Report To The Community 2022

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