A Trenton multidisciplinary artist has been selected as the first Trenton Arts Fellow through a new partnership between Mercer County Community College and Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts.
Bentrice “Beni” Jusu was chosen for the 2026-27 fellowship, which provides financial support, studio space and professional opportunities for artists who live and work in Trenton.
The fellowship includes a $10,000 stipend, with up to half available for living expenses and the remainder intended for materials and research connected to the fellow’s work.
Jusu will also receive shared studio space in Trenton Hall on the Mercer County Community College James Kerney Campus from September 2026 through June 2027.
The program was created through a collaboration between Mercer County Community College and the Lewis Center for the Arts to support artists in the capital city. Artworks Trenton also participated as a partner in the initiative.
The fellowship grew out of discussions among faculty and administrators at the two institutions about recognizing and supporting artists working in Trenton.
Twenty-one visual artists submitted applications during the program’s first round. Applicants provided resumes, work samples and proposals describing how they would spend the fellowship year and how they would engage with the local community.
“We are thrilled to welcome Bentrice and April to Trenton Hall,” said Lucas Kelly, dean of Mercer County Community College’s Division of Arts and Communication, who chaired the selection committee.
“The selection process was incredibly competitive, reflecting the remarkable depth of talent within Trenton’s arts community,” Kelly said. “This fellowship represents an exciting milestone for Mercer County Community College and our ongoing commitment to supporting local artists.
“Beyond financial support, we are proud to provide the time, space, resources, and professional opportunities that allow artists to develop their work and expand their careers.”
Jusu is also a filmmaker and community architect whose work blends public art, immersive technology, portraiture and social practice.
Through large-scale installations, augmented reality experiences, sound-based works and participatory murals, she creates projects designed to engage the public and foster dialogue within communities.
Her work has been supported by organizations including NPR, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and Princeton University’s Preparatory Program. Works from her practice appear in both permanent and private collections.
During the fellowship year, Jusu plans to develop a project titled “The Listening Room: Trenton,” an evolving audio-poetic archive focused on the voices and memories of city residents.
The project will transform the studio space at Mercer’s Trenton campus into what she describes as a working sound lab, where storytelling, field recording and reflection will come together.
Through guided interviews, ambient recordings and spoken-word composition, she plans to expand her ongoing audio chapbook project, “The Potential Project,” into a localized installation centered on community participation.
The selection committee also named Trenton artist April Cooper as a finalist for the fellowship.
Cooper, known online as Art by April, will receive a $2,500 stipend for materials and access to a shared studio space at Trenton Hall. Her work focuses primarily on oil painting and explores Black life, community and cultural preservation through figurative imagery.
During the fellowship period, she plans to create a series of paintings depicting Black social spaces in and around New Jersey, focusing on everyday presence and joy.
“The partnership with MCCC has been very positive based on our shared interest in supporting the artist community in Trenton,” said Pam Lins, interim director of Princeton University’s Program in Visual Arts. “We are super excited to be part of this program.”
Inaugural Trenton Arts Fellow Bentrice “Beni” Jusu. (Photo by Rachel Fawn Alban.) ,
Inaugural Trenton Arts Fellow finalist April Cooper. (Photo by April Cooper.)
