Zimmerli Receives New Jersey State Council on the Arts Grant to Welcome More Artists, Foster Community Collaborations
New Brunswick, NJ—The Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University—New Brunswick has been awarded a grant of $246,210, the first installment of a three-year General Program Support grant from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts (NJSCA). These funds are vital to advancing the museum’s mission by supporting exhibitions and public programming that reach a broad spectrum of audiences, creating an accessible space that is welcoming to all.
“We are grateful to the New Jersey State Council on the Arts for this generous grant,” Zimmerli director Maura Reilly said. “Flexible, multiyear operational support allows us to continue our role as a strong visual arts resource and engaging community gathering space—free of charge to all—on campus, in the New Brunswick community, and across the state.”
This grant installment is issued for the 2025 fiscal year—July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025—a pivotal juncture for the Zimmerli as it significantly expands initiatives reflecting its core values as an accessible and empathetic museum. New interdisciplinary programming welcomes more underrepresented artists into the permanent collections and special exhibitions, as well as offering extensive free opportunities for visitors to engage with the museum.
By addressing historical gaps in representation and incorporating more works by BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and women artists into permanent gallery rotations, the Zimmerli is now more reflective of its diverse audiences. This expansive vision is also reflected in two major exhibitions. Smoke & Mirrors (fall 2024), guest curated by disability arts activist and scholar Amanda Cachia, included work by 14 contemporary artists who examined accessibility in the museum world. Indigenous Identities: Here, Now & Always (throughout 2025), guest curated by the late artist Jaune Quick-to-See Smith (Citizen of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Nation), comprises over 100 works, across a range of media, by 97 artists who represent more than 74 distinct Indigenous nations and communities across the United States.
The Zimmerli’s broad range of high-quality, free public programs are popular among all ages, from pre-K to adults. The diverse activities developed in partnership with campus and community groups directly serve visitors from all backgrounds.
- The longtime SparkNight art party features such monthly themes as: Black History, Women’s History, LGBTQIA+ Pride, Asian Pacific Indian Desi American Heritage, Disability Awareness, Native American Heritage, and Student Excellence.
- For more than a decade, the workshop series Art Together has invited families to be creative together, inspired by the museum’s collections and special exhibitions.
- Newer offerings that respond to community interest include: Último Domingo, celebrating Latinx culture and offering bilingual activities; Highlights Tours, providing Rutgers students the opportunity to develop and lead gallery tours; and Yoga in the Galleries, inviting participants to enjoy their wellness routine surrounded by art.
- Unique in-person and virtual programs include: artists’ roundtables, artists’ performances, artist-led exhibition tours, book discussions, and an educators’ workshop.
“The ongoing general support of the Arts Council is crucial as we strive to provide entertaining, impactful, and educational opportunities to nearly 50,000 visitors annually,” Reilly added. “As a teaching museum and a laboratory for learning that crosses so many disciplines, it is important to be able to respond with programming tailored to our communities.”
About the New Jersey State Council on the Arts
The New Jersey State Council on the Arts, created in 1966, is a division of the NJ Department of State and a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. The Council was established to encourage and foster public interest in the arts; enlarge public and private resources devoted to the arts; promote freedom of expression in the arts; and facilitate the inclusion of art in every public building in New Jersey. The Council believes the arts are central to every element we value most in a modern society, including: human understanding; cultural and civic pride; strong communities; excellent schools; lifelong learning; creative expression; and economic opportunity. The New Jersey State Council on the Arts awarded more than $30 million in grants, approved at the Council's 58th Annual Meeting in Trenton, in July 2024 to support approximately 900 arts organizations, projects, and artists throughout the state. To learn more about the Council, please visit www.artscouncil.nj.gov.
ZIMMERLI ART MUSEUM|RUTGERS
The Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum houses more than 70,000 works of art, with strengths in the Art of the Americas, Asian Art, European Art, Soviet Nonconformist Art and Arts of Eurasia, and Original Illustrations for Children's Literature. The permanent collections include works in all mediums, spanning from antiquity to the present day, providing representative examples of the museum’s research and teaching message at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, which stands among America’s highest-ranked, most diverse public research universities.
VISITOR INFORMATION
Admission is free to the Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers. The museum is located at 71 Hamilton Street (at George Street) on the College Avenue Campus of Rutgers University in New Brunswick. The Zimmerli is a short walk from the NJ Transit train station in New Brunswick, midway between New York City and Philadelphia.
The Zimmerli Art Museum is open Wednesday and Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. The museum is closed Monday and Tuesday, as well as major holidays and the month of August. For the most current information, including safety protocols, parking, and accessibility, visit zimmerli.rutgers.edu.
SUPPORT
The Zimmerli’s operations, exhibitions, and programs are funded in part by Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and income from the Avenir Foundation Endowment and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Endowment, among others. Additional support comes from the New Jersey State Council of the Arts and the donors, members, and friends of the museum.
###