National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Jane Chu Visits Visual Arts Center of NJ

As part of her official visit to New Jersey in celebration of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts 50th anniversary, Chairman Jane Chu of the National Endowment for the Arts, accompanied by Congressman Leonard Lance, Chair of the Congressional Arts Caucus, and Nicholas Paleologos, Executive Director of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, along with other dignitaries paid a visit to the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey in Summit. One of New Jersey's largest organizations dedicated to viewing, making, and learning about contemporary art, the Art Center was one of only 3 arts organizations that Chairman Chu toured on her visit.

The Visual Arts Center of New Jersey is a 2017 recipient of an NEA Art Works grant award for the exhibition, Park Wonder, featuring the work of artist Matthew Jensen opening in April 2017. The Art Center also received designation as a Major Impact organization at the Council's Annual Meeting held in Trenton on July 26.

The visit, held on July 25, included a tour of the Art Center's exhibitions and a meeting with some of the children participating in Summer Art Camp. Chairman Chu observed that during her visits to different arts organizations across the county, each has its own story to tell which uniquely reflects their community. The 80+ year history of the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey demonstrates the dedication to and appreciation for the arts in the local communities of Summit, Millburn/Short Hills, Chatham, Westfield, Berkeley Heights, and beyond. Art Center Executive Director, Melanie Cohn said, "We loved visiting with the NEA Chairman Jane Chu, and hearing her insights on how arts experiences are trending towards "mash-ups" - where different forms of artistic expression co-mingle - such as the Art Center's upcoming dance performance in which dancers will interact with large-scale sculpture in the exhibition, Rachel Beach: Touchstone."

For more than 80 years, the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey has been dedicated to viewing, making and learning about contemporary art. Recognized as a leading non-profit arts organization and accredited by the American Alliance for Museums, the Art Center's renowned studio school, acclaimed exhibitions, and educational outreach initiatives serve thousands of youth, families, seniors and people with special needs every year.