Artist Relief Applications Now Open!

Artists residing in the State of New Jersey experiencing financial hardship can now apply for Artist Relief grants distributed by Young Audiences Arts for Learning of New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania (YANJEP) through August 28, 2023, at 11:59 pm EST.

Any artist currently living in New Jersey – including YANJEP artists and ensemble members, as well as artists with no current connections to the arts education organization – are eligible for the Artist Relief funds, which will be disbursed in $1,000 or $2,000 grants, depending on demonstrated need. Artists who have received funding through YA’s past rounds of Artist Relief funding are eligible to reapply in this round.

This funding is designed for individual artists to buy groceries, pay bills, etc. — this is NOT for ensembles or business entities looking for organizational support. The application takes about 3 to 5 minutes and does not have a substantial writing portion or require specific income data, tax information, etc. There is also no reporting requirement. YANJEP is aware that many artists do not have grant writing experience or the resources to apply for other funds with these requirements, and this process is intended to make the funds as accessible as possible.

This program is made possible through funding from the Princeton Area Community Foundation. In its last round of Artist Relief funding, YANJEP regranted $78,500 to teaching artists for wage relief using COVID relief funds, including previous funding from the NJ Arts and Culture Recovery Fund Phase III. Those funds supported 39 teaching artists with grants of $1,000, $1,500, or $2,000.

ABOUT YANJEP

Arts education is who we are and what we do. Our mission is to inspire young people and expand their learning through the arts. YA’s impact is made by teaching artists who offer a unique and valuable contribution to students’ learning. Our artists’ ability to engage students in authentic creative activities is informed by their professional artist practice, cultural background and lived experience, and educational best practices.

Children are at the center of our work. Our artists deliver workshops, residencies, performances, teacher professional learning, and family programs for PK-12th grade students, their teachers, and their families. Our work is guided by a vision of a future in which all students in our region engage in high quality arts experiences that are a core part of their education. YA is committed to providing children of all identities, backgrounds, and experiences with arts education in which their creativity, cultures, and identities are validated and nurtured.

During a typical school year, YA’s 141 professional teaching artists provide 4,300 programs, serving 365,000 students and 16,000 educators at 700 schools throughout the region. Participating students are 9% Asian, 25% Black or African American, 18% Latinx/o/a, 47% white, and 1% other; live in urban, rural, and suburban communities; 25% attend Title 1 schools; and 8,400 identify as Disabled*. We serve all public, private, charter, and parochial schools in every county in New Jersey and in seven counties in Eastern Pennsylvania.