2025 Giving Season 

Dear Friends and Supporters,

As we look toward another year of creativity and community, we find ourselves reflecting on the journey that brought us here.

2026 will mark Sussex County Arts & Heritage Council’s 55th year of service as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization — a milestone representing many years of exhibitions, workshops, and cultural programs that have connected people across Sussex County through shared creative experiences.

From our Spring Street art gallery and workshop space to countywide events like Sussex County Heritage Weekend, at its heart, our work has always been about connection — between generations, neighbors, and cultures — and about ensuring that everyone, regardless of income or background, has access to the transformative power of the arts and cultural programming.

Over the past year, we have seen growth in every direction. More residents attended our exhibitions. More children and seniors participated in workshops. More local artists and historians found a place to share their work and stories.

Among our popular new initiatives this year have been the Community Art Project Canvas, direct public participation in selecting special show themes, and a collaborative public art show with the Town of Newton. Putting a spotlight on the upcoming 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, we also presented a special program on art during the Revolution — with more exciting projects planned for 2026!

These achievements are the direct result of your generosity — your belief that art and culture should be part of everyday life in Sussex County. At the same time, the landscape of support has changed. Many traditional sources of corporate and foundation funding have contracted, even as the cost of delivering high-quality programs continues to rise.

To meet that challenge, we are turning once again to the individuals who have always sustained us — people like you, who understand that community and creativity go hand in hand. Grass-roots community support always gets it done!

Your gift makes all the difference. It supports our instructors, supplies, exhibitions, and outreach — ensuring that a child can discover color and expression in their first art class, that a senior can reconnect with community through creativity, and that local artists continue to have a welcoming place to exhibit and grow.

Looking ahead, SCAHC plans to build on this foundation of community.
Our goals are clear and ambitious:

• Grow and diversify support through new partnerships and community giving.
• Expand access and inclusion, ensuring our programs reach seniors, veterans, youth, and rural residents.
• Strengthen our volunteer and member community, cultivating new leaders and advocates for the arts.
• Deepen collaborations with local businesses, regrant organizations, schools, and government partners.
• Continue to support & sustain a vibrant cultural ecosystem that celebrates creativity, preserves heritage, and encourages the creative sector of our local economy.

These goals reflect our shared belief — that a strong arts community means a strong Sussex County.

Together, we can carry forward this 55-year legacy, ensuring that art, history, and culture continue to thrive for future generations.

We invite you to be part of that future. Your continued support will help us sustain what has been built and open new doors for connection, learning, and inspiration in the years ahead.

With heartfelt thanks and appreciation,

Joseph A. Fontana
Executive Director

Ralph Porter
President, Board of Trustees

WAYS TO GIVE:

• Donate Now through our website by clicking HERE. 
• Call us at 973-383-0027 Tuesday to Friday from 10am-5pm
• Send a check made payable to SCAHC to 133 Spring Street | Newton, NJ 07860