Music
Sound given room to travel.
Supporting excellence in the arts since 1960Backing the work
Backing the work
before the applause.
Masterwork gives artists room to make the ambitious thing, supports programs that gather a community and celebrates lives shaped by the arts.
Masterwork FoundationFour disciplines.
One living legacy.
One living legacy.
2026 Premier AwardPremiere Stages
at Kean UniversityMeet the awardees
at Kean UniversityMeet the awardees
60+
years of championing artists, ideas and the communities that hold them.
Watch the seriesA Life in the Arts
01
Why Masterwork existsArt needs more than admiration.
Art needs more than admiration.
It needs backing.
For more than six decades, Masterwork has stood behind the people doing the patient, uncertain and necessary work of making art.
We fund new work, help community programs reach further and recognise artists whose best chapters are still ahead of them.
Our story and purposeFour disciplinesOne commitment to excellence
Dance
Movement that changes the air.
Theatre
New worlds, made together.
Visual Arts
A different way of seeing.
How we support the artsThree ways we
Three ways we
move work forward.
From a first serious opportunity to an ambitious new production, each program answers a different moment in an artist’s journey.
01
Premier Award
A serious vote of confidence for an original work in music, dance, theatre or visual art — with an award of up to $10,000.
New original work
02
Community Arts Awards
Support for arts programming that invites people in, strengthens local culture and makes a place feel more connected.
Community programming
03
Emerging Artist Award
Practical support and recognition for promising young artists at the moment when encouragement can change a career.
Next-generation artists
The interview series
Some careers deserve more than a bio.
A Life in the Arts is an ongoing conversation with people who chose the long road — the teachers, performers, makers and mentors who made an art form part of their life.
Now featuringR. Wayne WaltersEducator · Soloist · Conductor · Composer
Explore the series The work, in motion
View all news Meet the 2026 awardees.
Community Arts Awards · 2026
Four organisations making the arts more local, open and alive.
Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra · The Masterwork Chorus · Found Sound Circle · FJK Dance
A gift to the artsMake room for
Make room for
the next work.
Every gift to Masterwork goes directly to artists and arts programming. It may become rehearsal time, materials, a first public showing — or the vote of confidence that keeps an idea alive.
100%of your gift
supports artists
supports artists
MFSupporting excellence
in the arts
in the arts