Greetings! Thank you for your interest in Newark Arts. Please be aware that you must create a Submittable account in order to apply to any opportunities listed here.
ABOUT NEWARK ARTS
Newark Arts’ mission is to power the arts to transform lives. Established in 1981 as the Newark Arts Council, the organization’s vision is to become a nationally recognized catalyst for the collaborative power of the arts in the City of Newark and urban America. Newark Arts is the producer of Newark Creates, a community-led citywide cultural plan, created in partnership with the City of Newark. Newark Arts’ key initiatives include Arts Education Newark, the ArtStart community grantmaking program, and the Newark Arts Festival. Newark Arts is generously supported by Prudential Financial, the City of Newark, Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Victoria Foundation, Turrell Fund, Bank of America, New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, Mellon Foundation, Hanini Group, TD Bank, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Panasonic, M&T Bank, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, PSEG, and individuals, businesses and institutions.
To keep up-to-date on all the latest news from Newark Arts, sign up for our newsletter at newarkarts.org and follow @Newark_Arts on Twitter and @NewarkArts on Facebook and Instagram.
Newark Arts established the ArtStart Grant Program in 2001 specifically to nurture arts and cultural activities throughout the City of Newark and to enhance the capacity of Newark’s non-profit organizations, schools, and individual artists to provide arts-based projects throughout the City’s five wards. ArtStart events must take place between August 1, 2026, and March 30, 2027.
Applicants may request any amount up to a maximum of $5,000.
PRIORITIES
For the 2026–2027 cycle, Newark Arts will give paramount consideration to projects that integrate arts and wellness, recognizing the vital role creative expression plays in supporting mental health, emotional resilience, cultural healing, and overall community well-being.
Projects that thoughtfully explore the intersection of arts and wellness—through restoration, joy, reflection, social-emotional learning, and empowerment—are strongly encouraged.
This may include, but is not limited to:
- Creative practices that support mental, emotional, or spiritual wellness
- Community healing circles, storytelling, and intergenerational dialogue
- Movement-based practices such as dance, somatic arts, or embodied healing
- Visual, literary, and performing arts that foster resilience and self-expression
- Programming that addresses grief, trauma, stress, or social isolation
- Culturally rooted healing traditions and ancestral practices
- Public art or activations that promote joy, reflection, and belonging
In addition, Newark Arts will continue to prioritize projects that:
- Enhance recognition of the value of the arts as a catalyst to address social issues
- Engage with neighborhood or community-based organizations and respond to their identified needs
- Take place in local neighborhoods, stimulating creativity and community engagement
- Engage children, youth, seniors, and people with special needs
- Support academic achievement
- Are led by small organizations and individual artists, enhancing their future capacity
For more detailed information you can download: Full ArtStart 2026-27 Guidelines