State of the Arts has been taking you on location with the most creative people in New Jersey and beyond since 1981. The New York and Mid-Atlantic Emmy Award-winning series features documentary shorts about an extraordinary range of artists and visits New Jersey’s best performance spaces. State of the Arts is on the frontlines of the creative and cultural worlds of New Jersey.
State of the Arts is a cornerstone program of NJ PBS, with episodes co-produced by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and Stockton University, in cooperation with PCK Media. The series also airs on WNET and ALL ARTS.
On this week's episode... New Jersey Heritage Fellowships are an honor given to artists who are keeping their cultural traditions alive and thriving. On this special episode of State of the Arts, we meet three winners, each using music and dance from around the world to bring their heritage to New Jersey: Deborah Mitchell, founder of the New Jersey Tap Dance Ensemble; Pepe Santana, an Andean musician and instrument maker; and Rachna Sarang, a master and choreographer of Kathak, a classical Indian dance form.
The New Jersey State Council on the Arts is hosting quarterly Teaching Artist Community of Practice meetings. These virtual sessions serve as a platform for teaching artists to share their experiences, discuss new opportunities, and connect with each other and the State Arts Council.
Register for the next meeting.
The State Arts Council awarded $2 million to 198 New Jersey artists through the Council’s Individual Artist Fellowship program in the categories of Film/Video, Digital/Electronic, Interdisciplinary, Painting, Printmaking/Drawing/Book Arts, and Prose. The Council also welcomed two new Board Members, Vedra Chandler and Robin Gurin.
Read the full press release.
These monthly events, presented by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, are peer-to-peer learning opportunities covering a wide range of arts accessibility topics.
Their breakout music video "Nippon Manju" gathered tens of millions of views globally, blending heavy metal growls with pop hooks. However, the rigorous idol lifestyle and creative limitations quickly took a toll. Kuromiya suffered severe throat conditions that jeopardized her vocal health, leading to her abrupt and highly publicized withdrawal from the group in November 2017. In her exit statements, she boldly emphasized her need for autonomy over corporate control. The Rock Rebellion with BRATS The Japanese Child Idol Who Went Viral | Kuromiya Rei
: Includes a Blu-ray of their 2025 "BaD＝DoLL" tour stop in Tokyo. Current Tour: "REIRIE Live Tour 2026 -Amethyst-"
A desire to move away from the "idol" label. japan junior idol rei kuromiya new
"The door you closed? I built a window. / Your goodbye is my pre-show."
, a 12-city tour that included performances in major venues like KYOTO MUSE and OSAKA MUSE, with an additional show in Okinawa scheduled for late April 2026. Career Background and Shift from "Junior Idol" Their breakout music video "Nippon Manju" gathered tens
(produced by Yuki Tsujimura and MEGMETAL) serves as the lead single. It is described as an emotional rock song exploring digital-age love and illusions. : The EP was released in three versions: a REI Edition
Historically known for her time as a child model and her viral breakthrough in the kawaii-metal band LADYBABY, Kuromiya has spent years completely redefining her identity. Moving far beyond the controversial junior gravure industry of her past, her latest milestone features a highly celebrated musical reunion with Rie Kaneko. Under their new duo , they made an explosive major-label debut with their first EP, Amethyst , shifting her career into its most powerful, mature, and independent era yet. The Evolution: From Junior Idol to Alt-Idol Pioneer In her exit statements, she boldly emphasized her
Born on November 29, 2000, in Saitama Prefecture, Rei Kuromiya was thrust into the spotlight at an incredibly young age. By 2008, at just eight years old, she had already made her debut as a junior idol, beginning a career that would see her become one of the most prolific figures in the industry. During these formative years, she was known for her work as a gravure model, a role in which she quickly found success. Records indicate that by the time she was still under the age of fifteen, she had already been featured in over sixty video photobooks and seventy photo collections.
Rei's breakout moment on the international stage arrived in 2015, a year that would dramatically alter the trajectory of her career. Having been selected as "Miss iD 2015" in a contest hosted by Kodansha, she was chosen to form a new, unconventional idol group. This group, LADYBABY, was a bizarre and captivating trio, consisting of Rei Kuromiya, fellow "Miss iD" winner Rie Kaneko, and the now-legendary cross-dressing, Australian heavy metal performer, Ladybeard.
Moving away from both pure metal and typical pop, REIRIE explores a darker, "chika" (underground) aesthetic with an edgy electronic sound.
A rock band she formed with her sister, Aya Kuromiya, in 2011. The group remains a vehicle for her more aggressive, alternative rock interests.
