The 2025 New Jersey Creative Communities Conference.
The Art of Community Well-Being
Thursday, November 6, 2025
Hudson County Community College – Culinary Conference Center, Jersey City, NJ
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.
Four Conference Tracks
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Morning Plenary Session
Creative Financing for the
Arts in New Jersey
In New Jersey, the state and its communities have found many creative ways to fund the arts. Learn about various strategies and consider what could work for your community.
CONFIRMED PANELISTS
Annie McAdams
Arts Administrator, City of
Hoboken Cultural Affairs
Christine Goodman
Director, Office of Cultural Affairs,
Jersey City
Elizabeth Limbrick
Director of Brownfields and
Sustainable Systems, New Jersey
Economic Development Authority
Phil Abramson, AICP/PP
Principal, Topology, Inc.
MODERATOR
Leonardo Vazquez, AICP/PP
Executive Director, Northern New Jersey Community Foundation
Breakout Sessions
Find Your Place in Creative Placemaking
What is creative placemaking and how can it benefit communities like yours? What role can you play? This session is a great introduction to the field of creative placemaking.
SESSION LEADER
Kadie Dempsey
Principal, CORE Creative Placemaking, Morristown, NJ
THIS IS A CREATIVE PLACEMAKING 101 SESSION FOR ANYONE NEW TO THE CREATIVE PLACEMAKING FIELD.
How to Break into the Public Art Field
This session will help artists learn how to get successfully considered for public art commissions, and how to effectively involve community members in developing public art.
SESSION LEADER
Sherwin Banfield
Artist
Championing Social Change Through the Arts
This session focuses on how you can leverage the power of the arts to address social issues.
SESSION LEADER
Michelle Vitale
Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Cultural
Affairs, Hudson County Community College, Jersey City, NJ
Working with Artists
The hardest part of collaboration is the collaborating. This session will help public officials, community development professionals, economic development professionals and others work more effectively with artists on public art and creative placemaking projects.
SESSION LEADER
Lauren Craig
Executive Director, Newark Arts, Newark, NJ
Community College as a Local Cultural Center
When you think of big art collections, you probably imagine museums, galleries, and libraries. But a community college? Hudson County Community College has over 2,000 art pieces, many on display in its buildings. See some of them in this special tour.
SESSION LEADER
Yeurys Pujols, Ed.D.
Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, HCCC
More sessions to come.
Registration is open
Don’t miss this exciting gathering of leaders, doers, thinkers, and artists throughout New Jersey. Register now and join us at Hudson Community College in Jersey City on Thursday, November 6th for the 2025 New Jersey Creative Communities Conference!
Stay tuned!
Join our mailing list for updates on the NJ Creative Communities Conference and other arts programs from Northern New Jersey Community Foundation.
QUESTIONS?
Contact Leo Vazquez
Northern New Jersey Community Foundation
leo@nnjcf.org
201-568-5608, x2
All proceeds support
Hudson County Community College Scholarship Fund
Northern New Jersey Community Foundation
