Northern NJ Community Foundation's ArtsBergen Announces Call to Artists for Campaign in Celebration of Art & Humanities Month

Second The Daily Arts Dose Social Media Campaign 

WHEN: The deadline to submit an application is Wednesday, November 11, 2020. 
Applicants may register at https://artsbergen.artcall.org, complete a brief online application and upload their submission.

The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation's ArtsBergen initiative joins thousands of arts organizations, programs and communities nationwide to celebrate National Arts and Humanities Month.   

On October 23, 2020, the NNJCF's ArtsBergen initiative opens the second round of The Daily Arts Dose social media campaign for artists in northern New Jersey. Artists in any discipline are invited to participate. During the two-week campaign, ArtsBergen will share one artist’s work per day, as the "daily arts dose."

"The arts uplift and inspire hope and joy. During this time of social distancing, the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation wants to engage local artists to help alleviate some of the disconnection and isolation people may be experiencing by injecting a 'healthy dose' of creativity into their lives. This is an opportunity for artists of all disciplines to promote and share a sample of their work to the broader community on social media," said Danielle De Laurentis, Associate Director, Northern New Jersey Community Foundation.

Each artist selected to participate in the campaign will have their work posted on the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation's ArtsBergen Connects + Creates Facebook group page and the NNJCF/ArtsBergen Instagram page for three days. The artist whose post receives the highest number of likes combined from both platforms during that time will be awarded $250.00. (Right: Artist Robert Gratson created this painting in the Northern NJ Community Foundation's ArtsBergen Creative Conflicts: Live Art Battle. Photo Credit: Sam Lee) 

An artist's work should use the theme 2020 Holistay/Staycation: Taking a Trip through Art. Through their art, artists will take the viewer away on a holistay/staycation to another place or novel environment. NNJCF’s ArtsBergen is accepting applications from artists, who live or work in Bergen, Essex, Passaic, Hudson or Union Counties, and are at least 18 years of age to apply.  Fourteen artists will be selected based on creativity, artistic excellence, and relevance to the campaign’s theme.

Celebrate the Contributions of the Arts

During National Arts & Humanities Month, the NNJCF's ArtsBergen initiative brought the message of the important contributions of the arts to communities in northern New Jersey. Members of the community and artists in all fields are encouraged to participate in what has become the country’s largest annual collective celebration of the arts and humanities.

This month, the NNJCF kicked off the celebration announcing the arts organizations and nonprofit agencies providing arts programs and services received grants totaling $47,000 in the Foundation's second round of COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund awards. These nonprofit organizations provide services and programs in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passaic, and Union Counties, as well as multiple counties in New Jersey.

During October, graphic designer and visual artist Poramit Thantapalit (left) is creating a poster design illustrating the city of Hackensack's resurgence and renaissance for the launch of Hackensack on the Rise poster project. The poster will be papered in a section of the downtown area, saturating Main Street businesses to create a visually colorful and impactful display communicating hope to the businesses and patrons during the pandemic, as well as Hackensack's rise as a vibrant destination. This program is made possible in part by a grant administered by the Bergen County Division of Cultural & Historic Affairs (BCDHCA) from funds granted by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

Arts: Lifeblood of Communities

“The arts are the lifeblood of our communities, raising morale, creating community cohesion, and providing comfort during dark times, while also delivering a huge economic footprint.  The sector continues to suffer devastating losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so it is vital that we support our creative workers and fight for the sector in the months and years to come,” said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts and national coordinator of Arts and Humanities Month. “National Arts and Humanities Month gives us a chance to celebrate the values that the arts impart in our lives, and it is more important than ever that everyone take part to recognize the creative and cultural value of the arts and humanities in our communities.”

Americans for the Arts coordinates national Arts and Humanities Month. This month-long celebration grew out of National Arts Week, started in 1985 by the National Endowment for the Arts and Americans for the Arts.  More information about National Arts and Humanities Month is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org/nahm.

About Northern New Jersey Community Foundation

Founded in 1998, the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation (NNJCF), a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in Hackensack, New Jersey, focuses primarily on civic engagement, education, public health, the environment, philanthropy, and the arts.  The NNJCF works with local governments, school districts, businesses, non-profit organizations, and citizen groups in Northern New Jersey to improve community life.  The Foundation's partners identify and resolve regional problems and opportunities by talking and learning from each other and sharing ideas, best practices, services, and resources. 

About ArtsBergen

ArtsBergen, an initiative of the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation, is an arts alliance in Bergen County, New Jersey that supports and encourages creative placemaking, the practice of integrating arts and culture into a neighborhood, town, or region to build community and livability and boost local economy.  The initiative's mission is to energize and unify Bergen County artists and arts organizations and connect the communities in the region to the arts.

For more information, visit www.nnjcf.org, send an email to nnjcf@nnjcf.org, or call (201) 568-5608.  Follow the NNJCF on Facebook at Northern NJ Community Foundation/ArtsBergen, Instagram at nnjcf_artsbergen, Twitter @NNJCF and YouTube.