Newark has been ranked the 9th most arts-vibrant community in America. According to the third annual Arts Vibrancy Index assembled by The SMU National Center for Arts Research (NCAR), Newark, as part of the NJ-PA Metro Division, landed in the top ten of over 900 communities based on supply, demand, and government support for the arts.

Newark Arts, established in 1981 and whose mission it is to power the arts in the largest city in New Jersey, is called out specifically in the Index for “bringing the transformative power of the arts into the lives of those who live in, work in, and visit Newark through programs advocacy, promotion, education, and coordination.

The Newark Arts Education Roundtable, which is under the umbrella of the Newark Arts Council, is also heralded as a “consortium of over 50 arts organizations in Newark that are involved in supporting or providing arts education services to children in Newark during in- and out-of-school time.”

Jeremy Johnson, Newark Arts Executive Director, said in response to the ranking, “We couldn’t be more gratified that the city of Newark is being recognized as a hotbed of America’s arts and culture, and that Newark Arts is a driving force behind that recognition.”