Report To The Community 2022

2022
report to
the community
setting the stage
for the next 25 years

what’s next ...
report to
the community
2022
4 past as prologue:
setting the stage for the future
10 programming:
creating experiences,
curating content
24 education:
collaborative learning
through the arts
40 real estate:
a new vision for downtown Newark
52 community engagement:
redoubling our commitment
64 women@njpac:
leading ladies who power the arts
70 njpac short stories
77 financials and leadership
Honoring our past and looking
forward to the future at the
2022 Spotlight Gala.
2
njpac.org

there’s so much to look forward to!
a message from
john schreiber
President and Chief Executive Officer
As the boss of a performing arts center, my days are a
delightful, dizzying marathon. Every day there are meetings,
conversations, urgent phone calls and the occasional inspirational
opportunity to drop in on a rehearsal, a sound check in
progress or an arts education class full of young people.
And NJPAC, of course, is not just any performing arts center — we’re
an anchor institution that prides itself on entertaining visitors at our
theaters, sure, but also on delivering performances in every corner
of our community and beyond, and using the power of the arts to
serve an ever-growing constituency in new and exciting ways.
All of that keeps us hopping!
But now and then, just for a moment, I’m able to pause and look at
what all that activity, all that planning, plus the support and advice
from a huge circle of supporters and advisors, has wrought.
Sending you this little book — a chronicle of all we have
accomplished this past year, and more importantly, all we
have done to ensure that NJPAC is of even greater service to its
community in the decades to come — is one of those moments.
This season, NJPAC’s 25th anniversary, has been a time
of unparalleled evolution for this organization. We have
set the Arts Center firmly on a path that will expand its
work, its reach and its impact for years to come.
We’re building an Arts Center for the next generation — of
arts lovers, of students, of Newarkers — and this Report to
the Community explains how. Consider it your roadmap
to the Arts Center’s growth over the next 25 years.
The future — and how NJPAC will evolve alongside its
home city — is what’s guiding our decisions as we plan
everything from the concerts on our main stages, to how to
best use every inch of our downtown Newark campus.
And the future is very, very exciting.
There are four main branches to our approach to how we
will position this Arts Center to thrive in the years to come,
and simultaneously do as much as it can for the city and
the state we serve as an anchor cultural institution:
• While we continue to present and produce world-class
performances on our main stages, ones that speak to the
incredible diversity of Newark and New Jersey, we will also
focus on creating new content that can be performed on stages
across the country or can be shared via film, broadcast and
virtual events. These new productions — like our beloved holiday
property The Hip Hop Nutcracker — will not only serve as what
my colleague David Rodriguez calls “an artistic endowment
fund” for the Arts Center, but they will advance Newark’s growth
as a center for creative individuals and artistic innovation.
• In our Center for Arts Education and, soon, in our new
Cooperman Family Arts Education and Community Center,
we will continue to advance an innovative, collaborative
and supportive method of teaching through the arts.
Mentoring, career counseling, the teaching of social
and emotional skills and the support of social workers
are all part of a new approach to using arts training to
help citizen-artists grow and tell their own stories.
• The redevelopment of our campus will create an exciting
new neighborhood of homes, shops, cultural venues and
educational spaces that bring this city’s downtown to vibrant
new life on days, nights and weekends. And we’re expanding
into the South Ward by bringing Lionsgate Newark to the city,
building New Jersey’s first purpose-built film and TV studio
on the site of the abandoned Seth Boyden housing project.
When it opens in 2025, it will offer new jobs, apprentice and
internship opportunities for Newark’s young people and bring
the excitement of the TV and film industries to our hometown.
• And finally, we are redoubling our work in the community,
bringing the performing arts off our stages and into
neighborhoods across the city through a variety of initiatives,
from our new Arts & Well-Being programming vertical that
will advance and study the use of the arts to boost physical
and mental health, to our new ArtsXChange initiative that
will establish performance and arts education spaces around
the city in partnership with established community groups.
All of these projects are already underway. But each effort is poised
to grow and expand its reach exponentially in the years to come.
Here is your guide to the results of all that strategic, intentional
planning. We can’t wait to see these plans become the Arts Center’s
new reality — and we are so glad that you’re part of the NJPAC
family that has made this remarkable evolution possible.
All good wishes,
John Schreiber
We’re building an
Arts Center for the
next generation —
of arts lovers,
of students, of
Newarkers — and
this Report to the
Community explains
how. Consider it your
roadmap to the Arts
Center’s growth over
the next 25 years.
njpac.org 3

how can an arts center help transform a city?
“NJPAC signaled the
rebirth of downtown
Newark ... When NJPAC
opened, our business
jumped 20%. And it
never dropped.”
– Michael Brummer, co-owner,
Hobby’s Delicatessen, Newark
“When I look around today, the city’s
rebound is palpable — from the Arts
Center to the museum, to the arena, to the
proposed residential development at the
old Bears Stadium. They didn’t all happen
because of the Arts Center. But none of
this would have happened without us.”
– Marc Berson, Founder and Chairman, The Fidelco
Group; NJPAC Executive Committee Member
“When I was a child, the
conversation about Newark
was about crime. Now, the
conversation is: Newark
is the home of a major
performing arts center, an
arena, so many anchor
institutions. That really
reshapes the narrative
of what Newark is.”
– Shennell McCloud,
Newark native and CEO, Project Ready
“The city has become a nucleus
of arts and culture. People
used to go into New York City
for concerts or conversations.
They come here now.”
– Deborah Smith Gregory,
President, Newark Chapter, NAACP
“NJPAC is the most diverse
performing arts center in
the country — its concerts, its
audience and its staff all reflect
the global city that Newark
has become. It’s a place for
performances that speak to the
heritage of so many, a place
for celebrations of every kind,
and a place for important
conversations about justice
and equity. I am proud to
have, at the heart of our city,
this special place designed to
welcome and lift up all of us.”
– Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka
“When I started here, people
were always asking us: What’s
the fastest way to the Parkway?
They didn’t want to be on the
streets of Newark. We don’t
hear that anymore.”
– Yesenia “Jessie” Jimenez,
Senior Director of Ticket Services
and Sales, and a 26-year
NJPAC employee
past as prologue: setting the stage for the future

njpac’s first
quarter-century
The evolution of a performing arts center into an
anchor cultural institution
1987
July: Gov. Thomas
Kean announces plans
to build the New Jersey
Performing Arts Center
(NJPAC) in Newark.
1988
NJPAC is established
as a nonprofit
corporation with
Ray Chambers as
Chairman. Fundraising
to build the Arts
Center begins.
1989
Lawrence P. Goldman
is hired as NJPAC’s first
President and CEO.
1994
NJPAC’s Arts Education
program launches.
June: The NJPAC
Women’s Board
Association (later
Women@NJPAC)
established; Diana
T. Vagelos named
founding President.
1996
Women’s Board holds
its first Gala, Passport
to the World, at
Continental Airlines
hangar at Newark
International Airport.
Ray Charles performs.
1997
August 16: The Hard
Hat Concert, for
construction workers
who built NJPAC, held
in Prudential Hall.
October 18: NJPAC
officially opens;
its inaugural
Gala Celebration
attracts celebrities,
political leaders and
community members.
Opening concert
recorded for PBS’ Great
Performances series.
1999
May: The Arts
Center’s Sounds of
the City free summer
concert series
launches.
2001
October 11:
Affirmation of Culture
and Community
concert, featuring the
NJSO, Newark Boys
Choir and NJPAC’s
Jubilation Choir, held
at NJPAC in memory of
the victims of 9/11.
2002
September: Lionel
Richie headlines the
Spotlight Gala; the fifth
anniversary of NJPAC’s
opening is marked
with a campus-wide
dance party.
2004
NJPAC launches
its second Capital
Campaign, focused
on developing the Arts
Center’s Endowment
Fund, raising $182
million over five years.
2006
Summer: After the
opening of the light
rail station on Center
Street, Queen Latifah
arrives aboard a
light rail train for the
premiere of her film,
Hairspray, at NJPAC.
2008
January: NJPAC
selects Dranoff
Properties of
Philadelphia as
its partner in the
construction of Two
Center Street (later
One Theater Square)
on the Arts Center’s
campus, the first
newly constructed
market-rate residential
tower built in
downtown Newark
in decades.
May 4:
Bruce Springsteen
takes the stage in
Prudential Hall when
he is inducted into
the inaugural class
of the New Jersey
Hall of Fame.
2009
The Geraldine R.
Dodge Foundation
selects NJPAC as
the new site for
The Dodge Poetry
Festival, which moves
to Newark in 2010.
2011
May: The Dalai Lama,
Goldie Hawn and
Deepak Chopra are
among the celebrities,
officials and Nobel
Laureates who
attend the Newark
Peace Education
Summit at NJPAC.
June: John Schreiber,
a Tony and Emmy
Award-winning
producer, becomes
NJPAC’s second
President and CEO.
1997
2022
2012
July: America’s Got
Talent begins a run of
18 broadcasts from the
Prudential Hall stage,
bringing hopefuls and
guest stars like Justin
Bieber and Green Day
to the Arts Center.
October: First TD
James Moody Jazz
Festival held. The
Sarah Vaughan
International Jazz
Vocal Competition,
designed to launch the
careers of novice jazz
singers, is inaugurated.
2013
October: Black Girls
Rock! films at NJPAC
for the first time. The
show features Regina
King, Queen Latifah,
Misty Copeland and
Jennifer Hudson.
2014
A new department
of Community
Engagement is
established to
strengthen NJPAC’s
relationships with the
state’s many distinctive
communities.
December:
The Hip Hop
Nutcracker, a
reimagining of
Tchaikovsky’s holiday
classic through hip hop
dance, premieres at
NJPAC, creating a new
winter tradition for the
Arts Center. The show
will go on to tour more
than 50 venues across
the country annually.
2015
February: NJPAC
announces its first
co-production with
the nearby Prudential
Center, Ladies Night,
paving the way for
future collaborations
with “The Rock” and
other large venues.
2018
One Theater Square
opens to residents; John
Schreiber is among
the first to move in.
2019
April: NJPAC announces
it will construct a new
building on its campus,
the Cooperman Family
Arts Education and
Community Center, to
house its Arts Education
and Community
Engagement programs
and two professional
rehearsal studios.
October 5: NJPAC
receives a New
York Emmy for its
production of The Hip
Hop Nutcracker on
public television.
October 15: NJPAC
announces All Together
Now: The NJPAC
Changemaking
Campaign, a $225
million capital
campaign, the third
in the Arts Center’s
history. $100 million had
already been raised
by the campaign’s
announcement.
2020
March 13: As the
coronavirus sweeps
across the nation,
NJPAC closes its theaters
and pivots to become
one of the nation’s
largest producers of
virtual programming,
presenting more than
500 virtual events
during the pandemic.
May 5: Anthony
Davis receives the
Pulitzer Prize for his
opera, Central Park
Five, which was
premiered by Trilogy:
An Opera Company
at NJPAC in 2016.
2021
June: NJPAC
announces the next
phase of its masterplan
for its campus will be
the construction of
a neighborhood of
low- and high-rise
multifamily buildings,
condos, retail and
cultural spaces on what
is now Parking Lot A.
2022
May: The Arts Center
partners with Great
Point Studios to build
Lionsgate Newark, a
new film and television
production studio in
Newark’s South Ward.
October 1: NJPAC
celebrates its 25th
anniversary season
at its first in-person
Spotlight Gala in
three years.
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1 performing arts center
25 years
11 million visitors
2 million children and
families served through Arts Education and
Community Engagement programs
2,500 free programs
and performances
across Greater Newark
50 features and
broadcast programs filmed
on our campus
and so much more to come …
njpac.org
9

the show is
just the start
“The whole structure of our
business is transforming …
it’s now about creating content at
NJPAC that moves out far beyond
the walls of any one theater.”
As the Arts Center evolves,
producing content
nationally becomes a vital
part of programming
Today, when visitors to
Newark think of the Arts Center,
often they’re thinking of its
largest space, Prudential Hall:
A gorgeous wood-paneled
theater, a fitting place for
world-class artists to reach
their fans in the Garden State.
And of course, it is that.
Almost every night of the year
at NJPAC, the lights go up
on the Betty Wold Johnson
stage, an audience quiets
and an artist steps into the
spotlight — a comedian, or
an emcee or a salsa sonero.
But we’ve entered an era
when NJPAC programming is
no longer limited to the Arts
Center’s Newark stages. NJPAC
as an institution has grown
into a larger role — becoming
a producer of performing
arts content, on stages and
screens around the country,
as well as a presenter.
“The whole structure of our
business is transforming,”
says Executive Vice President
and Executive Producer
David Rodriguez.
“It’s not just about putting people
in seats, drawing people into
a particular building. It’s about
creating content at NJPAC
that moves out far beyond the
walls of any one theater.”
And those performances, reborn
as content for touring, broadcast
and streaming, bring in revenue —
serving as “an artistic endowment
fund” for NJPAC’s arts education
and community engagement
work, Rodriguez says.
By shifting to content creation as
a central facet of its programming
model, NJPAC raises funds for
free performances in parks
and libraries, and scholarship
assistance for talented young
people, while simultaneously
ensuring that it has a pipeline
of great performances to offer
New Jerseyans — performances
that speak to an incredibly
diverse range of audiences.
“When you look for content
that focuses on diverse
communities and speaks to
those communities there’s a void,
and we have the opportunity
to fill it. Often what people
find on concert stages doesn’t
speak to African Americans, to
Latinos, to Koreans, to people
of Indian heritage, and so
on,” says Evan White, Vice
President of Programming.
But the content found on
NJPAC’s stages does.
Clockwise from top: NJPAC collaborated with Audible on The Book of
Baraka, an audio memoir by Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka (center in
photo); Represent! gathered jazz musicians and spoken word artists with
an eye toward creating new content; Broadway leading lady Melissa Errico
performed as part of a new season of American Songbook at NJPAC on
NJ PBS; Netflix returned to film Whitney Cummings: Jokes at the Arts Center.
The Arts Center has already
proved its mettle in producing
content that addresses a
wide array of audiences.
The wildly successful The Hip
Hop Nutcracker grew from a
sell-out stage performance
exclusively at NJPAC, to
a national touring sensation,
to an Emmy-winning PBS
special broadcast, to an
all-star television production
streaming on Disney+.
For young audiences, NJPAC
developed productions
like Showtime for Shakespeare
and virtual arts education
classes during the pandemic.
NJPAC also collaborated
with Audible to produce
audio memoirs for Newark
Mayor Ras J. Baraka and the
Newark-raised “Godfather
of Funk,” George Clinton.
In almost all the work
that Rodriguez and the
programming team at
NJPAC do, there’s a focus on
creating new content — from
pairing a jazz artist with
dancers to create exciting
new works at the TD James
Moody Jazz Festival,
to filming exceptional
interpreters of American
Song on NJPAC’s stages
to create a PBS series, to
partnering with Netflix to
capture a comedian’s latest
stand-up set for streaming.
Shows that bring multiple
artists together on one stage
are often seen at NJPAC, and
then at performance venues
in New York City, Boston or
Philadelphia; today, 40% of
events managed by the Arts
Center’s programming team
are booked into other theaters
around the tri-state area, or
even around the country.
That mindset not only
serves NJPAC, it serves
programiming: creating experiences, curating content
— David Rodriguez
10
njpac.org

the city of Newark and the
arts community nationally.
“For me, the big question
isn’t: How do we create a
particular show, a product?
The question is: How do we,
here in Newark, create a home
for artists to not just create
new work, but to disseminate
that work through a variety of
platforms?” Rodriguez explains.
“What I see, five years from now,
is that an artist will be able to
come to Newark and create a
project. If they want to tech that
performance on a big stage,
NJPAC can do that. If they want
to tour it, NJPAC can help them
do that. If they want to present
it virtually, NJPAC can help them
do that. If they want to film it?
Well, NJPAC is now partnered
with Lionsgate Newark, a major
film studio with five sound
stages right here in town.”
“Without distribution, a
performance expires once
it’s over. But with distribution,
it resonates for years.”
That vision — of boosting Newark
toward becoming a hub of
creatives who, through NJPAC,
can access all the tools they
need — is not a traditional model
for a performing arts center.
But NJPAC has a mandate to
be distinctly nontraditional.
“Because we are located in
Newark, a great city of the
arts, we have an opportunity
that not all venues have,”
says NJPAC’s President and
CEO John Schreiber.
“We get to be more useful to
Newark by helping it grow into a
city of creativity and opportunity.
We have a lot of runway to do
work that performing arts centers
don’t typically do. Focusing on
that will be transformative — for
the Arts Center and for Newark —
in the years to come.” •
dancing
across the
country
In its 10th anniversary year
the hip hop nutcracker
brought the holiday spirit
to audiences far and wide
“Hey, let’s get this thing in
motion!” raps Rev Run, one of
the founding members of the
hugely influential hip hop group
Run DMC, at the beginning of
the Disney+ all-star streaming
version of NJPAC’s production,
The Hip Hop Nutcracker.
But the Arts Center’s unique
production of the holiday
classic — which pairs Pyotr Ilyich
Tchaikovsky’s beloved score
with DJ scratching and explosive
hip hop dance moves — has
already been in frenetic motion
for a decade now, and shows
no sign of slowing down.
First staged in NJPAC’s
Victoria Theater 10 years ago,
The Hip Hop Nutcracker, created
by hip hop and Broadway
choreographer Jennifer Webber
and fronted by hip hop veteran
Kurtis Blow, quickly leapt to
the larger Prudential Hall stage,
and then took off across the
country on a national tour.
A virtual tour followed during
the pandemic; the filmed
version of the production is still
available to schools today.
This season, the in-person
holiday tour reached 46
cities across the country —
and played two sold-out
shows at home at NJPAC.
But it also became a small-screen
sensation — for the second time.
Already filmed once as a PBS
special (which won NJPAC its
A high-flying moment from The Hip Hop Nutcracker,
at home on Prudential Hall’s Betty Wold Johnson
Stage. Above: Scenes from the show’s streaming
version, available on Disney+.
first Emmy Award last year),
this year Disney+ filmed a new,
all-star version in Los Angeles,
featuring Run, Blow, ballet
superstar Mikhail Baryshnikov,
the hip hop dance crew the
Jabbawockeez, Tiler Peck,
Kida The Great and So You
Think You Can Dance star
Comfort Fedoke as the magical
toymaker Drosselmeyer.
That version began streaming
on the platform November 25,
2022, and was downloaded
more than 7 million times
in less than one month.
“Content creation, in success —
it’s not just taking a project and
having it distributed one way,”
says NJPAC’s David Rodriguez.
12 njpac.org
njpac.org 13

“Here, we’re distributing
it through tours, through
public television, through
arts education programs and
through streaming. We’re
getting the content out there
four different ways. And I’m
confident there’s more to come.”
Even during the pandemic,
Rodriguez notes, The Hip Hop
Nutcracker toured virtually
and reached more than 10,000
children in classrooms through
an educational tour, complete
with master classes that aligned
the show with curriculum goals
and used hip hop to teach
lessons about social justice.
All the while, the production
also served as an introduction
to both classical music
and the world of dance for
thousands of young people.
“Hip hop is really a door that
opens a whole world for kids,”
says Rodriguez. “They may not
go to a classical concert or to a
ballet, but if you can introduce
those art forms with something
they’re already passionate
about, that they feel they know
something about, then you can
demonstrate: This music isn’t
completely different from what
you’re listening to on the radio.”
Rodriguez notes that, among
NJPAC attendees, 57% of the
audience at an average The Hip
Hop Nutcracker performance
has never seen The Nutcracker
before in any form. And 20%
of the audience at the State
Ballet Theater of Ukraine’s
traditional production of The
Nutcracker (another holiday
favorite at NJPAC, presented
annually) had seen NJPAC’s
hip hop version first.
“This is a show that creates
links, that makes connections
for a lot of people in a lot of
different ways,” he says. •
The Hip Hop Nutcracker
toured to 46 cities across
the country in 2022 — while
its streaming version was
downloaded 7.5 million
times in less than a
month on Disney+
MC Kurtis Blow in the Emmy-winning
The Hip Hop Nutcracker, an NJPAC original
that has been distributed through national
tours, public television, arts education
programs and streaming services.
right in themix
At the TD James Moody Jazz Festival,
jazz greats
shared the stage with stars
of hip hop, dance, R&B and more
When GRAMMY® and
Tony-winning jazz diva Dee Dee
Bridgewater took the stage
with NJPAC Dance Advisor and
Newark tap phenom Savion
Glover during Interpretations,
their joint appearance at the
TD James Moody Jazz Festival,
she scatted exuberantly as
he banged out propulsive
rhythms with his famous feet.
At one point, Bridgewater
sat down on the floor and
addressed her song to his
shoes, as if serenading a duet
partner. The audience roared.
That was just one of many
indelible moments at November’s
two-week festival, which once
again covered the vast range
of jazz music, and explored
new territory as jazz artists
shared the stage with stars of
hip hop, dance, R&B and more.
The Bridgewater-Glover
show — a pairing pulled together
by NJPAC’s programming team —
was a high point for many.
“The two of them with their
generous spirits, coming
together — it was magical,”
said Simma Levine, NJPAC’s
Special Projects Producer.
“When you see something like
that, it takes your heart and
mind to a different place.”
The pairing was so successful
that it may be recreated as a
tour that visits other performing
arts centers, but it wasn’t the
only standout of the festival.
“We want to offer unique
experiences, artists performing
together in ways you won’t
see just anywhere,” says
Craig Pearce, Festivals and
Performances Producer, who
helped Executive Producer
Violinist and NEA Jazz Master Regina Carter on
stage with Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company
at the world premiere of the NJPAC commission,
Jazz Legends and the Power of NOW!
14 njpac.org
njpac.org 15

2019 Sarah Vaughan
International Jazz
Vocal Competition
winner Samara
Joy won the 2023
GRAMMY® for Best
New Artist.
2022 Sarah
Vaughan
International
Jazz Vocal
Competition
winner Lucía
Gutiérrez
Rebolloso.
at home
in the
spotlight
David Rodriguez and Jazz
Advisor Christian McBride
curate the 2022 Moody lineup.
Another jazz-dance hybrid
followed when violinist and NEA
Jazz Master Regina Carter
performed with the Carolyn
Dorfman Dance Company —
at times playing right in the
midst of the choreography, with
dancers swirling around her.
The company presented the
world-premiere of an NJPAC
commission, Jazz Legends and
the Power of NOW!, as well as
other jazz-inspired works.
The festival kicked off on
November 10 with GRAMMY®winning
composer and
trumpeter Terence Blanchard,
fresh from his triumph at the
Metropolitan Opera, where
his Fire Shut Up in My Bones
premiered last season, making
him the first African American
composer to have his work
staged at that prestigious
venue. For NJPAC’s Moody
Festival, Blanchard arrived
Clockwise from top: Dee Dee Bridgewater and Savion Glover joined
forces for Interpretations; big band sounds with the GRAMMY®-winning
Maria Schneider Orchestra; acclaimed composer-trumpeter Terence
Blanchard arrived with The E-Collective and Turtle Island Quartet;
dynamic vocalist and former American Idol Fantasia in Prudential Hall.
with The E-Collective and
Turtle Island Quartet.
That same night featured a
dynamic double bill: GRAMMY®winning
vocalist (and former
American Idol) Fantasia
along with rising jazz star
Jazzmeia Horn, one of the
earliest winners of NJPAC’s
Sarah Vaughan International
Jazz Vocal Competition.
Other festival highlights
included performances by the
Yellowjackets, the Vanessa Rubin
Trio and the Maria Schneider
Orchestra. Schneider, a MacArthur
“Genius Grant” recipient, was a
return visitor, having established a
residency at NJPAC last season.
As always, the festival also
included many free community
concerts and educational
programs. Free performances
included Jazz Jams presented
with Rutgers University-Newark
at Clement’s Place (on the
college’s campus) plus concerts
at Bethany Baptist Church,
Ahavas Sholom, the Jewish
Museum of New Jersey and
more. Fortunate students were
treated to master classes with
McBride and Blanchard, while
McBride also guest-starred at
the annual NJMEA All-State
Jazz Band and Choir concert.
“By now, the Moody Festival
has become one of the largest
jazz festivals in the country,”
says Rodriguez, “and also one
of the most accessible, thanks
to a wealth of community
and virtual programs.” •
joymeets
world
Several winners of NJPAC’s
Sarah Vaughan International
Jazz Vocal Competition have
gone on to impressive careers.
But perhaps none have had
as high-profile successes as
the 2019 winner, Samara Joy,
who in February 2023 picked
up not one but two GRAMMY®
Awards for her debut album on
Verve Records, Linger Awhile.
The 23-year-old picked up
the Best Jazz Vocal Album
prize first — then returned to
the stage to receive the Best
New Artist trophy during
the televised portion of the
awards show, in front of a
bevy of music superstars, from
Lizzo and Adele to Beyoncé.
“All of you inspire me because
of who you are. You express
yourselves for exactly who
you are, authentically — so
to be here by just being
myself, by just being who I
was born as, I’m so thankful,”
she said as she accepted.
Born and raised in the Castle
Hill section of the Bronx, Joy
came from a musical family;
her grandparents were leaders
of the Philadelphia-based
gospel group the Savettes,
and her father is a singer and
producer who toured with
gospel artist Andraé Crouch.
She had already performed
at jazz hot spots like Dizzy’s
Club Coca Cola, Mezzrow
and the Blue Note when she
entered the Sarah Vaughan
competition. In addition to
performing often at NJPAC
since her Sassy Award win —
including at a Jazz Vespers
program at Bethany Baptist
Church in April — she’s been
touring to support her album. •
“When I’m on stage, that’s
when I’m happiest,” said
Lucía Gutiérrez Rebolloso,
a 21-year-old vocalist born and
raised in Veracruz, Mexico, as
she introduced herself at NJPAC’s
Sarah Vaughan International
Jazz Vocal Competition on the
final night of the TD James
Moody Jazz Festival.
Feeling comfortable in front
of an audience makes sense:
Rebolloso started singing
as a 5-year-old, performing
son jarocho (a musical style
originating in the Gulf Coast of
Mexico) with her parents’ group.
Rebolloso, who charmed judges
with her rendition of Charlie
Parker’s “Donna Lee,” took
first place in the 11th annual
competition, which drew over
200 submissions from more than
25 countries around the globe.
Second place went to 23-year-old
Cameroonian American vocalistsongwriter
Ekep Nkwelle, who
hails from Washington, D.C., and
third place to Harlem-based Allan
Harris. Kristin Lash of Bratislava,
Slovakia and American Armenian
vocalist Lucy Yeghiazaryan
(graduate of NJPAC’s Arts
Education programs) were
also among the finalists. •
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at the corner of
poetry &
music
Multiple generations, multiple
genres share the stage at
represent!
In his opening remarks,
Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka
described Represent! A Night
of Jazz, Hip Hop & Spoken
Word as “historic.” It was
an apt description for the
several generations of Black
talent gathered for a single
performance that underlined
the connections between jazz,
spoken word poetry and
hip hop — and served as the
high point of NJPAC’s 2022
TD James Moody Jazz Festival.
There was an interwoven feeling
to the performance; artists often
appeared together, as when
Yasiin Bey (the rapper and
actor once known as Mos Def)
sang “Umi Says,” accompanied
by alto saxophonist Ravi
Coltrane, son of jazz legends
John and Alice Coltrane.
Baba Don of The Last Poets
drummed while Bey, Dupré
“DoItAll” Kelly, jessica Care
moore and Speech recited
Gil Scott-Heron’s poem,
but we haven’t before done a
concert that’s addressed the
correlations between jazz,
hip hop and spoken word,”
McBride told the Asbury Park
Press in advance of the show.
Highlights of the event included
Speech bringing the audience
to its feet with “Everyday
People,” the 1992 hit from his
group, Arrested Development.
Apropos and moore joined
forces for a soulful duet to
the Motown hit “Simple,” and
authentic voices of the
people of Greater Newark.
“EvoluCulture’s participation
bridged our work in the
communities with our main
stage programming,” says
Jennie Wasserman, Producer,
Programming at NJPAC.
“NJPAC was happy to boost
their grassroots efforts in
poetry and the spoken word.
Their inclusion in Represent!
acknowledged how valued
they are as City Verses partners
This page: Legendary
poet and Black Arts
Movement leader
Nikki Giovanni.
Opposite page (l-r):
Alto saxophonist
Ravi Coltrane,
rapper-musician Black
Thought, Yasiin Bey (the
rapper-actor formerly
known as Mos Def) and
music director Christian
McBride, NJPAC’s
Artistic Advisor for
Jazz Programming.
In addition to Baraka, a raft
of headliners took the stage,
including rapper and musician
Black Thought (Tariq Trotter)
of The Roots, saxophonist
Javon Jackson and those
forefathers of hip hop, The Last
Poets. In all, more than a dozen
artists appeared, accompanied
by a band led by music director
and co-producer Christian
McBride, NJPAC’s Artistic
Advisor for Jazz Programming.
“The evening was historic
because of the way everyone
was together on stage to
witness each other,” says
director and co-producer
Angélika Beener, an awardwinning
journalist, DJ,
producer and host of WBGO
Studios’ Milestones podcast.
“We could see the rollout of
artistic resistance, art and
activism coming together.”
“The Revolution Will Not Be
Televised.” Kelly, currently a
Newark Council member, first
made a name for himself as a
founder of the hip hop group
Lords of the Underground.
Other times, the evening’s
connectedness was underlined
as performers sat on stage, on
a loveseat or on club chairs,
to watch what unfolded.
The show, which took place
November 19 in Prudential Hall,
paid homage to the evolution
of hip hop, African American
literature, Civil Rights activism
and the Black Arts Movement,
and honored the timeless
intersection of jazz and poetry.
“We’ve covered so much over
the last decade [of the festival]
in terms of presenting different
styles of jazz and spoken word,
septuagenarian Nikki Giovanni
recited her poem “Ego Tripping
(there may be a reason why),”
receiving thunderous applause
after the line, “I am so hip
even my errors are correct.”
Representing today’s
generation of Newark poets,
Sean Battle and Treasure
Borde opened the second
half of the show, melding
Borde’s lyrical vocals with
Battle’s strong words. Their
Newark-based organization,
EvoluCulture, hosts poetry
readings and is an important
part of the cultural fabric of
the city. EvoluCulture is also
a community partner of City
Verses, an initiative of NJPAC
and Rutgers University-Newark
that creates opportunities
to engage with jazz and
poetry, and amplifies the
and showed our gratitude
for the vital work they do in
creating welcoming spaces
for artists and the public.”
The composition of the audience
also reflected the Arts Center’s
ties with Newark. NJPAC gifted
tickets to local community
members including City Verses
participants, teaching artists
and students from area
schools. Even after a nearly
three-hour long show, audience
members weren’t eager to
leave. Hundreds gathered in
the NJPAC lobby for a spirited
after-party produced by the
Arts Center’s Community
Engagement department. •
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A quartet of Broadway stars
brought a breath of fresh air
to the Victoria Theater’s Lizzie
and Jonathan Tisch Stage in
April when they recorded four
new installments of American
Songbook at NJPAC, hosted by
Ted Chapin. These episodes —
which comprise the fifth season
of the Emmy-nominated
series, produced by NJPAC
in partnership with NJ PBS —
were among many projects
recorded at the Arts Center
during the 2021-22 season.
Over the course of two
evenings, Debbie Gravitte,
Melissa Errico, James Monroe
Iglehart and Jim Dale
enchanted audiences with a
magical array of performances
that ranged from sassy and
sexy, to witty, soulful and
downright scintillating.
Listening to Errico share
stories of her work with
Stephen Sondheim, speaking
in the staccato rhythm that’s
a hallmark of Sondheim’s
music, audiences felt what
it might have been like to be
on the
airwaves
A state-of-the-art home to
broadcast productions
from American Songbook at NJPAC to South Park
in a rehearsal room with the
musical theater master.
During his performance, Iglehart
shared with his audience how
deeply connected he felt to the
music and to the community
around him. At one point, he
stopped in the middle of “Here’s
to the Dreamers” (from Back
to the Future: The Musical)
to grab his iPad for an assist
with the lyrics. He explained
that he’d been inspired to sing
it by his close friend Roger
Bart (who played Doc in the
London production) so it was
important to Iglehart that he
get the words just right.
Maybe the most enchanting
American Songbook performance
came courtesy of Dale — as
lithe and graceful a performer
as ever, at age 86 — who wove
together song, dance and bawdy
music hall humor to tell the
story of his far-ranging career.
Whether it was Gravitte injecting
her trademark playfulness
into a traditionally sedate
number or the way she and
her fellow American Songbook
performers openly shared
stories from their careers,
NJPAC audiences enjoyed
one-of-a-kind performances.
Episodes from season five
of American Songbook are
available on NJ PBS.
Other broadcasts recorded
at NJPAC in 2022 include
the Netflix comedy special,
Whitney Cummings: Jokes.
The special starring the multitalented
funny person — a
writer, producer and podcast
host — was recorded in the
Victoria Theater over the
course of two evenings.
Whitney Cummings: Jokes is
currently available on Netflix —
just one of a dozen comedy
programs on the streaming
service that were filmed at the
Arts Center. (Others feature
the likes of Adam Sandler
and John Leguizamo.)
Tony-winning Broadway actor
James Monroe Iglehart during
a taping of the Emmy-nominated
American Songbook at NJPAC.
The use of NJPAC’s campus as
a filming location is a growing
role for the Arts Center. The
New Jersey film tax credit
program now incentivizes
production companies to film in
the Garden State, and NJPAC is
particularly appealing because
of its proximity to New York
City and its diverse amenities.
“You can achieve many kinds
of shots at NJPAC, not just a
theater with a stage,” says
Kitab Rollins, Senior Director
of Performance and Broadcast
Rentals. For instance, there
is the elegantly furnished
Parsonnet Room, the floor-toceiling
windows of the Chase
Room and the green outdoor
space of Chambers Plaza. One
recent example of NJPAC’s
versatility: The CBS series FBI:
Most Wanted filmed scenes
that transformed parts of the
Arts Center campus into a
residential apartment building.
“We make it easy for them,” says
Rollins, who credits convenient
on-site parking and ample
interior space (for both cast and
crew members) among NJPAC’s
amenities. Other projects filmed
at the Arts Center in 2022
include the Emmy-nominated
Hulu original Wu-Tang: An
American Saga and The Best
Man: The Final Chapters,
currently streaming on Peacock.
Perhaps the most creative use
of NJPAC came with a series
of promotional videos shot for
the 25th season of Comedy
Central’s wildly popular South
Park. Filmed in Prudential Hall,
the promos feature a formally
attired choir performing songs
(some a bit racy) from the show,
accompanied by an orchestra.
At the conclusion, the animated
stars of the series — Kenny,
Cartman, Kyle and Stan — can
be seen applauding from one of
the NJPAC’s very own boxes. •
a brand-new
celebration for
the garden state
What kind of party could bring Alanis Morissette,
Demi Lovato, Santana, Stephen Colbert, Bill Burr,
Natalie Merchant, Marisa Monte, Daymond John,
Jazmine Sullivan and Halsey all to New Jersey?
Only one: The North to Shore Festival, a month-long,
three-city festival of music, comedy, film and technology,
produced by NJPAC. The Garden State’s first multi-city
festival was announced by Governor Phil Murphy and
First Lady Tammy Murphy at a press conference on
the Prudential Hall stage in March 2023. The Festival
is set to kick off the weekend of June 7 in Atlantic City,
will move to Asbury Park June 14 and will close in
Newark June 21; ultimately, the lineup will include more
than 100 events at dozens of venues across the three cities.
“Never before have so many headliners converged
on the state within a short period of time,” says Evan
White, Vice President of Programming, part of the
team that spent much of 2022 booking festival events.
“NJPAC is honored to produce this unique festival and
to bring a diversity of talent to new audiences.”
North to Shore will also feature events and exhibits
highlighting New Jersey’s role as an innovator in technology
and sustainability. In addition to global headliners, local
artists reflecting the state’s diversity will also have a chance
to step into the spotlight. NJPAC and the State of New Jersey
offered grants to nonprofits, artists and small businesses
to host North to Shore events in each city, with awards
ranging from $1,000 to $5,000. A committee of local artists
and arts activists from each city selected the grantees to
ensure the programming reflects the spirit of each location.
NJPAC will produce what Governor Murphy called
“this superstar event” in collaboration with a cohort
of producing partners, and with strategic partners
including Montclair Film, Newark International Film
Festival, Tech United/Propelify and MediaSense. •
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keeping dancers
on their toes
NJPAC has long been a driver
of dance innovation, nurturing
emerging choreographers
through a fellowship in
collaboration with Dance New
Jersey. For five years, Jersey
NEW Moves! has invited dancerchoreographers
to create new
work while being mentored by
established professionals.
In June, the most recent cohort
of Jersey NEW Moves! fellows
premiered works that had been
scheduled for 2020 but were
postponed by the pandemic.
The five artists were mentored
for one year by three modern
dance professionals: Carolyn
Dorfman (Carolyn Dorfman
Dance), Sam Pott (Nimbus
Dance Works) and Andy Chiang
(Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company),
who replaced Chen following her
sudden death in December 2021.
A range of styles shined,
including tap, contemporary and
modern dance. Participating
fellows included Katelyn
Halpern, Hillary-Marie, Kristilee
Maiella, Sameena Mitta
and Kiana Rosa Fischer.
Halpern was mentored by
Dorfman, who has been part
of Jersey NEW Moves! since
its inception. “I love working
with young artists,” she
says. “Mentorship is another
way of learning for me.”
An exuberant moment from LOVE,
an original work choreographed
by Jersey NEW Moves! fellow
Kristilee Maiella, set to the music
of Cliff Martinez, Michael Wall,
David Bowie and Queen.
Jersey NEW Moves!
invites emerging
choreographers to create
new work while being mentored
by established professionals
Dorfman applauds NJPAC for
giving “voice and space” to New
Jersey artists. “The Arts Center
has an ongoing commitment
to supporting artists and their
development,” she says, “and
I see that support continue to
evolve to meet those needs.”
Another innovative dance
experience was Urban Bush
Women’s Hair & Other Stories
in April. This multidisciplinary
work used movement, song
and conversation to reflect on
concepts of beauty through
the lens of Black women’s hair.
This performance showed how
the vocabulary of dance can
contribute to impactful dialogue
on race, identity and culture.
Dance also has the power to
bring people together. An NJPAC
tradition is the annual Chinese
New Year celebration by Nai-Ni
Chen Dance Company. During a
bittersweet time for the company
following their founder’s death,
Celebrating the Legacy of
Nai-Ni Chen and the Year of the
Water Tiger honored Chen with
a program of her most iconic
dances, performances that
elegantly melded old traditions
with new artistry — a touchstone
of the dance season at NJPAC. •
a tradition reborn
Alvin Ailey American Dance
Theater’s May engagement
at NJPAC heralded several
milestones. First, it marked
Ailey’s exuberant return to
live performances in Newark
after a two-year absence
due to the pandemic.
The performances also
celebrated the 10th anniversary
of Robert Battle, the company’s
third Artistic Director. Under
his leadership, the company
continues to promote the
uniqueness of the African
American cultural experience
and the preservation and
enrichment of American
modern dance tradition.
Since NJPAC’s opening, Alvin
Ailey American Dance Theater
has performed as the Arts
Center’s Principal Resident
Affiliate — and the company’s
reunion with both staff and
audiences was genuinely joyful.
“It’s exciting to return to our
Newark home while finding
new ways to share artistry
that renews our spirit of
courage, hope and joy,” said
Battle ahead of the Mother’s
Day weekend residency.
The performances over the
weekend of May 6 – 8 combined
New Jersey premieres and a
new production with repertory
favorites like Revelations, Ella,
In/Side and Love Stories. Savion
Glover, NJPAC’s Dance Advisor,
hosted the first performance
on Friday evening, which
featured the New Jersey
premiere of For Four, a piece
set to a Wynton Marsalis jazz
score, inspired by the pent-up
energy of a world cooped up
during the pandemic. Also on
that program was Unfold, a
After a two-year absence, Alvin Ailey
American Dance Theater returns
to celebrate Robert Battle’s 10th
anniversary as Artistic Director
revival of Battle’s sensuous,
swirling duet, performed
to a Gustave Charpentier
aria sung by legendary
soprano Leontyne Price.
In addition to being wowed by
the movement on stage, the
public also experienced
the joy of dance at Ailey
Day, a free community
event held in April.
For 2022, this annual
program, a highlight
for Ailey fans, included
dance workshops and
a conversation with
former Ailey company
member Nasha Thomas.
Some of the community
workshops focused
on learning Ailey
choreography. Former
company member
Amos Machanic Jr.
taught excerpts from
Wanna Be Ready and
Revelations. Ronnie
D. Carney, a Newark
native and co-director
of AileyCamp Newark
(a six-week dance
program for middle
school students), led
a seated movement
class. Other workshops
Alvin Ailey American Dance
Theater’s Ashley Mayeux
and James Gilmer in Robert
Battle’s Unfold. Photo by
Jeffrey Auger.
included modern dance and
jazz in addition to storytelling
and movement. Participants
were able to show off their newly
learned choreography in a
concluding Show & Share event.
According to Battle, Ailey
Day and the weekend of
May performances were
an embodiment of the
legendary founder’s legacy.
“Alvin Ailey’s unique vision
opened the door for
generations of artists to use
dance to inspire, to unite and
to enlighten,” he said. •
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njpac.org

new ways to
nurture talent
NJPAC’s innovative, holistic approach to
arts education encourages young people
to be their best selves
“To develop a good artist, you have
to develop the entire human being.
Education doesn’t just happen in the
classroom. It requires a community
and a support network …”
– Jennifer Tsukayama
Every Saturday during the
school year, Franklin Torres
drives his three kids from
their home in upstate New
York to the Center for Arts
Education on NJPAC’s Newark
campus. It’s a round trip of
almost three hours — but
Torres has no plans to stop.
Nor do his three children
who have participated in
Arts Education programming
for more than two years.
“I don’t regret it one day,”
says Torres. “The work that
they’re doing with these
kids is unbelievable.”
The Torres family is one of
hundreds whose children are
enrolled in Arts Training programs
at NJPAC. While education has
been a tenet of the Arts Center
since its opening 25 years ago,
the programs have expanded
and deepened into a national
model for arts instruction, one
that goes beyond a specific skill
set to creating a toolkit for young
people to succeed in any field.
The department is firmly
student-centered. In weekend
Arts Training programs, summer
programs and in-school
residencies, NJPAC’s arts
education offerings — staffed
by 69 professional teaching
artists — spotlight the stories
students have to tell, and
provide them with a platform
to tell those stories.
NJPAC’s acclaimed weekend Arts
Training programs include classes
focused on dance, jazz, theater,
hip hop arts and more.
“At NJPAC we focus on the
whole student,” says Jennifer
Tsukayama, Vice President of
Arts Education. “We see our
students as citizen artists and
help them discover the depths
of their potential as creatives
and individuals. This is what
every young person deserves.”
In 2022, NJPAC’s Saturday
Arts Trainings included its
long-running TD Jazz for
Teens (JFT) program, as well
as acting and musical theater,
hip hop arts and culture and
beginner band programs. All
classes have opportunities for
performance and collaboration
between students in other
classes. In addition, participants
can opt into a mentoring
program (Creative Coaching)
and another program called
In the Mix, where students
across disciplines conceive
and develop creative projects
around social justice topics
that are meaningful to them.
SchoolTime performances —
live shows on NJPAC stages
during the school day —
are another avenue for
engagement. The Arts Center
also reaches students through
in-school residencies and
professional development
workshops for educators.
Torres says he appreciates the
nurturing faculty and students’
exposure to the business side
of music. He also likes how
the faculty respects what the
students want to pursue. For
example, his daughter Abigail
entered JFT as a drummer
but is now a vocal student.
“They take the talent to
another level,” he says.
Unlike a conservatory-style
program, the Arts Education
department is not an exclusive
training program for musical
education: collaborative learning through the arts
24
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NJPAC’s studentcentered
programs
provide a national
model for arts
instruction, one that
creates a toolkit for
young people to
succeed in any field
prodigies. Students at all levels
are accepted, regardless of
their financial needs; 95% of
the Arts Education budget
is funded by philanthropy.
The programs are designed
for students “to discover the
depths of their potential and
to help them be their best
selves,” says Tsukayama.
This was the first year Luca
Duberstein, a high school
senior, participated in NJPAC’s
Arts Education programs. He
signed up for City Verses in the
summer, and from then on his
creative pursuits soared. He is
enrolled in his second hip hop
class, participated in open
mics, had a poem published
by NAMI (National Alliance
on Mental Illness) and was the
lead at an open poetry event
at the Newark Public Library.
Duberstein credits NJPAC
with improvements in his
performance skills. “I’m more
confident,” he says. “My
stage presence is better.”
“It was nice being around other
artists,” says Duberstein. “The
student to teacher ratio is small,
so you can get a lot of help.”
He is also taking advantage
of opportunities to achieve his
professional goal of a career
in music. For instance, he
added Creative Coaching to
his hip hop class so he could
learn how to produce his own
music. With Creative Coaching,
a free program offered to Arts
Training participants, a student
is paired with a teaching artist
who will nurture that student’s
specific goal — whether it’s
learning a new technical skill
or developing habits that allow
them to show up to gigs on time.
Not only do NJPAC teaching
artists listen to what the students
need, the Arts Center also values
supporting the family unit.
“To develop a good artist,
you have to develop the
entire human being,” says
Tsukayama. “Education doesn’t
just happen in the classroom.
It requires a community and
a support network, which
is why faculty and staff are
trained in culturally responsive,
anti-racist, trauma-informed
and healing-centered work.”
Arts Education at NJPAC is
permeated with a respect
for the students.
“Kids aren’t empty vessels,”
says Tsukayama of NJPAC’s
approach. “They come with a
history that is relevant to the
classroom and to the teacher.
They don’t know everything
the teachers know — but the
teachers don’t know everything
the kids know, either.” •
Opposite page, clockwise from top-left:
Happy faces at the Arts Education department’s
Family Day; a Saturday training program
focused on hip hop arts and culture; Luca
Duberstein and Melanie Harris at the City
Verses jazz-poetry project; a high-energy scene
from Savion Glover’s CITY KID! workshop. This
page: NJPAC’s free Creative Coaching program
pairs young people with teaching artists who
support each student’s specific goals.
26 njpac.org
njpac.org 27

school days rock
“The interaction
between the
[Recycled
Percussion] artists
and the kids was
amazing. We had
1,500 students
that day, and we
know that when
they went home,
they said, ‘I had
the greatest day
today at NJPAC!’”
– Craig Pearce
How do you inspire children
through the arts? First get
them into a theater — and
then, make some noise!
Recycled Percussion — a
performance in which common
objects, from blenders to steel
ladders, were turned into
percussive instruments — was
one of six SchoolTime shows held
live at the Victoria Theater this
year. This December show was
a huge success by many metrics,
SchoolTime audiences were
mesmerized by the musicians
of Recycled Percussion
who played on common
objects ranging from
blenders to steel ladders.
reaching school children
in multiple ways, from mainstage
shows to in-classroom programs
especially that of the children’s
excitement and response to
the artists on the stage.
“I was so proud of that one,
because the interaction
between the artists and the
kids was amazing,” says
Craig Pearce, Producer of
Festivals and Performances.
“We had 1,500 kids and they
were so excited. The whole
theater was just screaming
the whole time. We know
that when they walked out of
that theater and went home
that day they said, ‘I had the
greatest day today at NJPAC.’”
In a typical year, more than
21,000 children from pre-K
through grade 12 attend
SchoolTime performances. Every
performance is scaffolded with
teacher’s resources which may
include activity sheets, pre- and
post-show videos and an NJPAC
original podcast called On the
Mic. Some are condensed versions
of mainstage productions such
as Recycled Percussion and the
Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company’s
Lunar New Year celebration,
while others are produced
especially for young audiences,
such as Romeo & Juliet and
Soul on Soul: A Musical Tribute
Honoring Mary Lou Williams.
Not all school programs NJPAC
delivers are as loud as power
tools, of course — and not all
are held on the Arts Center’s
campus. Some programs
were virtual, like the special
SchoolTime presentation of
Echoes of the Lion, all about the
colorful life and work of Newark
jazz great Willie “The Lion” Smith,
which was distributed online.
Additionally, during 2022,
NJPAC trained and placed
teaching artists in more than
60 schools through residencies
and after-school programming.
“Our teaching artists are really
important for bringing the arts
to every student, no matter
where they are,” says Ashley
Mandaglio, Associate Director,
Professional Learning and
Program Development. The
residencies make participation
in the arts accessible and
bring value to student learning.
Curriculum options include
hip hop, acting, musical
theater and storytelling
through dance or drama. •
backing
artists-to-be
Over his five years in NJPAC’s
TD Jazz for Teens program,
high school senior Clay Hudson
has performed a lot — from
semester-ending “Student
Shares” to virtual programs
and regular gigs on and off
the Arts Center’s campus.
But his favorite performance?
That was at the Prudential
Center in February. That night
he was part of an ensemble,
hired through NJPAC’s booking
service for students and
alumni, Brick City Bookings,
to play at a Jazz for Prostate
Cancer Awareness event.
Young drummer
Clay Hudson spent
five years honing his
professional skills in
NJPAC’s TD Jazz for
Teens program.
The Colton Institute for Training
and Research in the Arts cultivates
creative pathways for young artists
It wasn’t the venue that made
the performance special,
though. It was how he felt.
“I was in the right headspace,”
he says. “I connected with
all the other musicians.”
Diligent instruction from
Arts Education faculty and
Hudson’s hard work have
given him the confidence to
choose the groove, speed
and keys of his improv sets.
Hudson’s training, and that of
hundreds of students, is made
possible through the Colton
Institute for Training and
Research in the Arts, which was
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teaching as an art form
launched in 2021 with a
$10 million gift from Judy and
Stewart Colton. The Institute
now houses all of NJPAC’s
Saturday Arts Training
classes — and supports a suite
of programs that champion
the whole child, paving the
way toward successful careers
or college trajectories.
Mentoring programs, career
advice sessions from working
professionals, mental health
support from social workers
and expanded “gigging”
opportunities offered through
Brick City Bookings are among
the initiatives the Colton Institute
has enabled and expanded
to benefit students, alumni
and teaching artist faculty.
“Our Arts Training is focused
on the mental health of our
students, and it’s using the arts
as an outlet to be able to lean
into their lived experiences,”
says Vicky Revesz, Senior
Director of Arts Education
Operations. “Through the
Colton Institute, we’re able
to train teaching artists on
these specific approaches.”
The Colton Institute underwrites
the social workers who attend
to students, families and their
caregivers through one-on-one
and group sessions.
NJPAC’s mentoring program,
piloted in 2021, was expanded
this year. Called Creative
Coaching, it is now available to
all Arts Center students, as well
as to alumni ages 18 to 26.
This demographic needs
resources to “prime them for
the start of an arts career,”
says Rosa Hyde, Senior Director,
Arts Education Performances
and Special Events. “They need
to understand finances, how to
do their taxes, how to put a
resume together, how to get
Creative Coaching,
NJPAC’s expanded
mentoring program, is
now available to all Arts
Center students as well as
to alumni ages 18 to 26.
The catalytic $10 million gift from Judy and Stewart Colton
supports mentoring programs, career advice sessions, mental
health support and more, all designed to launch young people
onto a successful career or college trajectory.
auditions. It’s learning
the business of the business.”
The Colton Institute funds
staff for Brick City Bookings,
a talent agency for students
and alumni who play — for pay —
at corporate events, fundraisers
and on the NJPAC mainstage.
Students under 18 receive an
honorarium; those 18+ get
paid a musician’s union rate.
Thanks to the Colton Institute,
Hyde is also strengthening
the Arts Center’s engagement
with alumni in other ways, and
wants to create an Alumni
Advisory Council for feedback
on educational programs and
insider knowledge on making
a successful arts career.
“I try my best to get in touch
with as many former students
as possible to bring them
home,” says Hyde. “I want
them to know this is a place
they can come back to.” •
“Show me how atoms in different
forms of matter move.”
Or “travel around the classroom mimicking
an evaporating droplet of water.”
These are some of the classroom prompts
envisioned by NJPAC’s new Arts Integration initiative,
a professional development program focusing on
the enrichment of classroom teaching through the
collaboration of educators and teaching artists.
In these examples, dance is a way for students
to demonstrate their understanding of science.
“It’s kinesthetic engagement,” says Natalie Dreyer,
Director for Arts Integration. “We’re encouraging
students to use their bodies to show their knowledge.”
In this first year of a four-year pilot Arts Integration
program, elementary classroom educators and
teaching artists began to learn these techniques in
a combination of virtual and in-person workshops.
This professional development program helps teachers
integrate visual and performing arts into the teaching
of core content (math, science, social studies and
language arts) in order to deepen understanding of
both the arts and the subject matter. Other examples
of arts integration include using musical notes to
teach fractions or asking students to paint a mask
to illustrate a literary character’s emotions.
“We’ve moved out of the banking system of education,
where it’s ‘I’m taking this knowledge and depositing
it into you,’” says Dreyer. “Instead, we’re co-creating
knowledge, giving students ownership over their
understanding of a subject. This pedagogy incorporates
students’ multiple intelligences so that teachers are
meeting the needs of students with different abilities.”
Teachers from Jersey City, Paterson and Newark
schools currently participate. The first year of the
program focuses on developing teachers’ creativity.
The following years will include programs on teaching
new art forms to educators, how to integrate arts
into core curriculum and in-school residencies
with NJPAC teaching artists. There is no fee
to participate, and teachers receive a stipend
and professional development credits.
Dreyer says, “We believe in investing time and
resources in classroom teachers, and so we do.” •
Teachers from Newark, Jersey City and Paterson
schools participated in Arts Integration workshops
designed to weave visual and performing
arts into the teaching of core curriculum.
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why do kids need an
education
in the arts?
stefon harris
explains
speaking out
the city verses project
infused poetry with stories of struggle
Being part of an arts education program
was a life-changing experience for me.
For the first time, I was sitting down
to learn with people who were truly
high-level performers — just as the kids in
NJPAC’s programs do. They challenged
me in ways that no one else ever had.
The thing about learning to play music
is — there’s never only one right answer.
But through music, you learn how to learn.
When we teach children how to perform,
we teach them so much more than
reading notes and keeping time.
At every lesson, little by little, we give them the
tools they need to solve complex problems.
The arts teach the highest values as
well — like empathy. Only in studying
the performing arts do kids get together
and spend hours listening to each other.
And collaboration: When you study the
arts, you’re learning to create beauty
that you can’t create all on your own.
Those are skills that will help
any young person thrive in our
increasingly interconnected world.
Even more than that, my instructors
made me feel seen. They saw my potential,
my ability — not just to get the right answer
on a test, but to find something inside of me
that connected with this music, that brought
something of my own to each piece I played.
It meant the world to me to be seen
and acknowledged that way.
— Stefon Harris, jazz vibraphonist
and NJPAC’s Jazz Education Advisor
Writers and musicians from
across the Greater Newark
community — high school
students to adults — were able
to share their stories through
City Verses, a multifaceted,
multi-year collaboration
between NJPAC and Rutgers
University-Newark.
Although the pandemic led
to most City Verses programs
being held virtually during its
first two years, this season the
program blossomed to include an
in-person summer camp, public
workshops and events in libraries
and poetry readings across the
city co-hosted with the Newark
poetry collective EvoluCulture.
At the City Verses summer camp,
teen poets and musicians, who
had studied together online for
years, were able to collaborate
in person for the first time.
“We had some poets who
started as freshmen, and they
came every year, and all this
time, they were getting taught
by people who were masters
in their discipline,” says Dimitri
Reyes, a Rutgers-Newark
MFA poet who served as a
City Verses teaching artist and
helped establish the curriculum.
Students grasped the
opportunity to make
performance pieces that
addressed potent topics.
“Never underestimate high
schoolers,” says Shannon
Pulusan, another Rutgers-
Newark MFA poet and City
Verses teaching artist. “They
were thinking about the world
with a wide lens, about race,
gender, so many things.”
City Verses also produced
public performances, both
City Verses offered poets and musicians from
across the Greater Newark community —
high school students to adults — a range of
platforms to share their work.
in-person at the Arts Center
and virtual. Poets associated
with the program performed
during the TD James Moody
Jazz Festival, and the initiative
also produced its own virtual
event, a jazz-poetry film called
A Beautiful Bond, that streamed
during the festival. Curated
by poet and educator Vincent
Toro and NJPAC Jazz Advisor
Christian McBride, the film paid
tribute to the ways that Black
and Latinx struggles for social
justice have been intertwined.
“People know about Martin
Luther King, but do they
know of the relationship King
had with Cesar Chavez?”
Toro asks. “Black and Brown
people have been working
together for centuries to
build a better world.” •
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hip hop –
hooray!
arts center’s alumni
The crowd at the Horizon
Foundation Sounds of the City
concert was especially large
on August 4, as the show’s
headliner was a local hip hop
hero — Treach of the East
Orange-born supergroup,
Naughty by Nature.
But before Chambers Plaza
rang out with cries of “Hey! Ho!”
step into the spotlight
“Okay Say Less,” and Walker
(aka “Big Jus”) spit clever
bars like “I paint poetry/like
my name is Mona Lisa!”
All four are now college-age,
studying everything from
business to media arts.
Though only Crockett is
making a run at a career on
the stage, they all returned
NJPAC’s expanded work on
behalf of its alumni includes
career advice and mentorship
from established artists.
This season, Brick City Bookings,
NJPAC’s booking service for Arts
Education students, launched a
deeper engagement with alumni.
This summer, alumni were
hired via Brick City Bookings
to perform at the NJPAC roast
of jazz superstar Christian
McBride, at the Branch Brook
Park Alliance Gala, at the
Jersey Jazz Festival and at
Juneteenth celebrations at
ADP and Quest Diagnostics.
Arts Education also assisted
Community Engagement
by programming 19 events
across five Newark city parks
Top: Alumni of NJPAC’s Arts
Education programs (and some
friends) met Treach of Naughty
by Nature after opening for him
at Horizon Foundation Sounds
of the City. Center, left: Former
NJPAC student Hezekiah “Hez”
Crockett served as master of
ceremonies; center, right, Treach
greets the crowd. Bottom:
Dancers take the stage during
the alumni performance.
for the “O.P.P.” star, the crowd
was treated to an opening show
of hip hop dancing, rapping
and earworm-catchy beats
performed by alumni of NJPAC’s
Arts Education programs.
Performers including emcees
Karrington Wilson and Justin
Walker, dancer Priscilla Pagan
and singer-dancer-songwriter
Hezekiah “Hez” Crockett got
the crowd up on its feet despite
the blazing heat. Hez had
the audience shimmying to
his Latin-flavored single,
to NJPAC to perform and
work as educator assistants
in summer hip hop classes,
thanks to the Arts Education
department’s expanded work
in engaging with students who
have aged out of classes by
offering them opportunities to
use their skills — an initiative
of the Colton Institute.
“It was great to interact with
these kids — I felt like I could
really help them by sharing my
experiences,” said Newark
native Wilson.
during Summer Fun in the Park,
organized by the Newark
City Parks Foundation and
programmed by NJPAC.
In total, alumni were hired for
60 performances, reaching an
audience of more than 10,000.
The best part of that August
Sounds show? After the alumni
left the stage, they were
surprised by a meet-up with
Treach, who offered high
fives and selfies all around.
“You all are the future, you gotta
keep it up!” he told them. •
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keeping
the beat
For 25 years, TD Jazz for Teens has offered
performance experience — and a
When GRAMMY®-winning
alto sax player and composer
Mark Gross was just starting
his career, he toured with Lionel
Hampton. As the youngest
musician on that tour, he sat at
the very back of the tour bus.
But the back of the bus was
also its smoking section. On
his first ride, Gross realized
that sitting right in front of
him, relaxing with a cigarette,
was Dizzy Gillespie.
Students from TD Jazz for Teens
perform in the Chase Room
with GRAMMY®-winning alto
saxophonist-composer Mark Gross,
NJPAC’s Director of Jazz Instruction.
connection to jazz history
“I’m sitting there, looking at
the back of his head, thinking:
That’s Dizzy! Right there!” Gross
recalls. He promptly asked his
bandmate to share stories of
playing in the 1930s and 1940s.
“I’m smiling like the Cheshire
Cat, soaking it all in, and
I said: ‘Mr. Diz, I’m an alto
player. Can you tell what it
was like to play with Charlie
Parker?’ He lit up like a light
bulb. For the next two weeks,
I got stories about Charlie.”
It was a formative experience
for Gross, who went on to
work with a roster of greats,
including Buster Williams,
Nat Adderley, Dave Holland
and Wynton Marsalis.
“Those legends poured so
much into me that I feel if I don’t
pour what I’ve gathered from
being around these masters
into young people, they’ll never
understand the full impact of
these artists,” says Gross.
Which is why every Saturday
morning you’ll find Gross in an
NJPAC classroom teaching kids
all he knows through TD Jazz for
Teens, now in its third decade.
(TD Bank, the longtime sponsor
of NJPAC’s jazz programming
and TD James Moody Jazz
Festival, became title sponsor
of the program this year.)
Since 2015, Gross, NJPAC’s
Director of Jazz Instruction,
has managed the program,
which has helped thousands
of high schoolers learn how to
play, compose, perform and
advance careers in jazz.
In addition to Gross, more than
a dozen acclaimed musicians
make up the faculty, including
saxophonist Wayne Escoffery,
guitarist Alex Wintz (a program
alumnus), percussionist
Alvester Garnett and trumpeter
Valery Ponomarev. Eight-time
GRAMMY®-winning bassist
Christian McBride (NJPAC’s
Jazz Advisor), vibraphonist
Stefon Harris and MacArthur
“Genius Grant” recipient Regina
Carter also offer master classes.
Students study listening, jazz
history, theory, composition
and technique. They can also
opt into one-on-one instruction.
Because NJPAC Arts Education
programs embrace the Maker
philosophy — which holds
that students learn best by
creating — composition and
improvisation are emphasized.
Advanced students become
members of NJPAC’s elite
jazz ensembles, the James
Moody Jazz Orchestra and the
George Wein Jazz Scholars.
The latter not only play
together, but annually visit
the Newport Jazz Festival to
meet headline performers.
“It’s a kid-in-a-candy-store
experience,” Gross says. “They
come back over the moon.” •
NJPAC’s award-winning
performing arts summer
programs culminated with a
final performance on the Lizzie
& Jonathan Tisch Stage in the
Victoria Theater.
all in together
Summer students in the spotlight
The range of performances presented on NJPAC’s stages
this season was enormously broad, from stand-up comedy to
salsa and symphonies.
But it’s safe to say that only one performance included a
production number about magical chips that turn late night
snackers into orange monsters and an evil scientist named
“Dr. Cheddarman.”
That would be All In Together, the summer-ending show
presented by 80 students of the NJPAC’s summer programs
in acting, musical theater and hip hop to a full house of
cheering friends and family in the Victoria Theater.
This was the first summer in three years NJPAC’s summer
programs were held in person, and teaching artists worked hard
to ensure that not only did students learn new performance skills
but that they also had plentiful opportunities to build social and
emotional skills.
“Encouragement and support were so important. It’s hard to overstate
what these students had endured the last two years,” says Nicola
Murphy, artistic director of NJPAC’s summer theater program.
In keeping with NJPAC’s embrace of the Maker philosophy, which
holds that children learn best by creating, every scene of the
show was crafted by the students, from the raps and hip hop
beats to several short plays and musicals.
The younger students offered a scene about the mystical origins
of the schoolyard game rock-paper-scissors, and a musical
about supernatural Cheetos, both written collectively through
a process of brainstorming and improvisation.
Older students took on more serious topics. Teen actors crafted
a play about immigrant brothers struggling to stay in America
to pursue their dreams, while musical theater students created a
piece about LGBTQ+ rights in the 1920s, researched via a virtual
tour of the Newark Museum of Art’s Jazz Greats photo exhibit. •
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ound
broadway
Young people learn how to create
musical theater magic
Most high school students
never have the opportunity
to audition for a Tony Awardwinning
Broadway star.
But dancer Lakota Boyd
has done it twice.
The summer of 2022 was the
second time she auditioned to
be a part of Savion Glover’s
Summer Intensive, a workshop
for young people held at NJPAC.
Glover — Broadway’s legendary
Tap Dance Kid and a Tony
winner for his choreography in
Bring in ’da Noise, Bring in ’da
Funk — is the Arts Center’s Dance
Advisor and annually leads a
troupe of young artists in the
creation of a new performance.
This was the fifth Intensive
led by Glover, and the first
in-person one since 2019.
Dozens of students auditioned
and 13 were selected for the
free, four-week program. Boyd,
who has now taken part in
two intensives, described the
entire experience as “magical.”
“Being there was magnificent,”
she says. “Mr. Glover lets
you be free at expressing
yourself in a way you never
thought you could.”
This year’s project was inspired
by Adrienne Hunter’s CITY KID,
a play about urban living set in
the 1980s, but students added
their personal experiences to
the script and choreography.
They rehearsed eight hours
a day, five days a week, to
prepare for two performances in
the Horizon Foundation Theater
at the Center for Arts Education.
“This is a wonderful program
that puts students directly
Savion Glover’s four-week
Summer Intensive leads a
troupe of young artists through
the creation of a new musical
theater performance.
in front of a legend to learn
how Broadway auditions and
rehearsals work,” says Rosa
Hyde, Senior Director, Arts
Education Performances and
Special Events. “It’s rigorous,
it’s fun and it bonds students
together as they go through the
journey of producing a show.”
For Boyd, the experience left
her with lasting friendships
and boosted her confidence.
“The experience gave me a
push in life,” she says. “It gave
me the power and enthusiasm
to strive and do more.” •
a place where
teachers become students
Children aren’t the only
ones who come to learn
through the arts at NJPAC.
Their teachers do as well.
“We’ve developed a national
reputation as an arts
education leader,” says Ashley
Mandaglio, Associate Director,
Professional Learning and
Program Development. “We are
known for providing interactive
experiences that inspire,
educate and reinvigorate
teaching practices — and no
one else is tackling social justice
through arts education.”
Over the course of the year,
more than 100 professional
development programs, both
in-person and virtual, were
held for NJPAC teaching artists,
administrators and classroom
teachers from throughout
the state. Three new districts
in New Jersey — Cranford,
Plainfield and Rahway —
sought programming for their
educators and were added to
the professional development
In 2022, more than 100
professional development
programs were held for
educators, providing tools that
turn classrooms into positive
learning environments.
roster in the fall of 2022; the
Arts Center maintains its
distinction as sole provider
of professional development
for arts educators in the City
of Newark’s public schools.
While in-person trainings
returned in June, the Social
Justice Learning Series remains
virtual to reach educators
across the country. This
series is a program of the
Colton Institute for Training
and Research in the Arts.
Since its inception in 2020, the
Social Justice Learning Series
has hosted quarterly interactive
webinars. The goal is to provide
educators with the tools to
turn their classrooms into
positive learning environments.
After two years of pandemic
disruption, teachers are seeking
new ways of impacting their
students who now come to
school weighed down by
anxiety, problems at home
and pervasive news of gun
violence, racial disparities, toxic
political discourse and more.
“We developed this series
in response to the needs
we were hearing from the
classroom teachers. We know
art strategies can be used to
deal with social justice issues
in the classroom, because
through the arts students
express themselves and get
out what they’re feeling in an
easier way than in a math or
science class,” says Mandaglio.
The largest event of the year
was a Day of Learning held
in March, a program that
included a keynote address
followed by workshops on
topics ranging from exploring
social issues through theater
to using movement to model
environmental justice principles.
One teacher said they benefited
from “finding ways to be an ally
and an advocate for anti-racist
practices.” Another appreciated
“providing educators with a
space to speak their truth.”
Fall workshop topics included
“Sustaining Racial Literacy
in the Education of the Arts”
and “Combating Ableism
in the Arts Classroom.”
“We have this responsibility
to make sure that teachers
don’t feel alone, that they
feel like they can have a
community,” says Mandaglio.
“They’re a part of our family,
they learn with us and grow
with us year after year.” •
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a new neighborhood,
a new destination,
a new era
Advancing its work on the redevelopment of
newark’s downtown will transform
the Arts Center and its home city
One Theater Square (viewed across
Chambers Plaza), the first market-rate
residential tower built in Newark in
decades, brought hundreds of new
residents into NJPAC’s corner of the city.
NJPAC opened in 1997.
But the seed of the idea
that grew into the Arts
Center was actually first
planted in New York
City, in the early 1960s.
That’s when a young man,
a graduate student of
history at Columbia
University, watched Lincoln
Center being built on
Manhattan’s Upper West
Side, and saw how the
presence of a performing
arts center utterly changed
the rundown area.
“I could see restaurants
coming in, apartment
buildings, hotels, stores …
it simply transformed the
neighborhood,” he recalled
decades later. “So the idea
of an arts center as a tool for
urban rehabilitation became
very compelling to me.”
The young man was
Thomas Kean, who went
on to become one of New
Jersey’s most revered
governors. After he
handily won his second
gubernatorial election in
1985, he used his enormous
political capital to advance
the building of a performing
arts center in Newark.
But Newark’s performing
arts center, Kean insisted,
should have what Lincoln
Center did not: ownership
real estate: a new vision for downtown newark
40
njpac.org

of a piece of the downtown
that its presence would
rejuvenate. So NJPAC was
built on a 12-acre campus —
roughly twice as much land
as its two theaters occupied.
Thanks to Governor Kean’s
insights, serving as an economic
driver for the city and ensuring
that Newark’s downtown
would be bustling — days,
nights and weekends —
have always explicitly been
part of NJPAC’s mission.
And with room to grow, the
Arts Center has been able to
pursue that part of its mandate
in all kinds of creative ways.
The first was the building of
the gleaming One Theater
Square, across Center Street
from the Arts Center — the first
market-rate residential tower to
be built in Newark in decades.
When it opened in 2018, it was
an immediate success. Today,
the building operates at nearly
100% of rental capacity.
“That was the proof-point
for us,” says John Schreiber,
NJPAC’s President and CEO.
“It was our ‘If we build it,
they will come’ moment.”
After One Theater Square
brought hundreds of new
residents into the Arts Center’s
corner of the city, NJPAC’s
leadership, with the guidance
of colleagues at Prudential
Financial, worked with RePlace
Urban Studio to develop
a masterplan for the most
effective and impactful use of
the rest of the campus’ land.
“And through that process, we
took a future that was inchoate
and aspirational and made it
into a concrete masterplan for
NJPAC’s future,” says Schreiber.
The execution of NJPAC’s
full-campus masterplan is now
underway, with multiple real
estate development projects
that will transform both the Arts
Center’s surroundings, and the
city’s downtown, in advanced
stages of preparation.
Groundbreakings for
several projects are slated
for 2023 — and by the end
of 2026, the Arts Center’s
campus and surroundings
will have undergone a
metamorphosis, welcoming
“We’re
reimagining
what Newark
can be,
delivering ways
for Newark
to grow and
prosper
over the next
generation,
through the
arts — and what
could be more
useful, more
exciting, than
that?”
– John Schreiber
more than a thousand new
residents, more cultural spaces,
a new arts education and
community center and more.
The redevelopment will
include the replacement of
some of the dozens of miles of
streetscape the city has lost
over the past 50 years, and the
wholesale creation of a new
neighborhood, deliberately
designed to be welcoming,
inviting and a perfect fit
for Newark’s downtown.
One parcel of the Arts Center’s
land — currently Parking
Lot A — will feature several
mixed-use buildings with
350 residential rental units
(20% of them affordable
housing), as well as more
than 15 for-sale townhomes.
They’ll spread out along an
extension of Mulberry Street
that reaches across NJPAC’s
campus to Rector Street, which
will be designed to allow
pedestrians, bicyclists and
cars to safely share the road.
A new entryway to the Arts
Center will be constructed on
its eastern facade, allowing
corporate and social events
to be held at the same time
as major concerts, with each
event in its own space.
And Chambers Plaza,
the outdoor entryway to
NJPAC, will be reimagined
and rearchitected by the
New York-based Future
Green Studios, to create
a green and shady space
that can be programmed
and used by residents and
visitors all year long.
“In success, it will be a place
where there’s yoga classes in
the morning, concert afterparties
at night and pop-up
vendors and food trucks in
the afternoon — and always,
it’ll be a place where our new
residents can relax, have a
cup of coffee, meet up with
friends,” says Tim Lizura,
Senior Vice President, Real
Estate and Capital Projects.
Across the street on Center
and Mulberry Streets, the
Cooperman Family Arts
Education and Community
Center will house NJPAC’s
extensive arts education
programs for young people,
as well as new educational
programs in technical theater
and a pair of professional
studio rehearsal spaces
where new performances
can be created.
In five years, the Arts Center
will have new neighbors living
right on its campus — and
more people visiting shops
and restaurants, working in
the studios or going to events
at the Cooperman Center.
“We’re really building a
community, out of whole
cloth, that is authentic to
Newark,” says Lizura.
And the Arts Center’s work
as an economic driver
won’t stop at the edge of
its campus. In May of this
year, NJPAC announced
that — in partnership with
the City of Newark and
Great Point Studios, a studio
investment/management
business specializing
in film and television
infrastructure — it was
collaborating in the development
of a new, 350,000-square-foot
film and television studio in the
city’s South Ward. Lionsgate
Newark, named for the global
content producer that will be
in residence at the studio for at
least 10 years, will be built on
the site of the long-empty Seth
Boyden housing development.
The studio will have the
largest sound stages on the
East Coast, and will bring
hundreds of jobs to Newarkers
when it opens in 2024.
“What NJPAC is doing is
creative placemaking at its
best — providing genuine,
equitable opportunities for
Newarkers,” says Schreiber.
“We’re reimagining what
Newark can be, we’re
delivering ways for Newark to
grow and prosper over the next
generation, through the arts —
and what could be more useful,
more exciting, than that?” •
NJPAC’s multiple real estate development projects include (top to bottom):
A new neighborhood along an extension of Mulberry Street, a refurbished
eastern facade, the Cooperman Family Arts Education and Community
Center, and a greener, more community-friendly Chambers Plaza.
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future vision
NJPAC’s expanded arts district will include highand
low-rise towers (creating 350 residential
units, 20% of which will be affordable housing),
for-sale townhomes, more green space, plus
shops, restaurants and cultural destinations.
With residences, shops,
restaurants and more, the
new NJPAC campus will be an
artfully designed neighborhood
that’s authentic to the city
Three years from now, a walk
across the Arts Center’s campus
will feel entirely different.
Today, parking lots surround
NJPAC’s theaters, while the
wide-open Chambers Plaza
welcomes visitors out front.
By 2026, a stroll around the
Arts Center will be a walk
through a densely populated
neighborhood, through
buildings of all sizes, where a
visitor on any given day will
find residents popping in and
out of apartment buildings
and maisonette townhouses,
ducking into shops and side
streets or relaxing in green
spaces that dot the landscape.
“It was important to create a
district that celebrates NJPAC
and strengthens Newark —
to unite this critical cultural
institution and the neighboring
residential areas in a
harmonious way,” says Yasemin
Kologlu, Principal at Skidmore,
Owings & Merrill, the celebrated
architecture firm that has
designed the new neighborhood
that will be built on what is now
the Arts Center’s Parking Lot A.
As the design team worked,
Kologlu said, they were inspired
by a quote by the celebrated
architectural critic, Herbert
Muschamp, who wrote of NJPAC
when it opened: “Newark’s
new Center is much more
than a work of architecture.
It is an uproar. A commotion.
A melee of civic hope.”
After years of planning
and preparatory work, a
groundbreaking for this new
district — a joint effort between the
Arts Center and developers Center
Street Owners (CSO), a group
that includes L+M Development
Partners and Prudential Impact
& Responsible Investments —
is scheduled to occur by the
fourth quarter of 2023.
The first phase of redevelopment
will include a high-rise tower and
two low-rise towers, creating 350
residential units (some 20% of
which will be affordable housing)
and plenty of space for shops,
restaurants and cultural spaces
on each building’s ground floor,
all built around a new extension
of Mulberry Street through the
NJPAC campus to Rector Street.
Among the attractions that
will draw visitors to the new
Mulberry Street: Newark’s
beloved jazz radio station,
WBGO, hopes to move into a
new purpose-built home on the
first and second floors of one
low-rise building, and famed
restaurateur Marcus Samuelsson
will establish new food and
beverage spaces at the site.
For-sale townhomes will line
quieter side streets between the
two residential buildings, and
greenery will dot the landscape.
“We wanted to create an active
and diverse neighborhood
by designing various types
of residences for different
lifestyles,” says Kologlu. “The
project also presented an
enormous opportunity to
bring back some of the city’s
streetscape by restoring those
lost urban connections.”
So the high rise tower will
face the Passaic River, to take
advantage of the water views.
Nearer to NJPAC, the scale of
the buildings will be lower, with
large windows and open space
on the ground floors, extending
the new streetscape. Balconies
and terraces throughout the
project will create outdoor
spaces for residents.
The townhomes will be on side
streets closed to through traffic,
creating space for children
and families to play, with front
gardens, stoops and internal
courtyards providing greenery
and gathering spots. Each street
through the development will
have its own character, Kologlu
says, with different material
delineating each space, from
NJPAC’s familiar red brick
on the low-rise buildings to
wooden elements elsewhere.
“We were inspired by the texture,
color and materiality of NJPAC
and the neighborhood,” says
Kologlu. “The facade design
of each building complements
NJPAC, without mimicking it.”
In addition to the development
on Lot A, the project also includes
the first major upgrade to
NJPAC’s central building in its 25
year history: A new light-filled
entryway will be built on the Arts
Center’s eastern facade, with
expansive windows overlooking
the new Mulberry Street, giving
passers-by a peek at activity
inside, while a wood and
metal canopy shields arriving
guests from the elements.
Greenery-covered trellises will
wrap around NJPAC’s new
loading docks, and visitors will
traverse a small new “pocket
park” along Mulberry as they
arrive at the Arts Center.
This new entryway will allow
multiple parties and special
events to be held at the Arts
Center at the same time as
mainstage performances, with
guests for each arriving at
different spaces and entering
through separate doors.
“We’re creating a new arts
and residential district that
is grounded and embedded
in Newark,” says Kologlu.
“We believe it’s going to be a
special place — a welcoming
and vibrant neighborhood
that knits the surrounding
communities together.” •
44 njpac.org
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lights, camera,
On a sunny afternoon in May,
NJPAC’s President and CEO,
John Schreiber, was joined
by New Jersey Governor Phil
Murphy and Newark Mayor
Ras J. Baraka for a press
conference — in the middle
of a vast field of rubble.
It looked like the set of an
apocalyptic creature-feature —
but in fact, it was the site of an
exciting new chapter in New
Jersey’s long history with the
motion picture business, and the
launch of a new role for NJPAC.
With construction cranes arching
over them, and prominent
Newarkers gathered around,
the three announced to the
world a deal to create Lionsgate
Newark — a new, purposebuilt,
350,000-square-foot, $200
million film and TV studio, the
first of its kind in the state, to
be built on the site of the city’s
long-abandoned and now
demolished Seth Boyden Housing
Project in the South Ward.
The studio, which will include the
largest soundstages on the East
Coast when it opens in 2025 —
and enough of them for three
projects to be filmed at once —
was named for its first long-term
action!
NJPAC assembles “a coalition of
the willing” to bring a world-class
film studio to the South Ward,
expanding the economic impact of
the arts in Newark
tenant, global content creator
Lionsgate. Great Point Studios, a
studio investment/management
business specializing in film and
television infrastructure, will own
and operate the studio; NJPAC
will manage public affairs and
community relations for the studio
and create educational programs
and internships for Newark high
school and college students there.
The project will bring hundreds
of long-term jobs to the city,
and is expected to bring
more than $800 million
into the state annually.
“This is a great, great day …
Newark and New Jersey are
each ready for their closeups,”
Governor Murphy
said at the conference.
The Arts Center was the prime
mover in bringing together city
and state officials, investors and
more to make the new studio a
reality — signaling a new way
that NJPAC can harness the
power of the performing arts
to serve as an economic driver
for the city and the state.
Long before Governor Murphy
passed a tax credit program
that included incentives for new
film production facilities in New
Jersey, NJPAC had explored the
possibility of building a TV and
film studio in Newark, as a way
to expand its work in broadcast
production. The Arts Center
has hosted numerous film and
television productions on its
campus over the past decade,
from the TV show America’s Got
Talent to awards ceremonies
like Black Girls Rock! Some 15
Netflix productions have been
filmed at NJPAC. A studio was the
logical next step in expanding
what was becoming part of the
Arts Center’s core business.
NJPAC’s Executive Producer
David Rodriguez, then-COO
Warren Tranquada and the Arts
Center’s SVP of Real Estate and
Capital Projects Tim Lizura, had
already spent years scouting for
a location large enough for a
first class studio, and exploring
ways to fund a state-of-the-art
facility, when the tax credit
program made the project
even more economically viable.
Then developer Marc Berson,
an NJPAC Board member,
identified the Seth Boyden site
as a possibility, and the Newark
Housing Authority and the
Baraka administration granted
NJPAC permission to seek
partners to develop that land.
Thanks to the efforts of a
number of NJPAC’s advocates
and supporters — that
Schreiber dubbed a “coalition
of the willing” at the press
conference — including First
Lady Tammy Murphy and Aisha
Glover (one-time president of
the Newark Alliance, now an
executive at Audible), NJPAC was
able to meet and partner with
Robert Halmi, founder of Great
Point Studios, to pull the plan to
build a Newark studio together.
“This is going to be a real shot
in the arm for this community, a
landmark studio with the largest
studios in the East — we could
Hollywood on the Passaic: Last May, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy,
NJPAC President-CEO John Schreiber and Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka
announced the creation of Lionsgate Newark — a 350,000-square-foot,
$200 million film and television studio, the first of its kind in the state.
have up to a thousand people
working here every day,” Halmi
said at the press conference. He
also noted that the studio will be
built with the environment top of
mind, filled with energy-saving
low-power lights, covered in
solar panels and even boasting
green roofs where vegetables
to feed the cast and crew of
productions will be grown. The
facility will also offer a full set
of production services on site,
including props, set building,
restaurants and location catering.
“We at NJPAC have cultivated
a Newark-based network for
artists to create, rehearse, tour
and broadcast here. Now, this
studio will play a critical role in
the ever-growing arts ecosystem
in this city,” says Schreiber.
And NJPAC will also ensure that
this branch of the business of
the arts is accessible to the city’s
young people. The Arts Center
will serve as a community liaison
for the studio, and extend its
education programs to include
ones that bring students to
the studio to learn about film
and television production,
or to intern at the studio.
The Arts Center is even in
discussion with the Newark
Public Schools in hopes of
developing a new high school,
near the studio, that will offer
a curriculum focused on the
digital and performing arts. •
before
after
46 njpac.org njpac.org 47

a ‘very joyous’
building
As NJPAC’s staff and the
design team at the renowned
architectural firm of Weiss/
Manfredi leaned into the
process of designing the new
Cooperman Family Arts
Education and Community
Center over the course of 2022,
one thing became “inevitable
and clear,” says Marion
Weiss, the firm’s co-founder.
This building would “tell a story
about welcoming everybody,”
she says. “It will reach out to the
city and extend an invitation
to the entire community.”
The Center, named for longtime
NJPAC supporters Leon
and Toby Cooperman and
their family, will be the heart
of NJPAC’s Arts Education
department, housing training
programs for students,
professional development
programs for teachers and
Community Engagement
programs. Young people will
be able to learn about the
performing arts in the Izzo
Family Children’s Arts Reading
Room, named in recognition of
a leadership gift from Karen
and Ralph Izzo. In the P. Roy
and Diana Vagelos Education
Lab, a multipurpose studio
performance space named
for the Arts Center’s former
Board Co-Chair and his
wife, a founding member of
Women@NJPAC, students will
explore technical theater skills.
A suite of rehearsal studios
on the upper floors will be
The new Cooperman
Family Arts Education and
Community Center
takes shape
available to professional
artists and production
companies workshopping
new performances.
The design that Weiss, her
partner and firm co-founder
Michael Manfredi, their team
and NJPAC staff created
is focused on concepts of
inclusion and transparency.
Generous windows across the
front of the building will offer
passers-by a glimpse of dance
classes, community events
and rehearsals. A plaza in front
of the building’s doors, named
for longtime NJPAC supporters
A rendering of the new Cooperman Family
Arts Education and Community Center.
Marc and Randi Berson and
the Berson family, will create
a space for socializing.
An interior “street” down
the middle of the building,
framed with classrooms and
teaching spaces, will offer
a space where creatives
and students can mingle.
“The idea was one of
community, of immersion in
and proximity to the creative
energies of both students and
professionals, all happening
together,” Manfredi explains.
“Even very young children
just learning about tap or hip
hop will know that there are
people upstairs rehearsing,
people just like them, who’ve
made this their profession.”
NJPAC staff ensured that the
space will be perfectly suited
to house all the Arts Center
programs that will be held in
the building once it opens,
while remaining adaptable
enough to serve community
groups who will use the Center
when classes aren’t in session.
“The past year was spent
making sure that, at every level
of design, we were matching the
spaces to the vision of what our
programs there will be,” says
Chelsea Keys, NJPAC’s Senior
Director of Strategic Initiatives.
Although “a thousand details,”
Weiss says, must be finely tuned
before the groundbreaking
in late 2023, the overall
feeling of the Center has
been captured, she says.
“It’s a very joyous, welcoming
building,” says Weiss. “When
a young person walks in,
they’ll feel they belong here.
They’ll know this is a place
where they can take all the
chances in the world — and
always be supported.” •
The Cooperman
Center Steering
Committee is
providing input on
the new Center’s
graphic design.
designed for all, by all
Yeimy Gamez Castillo, a musician and community
organizer who grew up in Newark, is empathetic to people
living on the periphery. A first generation American,
she advocates for new immigrants and is mindful of
language barriers and other challenges they face.
As one of more than 30 members on the Cooperman Center
Steering Committee — a group that provided input on the
Center’s graphic design — Gamez Castillo brought her
understanding of the immigrant perspective to the process.
“I wanted it to be inclusive, to make room for communities
that are excluded by language, culture or accessibility to
information,” she says. “These people need to see themselves.”
At the first committee meeting, Gamez Castillo stressed
exterior design elements that would entice outsiders
to come inside. She suggested translucence, so that
people could peer inside and feel included.
On the surface, the mission of the Steering Committee —
comprised of NJPAC staff, Arts Education families, educators,
elders, artists and community leaders — is to provide input on
interior design elements (also known as environmental design).
But more important than the color of the walls or the type of
flooring was the question: How should people and cultures
be depicted throughout the building so that the space
fosters a sense of belonging? The conversations, held over
three meetings in 2022, were about how to use lighting,
signage, color and typography to achieve that goal.
“We needed external stakeholders at the table, because this
is a building where we’ll welcome a large swath of people,”
says Chelsea Keys, Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives.
Fostering public ownership was so important that an
environmental design firm, WeShouldDoItAll, was enlisted
early in the process. The committee’s recommendations will
inform the plans “to ensure there is maximal and prime space
for storytelling and environmental graphics,” says Keys.
“As early as possible, we wanted to create ownership
and foster a sense that this is a welcoming space for the
students, parents and artists of our community.” •
48 njpac.org
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designing toward
inclusivity
reimagining chambers plaza
There are fashions in
public institutions, as there
are in cars and clothes.
“Historically, institutions have
been put on pedestals, literally
and figuratively, with design
techniques that make people
feel in awe of their grandness,”
says David Seiter, design
director and founding principal
of Future Green Studio, a
Brooklyn-based landscape
design firm that has worked on
outdoor spaces from Rockefeller
Center to South Street Seaport.
“The current movement in
contemporary design looks
to create more spaces that
are warm and informal, so
people feel comfortable,” Seiter
continues. “We’re trying to
design toward inclusivity.”
That warmth and inclusivity is
what Seiter and his team are
aiming to infuse into NJPAC’s
“front yard,” Chambers Plaza,
as they redesign the space to
create an even more welcoming
entry to the Arts Center’s
campus — and to ensure that
this urban park space will be
perpetually useful for social
gatherings, markets, classes,
performances (like Horizon
Foundation Sounds of the City
outdoor concerts) and more.
The redesign will include new
trees and trellises covered
in vines, as well as benches
outside the rotunda that
houses NJPAC’s box office and
double-height amphitheater
seating for concerts.
“We’ve asked ourselves: How
do we bring life and energy
to this space that’s not just
about programmed events, but
about the 24/7 life that makes
cities tick?” Seiter explains.
There will be new lawn spaces
for picnicking, and an area with
moveable cafe tables and chairs,
under a canopy of trees carefully
selected to provide dappled
light and shade. Throughout,
the design will emphasize level
surfaces that are wheelchair
and stroller accessible.
The redesigned plaza will
“maximize ecological value,”
Seiter adds, with elements
like a rain garden that will
absorb rainwater running off
the plaza, and trees anchored
in structural soil that will
help them grow evenly in a
space that’s in use daily.
“When you’re designing for
the public realm, your design
needs to be rugged and
resilient — but at the same
time, we want to use natural
materials that evoke connections
to the landscape,” he says.
The revamping will include
a small “pocket park” in
front of NJPAC’s new eastern
facade, and improved street
crossings between Military
Park, NJPAC and the planned
extension of Riverfront Park.
In November, NJPAC announced
a $5 million grant from Essex
County, drawn from federal
funding created to defray
revenue lost during the
pandemic. In recognition of
Essex County’s work to sustain
the performing arts during the
health crisis, the new elements
of Chambers Plaza have been
named Essex County Green.
Throughout all the work Future
Green will do in Chambers
Plaza — which should have
its new design completed
by the end of 2023 — the
goal is to make the space
useful to the community.
“We want the landscape to
be a backdrop to the theater,”
says Seiter, “to imbue it with
identity and character, but
also get out of the way.”
“We want the performances
and the life of Newark to be
the stars of the show.” •
NJPAC’s redesigned “front
yard” will create an even
more welcoming entry
to the campus, including
new canopies of trees,
lawn spaces for picnicking
and amphitheater
seating for concerts
Essex County
Executive Joseph
N. DiVincenzo
Jr. and NJPAC
co-founder Ray
Chambers at the
event to announce
a $5 million grant
from Essex County.
When plans for
the redesign of
Chambers Plaza
were unveiled,
each attendee was
gifted a sapling, a
symbol of a greener
future for NJPAC’s
“front yard.”
NJPAC’s Chambers Plaza already
welcomes thousands of music
lovers each summer for the free
outdoor concert series, Horizon
Foundation Sounds of the City.
50
njpac.org

“As an anchor
institution, it’s
important to us
that people feel like
NJPAC is their home
and we are their true
community partners.”
– Eyesha Marable
the people in
our
neighborhood
Doubling down on its commitment
to the Greater Newark community,
njpac collaborations
expand programming
Guests sipped fruity mocktails
and munched on empanadas,
saffron rice and other treats
from the cuisines of Ecuador,
Peru, Mexico, Colombia and
Argentina. The entertainment
included a salsa lesson and
folk dances performed by five
Newark area dance companies.
The food, the music, the decor —
flags of Latin American countries
hanging from the ceiling — gave
the room a distinctly global vibe.
This was NJPAC’s inaugural
Hispanic Heritage Night,
which took place in October
in the auditorium of the Center
for Arts Education, and is now
scheduled to be an annual event.
This special evening, which
drew 140 attendees, provides
an illuminating example of the
collaborative process behind
each event produced by NJPAC’s
Community Engagement
department as the Arts Center
reinforces its commitment to the
Greater Newark community.
Hispanic Heritage Night
was a joint effort of NJPAC’s
Community Engagement
department, Las Jardineras
(the NJPAC Hispanic/Latinx
Employee Resource Group),
the Latino Advisory Council
and one of NJPAC’s many
engaged partner organizations,
Mantena Global Care — a
nonprofit that supports the
welfare of Newark’s Brazilian
community and promotes
native and local culture.
With events like these, “NJPAC is
taking collaboration to a whole
new level,” says Eyesha Marable,
Assistant Vice President,
Community Engagement.
“As an anchor institution, it’s
important to us that people
In 2022, Community Engagement produced 280 free events including
(clockwise from top): NJPAC’s first annual Hispanic Heritage Night;
the second annual Performing Arts Center Consortium Education and
Community Engagement conference; Jazz Jams at Clement’s Place and
Summer Fun in the Park, presented with the Newark City Parks Foundation.
feel like this is their home and
we are their true community
partners, who are willing to
collaborate and co-create.”
This year, Community
Engagement produced more
than 280 free events across
Greater Newark, most made
possible through the Arts
Center’s deep relationships with
its 170 partner organizations
across the state, from public
libraries and houses of
worship to corporations,
schools, museums and social
service organizations.
Additionally, NJPAC has built
the foundation for an expansion
of those relationships, with
preparations for the launch
of a new neighborhood
ArtsXChange in Clinton Hill,
located in Newark’s South
Ward, in the spring of 2023.
The ArtsXChange will be a
project of the Arts Center and
Clinton Hill Community Action,
a neighborhood development
and advocacy group. The
Clinton Hill location is the first of
what may become a series of
community engagement: redoubling our commitment
52
njpac.org

ArtsXChange sites throughout
the city, each co-piloted by
an established community
organization that will offer
programming produced in
partnership with NJPAC.
Another way the Arts Center
will impact neighborhoods
is through a new Arts and
Well-Being programming
vertical which acknowledges
the physical and mental
health benefits of engaging
with the arts. New programs
for the public are being
developed at the intersection
of arts and health.
As the groundwork is laid for
this expansion, NJPAC already
boasts one of the most robust
Community Engagement
departments in the country and
has become a model for such
programs at peer institutions.
“The work we do is replicable,
and it serves as best practices,”
says Marable. “Our partners
see us as an anchor institution
in the state of New Jersey,
but we’re really a national
anchor institution.”
The Arts Center’s national
leadership was on display
in September, when NJPAC
and Lincoln Center hosted
the second annual Education
and Community Engagement
Conference. A program of the
national Performing Arts Center
Consortium, the conference
attracted 38 participants
from 22 arts centers across
the country. Over three days,
they discussed the impact of
arts education and community
engagement on the industry,
and also learned about NJPAC’s
deep roster of community
programming offerings such
as Books On the Move — a
series of interactive readings
about artists of color held at
community centers and libraries,
led by NJPAC teaching artists.
Conference-goers also learned
how NJPAC’s Community
Engagement keeps live, free
music playing year-round
with programs like the wildly
popular Horizon Foundation
Sounds of the City (on Thursday
evenings in July and August)
and monthly Jazz Jams
at Clement’s Place on the
“With one of the most robust Community
Engagement departments in the country,
NJPAC has become a model for peer
institutions. The work we do is replicable,
and serves as best practices.”
— Eyesha Marable
Events included Dance In Our Community
hosted by Akwaaba Gallery and Books on
the Move at the Newark Public Library. An
April performance of Urban Bush Women’s
dance-theater work, Hair & Other Stories,
was followed by a surprise runway show
where audience members were invited to
walk the red carpet through NJPAC’s lobby.
Rutgers University-Newark
campus, where novice and
seasoned jazz artists improvise
with a professional band.
Also notable during 2022
was the return of Community
Engagement’s pre-concert
“prelude” events and a variety
of post-performance offerings,
that create unique experiences
for ticket holders. One great
example: In April, Urban Bush
Women performed Hair & Other
Stories, their dance-theater
work that explores race, identity
and beauty through the lens
of Black women’s hair. The
performance was preceded by
a panel discussion and was
followed by a surprise runway
show where audience members
were invited to walk the red
carpet through NJPAC’s lobby.
“We celebrated the short, the
long, the gray, the curly and
the cute of every culture and
person,” says Marable. “We
created a platform to celebrate
the essence of each individual.”
Summer 2022 also featured
the return of Summer Fun in
the Park. From July through
September, in collaboration
with the Newark City Parks
Foundation, NJPAC’s Community
Engagement department led
the team that produced live
music and dance events in
five downtown Newark parks.
More than 75 events were
held, reaching thousands
of community members.
With programs both on and
off the Arts Center’s campus,
the goal of Community
Engagement’s work is to
ensure that the arts are
accessible to everyone, from
preschoolers to elders.
“We want to make sure
people know that we care
enough to bring the arts out
to them,” says Marable. “We
want their lives to shine.” •
bringing it
home
A new partnership in Newark’s
South Ward makes arts accessible
This was a foundationbuilding
year for an exciting
new Community Engagement
initiative. NJPAC is deepening
its reach and bringing its
productions to Newark
residents through the
creation of neighborhood
hubs throughout the city.
“We want people to know
that NJPAC is their home, that
we’re going to bring the arts to
them,” says Eyesha Marable,
Assistant Vice President,
Community Engagement.
“People can participate
whichever way they like —
whether that’s inside or outside
of our downtown location.”
The first site for this program,
known as ArtsXChange,
will be piloted in the spring
of 2023 in the South Ward’s
Clinton Hill neighborhood.
In cooperation with local
partner organizations — in this
case, Clinton Hill Community
Action (CHCA) — arts and
culture programming will be
workshopped, produced and
executed by residents with
the support of NJPAC staff.
“Partnering with NJPAC is the
perfect way to showcase talent
and nurture the creativity of
all our neighbors in the South
Ward,” says Khaatim Sherrer El,
Executive Director of CHCA.
“We’re proud of the history and
culture of our neighborhood
and strive to weave the arts
into everything we do.”
CHCA is a nonprofit, community
development group that
advocates for affordable
housing, food security,
economic empowerment
and environmental justice.
NJPAC is partnering with
Clinton Hill Community
Action, a nonprofit in the city’s
South Ward, to launch its first
ArtsXChange initiative.
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Rhenotha Whitaker, Deputy
Director of CHCA, calls the
ArtsXChange a “game changer”
for NJPAC’s relationships with
residents and partners.
The goal of the new initiative is
to present at least two programs
each month, designed by
residents and local artists, in
collaboration with an NJPAC
producer and a professional
from ArtsXChange.
The South Ward project will
serve as a template for the
launch of ArtsXChanges across
the city in future seasons.
One of Whitaker’s goals for
Clinton Hill’s partnership with
NJPAC is to inspire children to
realize their full potential. “More
and more young people are on
their devices, not socializing or
stretching their minds beyond
that phone,” she says.
She wants to pry them off their
screens and engage them in
plays, musical performances,
festivals and the creation
of walking tours of the
neighborhood’s historic sites.
She envisions behind-the-scenes
workshops on topics such as
set design or how to secure a
talent agent — programs that
will give young people “the
tools they need to continue on
their professional journey.”
Whitaker, a performer herself,
also wants to establish an
Artists Helping Artists exchange,
where local talent can be
resourced and services shared.
For Marable, one of the joys of the
ArtsXChange is discovering and
nurturing emerging talent. “It’s
about sitting down with people
and saying: Who’s here? Who’s
been singing in grandma’s kitchen
and reciting poetry?” she says.
“It’s about finding those artistic
jewels in the community.” •
creative
caring
Breaking new ground
at the intersection of
arts and health
A couple of times a month,
Aly Maier Lokuta receives an
inquiry from a performing arts
center wanting to know how
to replicate NJPAC’s new Arts
and Well-Being programming,
which harnesses the power of
the arts to improve individual
and community health.
“No other performing arts
center is making such an
intentional commitment at
the intersection of arts and
health,” says Lokuta, Senior
Director, Arts and Well-Being.
“We’re putting New Jersey
on the map as an exemplary
state for this type of work.”
NJPAC, an anchor cultural
institution with deeply rooted
community ties in Greater
Newark and throughout New
Jersey, is ideally situated to
lead this cross-sector work.
In partnership with Horizon
Foundation for New Jersey
and RWJBarnabas Health
(RWJBH), NJPAC is breaking
new ground, delivering health
benefits while creating scalable
resources for others to replicate.
“It’s imperative that we create
pathways to access the arts, to
shift hearts and minds so folks
understand that this is really
good for them,” says Lokuta.
“People who engage with the
arts live healthier, longer lives.”
For instance, attending a
concert or visiting a museum
once or twice a month can
reduce the risk of depression in
adults over 50 by 48%. Doing so
just every few months reduces
the incidence of age-related
disability by 46% — a greater
protective effect than physical
exercise. Young people who
engage in the arts have
lower odds of depression,
Aly Maier Lokuta is the Senior
Director of NJPAC’s new Arts and
Well-Being initiative.
antisocial and criminalized
behaviors, maladjustment and
substance use trajectories.
“It’s not about everybody
becoming the next Yo-Yo Ma,
but finding joy, connection
and belonging through
creativity,” says Lokuta.
Arts engagement can come in
many different forms. Examples
include attending a live show,
participating in a workshop on
playwriting, supplying visual
“You don’t need
to be good at
the arts for the
arts to be good
for you. People
who engage
with the arts
live healthier,
longer lives.”
– Aly Maier Lokuta
art projects for patients and
healthcare staff at a hospital or
being welcomed to a medical
facility with live jazz. Community
programs will be developed
with targeted populations
in mind, such as senior
citizens, veterans, formerly
incarcerated individuals and
people with disabilities or
chronic health conditions.
“You don’t have to be good
at the arts for the arts to be
good for you,” says Lokuta.
NJPAC is committed to investing
in the lives of all people through
diverse, easily accessible and
inclusive programs. These
initiatives, rolling out in 2023,
will be developed through the
prism of five pillars: Arts in
Healthcare, Social Prescribing,
Arts in Health Research Lab,
Health Promotion Theater
and Community Programs.
This year has been foundationbuilding,
with stakeholder
roundtables, new hires, planning
meetings and the achievement
of important milestones.
In December, an Arts in
Health Research Lab got
underway with the signing of
an agreement between NJPAC,
Rutgers School of Public Health
and Mason Gross School of the
Arts — the first collaboration
between a school of public
health, a school of the arts and
an arts center. Another early
launch is Social Prescribing
which affirms that the arts are
an essential social service. This
program enables New Jersey
residents to fill prescriptions for
free arts events as prescribed
by physicians and community
health workers affiliated with
Horizon’s Neighbors in Health
program. NJPAC is the first arts
center in the country to have
an insurance carrier as a key
partner in Social Prescribing.
Lokuta is working toward a
paradigm shift, where arts
centers are recognized as
community health centers,
arts education becomes a
public health priority and the
arts are understood as an
essential social service and
a determinant of health.
“The need for this work is more
pressing now than ever,” she
says, “and NJPAC is rising
to the occasion, providing
meaningful arts engagement
to those who need it most.” •
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homecoming for a
living legend
“Godfather of Funk” and Rock
& Roll Hall of Famer George
Clinton, the singer, producer
and frontman of Parliament
Funkadelic, revolutionized R&B
in the 1970s, blending soul
and acid rock into his own
special sound. His Parliament
Funkadelic recorded more
than 40 R&B hit singles and
three platinum albums.
Clinton’s legendary career
began in his hometown of
Newark, where he grew
up, and nearby Plainfield,
where his five-decade-long
career launched.
Celebrating the 80th birthday of
“godfather of funk” george clinton
In March, NJPAC hosted a
two-day celebration of Clinton’s
80th birthday, a collaboration
between Community Engagement
and mainstage programming.
What was clear from the
get-go is that this octogenarian
remains an electrifying presence,
both on stage and off.
The celebration began on March
17 when NJPAC escorted Clinton
to his former elementary school,
Newark’s Avon Avenue School,
for the official renaming of its
music room, now the George
Clinton Band Room. Clinton
toured the school, saw his name
and a new mural of his visage
up on the walls and performed
his greatest hits for the children,
backed by a band of Avon
Avenue teachers and students.
After the excitement of the music
died down, Clinton answered
questions from the students
and reunited with old friends
from the neighborhood. Mayor
Ras J. Baraka and Newark
Schools Superintendent Roger
Leon were also in attendance.
At the event, co-produced by
NJPAC and the Power to Inspire
Foundation with Ray and
Vivian Chew, more than $5,000
worth of musical equipment
was donated to the school
through Clinton’s partnership
with the music company JBL.
Later, a street in Plainfield was
renamed Parliament Funkadelic
Way in Clinton’s honor.
The next day, Clinton and his
band stepped onto the Betty
Wold Johnson stage to deliver
the funkiest performance
Prudential Hall had heard in
years. They played hours of hits
for an ecstatic full house, with
numerous special guests on hand
including singer Nona Hendyrx
of the group Labelle (best
known for “Lady Marmalade”),
drummer Questlove (The Roots
and The Tonight Show Starring
Jimmy Fallon), rapper and
actor Ice-T, Treach of Naughty
by Nature and Eric B. of the
rap duo Eric B. & Rakim.
The party didn’t end there,
but continued in the NJPAC
lobby, where the Arts Center’s
Community Engagement
department hosted a
post-concert DJ dance party
that reached across the lobby
from the rotunda to the doors
of NICO Kitchen + Bar. •
Left: George Clinton greets
students during a visit to his
former elementary school,
Newark’s Avon Avenue School.
Right: Clinton performing for a
full house in Prudential Hall.
standing in solidarity:
talking about race,
justice and equity
NJPAC’s Standing in Solidarity programs, which launched
with the resurgence of the social justice movement in
2020, continue to bring people together this season for
monthly conversations on race, justice and equity.
Donna Walker-Kuhne, NJPAC’s Senior Advisor, Diversity,
Equity and Inclusion, spearheads the conversation series
in partnership with the Social Justice Programming Task
Force, comprised of NJPAC staff and community leaders.
At a Standing in Solidarity Racial Healing Circle — the initiative’s
first in-person event, held in September — two dozen people
gathered to share their stories, led by Sharon Stroye, Director
of the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Center and
Director of Public Engagement in the School of Public Affairs and
Administration at Rutgers University-Newark. The event included
one-on-one and small group discussions of each participant’s life
experiences — including when they felt unheard or disrespected.
“I appreciated the energy of each person,” says Walker-Kuhne.
“Looking each other in the eye strengthens what we learn
about each other.”
“We want to remove any ideas of helplessness and replace
them with hope and action,” she continues. “We don’t want
to only address how challenging the world is. We want to
say: here’s what you can do to transform the environment,
whether it’s advocating with elected officials, reading
new materials or developing allies or becoming one.”
Most Standing in Solidarity programs are part of the PSEG True
Diversity Film Series — a virtual program for which participants
watch a documentary at home, then convene online for a
conversation with thought leaders on a different topic each month.
Recent topics included colorism (bias against those with dark
skin that occurs within and outside communities of color),
environmental justice, supporting LGBTQ+ youth, hate directed
against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities
and challenges facing Black inventors and entrepreneurs.
“Through dialogue, we’re able to unpack difficult
topics but look at them through the lens of ‘I am going
to be a change agent,’” says Walker-Kuhne.
“I see this as a pathway toward a more harmonious,
humanistic, respectful society.” •
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a holiday tradition
reborn
kwanzaa festival
returns to unite people,
pride and performance
seven principles, from unity
(Umoja) to creativity (Kuumba).
Jam-packed with activities
inspired by those principles,
NJPAC’s Kwanzaa celebration
has become a hallmark of the
holiday season in Newark, thanks
to the support of Leon and Toby
Cooperman, and corporate
sponsors ADP and Whole Foods.
“As our community’s anchor
institution, we’re living those
principles every day, all through
the year — but in December,
Workshops in drumming and all
kinds of dance — from salsa and
capoeira to West African dance
and Jersey club styles — unfolded
in the Chase and Community
Rooms. Children and their
parents were invited to make a
mosaic or a mask, or to create a
collage out of African fabrics.
Local artisans and African
American owned companies
sold goods at a marketplace,
offering everything from
handmade soaps to kente-cloth
step dance, liturgical dance,
drumming and more. There
was even a fashion show.
For the first time, the Kwanzaa
celebration was presented in
collaboration with a series of
Newark partners, including
the Newark Museum of Art,
Newark Arts, City of Newark,
Newark Symphony Hall and
Newark Public Library.
This year, festival crowds were
joined by audience members
“This is a story about
Kwanzaa!” announced
a storyteller from the
Newark Public Library,
holding up a picture book
in front of a crowd of
wide-eyed children in the
Victoria Theater lobby.
The kids’ faces were
painted with swirls of
color, and they clutched
masks and collages
they’d created at craft
tables run by the Alpha
Kappa Alpha and Delta
Sigma Theta sororities.
Such was the scene at
NJPAC’s free Kwanzaa
Family Festival and
Artisan Marketplace,
which returned in
December as an in-person
event for the first time in
three years. More than
1,000 attendees filled the
Arts Center’s lobbies,
hallways and gathering
spaces throughout
the day to shop, craft,
watch performances
and learn new skills.
The Kwanzaa holiday is
devoted to celebrating
This page: Family-friendly events included face-painting, mask-making
and more. Opposite page (l-r): Local artisans and African American owned
companies sold goods at the Kwanzaa Artisan Marketplace; more than
100 artists demonstrated step dance, liturgical dance and more.
“Days like these, when all aspects of our work come together to
make a whole that’s even greater than the sum of its parts —
that’s what makes this Arts Center so unique and so important.”
we really celebrate them,” says
Eyesha Marable, NJPAC’s
Assistant Vice President,
Community Engagement.
The facilities were decked out
for the celebration with colorful
quilts hanging from the first tier.
A table was heaped with fruits,
vegetables and cornbread, all
donated by Whole Foods for the
traditional Kwanzaa Mazao, a
representation of the harvest.
handbags and amber jewelry.
Many of the Community
Engagement department’s
partner organizations,
including La Casa de Don
Pedro and Clinton Hill
Community Action, also
had tables at the festival.
And the floor of Prudential
Hall was perpetually filled with
music and motion as more
than 100 artists performed
– John Schreiber
who arrived to see two sold-out
performances of NJPAC’s The
Hip Hop Nutcracker. More
families came for the Women@
NJPAC Christmas event, Jazz
and Gingerbread, which offered
families a chance to decorate
gingerbread houses while
enjoying swinging holiday
music courtesy of students
from TD Jazz for Teens. •
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an invitation
new faces
to all
Employee Resource
Groups prompt
new programming,
community-focused
events at njpac
Glittering crowns, pink
pleather pants and
voluminous ball gowns
were the dress code at the
Legacy Ball, an LGBTQ+
celebration held in the
Chase Room in May.
But the outfits, pounding
dance music and rainbowcolored
lighting were not
the most notable aspects
of the Ball, the first of its
kind held at NJPAC in
more than a decade.
The primary attraction was
the interplay between the
performers — members of
Greater Newark “houses”
(social organizations for the
city’s LGBTQ+ community)
who danced, posed or
simply strutted down a
central runway — and the
crowd gathered around
them, which greeted
each new performer with
applause, shouts and a
tidal wave of affirmation.
A ball, in the context of
LGBTQ+ culture, is “not just
a runway show,” says Roe Bell,
Senior Manager, Schools and
On-site Programs and Chair
of NJPAC’s LGBTQ+ Employee
Resource Group (ERG), which
which helped Community
Engagement’s LGBTQ’s Advisory
Committee organize the event.
“These performers interact
with the audience. It’s not
something you can just watch —
you’re going to be involved.”
Initially established to give staff
members a platform to engage
with colleagues who share some
aspect of their identity, NJPAC’s
ERGs have since evolved
to connect the institution
more closely with members
of the larger community.
“We put this event together
for staff, but also for Newark’s
LGBTQ+ community. We want
people, especially young
people, to know that this is their
Arts Center, too,” Bell added.
The ERG joined forces with
the Community Engagement
Department, Women@NJPAC
and community groups
including Newark Pride to
host the event which drew
more than 200 attendees.
The ball was only one initiative
the ERGs undertook over
the course of the year. The
Opposite: On the runway at
the Legacy Ball, organized
by NJPAC’s LGBTQ+ Employee
Resource Group. Above:
NJPAC employees gather
at NICO Kitchen + Bar for
an ERG Meet & Greet.
African American ERG planned
events to honor Juneteenth,
including a workshop on
Creating Generational Wealth
for Everyone, led by NJPAC’s
Vice President and CFO
Lennon Register. The group
also interviewed Newark
elders, documenting their
recollections of Newark.
A Cinco de Mayo celebration
was one of the projects
undertaken by Las Jardineras,
the Hispanic/Latinx group.
They also collaborated with
Community Engagement’s
Latino Advisory Committee to
co-host a Hispanic Heritage
Dance Festival. The Women’s
ERG ran a supplies drive for
JBWS, a domestic violence
prevention organization. In
2023, Wellness and Caregiver
ERGs were added to the Arts
Center’s roster of affinity groups.
“These ERGs have become
the heartbeat of the culture
at NJPAC,” said Beth
Silver, Vice President and
Chief People Officer. •
Like many arts organizations,
NJPAC had long offered
summer interships for students
with an interest in the arts
and arts administration. But
those internships were unpaid,
effectively limiting participants
to those who could afford
to forgo a paycheck for the
season — unintentionally
excluding many talented
young people in the Greater
Newark community who
might want to learn about
the multiple jobs available
at a performing arts venue.
This summer, in lieu of interns,
the Arts Center’s People &
Organizations department
welcomed the first class of
NJPAC Fellows — nine students
from five area universities
who took paid, eight-week
positions in departments
ranging from Development
to Programming. Each Fellow
also took part in training
sessions the Arts Center
provided that gave them
insight into all the different
facets of NJPAC’s work.
In addition to offering young
people an educational work
experience, the program was
also designed to identify
potential new hires. The
program worked on both fronts;
three of the Fellows were hired
by NJPAC at summer’s end.
Given the success of the
Fellows program, the People
& Organization Department
hosted its first-ever College
Career Day in October,
which drew representatives
from 15 local universities
interested in having their
students participate. •
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celebrating
The Gala performance, titled The Possible
Dream, featured stars with deep Jersey
roots, including Broadway’s Laura Benanti
(pictured on stage), George Clinton, Dionne
Warwick, Regina Belle and Savion Glover.
64 njpac.org
25 years
The Women@NJPAC
Spotlight Gala returned in
2022 as an in-person affair,
raising $2.23 million for Arts
Education and Community
Engagement programming
women@njpac: leading leadies who power the arts

Honoring the past,
looking to the future
and the party
continued
Clockwise from top left: Spotlight
Gala 2022 featured a bevy
of NJPAC Arts Education
alumni including vocalist Lucy
Yeghiazaryan and pianist Lili
M.; Ray Chambers and his family
received the Gala’s Founders
Award for their decades-long
support of NJPAC; the evening
welcomed performances by
(left to right) GRAMMY®
Award winner Regina Belle,
legendary chart-topper Dionne
Warwick and Wé McDonald
(of NBC’s The Voice).
After a three-year hiatus, the
Women@NJPAC Spotlight
Gala returned as an in-person
affair, just in time to celebrate the
Arts Center’s 25th anniversary.
And while there were many
nods to NJPAC’s history, the
focus was clearly on the future.
“Twenty-five years, 11 million
visitors, and 2 million students
into this unlikely enterprise, we
are excited about what’s next,”
said NJPAC’s President and
CEO John Schreiber, welcoming
the crowd to the Gala.
Titled The Possible Dream,
the show featured stars with
deep Jersey roots, including
“Godfather of Funk” George
Clinton (performing with NJPAC
Jazz Advisor Christian McBride),
legendary chart-topper Dionne
Warwick, GRAMMY® winner
Regina Belle, Broadway’s
Tony-winning star Laura Benanti
and tap phenom Savion Glover
(NJPAC’s Dance Advisor).
Rising stars from the Garden
State — including Wé McDonald
of NBC’s The Voice, and
acclaimed keyboardist Matthew
Whitaker, a graduate of NJPAC’s
Arts Education programs — also
performed, all under the direction
of Ray Chew, legendary musical
director of ABC’s Dancing with
the Stars and much more.
NJPAC’s future was present on
the stage, too, in the form of a
bevy of stars of tomorrow, all
students and recent alumni
of NJPAC’s Arts Education
programs. Several of the
featured alumni subsequently
studied at Berklee College
of Music in Boston. Lili M. on
piano, Ricky Persaud Jr. on
guitar, Liany Mateo on bass,
Jalin Shiver on saxophone,
Alan Hsiao on trombone, Henry
Spencer on drums and vocalist
Lucy Yeghiazaryan jammed
alongside the headlining stars,
and stepped into the spotlight
by themselves to deliver a
jazz-infused take on “My Funny
Valentine.” More young musicians
were highlighted as the STAX
Music Academy Rhythm Section
and Alumni Band of Memphis,
Tennessee, performed during the
Gala’s cocktail hour and its afterparty
at NICO Kitchen + Bar.
Global humanitarian Ray
Chambers, NJPAC’s Founding
Board Chairman, and his
family were honored with the
Gala’s Founders Award for their
decades of support for the Arts
Center. The Chambers family
was lauded by dignitaries
including former Governor Tom
Kean and Prudential Financial
Chairman and CEO Charles
Lowrey, as well as by rising
executives who benefited from
Ray Chambers’ mentorship and
Chambers’ family scholarship
programs, including Shavar
Jeffries, CEO of the KIPP
Foundation, Vaughan Crowe
of Newark Venture Partners
and Shané Harris, President of
The Prudential Foundation. A
video highlighted the family’s
humanitarian work, narrated
by U.S. Senator Cory Booker.
“Ray and his family are those rare
individuals who see the future as
it could be, and work like heck
to make it happen,” said Kean.
The Spotlight Gala was a great
party and fundraising success,
raising $2.3 million for NJPAC’s
Arts Education and Community
Engagement programming. •
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eunions
revelations
and
the leading ladies of
women@njpac
“Women have a multiplier
effect,” said Faith Taylor,
President of Women@NJPAC,
at the group’s Leading Ladies
gathering in December.
“Everything we do, everything
we engage in, we multiply
its effect through our
friends, our families, our
children, our networks.”
Celebrating the ways that
women amplify any enterprise
was a theme running through
a year’s worth of events the
group produced, including
that December panel, where
half a dozen members shared
glimpses of their communityimpacting
work. Two-time
cancer survivor Deb Belfatto
discussed hosting Let’s Talk,
a women’s health conference
at NJPAC. Restaurateur and
developer Adenah Bayoh
discussed her mission to
create affordable housing.
“I grew up in affordable housing,
and I knew the impact that had
on my family,” she said. “If not for
affordable housing, we wouldn’t
have had a roof over our heads.”
That event also featured
leading ladies of NJPAC’s own
staff — Jennifer Tsukayama,
Vice President, Arts Education;
Chelsea Keys, Senior Director,
Strategic Initiatives; Rosa Hyde,
Senior Director, Arts Education
Performances and Special
Events; Aly Maier Lokuta, Senior
Director, Arts and Well-Being;
Eyesha Marable, Assistant
Vice President, Community
Engagement; and Vicky Revesz,
Senior Director of Operations
for Arts Education — discussing
their roles at the Arts Center.
“Our work is rooted in our
belief in the extraordinary
power of the arts — and our
belief that we’re all in this
together,” said Tsukayama.
Other Women@NJPAC events
ranged from educational
to simply celebratory:
At December’s Jazz and
Gingerbread, families decorated
gingerbread houses donated
by Community FoodBank of
NJ while listening to holiday
favorites courtesy of TD
Jazz for Teens students.
At Showrunners: Women
Who Power the Arts, a
panel discussion with
women executives leading
arts organizations in new
directions — including Brooklyn
Academy of Music president
emerita Karen Brooks Hopkins,
National Black Theatre CEO
Sade Lythcott and Linda
Harrison, Director and CEO of
the Newark Museum of Art — the
conversation turned to ways
that women in leadership roles
can promote social justice.
“We’re not only in the business
of supporting artists of color,
we’re in the business of human
transformation,” said Lythcott.
Women@NJPAC also
co-presented a PSEG True
Diversity Film Series event, built
around the film Not Done:
Women Remaking America, and
supported a Business Partners
Roundtable featuring Megan
Myungwon Lee, Chairwoman
and CEO of Panasonic
Corporation of North America.
In May, the Women@NJPAC
Spring Luncheon & Auction
returned as an in-person
event, welcoming more than
500 guests to hear from iconic
beauty expert and cosmetics
entrepreneur Bobbi Brown
and Jessica Cruel, Editor in
Chief of Allure. Brown, who
at 64 launched her second
cosmetics company, Jones Road
Beauty, talked about starting a
business at an age when some
are contemplating retirement.
“I just don’t feel my age,” she said.
The sold-out extravaganza
was a smashing success
as a fundraiser, taking in
a record $350,000 for Arts
Education and Community
Engagement programs. •
“Women have a multiplier
effect. Everything we do,
everything we engage in,
we multiply its effect through
our friends, our families, our
children, our networks.”
– Faith Taylor
Clockwise from top: Bobbi Brown and
Jessica Cruel at the Spring Luncheon &
Auction; Business Partners Roundtable
speaker Megan Myungwon Lee;
Showrunners, a panel discussion with women
executives leading arts organizations in new
directions; Jazz and Gingerbread, a familyfriendly
event hosted by Women@NJPAC;
featured panelists at the 2022 Leading
Ladies gathering; PSEG True Diversity Film
Series panelists at an event built around the
film Not Done: Women Remaking America.
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njpac short stories
At the opening of Defiantly
Happy, an exhibition of work
by Mashell Black, presented by
Newark ArtSource and Akwaaba
Gallery at NICO Kitchen + Bar.
Poet and novelist Sandra
Cisneros was featured as part
of the four-day Dodge Poetry
Festival, North America’s
largest poetry event.
fanning the flames
Christian McBride, the
eight-time GRAMMY®
Award-winning jazz bassist,
bandleader, composer, educator
and producer, who is also the
NJPAC’s Jazz Advisor and Board
Member, knows jazz, of course —
but he also knows comedy.
“I think I’ve been just as
much a student of comedy
as I’ve been of jazz. I’ve
studied the improvisational
skills of people like George
Carlin and Flip Wilson and
Lucille Ball and Phyllis Diller
and Richard Pryor, the same
way I’ve studied the skills of
Charlie Parker, Miles Davis
and Coltrane,” McBride said.
So presumably he knew what
he was getting into when he
put himself in the hot seat for
one of the funniest events on
the Arts Center’s calendar this
year — the NJPAC Celebrity
Roast held in McBride’s honor
in June, on the occasion of the
jazz master’s 50th birthday.
Stand-up king George Wallace,
“Roastmaster General” Jeff Ross,
Amanda Seales, one of the
stars of HBO’s hit show, Insecure,
Comedy Central star Yamaneika
Saunders and Alonzo Bodden,
one of the champions of NBC’s
Last Comic Standing, were
“Roastmaster General” Jeff Ross
teases Christian McBride at
a birthday celebration which
raised funds for jazz education at
NJPAC and JAZZ HOUSE KiDS.
among the professional funny
people who gave McBride the
business at the event held on
the Betty Wold Johnson Stage
in Prudential Hall. So did many
of McBride’s friends and family
members. Pals Amy Schumer,
Bootsy Collins and Sting sent in
zingers via video messages.
In addition to being one of the
best 50th birthday celebrations
ever, the event also served as a
fundraiser, taking in $200,000 for
jazz education programs at both
the Arts Center and JAZZ HOUSE
KiDS. McBride, in addition
to his roles at NJPAC, serves
as Artistic Director for JAZZ
HOUSE, which was founded
by his wife, Melissa Walker.
new art at nico
Newark ArtSource curated
an exhibition at NICO
Kitchen + Bar in partnership
with Akwaaba Gallery located
in Newark’s West Ward. This
first Akwaaba@NICO exhibit,
titled Defiantly Happy, featured
a solo exhibition by visual
artist Mashell Black. This was
the first art installation by
Akwaaba Gallery at NICO; three
exhibitions are planned. The
opening of the NICO exhibition
coincided with the annual
Newark Arts Festival which
took place over four days in
October. The 2022 festival was
themed “Artful Healing” and
included free events at galleries,
studios, museums and spaces
across Newark. NJPAC is a
community partner of Newark
Arts and hosted a VIP opening
reception in the Parsonnet Room
and a closing reception of the
four-day festival at NICO.
dodge poetry
festival returns
“It’s so nice to be in the country
of poetry,” said Sandra Cisneros
during the opening celebration of
the 2022 Dodge Poetry Festival
held in October. This biennial
festival began in 1986 and has
been hosted by NJPAC since
2010. This year was especially
celebratory as 2022 marked
the in-person return of North
America’s largest poetry event.
The 2022 festival opened with
a trio from TD Jazz for Teens
performing on the Prudential
stage and more than 20 poets
reading their work. Over the
four-day festival, more than
120 events took place, many
simultaneously, in several NJPAC
venues and in nearby spaces.
Festival highlights included
two performances of the New
Jersey Symphony, several
live recordings of the podcast
Poetry Unbound and the East
Coast premiere of Endangered,
a multimedia performance
of music, poetry and film.
nj symphony’s
centennial season
The New Jersey Symphony
celebrated its centennial season
with a gala and sold-out concert
at NJPAC in November. The
Symphony is the Art Center’s
resident orchestra. In the first
of his two appearances at
NJPAC this season, celebrity
cellist Yo-Yo Ma performed
Dvořák’s cello concerto. The
gala’s program also included a
performance of Herald, Holler
and Hallelujah: Fanfare for Brass
and Percussion by composer
and trumpet virtuoso Wynton
Marsalis, featuring jazz melodies
inspired by New Orleans funeral
processions. This work was
70
njpac.org

Music Director Xian Zhang and
superstar cellist Yo-Yo Ma at the
New Jersey Symphony’s sold-out
centennial season gala.
NJPAC collaborated with Audible
to produce The Book of Baraka,
an audio memoir by author and
Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka
A scene from Erin Mallon’s play,
Soft Animals, presented by Vivid
Stage as part of Stage Exchange,
a collaboration by NJPAC and NJ
Theater Alliance.
The long-running Business Partners
Roundtable series hosted an
enlightening 2022 conversation
about the impact of cryptocurrencies.
a co-commission by several
symphony orchestras including
the New Jersey Symphony,
plus the Grand Teton Music
Festival. Dancers from New
Jersey Ballet were part of the
performance and the evening
came to a thrilling end with
streamers shot from cannons
during Stand By Me & Hip-Hop
Studies & Etude in C-sharp Minor
by Resident Artistic Catalyst
Daniel Bernard Roumain.
The Symphony’s centennial
season will conclude in June
2023 with performances at
NJPAC, when conductor and
music director Xian Zhang will
lead the orchestra and violinist
Joshua Bell in Bruch’s Violin
Concerto No. 1, Stravinsky’s Rite
of Spring and a commissioned
world premiere by Roumain.
the mayor speaks
How does an artist become an
activist — and then, a political
leader? Newark Mayor Ras J.
Baraka answered that question
in Book of Baraka, an Audible
Original released in February.
The recording, replete with
snippets of spoken poetry and
archival news footage, was
narrated by the Mayor with
an assist from his old college
friend, New Yorker writer and
filmmaker Jelani Cobb, and
covers Baraka’s life from his
childhood through his election
as Mayor in 2014, when he was
inaugurated at the Arts Center.
NJPAC served as an executive
producer on the project, and
Stefon Harris, NJPAC’s Artistic
Director of Jazz Education,
composed the music that
plays as accompaniment
to the Mayor’s stories and
recollections. The recording
was made available for free
on the Audible website.
In addition to producing the
audiobook, the Arts Center
hosted an event in the Victoria
Theater to celebrate its release,
which featured Baraka and
Cobb in conversation with
Audible founder and chairman
Don Katz. They spoke about
Cobb and Baraka’s college
days at Howard (“I remember
you would never let anyone
say a wrong word about
the city of Newark,” Cobb
recalled) to poet Amiri Baraka’s
admonition to his son to never
let his other ambitions get
in the way of his writing, to
Newark’s potential as a hub
of technology and the arts.
NJPAC’s next project with
Audible is an audio memoir by
the Newark-raised Godfather
of Funk, George Clinton.
jersey voices
amplified
“Our season was all about
human connection, what we’ve
been so sorely lacking over the
past few years — and this play
is centered on those moments
when human beings realize they
need each other,” said Laura
Ekstrand, Artistic Director at
Vivid Theater in Summit, of
the play, Soft Animals by Erin
Mallon, that her company
workshopped at NJPAC in June.
That reading was part of Stage
Exchange, the Arts Center’s
long-running collaboration with
the NJ Theater Alliance. Each
year, New Jersey professional
theaters are selected to take
part in the program, at which
they offer a reading of a
new work by a New Jersey
playwright at NJPAC, and
discuss the work with the
audience. Then the revised
play gets a full production at
the participating theater.
This year was a return to
form for the program; the
playwrights and theaters
had been selected to take
part in 2020, but the staged
readings and productions were
postponed by the pandemic.
Soft Animals, a drama about
“medical misfits” with rare
conditions who seek treatment
for their unusual difficulties,
was produced by Vivid in
September following the June
reading. Pushcart Players,
which brings performances
for young people to schools,
workshopped LIFT EVERY
VOICE: A Letter to the Editor,
by TyLie Shider, which
follows a 12-year-old boy’s
reaction to the events of the
Civil Rights Movement.
Ekstrand lauded the program
as a deeply meaningful support
for both writers and theaters.
“If you’re doing plays that
have no name recognition —
where the name of the play
doesn’t mean something to
people, or the name of the
playwright — then you’re selling
your brand as a producer
of new works. And anything
that supports that is rare
and wonderful,” she said.
getting down
to business
NJPAC’s Business Partners
Roundtable series returned as
in-person events this season,
with visits from a cohort of
New Jersey’s top executives.
In June, Megan Myungwon
Lee, Chairwoman and CEO of
Panasonic Corporation of North
America (headquartered in
Newark), spoke about her rise
to the company’s top position.
In September, Ben Melnicki,
Head of Emerging Technology
Compliance at Cross River,
joined Gavin Michael, Chief
Executive Officer of Bakkt, and
Foster Wright, President of
CoinDesk, a cryptocurrency news
organization, in a wide-ranging
conversation about the impact
of cryptocurrencies, moderated
by Roy Choudhury, a Managing
Director and Partner with
Boston Consulting Group.
And in October, NJPAC welcomed
back the Arts Center’s great
friend and a master of finance,
Leon Cooperman, for one of his
Conversations with Cooperman
events, this one featuring
businessman, investor and
philanthropist Henry Kravis, the
Co-Founder and Co-Executive
Chairman of Kohlberg Kravis
Roberts and Company.
volunteers back
in action
For Larousse Pierre, 2022 was
a busy year for volunteering
at NJPAC. The Arts Center
was hopping and Pierre says
it felt like “we started back
where we left in 2020.”
In addition to his full-time job as
a contractor in electronic quality
control for the U.S. military, for
eight years he’s clocked dozens
of volunteer hours annually —
working the photo booth during
concerts, escorting Arts
Education students backstage
for their performances and
greeting guests at his favorite
event, Horizon Foundation
Sounds of the City summer
72 njpac.org
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A handful of the 80+ volunteers
who represent NJPAC at a variety
of events including the Horizon
Foundation Sounds of the City
summer concert series.
“Our volunteers are a diverse group
of people, reflective of our audiences,
who create a warm and welcoming
environment. They’re integral to all
NJPAC operations.”
— Ginny Bowers Coleman
concert series. “My goal is
always to help the patrons have
a deep appreciation for music,
welcoming them when they
come, putting a smile on their
face and directing them where
they need to go,” says Pierre.
Volunteers are critical to the
success of NJPAC programming.
“I think that when an
organization has a volunteer
presence it says to other
people ‘This is a worthwhile
organization,’” says Dena
Lowenbach who was NJPAC’s
first volunteer, even before the
Arts Center opened in 1997.
NJPAC maintains a roster of
80 volunteers from North and
Central New Jersey. Sporting
orange NJPAC T-shirts, they
represent the Arts Center on-site
and in neighborhood events
such as Summer Fun in the
Park, Jazz Jams and Books on
the Move. Some 50 volunteers
staffed the Dodge Poetry
Festival in October and more
than 30 were boots-on-theground
for the annual Kwanzaa
Family Festival in December.
“Our volunteers are a diverse
group of people, reflective of our
audiences, who create a warm
and welcoming environment
that they themselves enjoy
participating in,” says Ginny
Bowers Coleman, Director,
Volunteer Services. “They’re
integral to all NJPAC operations.”
see ya’ pal
This summer, NJPAC bid a fond
farewell to one of its most senior
leaders: Warren Tranquada,
At the Texas-themed farewell
to Warren Tranquada,
NJPAC’s longtime Executive
Vice President & COO,
recently selected to lead AT&T
Performing Arts Center in Dallas.
the Arts Center’s longtime
Executive Vice President and
Chief Operating Officer, was
selected to serve as the CEO
of the AT&T Performing Arts
Center in Dallas. Tranquada
took on his new role in July.
Before he left, however, the
Arts Center’s staff celebrated
Tranquada with a Texas-themed
goodbye party, replete with
cowboy hats, cowboy boots
and life-size Photoshopped
images of Tranquada riding
bucking broncos and roping
steer. (In reality, Tranquada —
who grew up in Canada — is
much more likely to be found
watching, playing or coaching
hockey in his leisure time.)
Tranquada, who first began
working at the Arts Center
in 2006 as a consultant
during the planning stages
of NJPAC’s first real estate
redevelopment project, the
residential high-rise One Theater
Square, became Chief Financial
Officer of NJPAC in 2009 and
took on the role of Executive
Vice President and Chief
Operating Officer in 2015. •
a special experience
Jacqueline Janai Harper, 9,
on left in red, and her family
were guests of NJPAC and
RWJBarnabas Health at a
December performance of
The Hip Hop Nutcracker.
Jacqueline is a patient at
Children’s Hospital of New
Jersey at Newark Beth Israel
Medical Center and the
Special Patient Experience
treated her and her family to
premium seating, a The Hip
Hop Nutcracker tour bag and
an exclusive experience — in
this case, a meet and greet
with hip hop legend and the
show’s emcee Kurtis Blow.
NJPAC and RWJBarnabas
Health also hosted a
Special Patient Experience
during a December
performance of PAW Patrol.
a warm welcome
It’s axiomatic in the
performance business:
“The show must go on!”
At NJPAC this year, that meant
engaging staff members —
even leadership — in new roles.
Staffing shortages that were
endemic across the country
affected the Arts Center as
well, resulting in an occasional
lack of ushers, especially for
weekday matinees — which
happen to be prime time for
shows geared toward the
youngest audiences. When
ushers were unavailable, Robin
Jones, Senior Director of House
Management, called on senior
NJPAC staff to assist. One of
the unassuming stand-in ushers
was John Schreiber, CEO
and President. “To know that
executive leadership took time
out of their busy days meant
the world to us,” says Jones. “It
shows that NJPAC is invested in
the customer service experience,
no matter what it takes.”
74 njpac.org
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a message from
charles f. lowrey
and carmen s. villar
NJPAC Board of Directors Co-Chairs
As NJPAC’s new Board Co-Chairs, we are excited to take the reins of the Arts
Center’s volunteer leadership at this pivotal time, after several years of service on the
NJPAC Board. This season marks the 25th anniversary of our Arts Center, Newark
and New Jersey’s anchor cultural institution — a milestone to celebrate!
This season also demonstrates how NJPAC is redefining what an urban
Arts Center can be, and how much it can accomplish.
Charles F. Lowrey
Chairman & CEO
Prudential Financial,
Inc.
We’ve proudly watched NJPAC lean into its multifaceted mission as presenter
of world-class arts and entertainment, as the largest arts educator in the region,
and as a convener of enlightening civic engagement events.
What we’d like to spotlight is NJPAC’s role as an institution in the service of its
community, and how thoughtfully the Arts Center executes new projects.
Whether it’s showcasing entertainment from diverse cultural groups, or
partnering with a Newark high school to teach students theater production skills,
this organization asks: What needs are unmet, and how can we help fill them?
The Arts Center’s new Arts and Well-Being programming is a case in point.
This groundbreaking initiative was inspired by exciting research, from the University
of Florida Center for Arts in Medicine and other organizations, which demonstrates
that engaging with the arts can have a significant positive impact on physical
and mental well-being.
Carmen S. Villar
Vice President
Merck & Company,
Inc.
Now, through a whole series of programs — from musical performances in
healthcare settings, to an initiative that allows healthcare workers to “prescribe” the
arts to patients through free tickets — NJPAC is working to ensure greater access to the
arts, and to the health benefits the arts provide. We’ve even established a first-of-itskind
Arts in Health Research Lab with the Rutgers School of Public Health and Mason
Gross School of the Arts, to advance more research in this rowing field. This work
establishes NJPAC as a national leader in the field of arts and well-being.
Another need the Arts Center identified is for local arts programming in each of
Newark’s neighborhoods. NJPAC’s ArtsXChange concept — free classes, workshops
and performances inspired by residents’ interests, offered locally so transport is not a
barrier to participation — is being piloted in the South Ward’s Clinton Hill district
this year. And we expect more partnerships will launch across the city in the future.
We’re excited to witness this thoughtful, intentional growth — and we recognize
that such success does not happen in a vacuum. We appreciate the dedicated work
of those who came before us, notably our most recent Board Co-Chair predecessors,
Steven Goldman and Barry Ostrowsky.
As we proudly look back on what the Arts Center has accomplished, we are
eager to advance NJPAC’s bright future. So much good work lies ahead!
Sincerely,
Horizon Foundation
Sounds of the City
Charles F. Lowrey
Carmen S. Villar
njpac.org 77

the budget picture
as of June 30, 2022
operating income - $53.4 million
new jersey performing
arts center corporation
consolidated balance sheets june 30, 2022 & 2021
32%
performance related revenue
Assets 2022 2021
Cash & cash equivalents $ 17,613,360 12,607,006
Accounts receivable, net 5,356,573 2,284,941
Contributions & grants receivable, net 25,138,797 30,324,867
Prepaid expenses & other assets 2,279,174 2,593,531
contributed revenue 44%
9%
endowment income
and reserve transfers
Investments 104,988,394 117,199,631
Property & equipment, net 99,760,039 102,331,609
Total assets $ 255,136,337 267,341,585
operating expenses - $43.2 million
15% other earned income
Liabilities & Net Assets
Liabilities:
Accounts payable & accrued expenses $ 3,641,022 3,461,831
Advance ticket sales & other 2,880,636 2,234,903
Loans payable 2,947,393 10,762,661
Other liabilities 9,240,125 8,538,729
Total liabilities $ 18,709,176 24,998,124
marketing & communications
7%
development 6%
arts education 9%
general & administrative 13%
41%
24%
performance &
performance related
theater operations
Commitments & contingencies
Net assets:
Unrestricted
Designated for special purposes, including net
investment in property & equipment $ 107,491,188 93,151,049
Designated for operations 0 0
Total unrestricted 107,491,188 93,151,049
Temporarily restricted 29,497,333 49,675,533
Permanently restricted – endowment 99,438,640 99,516,879
Total net assets 236,427,161 242,343,461
Total liabilities & net assets $ 255,136,337 267,341,585
78 njpac.org
njpac.org 79

njpa leadership
board of directors as of January 1, 2023
The Honorable
Clifford M. Sobel
Gary St. Hilaire David S. Stone, Esq. Michael A. Tanenbaum,
Esq.
Peter J. Torcicollo
Rishi Varma
Ricardo A. Watson Nina M. Wells, Esq. Josh S. Westo Karen C. Young
Co-Chair
Charles F. Lowrey
Co-Chair
Carmen S. Villar
Treasurer
Marc E. Berson
Assistant Treasurer
David Jones
Secretary
Michael E. Griffinger
Assistant Secretary
Yan Gu
Founding Chair
Raymond G. Chambers
ex officio
Chair Emeritus
William J. Marino
Chair Emeritus
Arthur F. Ryan
Lara Abrash Lawrence E.
Bathgate II, Esq.
James L. Bildner, Esq.
Daniel M. Bloomfield,
M.D.
Modia “Mo” Butler
The Honorable
Ras J. Baraka
The Honorable
Joseph N. DiVincenzo
The Honorable Elizabeth A. Mattson
Elizabeth Maher Muoio
The Honorable
LaMonica McIver
Jacob S. Buurma, Esq. Nancy Cantor, Ph.D. Regina Carter Mindy A. Cohen Matthew Connor Edwan Davis Enrico Della Corna
The Honorable
Philip D. Murphy
President & CEO
John Schreiber
Faith Taylor
The Honorable
Tahesha Way
Pat A. Di Filippo Robert H. Doherty Debbie Dyson Anne Evans Estabrook Christine C. Gilfillan Savion Glover Steven M. Goldman,
Esq.
in memoriam
The Arts Center mourns the loss of several friends this season — creative
and devoted individuals who impacted our community through their
leadership, their artistry and their dedication to NJPAC.
Ryan P. Haygood, Esq. William V. Hickey Jeffrey T. Hoffman Ralph Izzo, PhD The Honorable
Thomas H. Kean
Scott A. Kobler
Christian McBride
Stephen
“tWitch” Boss, 40
The dancer,
actor and television
personality who played
Dad in The Hip Hop
Nutcracker on Disney+
passed away in December.
Edward
Fleming, 72
A head usher at
NJPAC for 25 years,
retired postal carrier
and a member of the
Actors’ Equity Association,
passed away in July.
Carlos Medina D. Nicholas Miceli Barry H. Ostrowsky,
Esq.
Deepak Raj Stephen O. Richard Richard W. Roper fayemi shakur
Wayne
Shorter, 89
The legendary jazz saxophonist,
composer and Newark native who
redefined the art form and last
played NJPAC in 2017 during the
celebratory Wayne Shorter Weekend,
passed away in March 2023.
Morris
Tanenbaum, 94
A world-changing scientist and
inventor, as well as a Founding
Director of NJPAC, and the
Vice Chairman and CFO of AT&T,
passed away in March 2023.
Rona
Brummer, 89
A member of
Women@NJPAC and
Council of Trustees, as well
as a teacher, a classically
trained pianist and the
owner, with her family,
of Hobby’s Delicatessen in
Newark, passed away in July.
Belva
Moody, 59
A box office staffer and
former guest services
representative at NJPAC,
passed away in November.
80 njpac.org
njpac.org 81

oard of directors as of January 1, 2023
women@njpac board of trustees
as of January 1, 2023
Co-Chair
Charles F. Lowrey
Chairman & CEO
Prudential Financial, Inc.
Co-Chair
Carmen Villar
Vice President
Merck & Company, Inc.
Treasurer
Marc E. Berson
Chairman
The Fidelco Group
Assistant Treasurer
David Jones
Co-Founder, President & CEO
CastleOak Securities, LLC
Secretary
Michael R. Griffinger, Esq.
Director
Gibbons P.C.
Assistant Secretary
Yan Gu
Vice President, Commercial
Mars Wrigley, North America
Founding Chair
Raymond G. Chambers
The MCJ Amelior Foundation
Chairs Emeriti
William J. Marino
Retired Chairman, President &
CEO Horizon BCBS of New Jersey
Arthur F. Ryan
Retired Chairman & CEO
Prudential Financial
Lara Abrash
Chairman & CEO
Deloitte, LLP
Lawrence E. Bathgate II, Esq.
Partner
Bathgate, Wegener & Wolf P.C.
James L. Bildner
CEO
Draper Richards Kaplan
Foundation
Daniel M. Bloomfield, M.D.
Chief Medical Officer
Anthos Therapeutics
Modia “Mo” Butler
Partner
Mercury Public Affairs
Jacob S. Buurma, Esq.
Vice President
BELVIN Development
Nancy Cantor, Ph.D.
Chancellor
Rutgers University – Newark
Regina Carter
Jazz Master & Artistic Director
NJPAC Geri Allen Jazz Camp
Mindy A. Cohen
Community Leader &
Philanthropist
Matthew Connor
Chief Financial Officer
Broadridge Financial Solutions
Edwan Davis
Vice President &
Chief Audit Executive
Johnson & Johnson
Enrico Della Corna
New Jersey Regional President
PNC Bank
Pat A. Di Filippo
Executive Vice President
Turner Construction Corporation
Robert H. Doherty
New Jersey Market President
Bank of America
Debbie Dyson
Chief Executive Officer
OneTen
Anne Evans Estabrook
CEO
Elberon Development Group
Christine C. Gilfillan
President
The MCJ Amelior Foundation
Savion Glover
Actor, Tap Dancer,
Choreographer
NJPAC Artistic Advisor
Steven M. Goldman, Esq.
Managing Partner
PBM Capital Group
Ryan P. Haygood, Esq.
President & CEO
New Jersey Institute for
Social Justice
William V. Hickey
Retired Chairman & CEO
Sealed Air Corporation
Jeffrey T. Hoffman
Senior Vice President
N.A. Field Operations Data
Analytics & Sales Effectiveness
Chubb
Ralph Izzo
Former Chairman, President &
CEO, PSE&G
The Hon. Thomas H. Kean
President
THK Consulting, LLC
Scott A. Kobler, Esq.
Partner
McCarter & English, LLP
Christian McBride
Jazz Master &
NJPAC Artistic Advisor
Carlos Medina
President
Robinson Aerial Surveys
D. Nicholas Miceli
Regional President,
Florida Metro
TD Bank
Barry Ostrowsky, Esq.
President & CEO
RWJBarnabas Health
Deepak Raj
Founder
Raj Associates
Stephen O. Richard
Chief Risk Officer
& Chief Audit Executive
BD
Richard W. Roper
Public Policy Consultant
fayemi shakur
Director, Arts & Cultural Affairs
City of Newark
The Hon. Clifford M. Sobel
Former U.S. Ambassador
to Brazil
U.S. Department of State
Gary St. Hilaire
President & CEO
Horizon BCBS of New Jersey
David S. Stone, Esq.
Senior Managing Partner
Stone & Magnanini
Michael A. Tanenbaum, Esq.
Chairman
Tanenbaum Keale, LLP
Peter J. Torcicollo
Managing Director
Gibbons P.C.
Rishi Varma
Partner & Managing Director
Boston Consulting Group
Ricardo Watson
Chief Risk Officer of Dealer
Commercial Services
Chase Auto
JPMorgan Chase
Nina M. Wells, Esq.
Former Secretary of State
State of New Jersey
Josh S. Weston
Honorary Chairman
ADP
Karen Young
US Pharmaceutical & Life
Sciences Leader
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Ex Officio
The Hon. Ras J. Baraka
Mayor
City of Newark
The Hon. Joseph DiVincenzo, Jr.
Essex County Executive
The County of Essex, New Jersey
The Hon. Elizabeth
Maher Muoio
State Treasurer
State of New Jersey
The Hon. LaMonica McIver
President Municipal Council
City of Newark
Elizabeth A. Mattson
Chairperson
NJ State Council on the Arts
The Hon. Philip D. Murphy
Governor
State of New Jersey
John Schreiber
President & CEO
New Jersey Performing
Arts Center
Faith Taylor
President
Women@NJPAC
The Hon. Tahesha Way
Secretary of State
State of New Jersey
Directors Emeriti
Dennis Bone
Barbara Bell Coleman
Albert R. Gamper
Veronica M. Goldberg
Judith Jamison
A. Michael Lipper, CFA
Victor Parsonnet, M.D
Donald A. Robinson, Esq.
John R. Strangfeld, Jr.
Diana T. Vagelos
Robert C. Waggoner
President
Faith Taylor
Assistant Treasurer
Suzanne M. Spero
Sherri-Ann P.
Butterfield, Ph.D.
Antoinette
Ellis-Williams
Co-Executive
Vice President
Margarethe Laurenzi
Secrectary
Tammye T. Jones
Co-Executive
Vice President
Sonia Luaces
Vice President
Deborah Q. Belfatto
Vice President
Mindy A. Cohen
Farah N. Ansari Linda J. Baraka Rana Peterson
Barclay
Patricia L. Capawana Alejandra Ceja Patricia A.
Chambers* **
Sally Chubb* **
Catherine J. Flynn Christine C. Gilfillan Aisha Glover Veronica M.
Goldberg* **
Vice President
Lori Spoon
Audrey Bartner
Barbara Bell
Coleman**
Zenola Harper, Esq.
Treasurer
Lisa Osofsky
Marcia Wilson
Brown, Esq.**
Michellene Davis, Esq.
Shané Harris
Kim Hobbs Vani Krishnamurthy Brooke Lawson Kerri B. Levine Ruth C. Lipper** Dena F. Lowenbach** Marlie Massena
Shennell McCloud DeAnna L.
Minus-Vincent
Mary Kay
Strangfeld**
Gabriella E. Morris,
Esq.*
Ferlanda Fox Nixon,
Esq.
Mikki Taylor Diana T. Vagelos* ** Nina Mitchell Wells
Esq.
Christine Pearson Sara Peña Rhonda McFarlane
Richard, Esq.
Nicole D. Wescoe
* Founding Member
**Trustee Emerita
82 njpac.org
njpac.org 83

women@njpac board of trustees as of January 1, 2023
President
Faith Taylor
Global Sustainability Leader,
Kyndryl
Co-Executive Vice President
Margarethe Laurenzi
Executive Director
Maher Charitable Foundation
Co-Executive Vice President
Sonia Luaces
Partner, PwC LLP
Vice Presidents
Deborah Q. Belfatto
Community Leader &
Philanthropist
Mindy A. Cohen
Community Leader &
Philanthropist
Lori Spoon
Senior Vice President
Global Head of Customer &
Broker Engagment
Bershire Hathaway
Specialty Insurance
Treasurer
Lisa Osofsky
Partner, Private Client Services
Practice Leader
Mazars USA, LLP
Assistant Treasurer
Suzanne M. Spero
Executive Director
The MCJ Amelior Foundation
Secretary
Tammye T. Jones
Community Leader &
Philanthropist
Farah N. Ansari
Partner
Schenck, Price, Smith & King, LLP
Linda J. Baraka
Chief of Staff
State of NJ Legislative District 28
Rana Peterson Barclay
Community Leader &
Philanthropist
Audrey Bartner
Community Leader &
Philanthropist
Marcia Wilson Brown, Esq.**
Retired Vice Chancellor
for External &
GovernmentalRelations
Rutgers University – Newark
Sherri-Ann P. Butterfield, Ph.D
Executive Vice Chancellor
Rutgers University – Newark
Patricia L. Capawana
Founder
Patricia L. Capawana
Executive Events, LLC
Alejandra Ceja
Executive Director
Panasonic Foundation
Panasonic Corporation
of North America
Patricia A. Chambers* **
Community Leader &
Philanthropist; Chair
Lambert Bridge Winery
Sally Chubb* **
Community Leader &
Philanthropist
Barbara Bell Coleman**
President
BBC Associates, LLC
Michellene Davis, Esq.
President & CEO
National Medical
Fellowships, Inc.
Antoinette Ellis-Williams
Chairperson & Professor
Department of Women’s &
Gender Studies
NJCU
Catherine J. Flynn
Partner
Flynn Watts Law
Christine C. Gilfillan
President
The MCJ Amelior Foundation
Aisha Glover
Vice President
Center for Urban Innovation
Audible
Veronica M. Goldberg* **
Community Leader &
Philanthropist
Zenola Harper, Esq.
Vice President
Litigation, Labor & Employment
Horizon BCBS of New Jersey
Kim Hobbs
Community Leader &
Philanthropist
Vani Krishnamurthy
Founder & CEO
CoCo Gallery
Brooke Lawson
Regional Vice President
North Region
Neiman Marcus
Kerri B. Levine
Vice President
Fidelco Realty Group
Ruth C. Lipper**
Community Leader &
Philanthropist
Dena F. Lowenbach**
Community Leader &
Philanthropist
Marlie Massena
Senior Brand Planner
Jellyfish
Shennell McCloud
Executive Director
Project Ready & Be Ready
DeAnna L. Minus-Vincent
Executive Vice President &
Chief Social Justice &
Accountability Officer
RWJBarnabas Health
Gabriella E. Morris, Esq.*
Chief Philanthropy Officer
World Food Program USA
Ferlanda Fox Nixon, Esq.
Chief of Policy &
Government Affairs
African American Chamber of
Commerce of New Jersey
Editor, TAPinto Denville
Christine Pearson
Community Leader &
Philanthropist
Sara Peña
Director of External Affiars
PSEG
Rhonda McFarlane Richard
Community Leader &
Philanthropist
Mary Kay Strangfeld**
Community Leader &
Philanthropist
Mikki Taylor
President, Satin Doll
Productions, Inc.
Editor-at-Large, ESSENCE
Magazine
Diana T. Vagelos* **
Community Leader &
Philanthropist
Nina Mitchell Wells, Esq.
Former Secretary of State,
State of New Jersey
Nicole D. Wescoe
Regional President
Northeast Region
Whole Foods Market
*Founding Member
**Trustee Emerita
family of donors
NJPAC thanks each and every one of its supporters for making a commitment
that helps ensure the future well-being and success of your Arts Center.
The acknowledgments presented here are based on contributions made between July 1, 2021,
to December 31, 2022. NJPAC is enormously grateful for the many contributions the Arts Center
received after January 1, 2023, which will be recognized in next year's Report to the Community.
njpac shining stars as of December 31, 2022
New Jersey Performing Arts Center reserves special accolades for its Shining Stars —
the generous visionaries, luminaries and great dreamers who make everything possible.
This list includes contributors whose cumulative giving to NJPAC totals $1 million and above.
dreamers
$10,000,000 & above
Anonymous (2)
The Chambers Family &
The MCJ Amelior Foundation
City of Newark
Judy & Stewart Colton
Toby & Leon Cooperman
Essex County
Betty Wold Johnson+
New Jersey State
Council on the Arts
Prudential/The Prudential
Foundation
Estate of Eric F. Ross
State of New Jersey
Victoria Foundation
The Josh Weston Family
Women@NJPAC
luminaries
$5,000,000 & above
Bank of America
Randi & Marc E. Berson
The Joan & Allen Bildner
Family Fund
CIT
Horizon Blue Cross Blue
Shield of New Jersey
Merck Foundation
Katharine+ &
Albert W.+ Merck
NJ Advance Media
PSEG/PSEG Foundation
RWJBarnabas Health
Lizzie & Jonathan Tisch
Diana & P. Roy Vagelos
Wells Fargo Foundation
visionaries
$1,000,000 & above
ADP
Alcatel-Lucent
American Express
Anonymous
AT&T
BD
Casino Reinvestment
Development Authority
Chubb
Joanne D. Corzine Foundation
Jon S. Corzine Foundation
Geraldine R. Dodge
Foundation
Doris Duke Charitable
Foundation
Edison Properties
Newark Foundation/
The Gottesman Family
Anne Evans Estabrook DBA
Elberon Development Co.
Ford Foundation
Gibbons P.C.
Veronica M. Goldberg
The Griffinger Family
Harrah’s Foundation
Hess Foundation, Inc.
William & Joan Hickey
The Izzo Family
Jaqua Foundation
Johnson & Johnson
Family of Companies
JPMorgan Chase
Kresge Foundation
The Blanche & Irving
Laurie Foundation
Arlene Lieberman/The Leonard
Lieberman Family Foundation
A. Michael & Ruth C.
Lipper/Lipper Family
Charitable Foundation
William J. & Paula Marino
McCrane Foundation, Inc.,
care of Margrit McCrane
The Andrew W. Mellon
Foundation
New Jersey Cultural Trust
Panasonic Foundation
Dr. Victor Parsonnet &
Jane Parsonnet+
Pfizer Inc.
Michael F. Price
PwC
Robert Wood Johnson,
Jr. Charitable Trust
The Ryan Family
The Sagner Family Foundation
Schering-Plough Corporation
The Walter V. & Judith L.
Shipley Family Foundation
Sills Cummis & Gross, PC
The Smart Family Foundation/
David S. Stone, Esq.,
Stone & Magnanini
John Strangfeld &
Mary Kay Strangfeld
Foundation
Michael & Jill Tanenbaum
Morris+ & Charlotte Tanenbaum
TD Bank/TD Charitable
Foundation
Turner Construction
Company/Pat A. Di Filippo
Turrell Fund
United Airlines
Verizon
Robert & Mary Ellen Waggoner
Wallace Foundation
+deceased
njpac council of trustees as of December 31, 2022
Val Azzoli
Michael F. Bartow
Rona Brummer
John M. Castrucci, CPA
Elizabeth G. Christopherson
Susan Cole, Ph.D.
Robert S. Constable
Irene Cooper-Basch
Anthony R. Coscia, Esq.
Andrea Cummis
Samuel A. Delgado
Steven J. Diner, Ph.D.
Andrew Dumas
Dawood Farahi, Ph.D.
Curtland E. Fields
Albert R. Gamper
Bruce I. Goldstein, Esq.
Paula Gottesman
Sandra Greenberg
Kent C. Hiteshew
Patrick E. Hobbs
John A. Hoffman, Esq.
Lawrence S. Horn, Esq.
Reverend M. William
Howard, Jr.
Reverend Reginald Jackson
Howard Jacobs
Robert L. Johnson, M.D.
Marilyn “Penny” Joseph
Donald M. Karp, Esq.
Gene R. Korf
Rabbi Clifford M. Kulwin
Ellen W. Lambert, Esq.
Paul Lichtman
Kevin Luing
Joseph Manfredi
Antonio S. Matinho
Bari J. Mattes
John E. McCormac, CPA
Catherine M. McFarland
Joyce R. Michaelson
Edwin S. Olsen
Richard S. Pechter
Daria M. Placitella
Jay R. Post, Jr., CFP
Steven J. Pozycki
Marian Rocker
David J. Satz, Esq.
Barbara J. Scott
Marla S. Smith
Suzanne M. Spero
Joseph P. Starkey
Sylvia Steiner
Arthur R. Stern
Andrew Vagelos
Richard J. Vezza
Kim Wachtel
Constance K. Weaver
Elnardo J. Webster, II
E. Belvin Williams, Ph.D.
Gary M. Wingens, Esq.
NJPAC Arts Education staff unveil
a piano gifted by M&M Mars
Wrigley to Newark Pride.
84
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the muse society as of December 31, 2022
NJPAC’s Muse Society recognizes those visionary friends who include the Arts Center in their financial planning through bequests,
charitable gift annuities, insurance and other deferred gifts. We are deeply grateful to the following friends who have included the
Arts Center in their estate plans and made known their future gift. For more information or to notify NJPAC of your intent to include
it in your estate planning, contact Amy Fitzpatrick, Vice President of Development, at 973.297.5822.
Audrey Bartner
Lawrence E. Bathgate, II
Judith Bernhaut
Andrew T. Berry, Esq.+
Randi & Marc E. Berson
The Joan+ & Allen Bildner+
Family Fund
Candice R. Bolte
Edmond H.+ &
Joan K. Borneman+
Ann & Stan Borowiec
Raymond G. Chambers
Toby & Leon Cooperman
Fred Corrado
Ann Cummis
Mr. & Mrs. James Curtis
Harold R. Denton
Charles H. Gillen+
Bertha Goldman+
Steven M. Goldman, Esq.
Renee & David Golush
The Griffinger Family
Phyllis & Steven E. Gross
Mr. & Mrs. Warren Grover
Opera Link/Jerome Hines+
William & Joan Hickey
Jackie & Larry Horn
Betty Wold Johnson+
The Meg & Howard Jacobs
Family Foundation
Rose Jacobs+
Estate of Susan B. Joseph
Gertrude Brooks Josephson+ &
William Josephson in Memory
of Rebecca & Samuel Brooks
Kaminsky Family Foundation
premier donors & sponsors as of December 31, 2022
Adrian & Erica Karp
Gail & Max Kleinman
Joseph Laraja, Sr.+
Leonard Lieberman+
Ruth C. Lipper
Amy C. Liss+
Dena F. & Ralph Lowenbach
Joyce R. Michaelson
Joseph & Bernice O’Reilly+
Mr. & Mrs. Paul Ostergaard
Maria Parise+
Dr. Victor Parsonnet &
Jane Parsonnet+
Donald A. Robinson, Esq.
Marian & David Rocker
Estate of Donald Ronk+
Estate of Eric F. Ross+
Bernice Rotberg+
NJPAC salutes the enormously generous institutions and individuals whose aggregate contributions
(gifts, grants, sponsorships and events) for the year total $50,000 or more.
$1,000,000 & above
Judy & Stewart Colton
Toby & Leon Cooperman
New Jersey State
Council on the Arts
Prudential/The Prudential
Foundation
RWJBarnabas Health
State of New Jersey
Diana & P. Roy Vagelos
Women@NJPAC
$250,000 & above
ADP
Bank of America
The Chambers Family and
The MCJ Amelior Foundation
Horizon Blue Cross Blue
Shield of New Jersey
The Andrew W. Mellon
Foundation
Merck Foundation
PSEG Foundation/PSEG
TD Bank /TD Charitable
Foundation
Lizzie & Jonathan Tisch
Victoria Foundation
$100,000 & above
American Express
Audible, Inc.
BD
David G. Berger &
Holly Maxson
Judith Bernhaut
Randi & Marc E. Berson/
The Fidelco Group
The Joan & Allen Bildner
Family Fund
The Blanche & Irving
Laurie Foundation
Mindy A. Cohen &
David J. Bershad
F.M. Kirby Foundation
The Blanche & Irving
Laurie Foundation
The Hon. Jon S. &
Sharon Corzine
Edison Properties
Newark Foundation
The Gottesman Family
William & Joan Hickey
Mars Wrigley
Matrix Development Group
New Jersey Cultural Trust
PwC
Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation
The Ryan Family
The Smart Family Foundation/
David S. Stone, Esq.,
Stone & Magnanini
Rosemary & Robert Steinbaum
John Strangfeld & Mary Kay
Strangfeld Foundation
Michael & Jill Tanenbaum
Morris+ & Charlotte Tanenbaum
The Josh Weston Family
$50,000 & above
Atlantic, Tomorrow’s Office
Broadridge Financial
Solutions, Inc.
Jennifer A. Chalsty
Chubb
Deloitte, LLP
Anne Evans Estabrook DBA
Elberon Development Co.
Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation
Gibbons P.C.
Steven M. Goldman, Esq.
Greenberg Traurig, LLP
The Healthcare Foundation
of New Jersey
Investors Bank/Investors
Foundation, Inc.
JPMorgan Chase
M&T Bank
William J. & Paula Marino
NJ Advance Media
The Steven & Beverly
Rubenstein Charitable
Foundation
The Ryan Family
Ethel Smith+
Leonard R. Stern+
Paul Stillman Trust
John Strangfeld & Mary Kay
Strangfeld Foundation
Morris+ & Charlotte Tanenbaum
Carolyn M. VanDusen
Diana & P. Roy Vagelos
Artemis Vardakis+
Nina & Ted Wells
Judy+ & Josh Weston
+deceased
NJM Insurance Group
Panasonic Foundation
PNC
Rutgers, The State University
of New Jersey
Santander Bank, N.A.
Steinway & Sons
Turrell Fund
United Airlines
Nina & Ted Wells
+deceased
business partners as of December 31, 2022
NJPAC is deeply grateful to the following corporations, foundations and government agencies for their generous annual support
of artistic and arts education programs, the endowment fund and maintenance of the Arts Center. For more information,
please contact Valerie Blau, Director, Corporate Partnerships, at 973.297.5135.
benefactor
New Jersey State
Council on the Arts
Prudential/The Prudential
Foundation
RWJBarnabas Health
Women@NJPAC
leadership circle
ADP
The Andrew W. Mellon
Foundation
Anonymous
Bank of America
Horizon Blue Cross Blue
Shield of New Jersey
Merck Foundation
PSEG Foundation/PSEG
TD Bank/TD Charitable
Foundation
Victoria Foundation
co-chair circle
American Express
BD
The Blanche & Irving
Laurie Foundation
Mars Wrigley
Matrix Development
New Jersey Cultural Trust
Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation
director’s circle
Anonymous
Atlantic, Tomorrow’s Office
Broadridge Financial
Solutions, Inc.
Deloitte LLP
Edison Properties
Newark Foundation /
The Gottesman Family
Anne Evans Estabrook DBA
Elberon Development Co.
F.M. Kirby Foundation
Geraldine R. Dodge
Foundation
The Healthcare Foundation
of New Jersey
Investors Bank/Investors
Foundation, Inc.
JPMorgan Chase
M&T Bank
NJ Advance Media
NJM Insurance Group
Panasonic Foundation
PNC
PwC
Richmond County
Savings Foundation
Rutgers, The State University
of New Jersey
Santander Bank, N.A.
Steinway & Sons
Turrell Fund
president’s circle
Bloomberg Philanthropies
CastleOak Securities, LP
Chubb
Gibbons P.C.
Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Harris Blitzer Sports
& Entertainment
Johnson & Johnson
Family of Companies
L+M Development Partners Inc.
Lowenstein Sandler LLP
M.A.C. Cosmetics
McCarter & English, LLP
The Nathan Cummings
Foundation
National Endowment
for the Arts
The Nicholas Martini
Foundation
Rita Allen Foundation
Turner Construction Company/
Pat A. Di Filippo
United Airlines
Valley Bank
Windels Marx
composer’s circle
Anonymous in honor
of Stefon Harris
Boston Consulting Group
Brookdale / Newark ShopRite
Chiesa Shahinan &
Giantomasi, PC
DoorDash
EpsteinBeckerGreen
Gateway Security, Inc.
Genova Burns LLC
HLW Architecture LLC
The Hyde & Watson
Foundation
Jacobs Levy Equity
Management
Landmark Fire Protection
The Harold I. &
Faye B. Liss Foundation, Inc.
Novartis Pharmaceuticals
Corporation
Schumann Fund for
New Jersey
SILVERMAN
SP+
Stephen & Mary Birch
Foundation, Inc.
Two Center Street Urban
Renewal, LLC
U.S. Title Solutions
Verizon
Whole Foods Market
encore circle
Arnold & Porter
Berkshire Hathaway
Specialty Insurance
Brach Eichler LLC
J. Fletcher Creamer & Son, Inc.
Davis & Gilbert LLP
E.J. Grassman Trust
EisnerAmper LLP
Fresh Coast
Gallagher Benefit Services, Inc.
Gilbane Building Company
Hansome Energy Systems
Inserra Supermarkets
Jewish Federation of
Greater MetroWest NJ
KPMG
Langan
Mazars USA, LLP
Mercury Public Affairs
Michael Rachlin &
Company, LLC
New Jersey Resources
Peapack-Gladstone Bank
Pennoni
Prime Buchholz
PS&S
Risk Strategies Company
Schenck, Price, Smith
& King, LLP
Sherman Atlas Sylvester
& Stamelman LLP
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Structure Tone
Thornton Tomasetti, Inc.
Walker Dunlop
+deceased
NJPAC’s annual Tribute to the Elders (a part
of the Kwanzaa Family Festival in December)
welcomes new members to the Arts Center’s
honored Council of Elders.
86
njpac.org

the vanguard society as of December 31, 2022
New Jersey Performing Arts Center is deeply grateful to the following individuals and families for their generous annual support,
which makes it possible for NJPAC to maintain its world-class venue, fill it with star-studded, diverse performances and carry out
its arts education programs that transform New Jersey’s children. For more information, please contact
Josh Adler, Director of Major Gifts, at 973.297.5821.
leadership circle
Randi & Marc E. Berson
The Chambers Family &
The MCJ Amelior Foundation
Judy & Stewart Colton
Toby & Leon Cooperman
Steven M. Goldman, Esq.
William & Joan Hickey
The Izzo Family
William J. & Paula Marino
The Ryan Family
The Sagner Family Foundation
John Strangfeld & Mary
Kay Strangfeld
Michael & Jill Tanenbaum
Lizzie & Jonathan Tisch
P. Roy & Diana T. Vagelos
The Josh Weston Family
co-chair circle
Anonymous
David G. Berger &
Holly Maxson
Judith Bernhaut
The Hon. Jon S. &
Sharon Corzine
The Gottesman Family
Rosemary & Robert Steinbaum
The Smart Family Foundation/
David S. Stone, Esq.,
Stone & Magnanini
director’s circle
Anonymous
Jennifer A. Chalsty
Mindy A. Cohen &
David J. Bershad
Morris+ & Charlotte Tanenbaum
president’s circle
Hope Aldrich
Sally Chubb
presenting sponsor
RWJBarnabas Health
underwriters
Horizon Blue Cross Blue
Shield of New Jersey
The MCJ Amelior Foundation
Prudential Financial
Lawrence E. Bathgate, II
& Michele Bengue
The Griffinger Family
Kaminsky Family Foundation
Don Katz & Leslie Larson
Dana & Peter Langerman
Judith Lieberman
Charles F. Lowrey Jr. and
Susan T. Rodriguez
McCrane Foundation, Inc.,
care of Margrit McCrane
Bobbi & Barry H. Ostrowsky
Richard & Kayla Pechter
Mr. & Mrs. Leslie C. Quick III
Rob & Nora Radest
Marian & David Rocker
The Steven & Beverly Rubenstein
Charitable Foundation
Tracy & Theodore Spencer
David S. Steiner &
Sylvia Steiner
Charitable Trust
Walsh Family Fund of the
Community Foundation
of New Jersey
Nina & Ted Wells
composer’s circle
Bruce & Jean Acken
Anonymous
Audrey Bartner
The Joan & Allen Bildner
Family Fund
Stephen & Mary Birch
Foundation, Inc.
Dennis & Denise Bone
Ann & Stan Borowiec
Rose Cali
Michael Choy
Edwan & Alexis Davis
Linda V. Della Corna &
Enrico A. Della Corna
Patrick C. Dunican, Jr., Esq.
Debbie Dyson
Donna & Kenneth Eberle
Nancye & Robert Falzon
Veronica M. Goldberg
Alice Gerson Goldfarb
Gary St. Hilaire
Jeffrey & Judy Hoffman
Meg & Howard Jacobs
The Honorable
Thomas H. Kean
Scott & Susan Kobler
A. Michael & Ruth C. Lipper/
Lipper Family Charitable
Foundation
Amy & William Lipsey
Mitchell A. Livingston
The Lester & Grace Maslow
Foundation, Inc.
Mr. & Mrs. D. Nicholas Miceli
Joyce R. Michaelson
Harold & Donna Morrison
Laurence B. Orloff &
The Hon. Deanne Wilson
James & Nancy Pierson
Karen & Gary D. Rose
Paul & Denise Silverman
Cliff & Barbara Sobel
Faith & Gary Taylor
Robert & Sharon Taylor
Alexine &
Warren Tranquada
Carmen Villar
Walsh Family Fund of the
Community Foundation
Joyce & George Wein
Foundation
Linda A. Willett, Esq.
Karen & Bill Young
Barbara+ &
Edward D. Zinbarg
encore circle
Anonymous
Daniel Bloomfield & Betsy True
Candice R. Bolte
Linda M. Bowden
The Hon. Jon M. Bramnick
Modia Butler
Austin G. Cleary
Sylvia J. Cohn
The Colbert Family Fund
of Coastal Community
Foundation of SC
Matt & Susan Connor
Robert Doherty
Cary Marc Feliciano
Gregg N. Gerken
Jill & James G. Gibson
Lawrence P. Goldman
& Laurie B. Chock
David & Renee Golush
The Huisking Foundation
MartyAnn & Ralph LaRossa
Barry & Leslie Mandelbaum
Ellen Marshall & Jim Flanagan
Edward Martoglio
Duncan & Alison Niederauer
Jean & Kent Papsun
Judith & Kenneth Peskin
Roberta & Richard E. Polton
Lennon Register &
Barbara White
David Rodriguez
Virginia McEnerney &
John Schreiber
James & Sharon Schwarz
Stephen & Mary Jo Sichak
Robert & Marjorie Sommer
Bruce A. Tucker
Rishi Varma & Pooja Khanna
Robin & Leigh Walters
Ricardo Watson
Helene & Gary Wingens
Thomas Wisniewski
+deceased
annual spring luncheon & auction 2022 sponsorships as of December 31, 2022
gold sponsors
Deborah Q. Belfatto
Patricia L. Capawana
Chiesa, Shahinian &
Giantomasi PC
Mindy A. Cohen
Susan Dunn
Veronica M. Goldberg
Lipper Family Charitable
Foundation
Mazars USA, LLP
Panasonic Corporation
of North America
Christine S. Pearson
PSEG
PwC
Women @ Simon Quick
Mary Kay Strangfeld
Faith Taylor
Nina Mitchell Wells, Esq.
silver sponsors
Altice USA
Audrey Bartner
Boston Consulting Group
Patricia A. Chambers
CHANEL
Alma DeMetropolis
Flynn Watts Law
Neiman Marcus - Short Hills
PNC
Restaurant Serenade
Rutgers-Newark BOLD
Women’s Leadership Network
Rutgers-University – Newark
Elisabeth Ryan-Burke
Kate S. Tomlinson
Karen C. Young
friend sponsors
$1,000
Alexandra Brady
The Fidelco Group
Gabriella Morris
NJM Insurance Group
Jennifer Brown Stone
Nanar & Anthony Yoseloff
spotlight gala 2022 sponsorships as of December 31, 2022
NJPAC & Women@NJPAC are profoundly thankful for these supporters of the 2022 Spotlight Gala:
lead sponsor
underwriter
The MCJ Amelior Foundation
spotlight sponsor
Mindy A. Cohen &
David J. Bershad
vice chairs
Toby & Leon G. Cooperman
Horizon Blue Cross
Blue Shield of New Jersey
Merck & Co., Inc.
PSEG
PwC
Tanenbaum Keale, LLP
Arthur F. Ryan
Nina & Ted Wells
Windels Marx
platinum sponsor
Gibbons P.C.
gold sponsor
ADP
American Express
Audible, Inc.
Bank of America
Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence
E. Bathgate, II
BD
CastleOak Securities, L.P.
Elberon Development Group
The Fidelco Group,
Randi & Marc E. Berson
The Griffinger Family
Steven M. Goldman
Joan & William Hickey
donors
$500
Audible, Inc.
Rana Barclay
Marcia Wilson Brown, Esq.
Regina Carter-Barnett
Evelyn Colbert
Tammye Jones
Marlie Massena
Rosen Kelly Conway
Architecture & Design
Lori Spoon
in-kind donations
Poolside
Whole Foods Market
The Honorable
Thomas H. Kean
William & Paula Marino
NJM Insurance Group
Rutgers University – Newark
RWJBarnabas Health
The Smart Family Foundation/
David S. Stone, Esq.,
Stone & Magnanini
Lizzie & Jonathan Tisch
Turner Construction Company
The Walsh Family
silver sponsors
Bloomberg Philanthropies
BNY Mellon
Boston Consulting Group
Chubb
Edison Properties
Newark Foundation
Greenberg Traurig LLP
Jones Lang Lasalle, Inc.
Mazars, USA
McCarter & English, LLP
PNC
Alan & Nancy Schwartz
Seyfarth Shaw
Simon Quick Advisors
SP+
Support New Jersey Fund
Tata Consultancy
Ticketmaster
United Airlines
Finn & Kim Wentworth
Josh Weston
luminary ticket(s)
Atlantic, Tomorrow’s Office
Alma DeMetropolis
Deyo Family Charitable Fund
Goldman Sachs
S. Dillard & Adrienne Kirby
Official Airline of the
Spring Luncheon 2022
hero tickets(s)
Charles C. Anderson
Jacob & Jennifer Buurma
Healey Family Foundation
Meg & Howard Jacobs
Vani Krishnamurthy
& Alok Sanghvi
L+M Development
Partners Inc.
Panasonic Foundation
Christine S. Pearson
John Schreiber &
Virginia McEnerney
Rosemary & Robert Steinbaum
Faith & Gary Taylor
performer ticket(s)
Deborah & Joseph Belfatto
Patricia L. Capawana
Margarethe & Mark Laurenzi
Harry S. Pozycki
Tracy & Theodore Spencer
friend ticket(s)
William Bershad
Clifford Blanchard
Monica Casiello
Evelyn & Stephen Colbert
Michellene Davis
Franklin Hall
KPMG
Linda Layne
Judith Lieberman
Gabriella E. Morris &
Dennis Brownlee
Women@NJPAC Trustees at the Annual
Spring Luncheon & Auction in May 2022.
Neiman Marcus Short Hills
Frederick & Jennifer Moss
Ferlanda Fox Nixon &
Milford Nixon
Tiasia O’Brien
Michael Rachlin
Richard Roper
Schenck Price Smith & King, LLP
Lori Spoon
TD Bank
Victoria Foundation
full-page ad sponsors
Atlantic, Tomorrow’s Office
Chubb
half-page ad sponsors
Brach Eichler LLC
Chiesa Shahinian &
Giantomasi PC
Genova Burns LLC
Gilbane Building Company
Veronica M. Goldberg
K. Russo Consulting
The Phoenix Group
Structure Tone
in-kind donations
Advanced Parking Concepts
Allied Beverage Group LLC
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members as of December 31, 2022
njpac staff & administration as of December 31, 2022
New Jersey Performing Arts Center gives special thanks to the following Members who help meet the Arts Center’s annual
financial needs with gifts of $650 to $4,999. For information on becoming a Member, please call 973.297.5809.
sustainer
Sinead & Christopher Bennett
Patricia L. Capawana
Eleonore Kessler Cohen
& Max Insel Cohen+
Margaret J. Cunningham
Herbert+ & Karin Fastert
Lauren & Steven Friedman
Geremia Helou
Albert King
Mr. & Mrs. Robert G. Kuchner
Ellen & Donald Legow
Susan Lippa
Tim Lizura
Thomas C. Wallace
The Honorable Alvin Weiss
patron
Anonymous (2)
Florence Barrau-Adams
& Bryan Adams
Ronald K. Andrews
Brian Archer
Marsha I. Atkind
Joseph & Jacqueline Basralian
George & Jane Bean
Barbara+ & Ed Becker
Jeri Burt & Michael Merlie
Patricia & Anthony R. Calandra
Regina Carter
Mr. & Mrs. Charles M.
Chapin, III
Nancy Clarke
Andrea Cummis &
Richard Fiscus
D’Maris & Joseph Dempsey
Linda H. Dunham
Drs. Brenda & Robert Fischbein
Thomas P. Giblin
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Gilfillan
Carolyn Gould
Thomas L. Green
Susan & Mark Halliday
Kitty & Dave Hartman
Mr. & Mrs. Robert J. Henry
Jasmine Hodari
Joan Hollander
Alan & Carrie Holtz
Paulette & Robert Jones
Adrian & Erica Karp
Irvin & Marjorie Kricheff
Dr. Marlene E. Lengner
Mark & Gayle Lerch
Yongwhan Lim
Dena & Ralph Lowenbach
Kevin & Trisha Luing
Lana Masor
Massey Insurance Agency
Edward Moran
Carlos Medina
Gabriella E. Morris
Jack & Ellen Moskowitz
Bruce Murphy & MJ Lauzon
Judith Musicant &
Hugh A. Clark
Helene & Martin Myers
Joseph & Sheila Nadler
Jeffrey S. Norman
Dr. Christy Oliver
Wayne C. Paglieri &
Jessalyn Chang
Dr. Kalmon D. Post &
Linda Farber Post
Dr. Samantha Pozner &
Andrew Hickman
Caroline & Harry Pozycki
Chali Prasper
Cecile & Trevor Prince
Jonathan & Bethany
Rabinowitz
Lawrence A. Raia
Brent N. Rudnick
Jeremy & Tony Saccente
Barbara Sager
Mr. & Mrs. Newton B. Schott
Rita & Leonard Selesner
Mr. & Mrs. Floyd Shapiro
Diana & Laurence Smith
Elaine Staley
Kate S. Tomlinson &
Roger Labrie
Mr. & Mrs. R. Charles
Tschampion
Mr. & Mrs. David S. Untracht
Kathryn Vermilye
Drs. Radha & Rao V. Vinnakota
Lisa Webber
Dr. Joy Weinsteun &
Dr. Bruce Forman
Lloyd Williams
Mr. & Mrs. Pat Wood
Gary & Wendy Young
Richard Zaborowski
supporter
Lara Abrash & Gary Guth
Cheryl Adams
Anonymous
Lisa & Scott Braunstein
Nadine Brechner
James & Sharon Briggs
Eloyd O. Britt
Dr. Kimberly Brown &
Parkway Eye Care Center
Marcia Wilson Brown
Calvin Carver
Mary Beth Charters
Arthur Connolly
Martha Cybyk
Maryanne & David R. Dacey
Aliah Davis-McHenry
& Brian McHenry
Elizabeth Del Tufo
Suzanne Deluca-Warner
Walter Douglas
Eleanor & John Dunn
Carylmead Eggleston
Sybil Eng & Tad Roselund
Michael Etkin
Edward W. Fagan
Sanford & Zella Falzenberg
Laura Fuhro
Dr. Ronald Gandelman &
Dr. Elizabeth Mitchell
Claudia & Kenneth
Louis Gentner
Maureen & Subhendu Ghosh
David H. Gibbons , Jr.
Clifford & Karen Goldman
Mr. & Mrs. Charles C.
Goodfellow
Donna Grant
Wayne & Catherine Greenfeder
Lonnie & Bette Hanauer
Ryan P. Haygood, Esq.
Joseph Hunte
Richard & Cindy Johnson
Mary & David Jones
Leah & Rich Kabrt
Dr. & Mrs. John W. Kennedy
Andrea & Jason Kimmel
Courtney Koch &
Patrick DeWald
Joan M. Kram
Vani Krishnamurthy
Nancy Laird
Mark & Sheryl Larner
Deborah Lashley &
Harrison Snell
Dorothy Litwin-Brief
Janet Lonney
Edward Mafoud
Santa & Michael R. Mallon
Melissa Walker &
Christian McBride
Howard & Peggy Menaker
Ray Merchant
Hector Mislavsky &
Judy Martinez
Drs. Douglas & Susan Morrison
William & Patricia O’Connor
Mark Pentelovitch
Doren Pettiford
Charles M. Piscitelli
Jay R. Post, Jr. CFP
Douglas & Susan Present
Amy & Reginald Pretto
Gusta A. Pritchett
Oliver B. Quinn
Charity Quinn & Mark Yecies
Bidisa Rai
Frank Rand
Nogah Revesz
Diane Ridley-White
William A. Robinson
Ina & Mark Roffman
Richard W. Roper
Joel Rosen
Jeffrey & Regina Roth
John & Alice Rubinstein
Suzanne & Richard Scheller
The Schiffenhaus Foundation
Drs. Rosanne S. Scriffignano
& Anthony Scriffignano
Karen & Roger Shults
Latoya Singleton
Richard Sodon
Marilyn & Leon Sokol
Linda & Brian Sterling
Beverly & Ed Stern
Stanley & Sharon Streicher
Linda Tancs
Jill Tarnow
Lola Tate-McGhee
Marilyn Termyna
Marva Tidwell
Louise & David J. Travis
Jon Ulanet
Paul & Sharlene Vichness
Dr. Deborah & Peter Vietze
Susan D. Wasserman
Jacqueline Williams
Ryan & Diana Woodring
Diane C. Youg, M.D., P.A.
+deceased
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
John Schreiber**
President & CEO
Natalie Farrell
Executive Assistant to
the President & CEO
David Rodriguez**
Executive Vice President &
Executive Producer
Timothy Lizura
Senior Vice President,
Real Estate & Capital Projects
Valerie Fullilove*
Executive Assistant
Chelsea Keys*
Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives
& Institutional Governance
Alyson Maier Lokuta
Senior Director, Arts & Well-Being
ARTS EDUCATION
Jennifer Tsukayama*
Vice President, Arts Education
Shannon Pulusan
Special Assistant to
Arts Education VP
Rosa Hyde*
Senior Director, Performances &
Special Events Operations
Victoria Revesz*
Senior Director,
Arts Education Operations
Natalie Dreyer
Director, Arts Integration
Mark Gross*
Director, Jazz Instruction
Jennie Wasserman
Director, City Verses
Ashley Mandaglio*
Associate Director, Professional
Learning & Programs
Roe Bell*
Senior Manager, School &
Community Programs
Kristine Marrone
Senior Manager, CRM & Business
Operation
Alonzo Blalock
Manager, In-School Programs
Justin DePaul
Manager, Arts Education
Office & Facilities
Daniel Silverstein*
Manager, Onsite Programs
Rene Velez-Torres
Manager, Youth & Emerging
Artist Development
Kimberly Washington
Manager, Marketing,
Sales & Recruitment
Randal Croudy
Coordinator, Arts Education
Performances
Demetria Hart
Coordinator, City Verses
Steven Hayet
Coordinator, Business Operations
Angela Peletier
Coordinator, Professional
Learning & Training
Antonella Sanchez
Coordinator, Program Operations
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Eyesha Marable*
Assistant Vice President,
Community Engagement
Daniela Fonseca
Associate Producer
Marcus Beckett
Associate Producer
Alessandra Izaguirre
Coordinator
DEVELOPMENT
Amy Fitzpatrick
Vice President, Development
Sarah Rosen*
Managing Director,
Women@NJPAC
Mariah Gibson
Associate Managing Director,
Women@NJPAC
Joshua Adler
Director, Major Gifts
Deborah Purdon
Director, Research &
Prospect Management
Valerie Blau
Associate Director,
Corporate Giving
Rolston Cyril Watts*
Associate Director,
Philanthropic Operations
Harris Cabrera
Senior Manager,
Foundation Relations
Gabrielle DeGaetano*
Manager, Membership
Stacey Joseph
Manager, Development
Kemar Brown
Coordinator, Gift Processing
& Database
Salina Lostan
Coordinator, Corporate Relations
Angela Woodack
Coordinator, Major Gifts
FINANCE
Lennon Register
Vice President, Chief
Financial Officer
Yolanda Doganay
Assistant Vice President,
Controller
Mary Jaffa****
Assistant Vice President, Finance
Monique Cook*
Senior Financial Analyst
Manuela Silva****
Senior Accountant, Payroll
Inger Parsons
Staff Accountant,
Accounts Payable
Shannon Sorhaindo
Staff Accountant,
Accounts Receivable
PEOPLE & ORGANIZATION
Beth Silver
Vice President, Chief People Officer
Ginny Bowers Coleman****
Director, Volunteer Services
Taheerah Smiley*
Senior Manager,
People & Organization
Donna Walker-Kuhne*
Senior Advisor, Diversity,
Equity & Inclusion
Sarina Nieves
Assistant/Receptionist,
People & Organization
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES
Andre Mutovic
Vice President,
Chief Technology Officer
Ernie DiRocco***
Assistant Vice President,
Infrastructure & Operations
Carl Sims****
Director, Cyber Security
Heather Olsen
Senior Director,
Platform Applications
Cayla Belnavis
Associate Director,
CRM & Business Operations
Rodney Johnson***
Analyst, IT & Telecom Support
Jad Mustafa
Lead, Data & Business Intelligence
Laxmi Rondla
Junior Salesforce Developer
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Katie Sword**
Vice President,
Marketing & Communications
Danielle Vauters*
Senior Manager, Institutional
Marketing & Operations
Yesenia Jimenez****
Senior Director,
Ticket Sales & Service
Tina Boyer*
Director, Creative Services
Jenifer Braun*
Director, Editorial Content
Nicole Craig****
Director, Ticket Sales & Service
Charlene A. Roberts*
Director, Performance Marketing
Patricia Ryan
Creative Art Director
Katie Stein
Director,
Digital Marketing & Content
Erik Wiehardt***
Director, Ticketing CRM & Data
Fallon Currie*
Senior Manager, CRM
& Business Operations
Latoya Dawson*
Senior Manager,
Performance Marketing
Doris Ann Pezzolla****
Senior Graphic Designer
Frances Lassor
Graphic Designer
Shira Vickar-Fox
Creative Storyteller/Writer
April Jeffries*
Senior Ticket Sales &
Service Specialist
Daryle Charles**
Specialist, Ticket Sales & Service
Veronica Dunn-Sloan***
Specialist, Ticket Sales & Service
Robin Polakoff*
Specialist, Ticket Sales & Service
Darren DeBose
Manager, Box Office
Shakiru Bola Okoya
Manager, Multimedia Production
Anthony Toto
Manager, Email Marketing
Alexis Green
Coordinator, Digital Marketing
Ashlee Nolan
Coordinator, Creative Services
Nicola Alexander
Assistant, Creative Services
Sarah Petrik
Junior Graphic Designer
Jana Thompson*
Box Office Representative
Angela Thomas
Consultant, Performance
Public Relations
OPERATIONS
Chad Spies***
Vice President,
Operations & Real Estate
Anthony Rosta*
Director, Facilities
David Dias
Director, Security, Safety,
Traffic & Parking
Francisco Soto**
Manager, Operations Support
& Services
Meredith Hull*
Manager, Operations & Events
Hernan Soto****
Senior Supervisor, Operations
Support Staff
Tyrone Boyd*
Operations Support Staff
Jose Rivera
Operations Support Staff
Ernest Thompson
Coordinator, Mailroom &
Operations Support Staff
George Gardner****
Painter
Todd Tantillo****
Chief Engineer
J. Dante Esposito****
Assistant Chief Engineer
Brian Cady***
Maintenance Engineer
Sherman Gamble***
Maintenance Engineer
Mariusz Koniuszewski**
Maintenance Engineer
Thomas Amory
Maintenance Engineer
Thomas Dixon****
Manager, Safety & Security
Robin Jones***
Senior Director,
House Management
LaMont Akins****
House Manager
Sabrina Ceballo
House Manager
Cynthia Hamlett-Robinson****
Assistant House Manager
Jerry Battle**
Head Usher
Tracey Robinson*
Head Usher
PRODUCTION
Chris Moses***
Assistant Vice President,
Performance Operations
Christopher Staton**
Senior Production Manager
Crystal Cowling*
Production Manager
Megan Barry
Assistant Production Manager
Rachel Macleod*
Production Coordinator
William Worman****
Head Carpenter
Mario Corrales****
Assistant Head Carpenter
Bryan Danieli***
Assistant Head Carpenter
Naheem Wright**
Specialist Carpenter
Jan Clark
Head Electrician
Brian Lenahan
Assistant Head Electrician
Gumersindo Fajardo
Specialist Electrician
Eric Johnson
Head of Audio
John DiCapua*
Assistant Head Audio
John Finney***
Assistant Head Audio
Amere Jenkins**
Specialist Audio
Daniel Pagan*
Video Crew Chief
Allison Wyss****
Senior Artist Assistant
Suzanne Santry
Artist Assistant
Sarah Lopez
Artist Assistant
Patrick Schultz
Artist Assistant
Bria Wheeler
Artist Assistant
Victoria Holmes
Artist Assistant
Kailyn Bailey
Artist Assistant
Lowell Craig***
Artist Assistant
Loni Fiscus*
Artist Assistant
PROGRAMMING
Evan White****
Vice President, Programming
Simma Levine
Producer, Special Projects
Craig Pearce**
Producer, Festivals & Performances
Kitab Rollins***
Senior Director,
Performance & Broadcast Rentals
Kira M. Ruth****
Senior Manager,
Programming Operations
SPECIAL EVENTS
Austin Cleary***
Assistant Vice President,
Sales & Planning, NJPAC Events
Service Recognition
* * * * 20+ years
* * * 15+ years
* * 10+ years
* 5+ years
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season funders as of December 31, 2022
NJPAC is grateful to the following partners for their commitment and investment in our mission.
Reggae sensation and NJPAC
all-star Beres Hammond on
stage in Prudential Hall.
Official Sponsors:
Official Sponsor of the
Spotlight Gala
Official Airline of NJPAC Official Imaging Supplier of NJPAC Media Sponsor
major support also provided by:
The Chambers Family & The MCJ Amelior Foundation
Judy & Stewart Colton
Toby & Leon Cooperman
Betty Wold Johnson+
The Blanche & Irving Laurie Foundation
The Smart Family Foundation/David S.
Stone, Esq., Stone & Magnanini
John Strangfeld & Mary Kay Strangfeld Foundation
The Josh Weston Family
additional support provided by:
Audible, Inc.
Joan+ & Allen Bildner+ Family Fund
Edison Properties Newark Foundation/The Gottesman Family
Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation
The Griffinger Family
William J. & Paula Marino
McCrane Foundation, Inc., care of Margrit McCrane
PNC
The Ryan Family
Steinway & Sons
Michael & Jill Tanenbaum
New Jersey Cultural Trust
Turrell Fund
John & Suzanne Willian/Goldman Sachs Gives
+deceased
“Our work is rooted
in our belief in the
extraordinary power
of the arts — and our
belief that we’re all in
this together.”
— Jennifer Tsukayama, VP, Arts Education
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new jersey performing arts center
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