SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — New Jersey is offering COVID-19 relief aid to eligible arts and cultural venues throughout the state.
The recently signed legislation provides $15 million in federal aid for venues in the state and is part of a relief package for New Jersey small businesses.
“One of the greatest sacrifices the COVID-19 pandemic has required is the significant scaling back of in-person art events and performances,” said Tim Sullivan, CEO of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. “The bill … will be crucial to ensuring we maintain and grow the thriving creative communities that make New Jersey special as we recover from the pandemic.”
Specifically, the bill allocates $7.5 million to the Economic Development Authority for for-profit organizations and another $7.5 million to the State Council on the Arts for nonprofits, like the Perkins Center for the Arts.
“It’s going to be extremely helpful for nonprofits who thought they weren’t eligible in the past,” said Perkins Executive Director Kahra Buss.
The center is located in a historic building in Moorestown and has an expansion in Collingswood.
Buss furloughed about 25% of her already-small staff, but managed to bring most of them back.
“We are still functioning at a reduced capacity, which has had a tremendous impact on our revenue,” she noted.
In 2019, Buss said Perkins served nearly 35,000 people in South Jersey through class lessons, exhibitions, employment opportunities and concerts.
"What we're looking to do is fortify the organization so that we can continue to offer free programming that we do throughout our communities," said Buss.
"The arts are a cultural, safe space that is free of discrimination and open to all individuals, and certainly over the last year, we’ve seen such a need...where our communities can begin to heal."