A gathering of leaders, doers, thinkers, and artists throughout New Jersey. Together, they will explore innovative ways to make places better for everyone through art and creative placemaking. You can make great connections; get inspired for new and better projects; meet prospective partners, and more.
The conference will explore four themes:
- Art and Community Health – How art and artful environments benefit mental and physical health and well-being.
- Community Economic Development – How arts and placemaking boost local economies, create jobs and support cultural entrepreneurship.
- Empowering and Supporting Social Practice Artists – Training and supporting artists and emerging artists wanting to help communities.
- Inclusive and Accessible Communities – How the arts can help make places more welcoming and comfortable for everyone.
Confirmed sessions:
- Creative Placemaking 101: Find Your Place in Creative Placemaking – Kadie Dempsey, CORE Creative Placemaking, Morristown
- How to Break Into the Public Art Field – Sherwin Banfield, Visual Artist
- Championing Socal Change Through the Arts – Michelle Vitale, Hudson County Community College
- MANA Future Art Leaders – Kristin DeAngelis, MANA Contemporary
- Working with Artists on Public Art Projects – Lauren Craig, Newark Arts
- Supporting Minority-Owned and Women-Owned Small Businesses through Creative Placemaking – Melissa Kim, Village of the Arts and Humanities and Stephanie Michel, Olney Community Collaborative
- Model Projects for Growing Community Health Through the Arts – Maria Daniel, Dancer and Hudson County Community College
- Prescribing Creativity: Promoting Health Equity Through Arts-on-Prescription – Alyson Maier Lokuta, New Jersey Performing Arts Center
- Integrating Arts Effectively into Downtown and Commercial Corridors – Tracy Gavant, Main Street POPS
- Addressing Gentrification through Creative Placemaking – Anthony Alvarez, Artist, Rutgers University – Newark and Express Newark
- Community Colleges as Local Cultural Centers – Drs. Christopher Reber and Yeurys Pujols, Hudson County Community College
- Social Media Content: Making Work More Accessible – Danielle Lopez, Hudson County Community College
The 2025 New Jersey Creative Communities Conference is produced by Northern New Jersey Community Foundation and Hudson County Community College and sponsored by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. All proceeds will help support scholarships for Hudson County Community College students and programs by the Foundation to make life in North Jersey better for everyone.
Learn more at https://www.nnjcf.org/njcc25/
Questions? Contact Leo Vazquez at leo@nnjcf.org or 201-568-5608, x2