CAMDEN – From gallery exhibitions to stage performances to author readings to the creation of “art” gardens, the  Rutgers–Camden Center for the Arts (RCCA) will continue cultivating the arts in Camden, and beyond, thanks to funding from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.  

According to RCCA director Cyril Reade, the $163,500 award supports a wide array of cultural offerings happening not just in the Stedman Gallery and Walter K. Gordon Theater, but in Camden communities and, through videoconference technology, classrooms across the nation.

"NJSCA funding is essential to RCCA's mission of serving the communities of the City of Camden and the surrounding counties in southern New Jersey, and academic communities in the area, through the exhibition, arts education, and community arts programming,” says Reade, a visual artist and art historian. ”NJSCA's ongoing funding is a recognition of the valuable interaction that we have with our publics."

Examples of the breadth of annual RCCA programming supported by this award include five  art exhibitions and related lectures at the Stedman Gallery; five musical performances; seven readings from visiting writers; 65 arts education classes for approximately 1,900 students; 20 summer storytelling programs; and studio activities for 25 groups.  RCCA also engages with the community through efforts like artist residencies, festivals, and after-school programming.

The current exhibition at the Stedman Gallery, “Cuentos Populares: Latino Folk Tales Illustrated by Latino Artists,” which runs through April 25, demonstrates how RCCA hosts art events in traditional venues, but also mobilizes efforts into the community. Artists featured in the exhibit , which showcases original illustrations from bilingual Latino folk tales published in children’s picture books, will not only discuss their work during free lectures at Rutgers–Camden, but will visit Camden City schools to lead workshops aimed to inspire students.

The Rutgers–Camden Center for the Arts is designated as a Major Presenting Organization/Major Arts Organization of New Jersey by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.  The RCCA is regarded widely for its innovative arts education programs that widen horizons for children in southern New Jersey and across the nation, as well as for the exhibitions of contemporary and traditional artwork offered throughout the year at the Stedman Gallery.