Grounds For Sculpture (GFS) today announced that it has been awarded several significant grants from The Bunbury Fund at the Princeton Area Community Foundation (CommunityFoundation), The Horizon Foundation of New Jersey (The Horizon Foundation), and M & T Charitable Foundation (M&T). As a result of this funding, GFS will continue its capacity building work; pilot a social prescribing program through a partnership with Penn Medicine Princeton Health (PMPH); and bolster its participation in the Families First Discovery Pass Program (FFDP), which underwrites tickets to GFS for low-income families and individuals in New Jersey. Together, these three initiatives will contribute to the sculpture park’s strategic vision by sustaining and enriching its commitment to building communities and growing connectivity with its visitors.
“We’re delighted these three foundations are generously supporting Grounds For Sculpture,” said Gary Garrido Schneider, GFS Executive Director. “While we continue to build our organizational capacity, we’ll also be able to provide more visitors with the opportunity to experience the joy and restorative power of our art-filled gardens.”
The Bunbury Fund at the Princeton Area Community Foundation
The $100,000 grant from the Community Fund will allow GFS to engage two experts to accomplish strategic capacity building initiatives, both of which will help the sculpture park further its EDI Action Plan. The Community Fund previously provided support for a multi-year scope of work focused on EDI, which was led by the firm Tangible Development. With this renewed funding, GFS will work on the next phase of its capacity building initiative and implementation of the Plan. The first portion of the Community Fund’s support will go towards purchasing and creating a customized diversity dashboard. The key information the dashboard will feature was refined by a cross-departmental GFS working group throughout 2024, and aggregates key visitor, member, staff, board, volunteer, and artist data. The remaining support will address pay and job descriptions; there will be a comprehensive survey, pay review, and pay equity analysis, and job descriptions will be revised and/or redesigned. Both capacity building initiatives will help GFS reach its long-term EDI goals and objectives in its 2018-2028 strategic vision.
“This renewed support from The Bunbury Fund at the Princeton Area Community Foundation is critical to advancing our EDI Action Plan,” shared Kathleen Greene, GFS’ Chief Audience Officer. “It will ensure we are intentionally monitoring and assessing equitable access for all communities, both internally and externally.”
The Horizon Foundation of New Jersey
GFS has received a grant in the amount of $20,000 from Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. The award was made through The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey and will fund the Prescription to Arts, Nature, and Wellbeing at GFS – A Social Prescribing Program Pilot (Social Prescribing Program). Social prescription is the practice of prescribing social activities to improve patient well-being through a meaningful activity. Social activities like visiting a museum or park, joining a community group, or taking a dance class all meet these criteria. By virtue of being a sculpture park, GFS affords Social Prescribing Program participants the chance to interact with art and nature with the goal of improving their health.
To launch the Social Prescribing Program, GFS will work with physicians at Penn Medicine Princeton Health (PMPH) to prescribe 90-day museum prescription passes that will allow each patient to visit with one guest. Each pass will feature activity prompts, like mindfulness exercises, designed to enhance visitors’ well-being. This pilot is a natural extension of GFS’ longstanding Wellness Initiative, which began in 2011 and features activities such as Wellness Walks and Tai Chi, sound baths, and more, many of which are held outdoors at the sculpture park. Like these physical activities held at GFS, there is growing evidence from around the globe that social prescription programs provide physiological benefits derived from art and nature. The benefits of social prescription programs can also extend to mental health, with some studies having identified increased social connectedness, heightened self-esteem, and greater optimism in patients.
“We are excited to partner on this project to share the opportunity with our patients to explore and enjoy the benefits of visiting Grounds For Sculpture,” shared Debbie Millar, Director, Community Wellness and Engagement at Penn Medicine Princeton Health. “We look forward to piloting the program and learning more about the impact of experiences offering access to art and nature.”
Penn Medicine Princeton Health “Horizon is pleased to support the important work being done by Grounds For Sculpture to develop their Social Prescribing Pilot Program in 2025,” said Jonathan R. Pearson, Executive Director of The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey. “The Prescription to Arts, Nature, and Wellbeing at GFS – A Social Prescribing Program Pilot aligns with Horizon’s commitment to helping our members access the resources they need to manage their health. We are improving the health of the communities we serve by helping people improve their health and well-being. The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey works across New Jersey with grantees who share our commitment to improving the health and communities we serve.”
M & T Charitable Foundation
GFS has been awarded a grant from The M & T Charitable Foundation (M & T). These funds will be used to support the sculpture park’s participation in the Families First Discovery Pass program (FFDP program). As a member of the FFDP program, GFS is able to offer its rich arts and horticulture experiences to low-income families and individuals across the state of New Jersey by providing general admission tickets at no cost to the program participant. As equitable access continues to be a focus at the sculpture park, this funding helps GFS reach new audiences.
“We’re excited to have additional support for our participation in the Families First Discovery Pass program this year,” remarked Sam Hwang, GFS Director of Guest Services. “This will allow us to further our involvement in this program, which welcomed over 8,000 individuals last year.”
The FFDP program was launched in 2019 as a partnership between the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the New Jersey Historical Commission, and the New Jersey Departments of Human Services (DHS) and Health (DOH). Through this program, New Jersey residents who receive benefits through SNAP, WFNJ, Child Care Subsidy, and/or
WIC are eligible for up to six free general admission tickets per visit to GFS. General admission tickets afford guests the opportunity to visit the sculpture park’s art-filled gardens year-round and enjoy indoor and outdoor exhibitions. FFDP guests are also able to attend Family Open Studios, a free drop-in activity included with general admission, on the first Saturday of each month.
In addition to M & T, the FFDP program at GFS is also supported by Barbara and Gerald Essig and Grounds For Sculpture Business Members.
For more information about the FFDP program at GFS, visit: https://www.groundsforsculpture.org/visit/hours-admission-directions/
About The Bunbury Fund at the Princeton Area Community Foundation
The Bunbury Fund is a donor-advised fund of the Princeton Area Community Foundation. It supports non-profit organizations making significant impacts across central New Jersey, and most specifically Mercer County, to strengthen their capacity to effectively advance their missions toward sustainable organizational maturity.
About The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey’s philanthropic arm, The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, is focused on making New Jersey healthier by supporting non-profit organizations that expand access to healthcare, remove barriers to good health, and increase opportunities for everyone to achieve their best health, no matter who they are or where they live. Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey and The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information, please visit HZNFoundation.org.
About Penn Medicine Princeton Health
Princeton Health is proud to be among the most comprehensive healthcare systems in New Jersey. Our full continuum of care includes acute care hospital services, behavioral healthcare, acute rehabilitation, home care, hospice care, ambulatory surgery, and fitness and wellness services.
Each unit of Princeton Health is equipped with advanced diagnostic and treatment tools to provide you with convenient access to state-of-the-art healthcare. We are committed to providing exceptional clinical care delivered by physicians with sterling credentials and a strong commitment to each patient. They work closely with a team of skilled nurses and other healthcare professionals who are also committed to your care, comfort, and safety.
For more information, visit www.princetonhcs.org/.
About The M & T Charitable Foundation
The vision of The M&T Charitable Foundation is to partner with communities to impact equitable change. That partnership starts by building relationships rooted in trust and understanding.
Through grants for nonprofit programs and services, the overall mission of The M&T Charitable Foundation is to establish meaningful partnerships and amplify impact as we build inclusive communities across M&T Bank’s footprint. We seek to be equitable, accessible, and responsive to the communities we serve, meeting needs locally and centering on all people in everything we do.
In 1993, The M&T Charitable Foundation was created to formalize the bank’s philanthropic efforts; to provide a vehicle for the bank’s charitable giving— which now spans 12 states and Washington, D.C. For more information,visit: https://www.mtb.com/about-us/getting-involved/giving-back/charitable-foundation.
About Families First Discovery Pass
The Families First Discovery Pass program was launched in 2019 as a partnership between the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the New Jersey Historical Commission, and the New Jersey Departments of Human Services (DHS) and Health (DOH). This program provides families and individuals enrolled in state assistance programs with free or highly discounted admission to arts and history organizations, venues, and programs – both in-person and virtual.
The Families First Discovery Pass program offers broad access to cultural experiences for New Jersey residents and helps cultural organizations engage new audiences with the goal of building long-lasting relationships. Residents who receive benefits through SNAP, WFNJ, or WIC are eligible for free or steeply discounted cultural programs throughout the state. For more information, visit: https://nj.gov/state/njsca/discoverypass/index.shtml.
About Grounds For Sculpture
Grounds For Sculpture (GFS) is a 42-acre not-for-profit sculpture park, arboretum, and museum, founded by the late Seward Johnson. Featuring over 300 contemporary sculptures by renowned and emerging artists in a beckoning, ever-changing landscape, Grounds For Sculpture combines art and nature to surprise, inspire, and engage visitors from all backgrounds in the artist’s act of invention. In addition to its permanent collection, Grounds For Sculpture offers exhibitions in six indoor galleries, alongside experiential art, horticulture, and wellness programs for all ages. Located in Hamilton, New Jersey, Grounds For Sculpture is easily accessible from the New York City and Philadelphia metropolitan areas by public transit and is open year-round. For more information, visit groundsforsculpture.org.
