Program Officer, Community Arts, and Access, New Jersey State Council on the Arts

Creative, curious, calm, collaborative, thoughtful

Deciphering and transcribing the 18^th -19^th century diary of Ruth Henshaw Bascom, folk artist.

Mary Eileen Fouratt, Program Officer, Community Arts & Access at the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, works with the 21 county arts agencies and arts organizations to build their capacity and make the arts more accessible. As part of the Council on the Performing Arts Readiness Project and the NJ Cultural Alliance for Response, she has been directly involved in the Council’s response to Covid 19.

Previously as the Executive Director of Monmouth Arts, for nearly two decades, she led creative placemaking initiatives and participated in local, county and regional arts, community, and economic development planning. She created Monmouth Arts’ ArtHelps response to Hurricane Sandy witnessing the importance of emergency preparedness so arts groups are able to respond to community needs after a disaster.

She and her husband, Bob Fouratt live in Asbury Park, NJ, and enjoy time with their 3 grown children and 3 grandchildren.