MAYOR BARAKA ANNOUNCES 2024 FUNDING OPPORTUNITY FOR ARTISTS AND ARTS ORGANIZATIONS

$750,000 will be made available; City and Invest Newark will administer funds;

Deadline to apply for grants is Monday, September 9

Newark, NJ – August 6, 2024 – Mayor Ras J. Baraka announced today the allocation of $750,000 in funding to support a fourth round of grants through the Division of Arts and Cultural Affairs Creative Catalyst Fund, providing artists and cultural groups with flexible grant support for arts and cultural activities in 2024. The funds will be administered in partnership with Invest Newark. The deadline to apply for grants is at 11:59 p.m., on Monday, September 9.

Announced in January 2020 as Newark’s first-ever municipal arts grant program, the inaugural round of Creative Catalyst Fund grants offered much-needed support in the early months of the pandemic that took an enormous financial toll on the creative sector. The fund was launched as a multi-year initiative providing up to $1 million annually for at least three years. With this fourth year of funding, the City is demonstrating continued commitment to support its creative sector, which has vital contributions to civic economy and quality of life.

“These grants help manifest a central belief of my own father – that the artist’s role is to help us understand life, ourselves and the world around us,” said Mayor Baraka. “He wrote that art is ‘supposed to be right in the community…and as essential as a grocery store’ so it can ‘function naturally.’ I’m grateful for these funds, and for the artists whose work will continue to nourish the soul of our city.”

Since its launch, the fund has distributed more than 400 grants totaling $2.35 million to artists and organizations for programs that have paid thousands of artists for their work supporting the projects that have embellished the lives of hundreds of thousands of Newark residents and visitors. Beyond the initial COVID-related expenses, grantees used the funds to help pay for operating costs, space rentals, staff, programming costs, supplies and equipment.

The Creative Catalyst Fund is administered by the City’s Division of Arts and Cultural Affairs in partnership with Invest Newark, and was designed and facilitated with support from Bloomberg Associates, the pro bono municipal consulting arm of Bloomberg Philanthropies.

“The benefits of investing in and supporting the Arts are well documented, but notably include an increase in our overall well-being and mental health,” said Newark’s Arts & Cultural Affairs Director fayemi shakur. “The powerful sense of vibrancy and creativity we are experiencing in Newark is something we as a city value deeply and aim to sustain.”

To apply for the grants, visit: https://cityofnewark-arts.submittable.com/submit. A selection committee composed of community representatives, city staff, and arts experts will evaluate the submissions. An online public information session about how to apply will be provided.

Prospective applicants will choose between two grant streams, based on eligibility:

• General Operating Support for Newark-based non-profit arts and cultural organizations with annual operating budgets up to $3 million. The grant range is $2,500 to $25,000. Grants over $5,000 must be matched by funds raised from other sources.
• Artist Fellowships for Newark-based individual artists or artist collectives working in any artistic discipline are eligible. The grant range is $1,000 to $5,000. There is no matching requirement.

The arts contribute more than $178 million to Newark’s economy, support roughly 5,000 local jobs and generate $15.5 million in local and state taxes. The fund will support the local community of artists as well as small-to-midsize arts and cultural organizations, all of which provide immense social and economic value to Newark by revitalizing neighborhoods, inspiring students, and generally improving the quality of life for city residents.