The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
A township-based cultural organization was awarded more than $26,000 in two grants from the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission.
The Ukrainian History and Education Center was awarded a $20,175 Local Arts Program grant to provide in-person and virtual programming on Ukrainian folk arts and traditions for Somerset County residents.
The organization was also awarded a $6,000 grant through the County History Partnership Program. The money will be used “to aid ongoing research into the history of Ukrainian immigrant communities in New Jersey, which will serve as a publicly accessible resource,” according to a press release on the grant.
According to its web site, the organization’s mission is to “foster a vibrant connection between past and future generations and communities to Ukrainian history, sprituality, arts and culture through educational programming, exhibitions, workshops and conferences and to provide access to researchers and educators to the permanent collections of the UHEC’s Museum, Archive and Library to further their knowledge or develop curriculum for other learning institutions.”
The organization’s permanent collection “consists of over 15,000 objects of folk art, fine art, religious ritual objects, textiles, and icons, as well as objects that document Ukrainian and Ukrainian American cultural, religious, and political history,” according to the web site. “The UHEC Archives holds hundreds of collections documenting the lives and work of Ukrainian and Ukrainian American individuals, families, organizations, and parishes.”
In total, the County commission awarded $200,000 in grants in 2025 through the Local Arts Program and $63,750 through the County History Partnership Program, according to the releases.
The LAP grant, which is funded through a partnership between the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, supports local arts organizations providing art programs, services, and development within Somerset County, according to a press release on the grants.
“Since 2021, over $840,000 in grants have been awarded to art organizations to support the creation of accessible and innovative programs that enable local artists to thrive in creative spaces,” Somerset County Commission Deputy Director Melonie Marano, liaison to the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission, said in the release. “The LAP grant is a valuable resource that directly helps organizations with operating expenses, event funding, and project development.”
The history grant, according to the release, “supports local history organizations that provide New Jersey-based history programming, services, and education about Somerset County for its residents.”
“Since 2015, this grant has enabled local organizations to preserve the history of Somerset County through educational programs, exhibits, community events, and family-friendly activities that explore the County’s past,” Marano said in the release.
“The CHPP grant also supports the maintenance of our historic sites and landmarks, which bring history to life through immersive experiences and live tours led by trained history docents. In 2026, these programs will play a major role in helping residents celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary.” she said in the release.
The deadline to apply for the 2026 grant cycle in both grants is 4 p.m. September 12, 2025.
To learn more about applying for the 2026 LAP grant, visit: Local Arts Program (LAP) Grant | Somerset County.
To learn more about applying for the 2026 CHPP grant, visit: County History Partnership Program Grant | Somerset County.
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