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Somerset County awards 2026 local arts grants to more than a dozen community groups
Summary
The Somerset County Cultural and Heritage Commission announced 2026 Local Arts Program grant awards and presented checks to music groups, theaters, museums and cultural organizations across the county, citing program support from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.
Caitlin Bundy, manager of the Somerset County Cultural and Heritage Commission, announced the 2026 Local Arts Program grant recipients and presented checks to more than a dozen local arts and cultural organizations at the board's April meeting. "The Somerset County Cultural and Heritage Commission is awarded funding from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts to support local arts organizations," Bundy said as she introduced recipients and amounts.
The grants ranged from $2,750 for special project support to the Presbyterian Church of Bound Brook to $32,000 in general operating support for the Ukrainian History and Education Center. Recipients and announced awards included: Raritan Valley Choral Society ($4,000 general operating support); Presbyterian Church of Bound Brook ($2,750 special project support); Music in the Somerset Hills ($10,000 general operating support); Friends of the Kennedy Martinell Farmstead ($30,000 general operating support); Sieminski Theater ($5,000 general operating support); Somerset Symphony Orchestra ($16,000 general operating support); Raritan Valley Symphonic Band ($7,000 general operating support); the Ukrainian History and Education Center ($32,000 general operating support); Ubuntu Cultural Pavilion ($9,145 special project support); the Center for Cultural and Creative Exchange ($5,700 special project support); The New School for Music Study ($8,000 special project support); Franklin Township Cultural Arts Council ($6,000 special project support); Franklin Food Bank ($3,500 special project support); and Montgomery Township ($17,500 special project support).
Recipients used their brief remarks to describe planned programming and community impact. "This supports us and helps us do what we do — tell the story of Ukrainians and Ukrainian immigration to the United States," Natalia Hansarenko, director of the Ukrainian History and Education Center, said after accepting a $32,000 award. Leslie Workman, president of the Friends of the Kennedy Martinell Farmstead, said the $30,000 award will help the nonprofit preserve the historic site and run its art‑center programming.
Other recipients spoke about free concerts, youth engagement and educational programming supported by the grants. Representatives described using funds for events such as silent film celebrations, summer concert series, and outreach that combines arts with civic engagement. The Cultural and Heritage Commission credited state arts funding for enabling local nonprofit programming and encouraged continued public support.
The county presented the checks during the meeting; the commission's awards are funded in part through the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, as Bundy noted. The commission invited attendees to upcoming events supported by the grants, including concerts and community festivals. The board moved on to other agenda business after the presentations.
