NEW JERSEY CREATIVE COMMUNITIES CONFERENCE 2025: THE ART OF COMMUNITY WELL-BEING Set for November

The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation (NNJCF) and Hudson County Community College (HCCC) will present NEW JERSEY CREATIVE COMMUNITIES CONFERENCE 2025: THE ART OF COMMUNITY WELL-BEING on Thursday, November 6, 2025, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the HCCC Culinary Conference Center, 161 Sip Avenue in Jersey City.

The inaugural statewide convening will bring together municipal, arts, and business leaders; artists across disciplines; healthcare and wellness workers; grantmakers; students and scholars; and designers, architects, and planners to explore how art and creative placemaking can strengthen community health, vitality, and inclusion.

At the luncheon, developer Paul Silverman (Principal, SILVERMAN) will be honored for championing public art and creative placemaking through historic restorations, mixed-use development, rotating exhibitions in his properties, semi-annual art shows, and the co-founding of elevator, a studio hub for artists and makers. A longtime volunteer and philanthropist, Silverman supports numerous Jersey City and Hudson County nonprofits and serves in leadership roles across civic and educational organizations.

Conference programming will open with a welcome from Christopher M. Reber, President of HCCC, followed by the plenary “Creative Financing for the Arts in New Jersey,” a panel focused on sustaining arts ecosystems amid funding uncertainty. Featured speakers include Tai Cooper (NJEDA), Annie McAdams (City of Hoboken Cultural Affairs), Christine Goodman (City of Jersey City Office of Cultural Affairs), and Phil Abramson, AICP/PP (Topology, Inc.), moderated by Leonardo Vazquez, AICP/PP, Executive Director of NNJCF.

Across four thematic tracks—Art & Community Health; Community Economic Development; Empowering & Supporting Public/Social Practice Artists; Inclusive & Accessible Communities—attendees will join workshops, case studies, and conversations led by New Jersey and national practitioners. Highlights include Creative Placemaking 101 with Kadie Dempsey; insights on public art and hip hop with artist Sherwin Banfield; strategies for resilient, mutual development with Juanli Carrión; working with artists with Lauren Craig (Newark Arts); community colleges as cultural centers with Drs. Christopher Reber and Yeurys Pujols; hospital public-art adaptation with Robin L. Goldfischer (Valley Health System); dance and art therapy with Maria Daniel; an on-ramp to public art with Emily Gilman Beezley; downtown arts integration with Tracy Gavant (Main Street POPS); “Creative Cures” with a multidisciplinary panel moderated by Stephanie Daniels and Brooke Hansson (Jersey City Department of Health & Human Services); inclusive curating with Michelle Vitale (HCCC); arts-and-wellness programming with Rodney Camarce and Sam Hwang (Grounds for Sculpture); and accessible design in art and social media with Danielle Lopez (HCCC). An ongoing art-therapy activity, “Express Yourself,” facilitated by Zulisha Morales, will be available during lunch and breaks.

Tickets & Registration

Registration is available at nnjcf.org/njcc25 with options for general admission, exhibitors, artists, luncheon, reception, and more. HCCC faculty, staff, and students may attend the conference and reception free of charge by registering in advance with an HCCC email.

Artist Scholarships

NNJCF will offer a limited number of $25 scholarships (first-come, first-served) to public and social practice artists to offset the $50 artist discounted ticket. Artists in any discipline may apply by emailing artsbergen@nnjcf.org with a brief statement of interest and a link to work samples. Details: nnjcf.org/njcc25.

New Jersey Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. THE LITTLE MERMAID (HOWELL PAL THEATRE COMPANY)

3.1% of votes

2. HAIR (Vanguard Theater Company)

3% of votes

3. SCHOOL OF ROCK (Playhouse 22)

2.9% of votes

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