Arts & Culture Impact

Arts & Culture in South Jersey Have an Impact

South Jersey is comprised of eight counties: Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Salem, and Ocean. Together, these counties create a patchwork of unique arts, culture, and history offerings from festivals to galleries and historic sites to artist collectives. The South Jersey Cultural Alliance strives to support these organizations and artists to help them build capacity and provide all people inclusive, engaging access to the arts.

Across New Jersey, enjoying the arts is a part of living, working, visiting, and raising a family here. More than 22,000 New Jersey residents are employed by the nonprofit arts sector in our state, 1.1 million students are educated there, and 8.3 million people visit here each year. Arts organizations employ some of these people directly, including administrators, box offices, stage crews, artists, and teachers. Local businesses, such as restaurants, printers, graphic designers, hotels, and retail stores, indirectly benefit from and support some of these jobs. Education is also enriched by the arts. Young people in New Jersey who participate in the arts are more likely to excel academically and stay in school. Taking part in the arts develops essential skills - including leadership, collaboration, and perseverance- that help students become cultural leaders.

Visit our partners at ArtPride NJ for economic, advocacy, and other legislative updates at artpridenj.org. ArtPride New Jersey advances, promotes, and advocates for the arts as essential to the quality of life of every citizen and to the economic vitality of our state. The ArtPride New Jersey Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that proudly supports creative community and is widely viewed by the field as the go-to source for research, innovative programs and services, and high-impact advocacy work in the state of NJ.

Search each county to learn more about the impact of the arts in South Jersey.