Monmouth Arts is dedicated to helping local arts organizations thrive with funding, collaborative opportunities, and increased visibility.​ We hope you join us in elevating the arts scene in Monmouth County and keeping the arts alive. FOR NONPROFITS Welcome! Monmouth Arts is dedicated to helping local arts organizations thrive with funding, collaborative opportunities, and increased visibility. We hope you join us in elevating the arts scene in Monmouth County and keeping the arts alive. ArtHelps Grants The ArtHelps Grants support organizations and programs that serve the public and provide access to a diverse array of quality arts experiences throughout Monmouth County. Learn more Arts Mixers Meet up and mingle with fellow creatives and supporters at Monmouth Arts’ gallery and community space in Red Bank. Learn more All Current Members View a list of our current nonprofit members. Learn more Asbury Park African-American Music Project (AP-AMP) Jennifer Souder, Board of Director "Monmouth Arts’ support has helped others from the funding community and people new to the Asbury Park African-American Music Project (AP-AMP) recognize our mission as an important part of the arts community in Monmouth County. Monmouth Arts funding has helped AP-AMP continue to highlight musicians we have worked with over the years as well as helped us introduce new musicians to our community." Learn More Membership Gives You More Open the door to more arts happenings and involvement in the creative scene of Monmouth County. Build meaningful connections to artists, organizations, and other supporters Promote your business and events to thousands of our members and subscribers Explore Memberships

As the official county arts agency, it’s our goal to perpetuate a vibrant arts community that truly enhances the quality of life in Monmouth County. ABOUT MONMOUTH ARTS Monmouth Arts ignites creativity and strengthens community through the power of the arts. As the county’s leading nonprofit arts organization, we deliver programs, services, events, and creative opportunities that inspire people of all ages and backgrounds. Monmouth Arts is for Artists We champion artists by promoting their work, expanding their networks, and helping advance their professional journeys. ArtSpace Exhibitions | Workshops for Creatives | Artist Registry Monmouth Arts is for Arts Organizations We help local arts organizations thrive with funding, collaborative opportunities, and increased visibility. View our Current Nonprofit and Business Members Monmouth Arts is for You Supporters, seniors, teens, families, and all Monmouth County residents — we welcome you to explore and enjoy the arts! See an exhibit, watch a film, attend a community mixer, connect with others who value the arts, and feel at home in Monmouth County’s creative community. Explore our Events and Workshops | Get Involved in Our Programs Membership is for Everyone Artists. Supporters. Creative Businesses. Organizations. Discover the Benefits OUR MISSION Monmouth Arts provides programs and services that support the practice, presence, and influence of the arts and of artists throughout Monmouth County. OUR COMMITMENT We are a catalyst for creativity, using the arts to uplift and connect our community. We know that the arts change lives, because we see it every day. Equity, inclusivity, and diversity are central to our mission. We recognize that lasting relevance and success come from including individuals of varied racial, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds, as well as a spectrum of ages, genders, abilities, lifestyles, and lived experiences in leadership, governance, and programming. OUR IMPACT We've not only lifted up individual artists — in recent years, we've also sparked a vibrant wave of connection through our whole community, growing our impact in ways we couldn’t have imagined. We have distributed $800,000+ in regrant money across our community. Over 2.2 million people have attended an arts event of Monmouth Arts or our regrantees. Over 5,000 students participated in the Monmouth Arts Teen Arts Festival & Teen Arts Showcase. Over 800 senior artists have participated in the Monmouth County Senior Art Show. Our arts programs help youth, seniors, and other adults with needs deal with anxiety, depression & loneliness. OUR HISTORY Monmouth Arts was founded in 1971 after the Junior League of Monmouth County surveyed the community and identified the need for a central agency to coordinate and assist all county artists and arts organizations. With seed money from the Junior League and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Monmouth Arts was designated as the official county arts agency, made up of arts groups, artists, and supporters of the arts. At that point, the organization began providing assistance and services to strengthen the arts and the quality of life in Monmouth County. Monmouth Arts shares a deep history with the Count Basie Center, which originally opened in 1926 as Reade’s Carlton Theater. In 1973, an anonymous donor provided Monmouth Arts with funds to purchase the historic theater, renaming it as the Monmouth Arts Center. In 1984, the theater was renamed the Count Basie Theatre in honor of jazz icon and Red Bank native William “Count” Basie. In 1999, Monmouth Arts and the Basie separated into two nonprofit organizations so that each organization could better focus on its individual mission. Today, through a variety of programs and services, Monmouth Arts continues to enrich the community by inspiring and fostering the arts throughout Monmouth County. Monmouth Arts is your link to the artists, ideas, and experiences that enhance our county’s cultural life.

Ready to give back to your local arts community? Become a Monmouth Arts volunteer today! Ready to give back to your local arts community? Become a Monmouth Arts volunteer! Volunteering for Monmouth Arts helps support our mission of giving back to our community and its local artists. As a small non-profit organization, we appreciate community members who are looking to contribute their time and effort in elevating the creative scene in Monmouth County. Learn more about our mission and what we do . What does volunteering look like at Monmouth Arts? Our energetic volunteers help us in many ways including: Event support Supporting artists during performances Gallery hours at ArtSpace during exhibitions Marketing and graphic design tasks Sharing our mission with guests Assist in fundraising efforts And so much more! Whether you’re looking to be a Monmouth Arts volunteer with a consistent schedule or on an ad-hoc basis, we want to hear from you! Submit an interest form and a Monmouth Arts team member will reach out with more information and to discuss your interests.

Arts Integration is a teaching practice that integrates both art and non-art into the content of the classrom experience for a well rounded education. DEFINING ARTS INTEGRATION There are several definitions of Arts Integration, but the above seems to sum up the concept quickly and succinctly. Arts Integration is not art for art’s sake, nor is it meant to replace traditional arts education. Arts Integration is a teaching practice that integrates both art and non-art (for example, chemistry, trigonometry, history, literature) into the content of the classroom experience to enrich learning, excite and motivate students, and provide a well-rounded education. Researchers and neuroscientists continue to provide validation and data that supports the merit of arts integrated teaching techniques. Other states, such as California, Texas and Arizona, have been making leaps and bounds in arts integration across their state. Some use the term, Arts Infusion, and it’s worth noting that this is synonymous with Arts Integration. New Jersey is a leader in arts education in our country. At the state and regional level, there are many groups—including the NJ Department of Education, Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, NJ Arts Education Partnership, the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association, Monmouth Arts and more—who meet regularly (and passionately!) to discuss arts education and arts integration in our state. This group has begun work on an Arts Integration User Guide for New Jersey Educators and Practitioners to help schools and districts with a step-by-step guide on how to introduce arts integration into their curricula. It doesn’t have to be a major leap but can be something that is discussed, planned and “integrated” over a span of time. School leaders should know that state and regional organizations, like those mentioned above and more, are here to help them! Please email our Arts Education and Events Manager, Vinny Martini , or call Monmouth Arts if you have any questions and would like to discuss Arts Integration further. Photo Courtesy of the Friendship Train Foundation What is STEAM? STEAM is a type of Arts Integration and is also a separate learning strategy in itself, employed by a growing number of educational systems, organizations and individuals to enhance student learning. The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) is widely credited with forging the STEM to STEAM movement, placing Art & Design in the mix of integrative learning. Several schools in Monmouth County are beginning to include STEAM programming within schools and during after school hours. There are organizations, such as the Friendship Train Foundation , that partner with schools and other groups to bring STEAM programming to new communities. On a national, state and local level, STEAM is a positive, growing trend that is meant to strengthen problem solving, creativity and innovation, mathematic skills, scientific concepts and overall learning in our collective youth. Friendship Train Foundation The Friendship Train Foundation offers STEAMLabs, a new educational enrichment program available to schools, recreation departments and other organizations in Monmouth and northern Ocean counties. STEAMLabs sparks children's interest in science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) through a variety of exciting, hands-on enrichment activities that reinforce school learning. In these classes, children are encouraged to create, experiment, investigate, and collaborate in an informal, fun environment. STEAMLabs fits into after school and recreation programs, school assemblies, end-of-year activities and summer camps. To learn more, visit My Steam Labs . Photos Courtesy of the Friendship Train Foundation ARTS INTEGRATION “ARTS INTEGRATION IS A TEACHING STRATEGY IN WHICH THE ARTS ARE INTEGRATED WITH THE NON-ARTS CIRRICULUM TO DEEPEN STUDENTS' UNDERSTANDING OF BOTH" -Isenberg and Jalongo, 2010, Werner and Freeman, 2001 RESOURCES For more information on Arts Integration, check out these resources: The Kennedy Center Education Closet National Education Association: Arts Across the Curriculum, Grades K-5 STEAM @ RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) STEAM Science-Technology-Engineering-Art & Design-Mathematics

CALL FOR ENTRIES Interested in exhibitions or other projects with Monmouth Arts? Check out this page for our current opportunities! Human Thread: The Art of Compassion and Courage Location: The Caroline Huber Wellness Center at Brookdale Community College Deadline: May 1, 2026 Exhibition: June 2 - August 10, 2026 Opening reception: Thursday, June 4 from 4:00pm - 6:00pm Deadline has Passed The Caroline Huber Wellness Center at Brookdale Community College in partnership with Monmouth Arts invites artists to submit works for a special exhibition celebrating two of Brookdale’s guiding values: Compassion and Courage. These values shape the College’s poverty-informed practices—removing barriers, leading with love, and acting boldly to open doors for all learners. We seek artwork that reflects the emotional, social, and human dimensions of these commitments. Art has long served as one of humanity's most powerful tools for social transformation. Where policy stalls and words fall short, a painting, a photograph, or a mural can crack open empathy in ways that little else can. Artists like Käthe Kollwitz, whose unflinching depictions of poverty and grief gave face to the voiceless, understood that to render suffering with honesty and tenderness is to refuse its invisibility — and in that refusal, to invite others into connection rather than turning away. It is this same impulse that drives artists working today to document resilience, bear witness to hardship, and find in the human face evidence of endurance, hope, and the stubborn will to carry on. We invite you to bring that spirit to this exhibition — to submit work that holds the full weight of compassion and courage, and that trusts the capacity of the arts to remind us we are never as alone as struggle might make us feel. To make art about compassion and courage is not a gentle act. It is an insistence that human dignity cannot be negotiated away, and that solidarity, practiced boldly and tenderly, is itself a form of resistance. Selected works will be featured in the curated exhibition in the Wellness Center providing a platform for artists to showcase their interpretations of the theme. ELIGIBILITY & FEES ARTWORK CRITERIA SUBMISSION GUIDELINES EXHIBIT TIMEFRAME Open to all Brookdale Community College students, faculty, and staff as well as members of Monmouth Arts. There is no submission fee for eligible artists. Artists who would like to become new members and submit may use the discount code THREAD to receive $10 off the $40 artist membership rate. Student memberships are free. For more information and an online membership form, please go to www.monmoutharts.org/join-us. Established, emerging, and student artists who are 16 and over are encouraged to submit works to this opportunity. Artists will receive 100% of sales. Accepted 2D work includes drawing, mixed media, painting, photography, lithography, printmaking, and digital art. Large 2D works can be accommodated in the space. Reproductions of original works will not be accepted. All 2D works must be available for the duration of the exhibition. Performance art (up to 5 mins in length) can be submitted and will be scheduled for the opening reception. Video and film (up to 5 mins in length) can be submitted and will be shown during the opening reception. Submissions must be entered through the online Submittable platform. After reading the complete guidelines, you can create a free account or log in to your existing Submittable account. Submissions are limited to a maximum of three (3) entries. Application deadline: May 1, 2026 Work chosen by: May 11, 2026 Artwork delivery dates: May 27 through May 29, 2026 (8:30am - 4:00pm) Exhibition: June 2, 2026 – August 10, 2026 (8:30am - 4:00pm) Opening reception: June 4, 2026, 4:00 - 6:00pm Artwork pick up date: no later than August 14, 2026 (8:30am - 4:00pm) For assistance, accessibility requests, or questions about submitting please contact Connie Isbell, Membership & Community Engagement Director, at connie@monmoutharts.org ; 732.212.1890 ext 101. ArtSpace 2027 Location: 99 Monmouth St, Red Bank, NJ Each year, Monmouth Arts invites its members to propose an exhibition in our event space and gallery at 99 Monmouth Street in Red Bank. More information on applications for solo and small group exhibitions for 2027 will be coming soon. Monmouth Arts invites the creative community of Monmouth County to submit works that explore the theme of Seen & Unseen as part of our annual member exhibition, to be held at Monmouth University’s Pollak Gallery, November 1 - December 11, 2025, with an opening reception on November 7th. Seen & Unseen is a call for artists to look more closely—not only at our surroundings but also at the inner landscapes we carry. It’s an invitation to recognize the presence and power of what is often left in the shadows. In shedding light on what has been obscured—by history, by progress, or by the limits of perception—Seen & Unseen seeks to reclaim and reframe the narratives that shape Monmouth County’s cultural and emotional landscape. Through painting, sculpture, photography, video, and mixed media, we ask artists to consider: What do we overlook in our daily lives? What deserves to be remembered? And how do the spaces we inhabit mirror the spaces within us? The 2025 Charles Sills Memorial Group Art Exhibit: Seen & Unseen Deadline has Passed Guidelines Artists may draw from archival material, oral histories, urban exploration, memories, and introspection to uncover the stories embedded in places and people. Some may examine sites long erased from public consciousness—historic homes, shuttered institutions, or neighborhoods transformed by time. Others may choose to navigate the intangible: the private worlds of resilience, grief, spirituality, or psychological space. This multidisciplinary exhibition will showcase the artists of Monmouth Arts whose works illuminate the forgotten, the hidden, and the quietly profound. From abandoned buildings and neglected corners of the landscape to the emotional terrain of personal memory and spiritual experience, we look forward to an exhibit that reveals the richness that often goes unnoticed. Seen & Unseen will be guest curated by Vaune Peck, Director of Monmouth University’s Center for the Arts. Pollak Gallery is located in West Long Branch in the heart of Monmouth University’s beautiful campus, adjacent to Pollak Theatre. The gallery features regional artists and collaborates with community organizations on special exhibitions. It has also hosted special exhibits from private collectors and exhibitions curated by the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. The Monmouth Arts annual member exhibit – now in its eighth year – is named for Dr. Charles Sills, who was a painter, sculptor, collector, and supporter of the arts. He retired from his role as the Chief of Surgery at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch in 2000. His work has been shown at many galleries in Monmouth County and he won awards from New York's Allied Artists of America as well as Knickerbocker Artists. Those artists interested in submitting to Seen & Unseen must be current members of Monmouth Arts and agree to the exhibition guidelines. Artists who would like to become new members and submit may use the code SEEN to receive $10 off the $40 artist membership rate. Please contact Connie Isbell, Director of Membership & Community Engagement, with any questions at connie@monmoutharts.org or 732.212.1890 ext 101. Deadline: September 30, 2025

ARTSPACE 105 ArtSpace 105 is the official micro-gallery of Monmouth Arts. It is located at 105 Monmouth Street in Red Bank (next to the Count Basie Center for the Arts). Apply to exhibit work here . Summer Sense-Ability The Arc of Monmouth Opening Reception: June 19, 2019 | 6:00 - 7:30pm Exhibit: June 14, - June 27, 2020 Select Works: The Arc of Monmouth’s mission is to improve the lives of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families through advocacy, services and supports, collaboration with community partners, and community education. They provide life-changing family supports, residential and independent living options, employment services, recreational opportunities, adult day programs, transition services for those moving from high school to adult life, a college program affiliated with Brookdale Community College, community vocational services, and behavioral health care.

The Artist Registry showcases Monmouth Arts artist members and serves as a resource for those looking for artists. Check out our members with a focus on photography. ARTIST REGISTRY PHOTOGRAPHY Marilyn Baldi Photography www.imagerybymarilyn.com mmbrc8@verizon.net Peter Dant Photography www.peterdantphotography.com pd@peterdantphotography.com 732-670-9425 Mattie Egerter Wildlife Photography www.maegerter.com maegerter1@gmail.com Instagram: @_m.e._photography_ Richard Huff Photography www.richardmhuff.com Facebook : RichardMHuff Instagram : @richmhuff Richardmhuff@gmail.com Ellen Martin Photography www.ellenmartin.com EMartin206@aol.com Instagram: @ellen_martin_artist Joan B. Myers Photography www.joanbmyersphotography.com jm.myjoan@gmail.com Ellen Rubinstein Photography www.facebook.com/EllenRubinsteinNaturePhotography erubinstein10@gmail.com 732-241-3519 Patricia Hart Zackman Photography www.digitalphz.com digitalphz@yahoo.com Instagram : @digitalphz Twitter : @digitalphz Joan Bruno Photography www.theliterarylens.com theliterarylens@gmail.com 732-737-4398 Ryan DeAngelo Photography Ryecaraway.com ryecarawayy@gmail.com Instagram: @ryecaraway 732-939-2280 Ralph Goldman Photography www.raphaelgoldphotos.com raphaelgoldphotos@gmail.com 908-770-9640 Bart Lentini Photography www.bartlentini.com Facebook : /Bart Lentini Photography Instagram : @bartlentini Michael Miller Photography www.visionsworkshops.net info@visionsworkshops.net Gabrielle Preziose Photography www.gabriellepreziose.com Instagram: @gabrielle.preziose gabriellepreziosephoto@gmail.com Douglas Smith Photography www.dugsmith.zenfolio.com eyemsmith52@gmail.com Instagram: @shadowcatcher_d_smith Facebook: ShadowCatcher D Smith Aidan Cahill Photography www.aidancahillphotography.com Instagram: @aidan_cahill_photo Ben De Marco Photography bendemarcophotography.youpic.com brickphoto_2000@yahoo.com Instagram: @bendemarco3794 Facebook: @ Ben De Marco Susan G. Hammond Photography www.susanghammond.com Sgh35mm@comcast.net Robert & Elisabeth McKay Photography www.mckayimaging.com info@mckayimaging.com 732-842-2272 Regina Molaro Photography reginamolaro9.com Portfolio: clippings.me/reginamolaro ReginaMolaroFreelance@gmail.com Instagram: @glamorousvagabonds Jeff Ricci Photography Jrjams2823@aol.com Barbara Withers Photography www.photosbybarbara.com baw.withers@gmail.com

REGIONAL + NATIONAL PROGRAMS Deaf West Theater in NYC Deaf West Theater offers performances with sign language. Visual Arts Center of NJ Visual Arts Center of NJ offers Community Engagement Programs focused on under-served, economically disadvantaged and marginalized audiences incluing at-risk youth, the elderly, persons with diabilites and more. VSA New Jersey - State Organization on Arts and Disability Arts Unbound Arts Unbound in Maplewood NJ is an organization dedicated to the creative expression of persons with disabilities. Our headquarters (studio and gallery) are barrier free, as are all public spaces used by us to feature the work of artists and to host events. Upon prior request, information will be made available in alternate formats such as Braille, large print, audiotape, computer, and/or via a sign-language interpreter . Kids Included Together (KIT) Kids Included Together (KIT) provides best practices training to help communities, businesses, and child care & recreation programs include children with all kinds of disabilities and special needs. Viewing disability as a form of diversity rather than a deficiency enables positive outcomes for all children. NEA Accessibility - Grants and Resources The Council for Exceptional Children The Council for Exceptional Children offers Webinars, Workshops and Summits in the area of special education. The organization is active in local, state and federal issues, highlighting their arts advocacy letters earlier this year opposing the ESEA bill for several reasons. This is an excellent website for professional development and also special education news and policy information.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Monmouth Arts Board of Trustees is an elected group of nineteen dynamic community leaders representing a cross-section of our community. They are passionate advocates of Monmouth Arts' mission and vision and contribute to the community's well-being through equitable access to the arts. They provide leadership in governance, oversight, strategic planning, finance and fundraising. Board of Trustees, Officers Perry Beneduce President Jim Geise Vice President Melanie Penney, CPA Treasurer Tara Walsh, Esq. Secretary Board of Trustees Chris Andreach Luke Breslin, Esq. John Chiappinelli, Esq. Dana Ciricione Debra County, CMD Shawn Emamjomeh Richard Huff Laurie Londoner Ernie Miller Penny Miller Richard Parness Victoria Reis Cathy Pugliese-Sivo Rachel Tedeschi

ARTSPACE 105 ArtSpace 105 is the official micro-gallery of Monmouth Arts. It is located at 105 Monmouth Street in Red Bank (next to the Count Basie Center for the Arts). Apply to exhibit work here . Distant Connection Monmouth Arts Artist Members In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, that resulted in the postponement of our ArtSpace 105 micro-gallery exhibits, we invite the arts community to view work at our all-new Digital Gallery! Exhibit: April 9 - October 28, 2020 Michelle Locklear "Love & Peace" Acrylic Michelle Locklear "8|24 Kobe" Acrylic Michelle Locklear "Expression" Acrylic Ellen Rubinstein "Wave Waltz" Photography Ellen Rubinstein "Beach Life" Photography Ellen Rubinstein "Reach for the Sky" Photography Jodi DiLiberto "Invocation" Fractal art Jodi DiLiberto "Under a Fractal Moon" Fractal art Jodi DiLiberto "Nunnie's Garden" Acrylic Felicia Grant "Isolation" Watercolor Felicia Grant "On the Garden Wall" Gouache Felicia Grant "Coming Home" Watercolor Ry An "河童・Kappa" Wall-mounted recycled paper sculpture Ry An "It Spreads" Oil on panel Ry An "The Last Swan on the Lake" Oil on canvas Marlene Akeroyd "Bloomin Explosion" Watercolor Marlene Akeroyd "Spring in New York" Watercolor and collage from paint samples Marlene Akeroyd "Look, it's Sandy Hook" Watercolor Anthony Russo "Heroes of NYC" Watercolor Anthony Russo "Winter in Vermont" Oil Anthony Russo "Ocean Grove Tents" Oil Ellen Martin "I Shine at Night" Photography Ellen Martin "I Was a Real Beauty" Photography Ellen Martin "Save Me" Photography Freddy Powell "GOD" Acrylic