Bios

Sherwin Banfield is a Queens, NY based mixed-media artist with recent work attempting to explore journeys of identity and ancestry. Sherwin’s creative practice tends to deconstruct the imaginative and physical journey of identity within his preferred subject matter, the human experience. While exploring the journey of his subject, he would seek to draw a connection between their personal stories and established culture, frequently imposing mythological and imaginative ideas as accessories within his sculptures.

Recent projects build upon experimental ideas of encompassing various mixed materials with traditional sculpture; lighting, sound and solar power that he refers to as Sustainable Sonic Sculpture. His recent public sculpture “Sky’s the Limit in the County of Kings’ fused the identity of Brooklyn Hip-Hop Legend The Notorious B.I.G., with his musical legacy into a sonic monument. The intention is to reintroduce the multi-dimensional contributions of Hip-Hop Legends, through a multi-sensory experience in Monumentality.

Banfield holds a BFA with honors from Parsons School of Design and studied figurative sculpture at The Art Students League of New York. He is a recipient of the Augusta Savage Grant with the National Sculpture Society, the Downtown Brooklyn + Dumbo Art Fund Grant, the NYC Art in the Parks: Alliance for FMCP Grant, the Socrates Annual Emerging Artist Fellowship, the Fantasy Fund Fellowship at Modern Art Foundry and the Art Students League of New York’s Model to Monument Fellowship.

Phil Abramson is a licensed planner in New Jersey, a licensed attorney in New Jersey and New York, and the CEO and founder of Topology, where he leads comprehensive planning projects by blending planning, law, and real estate development. With over a decade of experience and a client list of more than 25 municipalities, Phil has authored dozens of redevelopment plans and preliminary investigations, contributing to the development of thousands of new residential units and hundreds of thousands of square feet of commercial space, including the revitalization of desirable downtowns. A part-time lecturer at Rutgers University Center for Government Services and a regular speaker at statewide planning conferences, Phil previously worked as a Project Manager at Jonathan Rose Companies, managing mixed-use, public/private redevelopment projects and overseeing multiple redevelopment efforts for the Town of Morristown, where he serves as Town Planner and a member of the Mayor’s strategic advisory team. His achievements include being named to NJBIZ’s 40 Under 40 and receiving the Distinguished Emerging Planner award from the New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association. A three-time Rutgers University graduate, Phil lives in Mountainside, New Jersey, with his wife and two daughters.

Paul Silverman is a Principal of SILVERMAN, the real estate development company he and his brother, Eric, founded in 1981. SILVERMAN has restored historic landmarks, championed the development of mixed-use buildings, and created residential, commercial, office and industrial spaces. With an eye on the big picture, Paul works hard to build a neighborhood and not just build a building. Successfully searching for enthusiastic entrepreneurs, He has helped SILVERMAN attract a great variety of retail, restaurant, office and commercial tenants. These tenants bring so much vitality to SILVERMAN’s community-oriented neighborhoods in Jersey City. The company tag line fits; Building Neighborhoods.

Paul is a dedicated volunteer and philanthropist with a deep commitment to community engagement and the arts. He holds the title of Trustee Emeritus at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA, and actively volunteers with City Sail. He is also a proud supporter of numerous organizations, including New City Kids, Art House Productions, Team Wilderness, and a wide range of nonprofits throughout Jersey City and Hudson County.

An advocate for the local arts scene, Paul curates rotating art exhibitions in the lobbies of his properties and hosts semi-annual art shows to showcase emerging talent. Together with his brother Eric, Paul co-founded elevator, a dynamic creative space that offers studios for artists and makers of all disciplines. Known for its collaborative spirit, elevator has become a vital hub for artistic innovation in Jersey City. His ongoing support extends to institutions such as Art House Productions, Nimbus Dance, and NJPAC, further highlighting his commitment to enriching the cultural landscape of the communit

Cristin Cricco-Powell is the Head of Cultural Affairs for the City of Hoboken. A 4^th generation Hoboken native, she worked as an Executive Television Producer for over two decades, creating and running series for Discovery, ABC, MTV, A&E, and more. Cristin left showrunning in 2024 to serve her community in the Division of Cultural Affairs. She has a BFA in Screenwriting from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

María Daniel received a 2024 Community Impact Award for Dance Education and a 2023 NJ Senate and Assembly Joint Resolution for her meritorious record of service, leadership, advocacy and commitment as a dance educator who leverages the creative arts to benefit those impacted by mental health issues, addiction, and disabilities. As Founder of iDance Ministry (dba iDance Experience), María is dedicated to improving the quality of life and transforming communities using dance and multidisciplinary arts engagement that advance mental health and wellness. iDance uses evidence-based approaches, culturally responsive curriculums, research driven pedagogy and best practices to provide insight into experiences that are misunderstood or stigmatized. This fosters greater awareness and empathy.
Over the past 10 years, María has advanced dance education in addition to “Arts and Healing” programs through in-school residences, college intensives, educator training, community programs and youth service organizations in New Jersey, New York, Virginia and Maryland. María has partnered with community stakeholders, state organizations, national organizations and over 25 youth serving organizations both locally and abroad. Some of her programs were implemented in a juvenile detention center in Newark, NJ and in a juvenile detention center in Nassau, Bahamas. Internationally, iDance has collaborated with the World Council of Dance to serve urban youth in Nassau, Bahamas. iDance also provided dance educator training and dance experiences to youth in Luxembourg.

María’s teaching philosophy rests on the pillars of teaching dance as an authentic, healing, culturally responsible vehicle that promotes equity, and empowerment. Her programs are spaces of radical inclusion where students are seen, valued, and challenged to reach their highest potential through dance and multidisciplinary arts. By centering mental health, cultural responsiveness, and guided movement explorations, iDance offers a transformative experience for participants of all abilities. María’s goal is to equip individuals to not only discover the therapeutic impact of dance but to also become community builders, healers, and change agents in their communities.

In addition to being an internationally acclaimed dance organization, two notable programs that have a state, national and international impact include Project BrOKen and the Hip Hop Experience Dance Curriculum (HHE). Project BrOKen is a transformative and evocative curation of workshops, dance performances, guided movement explorations and expressive dance art that explores mental health, addiction and neurodivergence while also depicting hope, healing and recovery. HHE teaches intergenerational Hip Hop authentically, contextually, and experientially. It is implemented with an SEL lens and DEIA+ focus. HHE explores the therapeutic qualities of Hip Hop Dance and María has conducted innovative research in this area that will be published in 2025.

A Creative Placemaking Professional, Kadie Dempsey exemplifies leadership, innovation, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Since earning her Master Practitioner Certification in Creative Placemaking from Rutgers University’s Bloustein School of Public Policy in 2015, she has worked tirelessly to transform Morris County into a vibrant hub of creative expression.

As principal of CORE Creative Placemaking, Kadie’s visionary approach pays tribute to cultural heritage, fosters collaboration, and emphasizes the importance of women’s leadership in addressing societal challenges. Her initiatives have ignited meaningful discussions about the role of creativity in building sustainable communities.

Beyond her expertise in placemaking, Kadie serves as a mentor, empowering young creatives to embrace leadership and cultivate successful careers. Her commitment to fostering innovation and amplifying emerging voices underscores her dedication to community growth and progress.

As  Chief Community Development Officer at the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA), Tai is responsible for leading the NJEDA’s communications and enhanced engagement strategy. This includes strengthening ties with policy-makers at the federal, state, and local level as they look to advance strategies, research and data that will help drive equitable and inclusive economic development policies and programs, with a specific focus on innovating and generating greater social impact.

Tai joined the NJEDA in February 2019. Immediately prior to that, she was the Deputy Chief Policy Advisor to Governor Murphy and led New Jersey’s Federal Opportunity Zone initiative. She previously served as Chief Policy Advisor to Mayor Ras Baraka, where she provided policy analysis and project management across municipal agencies, with a focus on public safety, community engagement, philanthropy, and government innovation. Tai also had key roles in both Mayor Baraka’s campaign and transition teams.

Tai began her political career as a Senior Aide to Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-New Jersey), where she was responsible for managing numerous issues, including economic development, jobs/employment, education, banking and urban affairs. After working for Senator Lautenberg, Tai served as the Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Orange, New Jersey.

A Newark resident, Tai earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Urban Planning from The Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University and a Master’s Degree in urban planning from the Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service at New York University.

Christine Goodman is an arts leader with over 23 years of experience serving the public. As the Director of Cultural Affairs for the City of Jersey City, she leads the city’s cultural initiatives, overseeing large-scale events, Jersey City’s cultural anchor institutions, and the Arts and Culture Trust Fund — the first of its kind in the state. In addition, she manages key programs such as the Jersey City Mural Arts Program and special event permitting for more than 300 cultural festivals, parades, and religious celebrations annually.

Christine Goodman is also the founder and Executive Director Emeritus of Art House Productions, a respected institution in the performing and visual arts. Throughout her career, she has played a crucial role in shaping the city’s vibrant arts landscape, helping to foster community engagement and elevate Jersey City as a cultural destination.

Christine holds an honors degree from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA).

Juanli Carrión is a creative practitioner whose work is internationally recognized for his research, design and education of community engaged practices addressing social and environmental justice. As a maker and strategist, Juanli creates places, cooks meals, maps pollution, or facilitates workshops as tools to help communities grow. In 2017 Carrion co-founded OSS Project, a non-profit that builds gardens in public housing as platforms to empower underrepresented groups, promoting economic and environmental resiliency. In 2023 he was awarded Van Alen Institute’s Common Build Award for Whit Your Voice, a community engagement tool designed to inform and hear the Gowanus residents about the ongoing rezoning. Carrion has exhibited and worked with institutions such as the National Academy of Sciences and The Art Institute of Chicago in the US, Peru’s Museum of Contemporary Art, India’s National Gallery of Modern Art or Servia’s MOCA. With more than a decade teaching at public and private universities, including NYU and SUNY, over the past eight years Carrión dedicated his passion for pedagogy to The New School where he is an Assistant Professor of Strategic Design & Community Development, and where he has developed initiatives like the Creative Community Development Graduate Minor or courses like Resilient, Mutual Development. He also lectured, led workshops, and participated at Conferences at Columbia, Carnegie Mellon, SVA, Pratt Institute, AIA New York, Fordham, or Getty Foundation.

Lauren LeBeaux Craig is nonprofit leader, author and serial entrepreneur. A cum laude graduate of Spelman College, Lauren received her Juris Doctorate from Rutgers School of Law-Newark, where she was the Notes Editor for Rutgers Law Review. After practicing law for ten years, Lauren stepped into the role of creative strategist, and now has a decade of marketing/media relations, copywriting, community relations, artist advocacy, and event curation experience in the arts, tourism and nonprofit industries.

Lauren is a former gallery owner in the Lincoln Park section of Newark and the former Executive Director of Art in the Atrium, Inc., a 32-year-old New Jersey-based Black fine arts organization. Most recently, Lauren stepped into the role of Executive Director of Newark Arts, the arts council for New Jersey’s largest city. Since joining Newark Arts in 2016, Lauren has led Newark Arts marketing and branding efforts, helped to drive key partnerships connecting local artists to development projects, and spearheaded the creative strategy behind the award-winning Newark Arts Festival (“NAF”). While at Newark Arts, Ms. LeBeaux Craig and her team successfully pivoted the Festival to virtual during the pandemic and co-produced NAF in 2021, which was headquartered in the Hahne’s Building and went viral in the press. This success directly resulted in the current partnership with The Newark Museum of Art, where the NAF annual group show will be exhibited in 2024 for the third year.

Lauren is the founder of Brown Girls Bar Crawl, a popular social club for professional women of color and the author of “100 Things Newark,” a tourism guide to the City of Newark which was featured in the New York Times, AP Travel and The National Magazine. In her spare time, Lauren is a trauma-conscious yoga teacher and shamanic practitioner that brings healing-centered energy to every role. Lauren recently married her partner, Fallon Davis, at the end of 2024.

Dr. Yeurys Pujols is the proud product of community college education and serves as Vice President for Institutional Engagement and Excellence at Hudson County Community College (HCCC). With almost 20 years of experience in higher education, he has held many positions within HCCC, including Counselor, Director of Enrollment and Student Services, Executive Director of the North Hudson Campus, and Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, in addition to 10 years serving as History Adjunct Professor. He has presented in multiple national platforms, including the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT), Achieving the Dream (ATD), League for Innovation in the Community College, National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD), Bellwether College Consortium, Middle States Commission on Higher Education, among others. He has been recognized for his leadership and service to the various communities of Hudson County by the President of the Dominican Republic, the Hudson County Board of Commissioners, the General Consul of the Dominican Republic in New Jersey, and the Hispanic State Parade of New Jersey, among others.

Salma Abdelwahed is the Cultural Coordinator for the Office of Cultural Affairs at Hudson County Community College (HCCC). She was born in Egypt and has lived in Jersey City since 2018. She helps run the Benjamin J. Dineen III & Dennis C. Hull Gallery at the HCCC Journal Square Campus as well as the Art Concourse at the North Hudson Campus. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Animation and Illustration from Montclair State University and an Associate of Fine Arts from Hudson County Community College.

Robin Goldfischer is the Chief Legal Officer of Valley Health System—which includes The Valley Hospital, Valley Home Care, and Valley Medical Group—and a member of the President & CEO’s senior management team. She oversees all legal affairs for the organization, advising leadership and the Board on legal, governance, compliance, and risk issues. One of the most significant challenges of her career was navigating strong opposition from residents and local officials to the redevelopment of the hospital’s Ridgewood campus. This effort required managing a complex web of regulatory, governmental, and competitive considerations while remaining true to Valley’s mission. While pursuing plans in Ridgewood, Ms. Goldfischer also implemented a parallel strategy to assemble more than 40 acres in Paramus, a move that ultimately led to the construction of an $850 million state-of-the-art hospital, ensuring Valley’s continued growth and viability while preserving positive community relationships. Under her guidance, Valley acquired and conserved the iconic Stefan Knapp panels, formerly displayed at Alexander’s Department Store, which are now showcased in an installation on the new campus.

Best known for her evocative landscapes and seascapes, Emily Gilman Beezley has translated her fine art practice into the public art domain with recent commissions from NJ Transit Arts, AtlantiCare Healing Arts Foundation, Northern NJ Community Foundation, NJ Arts Incubator and The Port Authority of NY/NJ. Her latest collection of contemporary oil paintings, “Dreams of Arcadia”, are celebrations of pristine wilderness inspired by a deep reverence for nature.

Tracy is the Co- Founder of Main Street Pops. Main Street Pops is a woman-owned event production business dedicated to supporting local talent and creating vibrant community experiences. The team brings people together with its mission of creating meaningful community connections through creative placemaking.

With over 25 years of expertise in event production, marketing and promotions, Main Street Pops has successfully created award-winning community events through its various programs celebrating local artisans and small businesses. Since 2019, Main Street Pops has been producing popular monthly Artisan Markets in Hoboken & Fort Lee, NJ as well as seasonal fairs, car shows, art tours and other events throughout the tri state area that have become annual community gathering destinations.

A former Magazine Publisher, Tracy has held executive sales and marketing management positions at Elle Decor, Interiors, ArtNews and Robb Report and her CARMA Consulting business has helped spur significant growth for clients, whether by expanding an established brand or launching a new business start up.

Maya Sanders is a multidisciplinary Jersey City–born artist, muralist, and educator whose work spans drawing, painting, ceramics, sculpture, and public art. A JCArts alum of Henry Snyder High School, she joined the Jersey City Youth Summer Mural Program in its first years and later managed it from 2021 to 2023. She earned a BA in Art Education (painting/drawing concentration) from Keystone College, where she also studied glassblowing, ceramics, jewelry, and 3D printing, and assisted artists on large-scale murals, PATH Station exhibits, and a mural festival. Maya has taught in Jersey City charter schools and the JCBOE and is pursuing an MA in Arts Administration.

Ralph Andre is a Jersey City-based designer, urban explorer and creative entrepreneur. He founded CANVS in 2016 as a passion project to document street art and murals around the world. What began with photos and a personal interest quickly became a robust platform: the CANVS app maps public art, catalogs it, and connects users with the stories behind the work and the artists. In his role as co-founder and CEO of CANVS, Andre leads a team dedicated to bridging urban culture, technology and community engagement.

DISTORT is a Jersey City–based artist whose work spans massive public murals and sophisticated studio pieces. With a BFA from the University of Pennsylvania and a Certificate in Painting from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, he fuses classical training with the raw energy of street art. His public murals—numbering nearly 100, including the 80 ft × 200 ft “Kingdom” just outside the Holland Tunnel—have become landmark statements in New Jersey and beyond. In parallel, his studio works, installations and canvas pieces explore myth, architecture, color theory and urban narrative; they have been exhibited in galleries across the Tri-State area, Miami, Istanbul, Los Angeles and more. Whether commanding a 20-story wall or working in metal engravings and enamel on panels, DISTORT is driven by a vision of art that bridges public space and fine art. He interprets walls as narrative planes, asking both “where we are” and “what we could be,” and invites viewers to engage with place, time and identity.

Mika Greene is a former dancer with Nimbus Dance Company and currently serves as the Nimbus2 Associate Director and Community Programs Manager for the organization. Throughout her career as a performer, Mika sought to uplift audiences through the expressive and storytelling powers of dance. Now as an educator and facilitator her work focuses around fostering confidence, belonging, and creative risk-taking in movers from youth and beyond. Nimbus was founded in 2005 by Sam Pott in support of a vision for dance, creativity, and the arts as a stimulus for growth and unity. Nimbus uses the power of the arts to impact individuals and communities. As Jersey City’s vibrant, anchor arts organization invested in equity, diversity, and excellence, Nimbus weaves together a dance company, arts center, school, and community programming.

Brooke Hansson has a BA in Psychology and the Sociopolitics of Race, Class and Gender in the United States from the New School for Public Engagement and an MS in Urban Policy Analysis from Milano the New School for International Affairs, Management and Urban Policy. Brooke won the Milano School’s Thesis of the Year award for her graduate thesis “Combating Gangs in Jersey City”. Currently, Brooke Hansson is the Chief of Administrative Services for the Department of Health and Human Services; a role she took on after serving as the director of the Jersey City Mural Arts Program, a Mayor’s Office initiative that has produce over 200 murals created by artists from around the US and 18 different countries.  She has also created and directed a series of special projects in the Department of Public Works and the Office of Cultural Affairs including Stop the Drop–the City’s Anti-litter Program, Jersey City Summer Youth Art Program, JC Shovels-A Volunteer Initiative for Seniors, the annual Great Jersey City Clean Up, and the City’s community service program for court involved individuals. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Brooke worked with the Department of Health and Human services running a food relief program that provided fresh, shelfstable, and prepared meals for over 1200 Jersey City residents weekly.

Stephanie Daniels serves as Division Director for Community Relations and Social Services, a division of Jersey City Health and Human Services. There, she leads up the Partnership for a Healthier JC, an initiative dedicated to fostering collaboration between the public and private sectors to enhance health outcomes in Jersey City. She directs all communications for the department. Stephanie came to City Hall in 2013, following a solid career in television, where she served as Creative Director for edgy, pop channel Trio, won awards while at USA Network and the SciFi Channel and an Emmy for an entertainment series at Channel 9. Her co-produced longform, award-winning documentaries have been seen on Discovery, the Smithsonian Channel and PBS. The concept of art and health intersecting is in Stephanie’s DNA and for her, life without creativity is not a healthy option.

Michelle Vitale has curated inclusive art exhibitions for a variety of institutions for over three decades.  Beyond her almost decade career at Hudson County Community College, she has curated shows for New Jersey City University, created public programs for the Montclair Art Museum, Liberty State Park, and the Hoboken Historical Museum, and designed a traveling exhibition for Pace University.  The exhibitions have been featured in the New York Times, Jersey City Times, Riverview Observer, the Jersey Journal, among others.

Rodney Camarce is the Manager of Wellness at the Grounds for Sculpture, a 42-acre sculpture park and museum located in Hamilton New Jersey.  Rodney is an artist and community arts leader with an intensive focus on the intersection or art and well-being. In his past work, he has served as the teaching artist, community organizer and activist and a strong advocate for health and wellness.

As the Director of Guest Services at Grounds For Sculpture, Sam Hwang plays a pivotal role in shaping the visitor experience. Sam oversees all aspects of guest services + public safety, all with an accessibility and inclusivity focus. Serving as the organization’s ADA Coordinator, Sam leads the Access Advisory Council – a mix of internal and external community members that serve as a sounding board for access needs. Sam received a bachelor’s degree in fine arts in Sculpture from Boston University. A transition from studio art positions – from multiple ceramics studios to a living terraform sculpture production company – preceded this current time at Grounds For Sculpture.

“The transformation of the NJPAC campus will positively impact Newark in the same way the redevelopment of the World Trade Center (WTC) site changed lower Manhattan.” 

I know that from my previous role as Director of the World Trade Center Redevelopment at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.  I saw how a combination of stunning architecture and good planning could set the foundation for a vibrant, new residential neighborhood.

Later, as President and Chief Operating Officer of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA), I led the EDA’s business operations and mission to grow the economy of my home state of New Jersey. Among the highlights of my EDA career was my work on significant redevelopment projects in Newark including the construction of NJPAC, One Theater Square and the renovation of the Hahne’s building.

When I joined NJPAC in 2018, I was well-positioned to lead our complex real estate development strategy. This role also allows me to merge my professional responsibilities with my personal interest in Newark’s vitality, the city where I received my bachelor’s degree and MBA from Rutgers University – Newark.

Day to day, my sights are set on projects large and small — I oversee the redevelopment of our campus in addition to keeping NJPAC looking as attractive as it did on opening night in 1997. My responsibilities extend to operations, maintenance, parking, security and house management.

I strive to build exceptional experiences for the current guests walking through our doors, or visiting our campus, and for the ones we will be raising the curtain for in the future.

Barbara Vadnais is the Team Lead for the Cultural and Arts Facilities Expansion Program (CAFE) as well as the Brownfield Redevelopment Incentive Program at the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA).  NJEDA works in partnership with a diverse range of stakeholders to implement programs and initiatives that improve quality of life, enhance economic vitality, and strengthen New Jersey’s long-term economic competitiveness.

Danielle Lopez is the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Accessibility Services and serves as the Section 504 Coordinator at Hudson County Community College. She leads efforts to ensure compliance with accessibility laws and promote inclusivity across the campus community. Danielle is well-versed in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and other disability-related legislation, and works closely with various departments to foster a supportive educational environment for all students.

Zulisha Morales, (pronouns: She/Her/Ella), MPS, LAAT, CAT-LP, ATR-P, is a creative arts therapist serving children, teens, adults, and older adults in New York. As a BIPOC therapist, she is passionate about creating a space where individuals feel seen, heard, and safe to be themselves. She brings in art, play, movement, and mindfulness to support healing in ways that feel intuitive and grounding.  For her, therapy is like tending a garden—sometimes it’s messy, sometimes it’s quiet, but it’s always about growth and care.