Trenton Creative Network Brunch & Grant Launch Event

Creek to Canal Launches 2026 Trenton Creative Network Grant, Invites Community to Celebrate at Trenton Creatives Networking Brunch

Trenton, NJ - Creek to Canal (C2C), an initiative of Isles, Inc., is excited to announce the launch of the 2026 Trenton Creative Network Grant, a $10,000 grant opportunity designed to support artists, small businesses, and community-based organizations bringing creative energy to Downtown Trenton.

Funded through the Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit (NRTC) Grant, the Trenton Creative Network Grant invests in projects that reflect Trenton’s culture, stories, and lived experiences-using art and creativity to activate public spaces, bring people together, and strengthen community pride.

The grant application will open on March 7, 2026, and close on April 24, 2026. Applications can be submitted online at www.creektocanalcreative.org.

Creek to Canal reconnects Trenton’s neighborhoods to their waterways by supporting art, culture, and environmental storytelling that celebrates place, uplifts local creatives, and drives meaningful engagement throughout the city’s downtown corridor.

To mark the opening of the grant, Creek to Canal will host the Trenton Creatives Networking Brunch on March 7, 2026, at Artworks Trenton, located at 19 Everett Alley, Trenton, NJ 08611. The event is open to artists, creatives, entrepreneurs, and community members and will feature brunch, networking, and opportunities to shop with local artists and vendors.

Attendees will learn more about the 2026 grant cycle, hear an overview of eligible projects, and take part in a panel discussion and Q&A with 2025 Trenton Creative Network Grant recipients Raven George, Habiyb Shuaib, and Joseph Deacon, who will share their experiences, lessons learned, and advice for new applicants.

“I’m thankful that we get to launch this grant again,” said Tyquan Benton, Special Projects Manager at Isles, Inc. “The arts community in Trenton is thriving, residents are excited, engaged, and showing up. This grant is about supporting that momentum and helping creatives continue building what’s already happening here.”

The Trenton Creative Network Grant is part of Isles’ broader commitment to community-driven revitalization placing resources directly in the hands of local creatives who are shaping Trenton’s future through art, collaboration, and care for place.

For grant details, eligibility requirements, and event information, visit www.creektocanalcreative.org.

About Isles, Inc.: Isles is a nonprofit organization that approaches community development differently. The agency offers a wide range of interconnected services with a single goal: creating the environment necessary for individuals to build and enjoy healthy lives and thrive in their own ways. Rooted in Trenton, but impacting communities statewide, Isles challenges and changes inequitable systems by developing innovative solutions that create healthy homes, safe and flourishing communities, green spaces and gardens, educational resources, transportation systems, job training, and pathways to financial security. For 45 years, Isles has served tens of thousands of people in Trenton, Mercer County, and beyond.

Contact:

Tyquan Benton

Special Projects Manager, Community Planning & Development

Isles inc.

609-341-4791 - tbenton@isles.org