Mercer County arts institutions have won over $1.5 million of this year’s New Jersey State Council on the Arts total gift of $15.7 million to organizations throughout the state.

Among the highest area award-winners are the American Boychoir School ($147,120); the Arts council of Princeton ($46,158); McCarter Theatre ($626,820); People & Stories/Gente y Cuentos ($15,248); Princeton Pro Musica ($14,647); and the Princeton Symphony Orchestra ($45,592).

“I’m very moved by the State of New Jersey’s generous funding of so many arts organizations across the state,” said People & Stories Executive Director Pat Andres. “This signals the state’s appreciation of the benefits of the arts for residents of all ages. It also demonstrates sound fiscal sense, because the arts really generate income.”

“The American Boychoir School is highly honored by this funding and recognition,” commented president and CEO Dean Ornton. He also expressed the school’s pleasure at being among a “wonderful peer group” of winners, which includes nearly 800 arts organizations, projects, and individuals statewide.

According to a recent study by Dun & Bradstreet on arts and economic prosperity, New Jersey is home to more than 25,000 arts-related businesses. “This study supports what New Jersey already knows; that a vibrant arts and cultural sector are crucial in developing a prepared workforce, attracting and retaining businesses, and fostering the creative thinking and innovation that will keep us competitive for years to come,” said Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno when the awards were announced.

The New Jersey State Arts Council describes its mission as “enabling the cultural community of New Jersey to create those public values for the benefit of all New Jerseyans, both those that are intrinsic and those that are instrumental such as fostering quality education, stimulating economic development, bolstering tourism and building New Jersey pride.” The Council receives funding in direct appropriations from the State of New Jersey through a dedicated hotel and motel occupancy fee, and through grants from the National Endowment for the Arts.

In addition to financial awards, the Arts Council of Princeton, McCarter Theatre, and People & Stories received “citations of excellence,” and the American Boychoir School, McCarter, and Princeton Symphony Orchestra each received a “designation of significant impact” from the state.

The awards are given, for the most part for the “general support” of an organization’s operations, and this, said Ms. Andres is a particularly “wonderful” thing.

“It’s harder to garner than program support, but you can’t offer the programs unless your general operating support is in place,” she explained. “It’s a sound philanthropic approach that ultimately supports programs by supporting the infrastructure of the organization.”

Ms. Andres said that she was also heartened by the evidence of the state’s “core belief in the power of the humanities and arts.” While many may acknowledge the intrinsic value of the arts, she added, arts budgets are often the first to be cut during challenging times.

This is the fourth consecutive year that People & Stories has won a grant; for the American Boychoir School “it’s been a wonderful 25 years of support that we’ve enjoyed,” reported Mr. Orton. The gift “allows for us to tool around the country as ambassadors of New Jersey. It’s vital to our operation; I can’t say thank you enough.”

Criteria used by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts in awarding its annual grants include high artistic quality in pursuit of a mission that provides/creates public benefit and value; significant public benefit and broad accessibility based on sound understanding of who is/will be served that is clear, measured, and documented; sound governance, management and operations based on sound strategic planning; fiscal soundness and accountability with evidence of broad and diverse financial support; and commitment to arts education and to providing opportunities for meaningful arts learning.