(NEWARK, NJ) -- Newark Arts will announce more than $50,000 in grants to local artists and organizations at its annual "State of the Arts" meeting, Tuesday, June 11, 2019 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at Express Newark, 54 Halsey Street, 2nd Floor, Newark, New Jersey.  The free, public program will also include the annual “State of the Arts” address from Newark Arts Executive Director Jeremy Johnson. Performances will be provided by DJ Omar Abdallah and poet Jasmine Mans.

Newark Arts is an independent, nonprofit organization whose mission is to power the arts to transform lives.  Since 2001, the ArtStart grant program has funded and nurtured arts and cultural activities involving young people and/or taking place in Newark’s neighborhoods. 

“The ArtStart grant helped catapult our peer-based fellowship model, which sees youth and young adults work alongside each other on community issues through the arts,” said Amanda A. Ebokosia, Founder and CEO of The Gem Project, Inc., a 2018 ArtStart grantee.

The “State of the Arts” address by Johnson will recap Newark’s transforming arts scene. “New art hubs are opening in our neighborhoods. Exciting, diverse leaders have been named to key arts organizations.  And the city’s new cultural plan, Newark Creates, has defined a pathway to secure our future as a ‘City of the Arts,’” said Johnson.  

Refreshments will be served.  The public may reserve free tickets by visiting www.newarkarts.org.