(Formerly “Arts Council of the Morris Area”)
Founded in 1973, MORRIS ARTS has been fulfilling its mission of “building community through the arts” for more than 46 years.
MORRIS ARTS’ guiding principles include the belief that the arts are vital to the social fabric and economic prosperity of the area, act as a catalyst for social change, and enrich the lives of everyone in the community. Our varied programs and services serve to inspire, connect and engage. They include arts education programs for children in grades K-12, the creation of innovative community-building arts events, including concerts, gallery walks and public art exhibits, and support of area artists and arts organizations through funding, advocacy, and professional development.
Our reputation for excellence is built upon our position as a trusted resource in connecting educators, artists and community members in unique collaborations. Our almost 250 activities, events and programs, along with the 381 programs we support through local grants, reach an audience of nearly 325,000 residents across northern New Jersey each year including children, artists, at-risk youth, educators, seniors, and families, thousands of which are low and moderate-income constituents from across 11 counties.
A passionate champion and advocate of the arts, MORRIS ARTS’ goal is to create more livable, vibrant and sustainable communities.
BUILDING VIBRANT COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE ARTS
- Morris Arts regranted $52,500 in State funds to 26 arts organizations/arts programs throughout Morris County for general operating support or special arts projects. Morris Arts and its regrantees provided more than 750 cultural events that benefited approximately 78,000 individuals in Morris County.
- Morris Arts, in partnership with the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, hosts the Gallery at 14 Maple, a professional gallery showcasing the work of New Jersey artists. Each year, two invitational exhibits are presented which are open to the public.
ARTS IN COMMUNITY
- Morris Arts facilitates community partnerships that help build more creative communities, including Meet Me in Morristown during the summer months and our annual Pumpkin Illumination event in October.
- The Giralda Music & Arts Festival Concert, which features the beautiful sounds of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra outdoors on a Sunday evening in late June, is a time-honored family-friendly event that has been drawing record crowds for more than 30 years now.
L-R: Gallery at 14 Maple, Rites of Spring exhibit; 2013 Scholarship Winners Daniel Hounsell (Coladarci) and Rachel Moss (Ehlers); happy crowds at Giralda 2012; Balinese dancers at 3rd Saturdays at Morris View: the “great pumpkin” at Pumpkin Illumination, 2012.
COLLABORATIONS & PARTNERSHIPS
- First Night® Morris County, December 31, 2015: On New Year’s Eve, Morris Arts programmed more than 224 outstanding performing artists, and 47 visual artists presenting 92 events in 25 venues in downtown Morristown attracting nearly 21,000 people to the evening’s offerings. Including music, theatre, dance and visual arts, the evening provided a cultural feast for all ages.
- The Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders:
Morris Arts presents live monthly performances by high caliber artists at Morris County’s Morris View Healthcare Center as part of its 3rd Saturdays at Morris View program.
Morris Arts also managed the Atrium Art Gallery’s 4 exhibits of nearly 300 contemporary artists showcasing 1,000 pieces of art, including the 28th annual Blackwell Juried Student Exhibit and one of African-American art at the Morris County Administration building.
- The Mayo Performing Arts Center: Morris Arts is continuing its partnership and offering Music Beyond Borders, four free outdoor summer concerts of world music and dance, attracting over 2,200 people to The Morristown Green. This past summer’s offerings included music and dance from Bavaria, India, Mexico and Polynesia (Tahiti and Hawaii).
RECOGNITION & AWARDS
