A foundation takes shape.
Masterwork’s story begins in Morristown, New Jersey, with a commitment to developing artists and enriching cultural life through concerts, theatre and fine arts projects.
The beginning / MorristownThe Masterwork Music & Art FoundationEstablished 1955 / Morristown, New Jersey
About the Foundation
Art begins
with an idea.
It grows
with belief.
We stand behind the people who make it.
Since
1955
1955
Supporting excellence in music, dance, theatre and visual art. Connecting creative ambition with the support to take it further.
01 / A belief worth acting on
Talent needs
room to become.
An artist’s potential matters. So does the opportunity to develop it, share it and keep going.
Masterwork supports artists and arts organizations through awards, community programs and recognition of creative achievement. Our work reaches across music, dance, theatre and visual art, bringing the people who create into closer connection with the people who experience and support them.
A new play finding its first audience. Music reaching someone who cannot get to a concert hall. A lifetime of artistic experience shared with the next generation. These are different expressions of the same commitment: helping the arts remain a living part of our communities.
02 / The belief we carry forward
Shirley
May.
A legacy measured
in possibility.
Developing artists deserve serious support.
Shirley May’s vision is woven into Masterwork’s identity: nurturing artists and enriching cultural life through music and the arts. It is a legacy that asks the Foundation to look forward as well as back.
Following her passing, Masterwork recommitted to that vision in 2016. The work continues by responding to the needs of artists and communities, while preserving the belief that creative excellence deserves encouragement.
Today, that commitment takes several forms. Awards help new work develop. Community grants help people encounter the arts in shared and unexpected places. A Life in the Arts preserves the experience of those who have spent their lives making art possible.
Remembering a legacy.Continuing the work.
Roots & renewal
A history that
keeps moving.
A vision is renewed.
The Foundation recommits to Shirley May’s legacy, carrying its original purpose into a new chapter and adapting its work to the changing needs of artists and communities.
The recommitment / Shirley May’s legacyThe work goes on.
New plays, community projects, emerging talent and conversations with creative leaders give that commitment a present-day expression.
See the latest stories03 / Belief, put into practice
Support at
the moments
that matter.
Artists and organizations do not all need the same kind of support. Masterwork’s programs make room for new work, shared experiences, emerging talent and lasting contribution.
Help an idea become
a public experience.
The Premier Award supports artistic achievement and development. In 2026, a $15,000 award to Premiere Stages at Kean University supports four Play Festival finalists, from public readings to full production.
Explore the Premier AwardBring the arts into
community life.
Community Arts Awards support projects that connect artists and audiences. The 2026 recipients include Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra, The Masterwork Chorus, Found Sound Circle and FJK Dance.
Meet the community projectsRecognize the promise
of what comes next.
The Emerging Artist Award places attention on a developing creative voice. Discover Fadi J. Khoury, the 2025 recipient, and the movement and artistic practice behind his work.
Meet an emerging artistKeep creative
experience in circulation.
A Life in the Arts brings artists, educators and arts leaders into conversation. Their experience becomes something others can learn from, return to and carry into their own creative lives.
Explore the interview collectionOne Foundation. Four disciplines.
Different forms.
A shared conviction.
The arts are not separate from the life around them. They give people ways to express, question, connect and imagine.
01
Music
From a composer’s idea to a community’s shared voice.
02
Dance
Expression, connection and possibility through movement.
03
Theatre
New stories finding life through writers, performers and audiences.
04
Visual art
Ways of seeing that invite curiosity and conversation.
A moment in our shared history
A life’s work.
A community’s
gratitude.
At Masterwork’s 65th Anniversary Celebration, the Foundation honored R. Wayne Walters with its first A Life in the Arts Award.
A performer, composer, conductor, educator and former Masterwork board member, Walters embodies the many ways one creative life can touch others. The Morris Choral Society, which he founded, performed his Ode to the Sea at the celebration.
The occasion brought Masterwork’s purpose into focus: recognizing a lasting contribution while gathering a community around the arts.
Explore the anniversary celebration04 / The people carrying it forward
A shared purpose.
A personal
commitment.
Masterwork’s work is sustained by two part-time staff members and an active volunteer board, with the perspective of its advisory board.
Behind each program is the continuing work of an organization: supporting artists, maintaining relationships and caring for the Foundation’s future.
Connect with the FoundationBoard of Directors
President
Tony Javed
Vice President
Mathews Philips
Treasurer
Joseph White
Maria Blanco
Joen Ferrari
Alice Glock
Kico Govantes
Salomi Massaras
Carol May
John Thomas
Eileen White
Eric Hafen
Advisory Board
Hadiza Dockeray
Mina (Lavinia) Ruby
R. Wayne Walters
An open view of the Foundation
Belief grows
with understanding.
Learn about Masterwork’s work through its reports, meet the people and projects in the journal, or ask the Foundation a question directly.
The next chapter needs people, too.
Become part
of what art
makes possible.
Whether you come as an artist, an audience member or a supporter, there is a way to get closer to Masterwork’s work.
Discover awards & grantsFind your way to support