this purpose. The Council assists state agencies and state universities in the selection of artists for all projects including those for NJ TRANSIT’s Transit Arts Program. Announcements of Arts Inclusion Projects are publicized through CaFE and listed under the “Public Art” category when available.

For questions about this program, contact Danielle Bursk.

Since 1985, the Council has cosponsored this series of exhibitions highlighting the work of artists living or working in New Jersey. One exhibition takes place each year in partnership with a New Jersey museum or gallery.

Each exhibition will continue to be featured at one of seven major New Jersey museums and will be curated by the host museum. The participating museums include Montclair Art Museum, Morris Museum, The Newark Museum of Art, New Jersey State Museum, The Noyes Museum of Art, Rowan University Art Gallery & Museum, and Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University. Artists living and working in New Jersey are invited to submit entries during the submission period. When calls for the Arts Annual are open, they are shared broadly on the Council’s website, social media, and newsletter.

For questions about this program, contact Steph Nerbak.

With funds from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Council partners with the NJ Department of Environmental Protection to develop and implement the Community-Based Art Grant Program. The program addresses the need to involve and inform the public about coastal hazard impacts and risk reduction by offering grants to organizations to work with artists to create temporary public art projects that engage the community.

For questions about this program, contact Danielle Bursk.

In partnership with Forecast Public Art, the Council hosts free, virtual workshops open to New Jersey artists at all career levels and of all disciplines who are interested in expanding their art-making practice into public spaces. The 2026 series has concluded.

To stay informed about future opportunities, be sure to sign up for the Council’s newsletter

For questions about this program, contact Steph Nerbak.

By undertaking this online archive of public art from across the state, the Council aims to make New Jersey’s vast collection of art in public spaces easy to find and enjoy. This online tool provides open access to public art for anyone visiting, studying, or passing by, and helps residents locate art in their own communities.

For questions about this program, contact Danielle Bursk.

In partnership with Monument Lab, New Jersey Historical Commission, and RevolutionNJ, the Council will commission - Revolutionary Acts - a performance and public art series that explores the histories of the American Revolution through contemporary forms of commemoration, asking: What revolutionary stories shape who we are today? Rooted in New Jersey, and following a statewide open call for artists, Idlewild Experiential and Nandi Jordan were selected to produce Ceremony for Revolutionary Seeds, a traveling installation and participatory ritual series.

The project centers around the often-overlooked contributions of Black women in Revolutionary-era New Jersey through a sculptural ceremonial structure, guided tea rituals, site-based performances, and hands-on art marking workshops. By activating historic locations across the state, Ceremony for Revolutionary Seeds invites residents and visitors to reflect on memory, resilience, and the stories that continue to shape civic life.

Upcoming events:
September 19 | Trenton
September 26 | Camden
October 3 | Fort Lee

These events are free and open to the public, but we encourage registration. Each activation runs from 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM, with a performance beginning at 11:45 AM, and artmaking workshops beginning at 12:00 PM.

Learn more about Ceremony for Revolutionary Seeds.

For questions about this program, contact Danielle Bursk.

The New Jersey Senior Citizen Art Show has celebrated the creative power of New Jersey’s older artists for more than half a century. Since 1998, the Council has administered the Senior Citizen Art Show because the arts and creative expression are important throughout a lifetime. The Show includes artists from all 21 counties, made possible by a multiagency partnership, coordinated since 2014 by the Mercer County Division of Culture & Heritage. The winners from each county show are exhibited at the Meadow Lakes Senior Living Community and on the program website.

For questions about this program, contact Steph Nerbak.

The Council hosts this annual, multipart series of professional learning for artists. The Business of Being an Artist series is free and open to any artist, teaching artist, or folk artist who lives and/or works in New Jersey. Sessions are led by local and national experts, covering topics such as writing artist statements, crowdfunding, health insurance options, and more.

The Business of Being an Artist FY26 Series

Every NJ Artist Insured | October 2025
Workshop Recording - October 2025
Workshop Materials – October 2025
NJ Department of Human Services Resources

Work Samples that Wow! | January 2026
Workshop Recording - January 2026
Workshop Materials - January 2026

Becoming Established: LLCs and Nonprofits | April 2026
Workshop Recording – April 2026
Presenters’ Slide Decks – April 2026
Workshop Materials – April 2026

Networking with NJ Service Orgs and Local Arts Councils | June 2026
Workshop Materials - June 2026

Upcoming Workshops:

October 22, 2026 | Retirement for Artists
Learn more and register.

Accessibility: Automated captioning will be made available in the Zoom virtual platform. If you require additional accessibility services, please contact Access Coordinator Lindsay Dandeo at least two weeks prior to the event date.

For information about the FY27 series, be sure to sign-up for the Council’s Artist Services and Opportunities for the Field newsletters. To access previous workshops in this series, check out the Series Overview and Series Recordings.

For information about this program, contact Steph Nerbak, Samantha Patel Clarke, or Sally Van de Water.

In partnership with NJ TRANSIT, the Council created the TRANSITional Art Project, a temporary public art program specifically for transportation centers in New Jersey. The goals of TAP are to connect NJ TRANSIT customers and the surrounding community by bringing new and exciting experiences to the spaces customers pass through every day, as well as providing New Jersey artists exhibition opportunities and a supportive environment in which to create public art.

For questions about this program, contact Danielle Bursk or Steph Nerbak.