The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation opened October celebrating National Arts and Humanities and Jersey Arts Month. During this month, the Foundation celebrated ArtsBergen’s tenth anniversary supporting the arts, artists, and creative placemaking in Bergen County, New Jersey.The NNJCF’s ArtsBergen celebrated with a special Connect the Dots networking and workshop event on October 1 featuring the artist collective, Works on Water, at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, New Jersey. Works on Water is a collective dedicated to making art on, in, and with water in response to climate change, increasing urban density, and other critical environmental issues, including flooding and pollution. Artists, environmentalists, and municipal and community leaders throughout the region attended to learn more about how public art raises awareness about environmental issues, while building beauty and community.
The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation celebrated ArtsBergen’s tenth anniversary with artists Emily Blumenfeld and Sarah Cameron Sunde from Works on Water presenting a special workshop about Water Art.
Emily Blumenfeld and Sarah Cameron Sunde, artists from Works on Water, presented an interactive, informative workshop to imagine a new artist-designed future for the Hackensack River. Participants also learned about the evolution and growing importance of Water Art and how it can be used, as a powerful tool to address environmental issues. Sunde discussed her global project 36.5 /A Durational Performance with Sea and continued the celebration in a contemplative workshop along the Hackensack River’s edge, where attendees imagined the water rising and reflected on the potential effects of environmental occurrences. Furthermore, the group brainstormed to create concepts for public art related to water that would preserve the environment. Participants also networked and learned more about getting involved in Works on Water’s Triennial Exhibition in the tristate area.
ArtsBergen Connects and Strengthens the Community
ArtsBergen works with artists, arts organizations, businesses and municipal leaders. These leaders use the arts to shape the social, physical, cultural, and economic identity of communities. For ten years, this regional alliance produced and promoted public art projects in several municipalities. These municipalities included Bogota, Englewood, Hackensack, Oradell, New Milford, and Ridgefield Park. They addressed a range of community issues. These issues included downtown revitalization and gentrification. Furthermore, they explored mental health and environmental concerns. In addition to becoming a leader in public art production in Bergen County, ArtsBergen also offered services in creative placemaking. In addition, the initiative assisted municipalities to develop creative placemaking and public art plans.
The initiative also advocated for local and state funding for the arts. In 2021, the initiative spearheaded the campaign “5% for the Arts”. This campaign rallied the local arts community to advocate for the allocation of 5% of Bergen County’s American Rescue Funds (ARP) towards the arts. This campaign resulted in the successful creation of a new $500,000 grant program to support artists and arts organizations.
Connect the Dots Program
Since its inception, ArtsBergen’s Connect the Dots program produced an ongoing series of 21 networking events. These programs attracted the arts community and those interested in the arts. Held in different venues, each event presented a range of exciting activities and time to network. These activities included exhibitions, speakers, and unique, interactive arts experiences. Connect the Dots continues to create a safe and open environment for artists and other community representatives. The program sparks relationships and collaboration. Connect the Dots also strengthens and connects the arts community through professional development presentations. In addition, attendees share creative ideas, work, resources and talent.
NNJCF Enriches Life in Northern New Jersey
The NNJCF builds connections, pools resources, and also provides leadership to enrich quality of life. The organization conducts its work in these counties: Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, Union and Warren. Through its work in northern New Jersey, the Foundation seeks to develop more creative and inspiring places, greener and healthier places, and more places of belonging and opportunity. For further information about the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation, ArtsBergen, or Connect the Dots, contact nnjcf@nnjcf.org or call 201-568-5608.
The ArtsBergen initiative, a regional arts alliance, works with a range of stakeholders. These stakeholders encompass artists, arts organizations, businesses and municipal leaders. They use the arts to shape the social, physical, cultural, and economic identity of communities. Creative placemaking, a community-led, arts-driven approach, increases vibrancy, spurs economic development, and builds capacity among residents to take ownership of their communities. ArtsBergen, the only initiative in Bergen County, New Jersey offering a range of services in creative placemaking, partners with multiple municipalities. The initiative facilitates creative teams and develops public art and creative placemaking plans. ArtsBergen also directs and manages public art projects to preserve and express community culture. For further information, contact artsbergen@nnjcf.org.