The **Newark Artist Accelerator** (NAA) is a project grant for Newark-based, multidisciplinary visual artists. Grants are awarded in the amounts of **$2,500**, **$5,000**, and **$7,500**. Projects are artist-led and include collaborative ventures, pop-up exhibitions, events, and interventions of an ephemeral nature that are radically accessible to the public. 

  
\\Beginning in 2021, in response to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on artists, their families, and their communities, the Newark Artist Accelerator was initially established to provide emergency relief to artists in New Jersey. The NAA Fund continues to provide immediate need, merit-based funding to artists’ projects and collaborations annually and is committed to sustaining this grant program through ongoing funding from local foundations and donors. To date, the annual fund has distributed nearly $300,000 in both emergency and project-based grants.

Project-based grants will be awarded in the amounts of **$2,500**, **$5,000**, and **$7,500**.

Newark Artist Accelerator

We are pleased to announce the open call for the **January 2026 - December 2027 Artist In Residence Program**. Now in Cycle 10, this two-year residency invites four visual artists to join our Newark, NJ–based community to create work that centers social impact and engagement. The mission of the program is multifaceted, designed to benefit both the Artists In Residence and the broader public. It aims to create a symbiotic relationship between artist and audience, serving as a conduit for new artistic practices and socially driven interventions. Throughout the residency, artists receive critical resources and support to sustain and deepen their practices.

**Join a decade of artists building community through creative practice.**

  
The program strives to not only support individual artists; but also, to cultivate conversation around social equity and engagement that are often swept by the wayside. We see the AIR program as a bridge between artist and community, as well as community and community, to push important dialogues forward. 

  
**Residency Start:** January 2026

  

Program Includes:

* **Two years of free studio space** at Project for Empty Space in Newark, NJ
* **$5,000** unrestricted honorarium
* **$2,500** materials stipend
* A **culminating solo exhibition** at one of our Newark-based gallery locations
* Support for **community-facing programming** and **public engagement initiatives**
* Access to **professional development**, including studio visits, feedback sessions, and networking opportunities

  

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