publicart
atnjpac
about the initiative
NJPAC – an anchor cultural institution for the city of Newark and state of New Jersey – is building a brand new downtown neighborhood on the parking lots surrounding our theaters. When it’s completed, our campus will include new mixed-income residential buildings, retail spaces, parks, education, rehearsal and community space.
To activate this redeveloped campus and contribute to Newark’s thriving public art scene, NJPAC commissioned thirteen new public artworks to be installed in locations across our campus, both indoors and out.
This new public art program, created in partnership with Project for Empty Space, weaves together stories in sound, movement, and community – vital elements of all of NJPAC’s work both on stage and off – using installations and interactive experiences to illuminate the cultural life of our community. Each work traces a story of evolution—stories of past, present and tomorrow carried forward through the lens of music, spoken word, dance, and performance. In Newark, these traditions continue to flourish through grassroots arts programs, youth initiatives, and public gatherings, sustaining a vibrant dialogue between generations. Through this layering of history, rhythm, and movement, Stories in Sound, Movement, and Community illustrates an institution, a city and a community in constant evolution.
This remarkable group of artists, all with community-engaged practices, are creating pieces that will help envision and energize this new neighborhood. These works of art capture both the spirit and mission of NJPAC and the energy of our home city, Newark. Installation of the artworks is scheduled to coincide with the completion of the ArtSide, developed in partnership with LMXD, and Cooperman Center construction phases throughout 2026 and 2027.
meet the artists
Nina Chanel Abney
Damien Davis
Antoinette Ellis-Williams
Matilda Forsberg
Haemee Han
Layqa Nuna Yawar
Eirini Linardaki
Tom Nussbaum
Angela Pilgrim
Danielle Scott
Shoshanna Weinberger
These artists were selected by two distinguished juries comprised of artists, educators, curators, producers and culture workers.
Alliyah Allen — Independent Curator
Alyson Maier Lokuta — AVP, Arts & Well-Being, NJPAC
Ashley Mays — Chief Marketing Officer, Newark Alliance; President, Newark Happening
Chantal Fischzang — Interdisciplinary Designer; Associate Professor of Communication Design, Rutgers University–Newark; Co-Director, Design Consortium
Chelsea Keys — Senior Director, Social Impact, NJPAC
Elena C. Muñoz-Rodriguez — Assistant Curator, Latinx & Latin American Art, The Newark Museum of Art
Eyesha Marable — Assistant Vice President, Community Engagement, NJPAC
fayemi shakur — Director of Arts and Cultural Affairs, City of Newark
Jennifer Tsukayama — Vice President of Arts Education, NJPAC
John Schreiber — President and CEO, NJPAC
Kim Bernardin — Director, LMXD
Kitab Rollins — AVP, Performance and Broadcast Rentals, NJPAC
Lauren Craig — Executive Director, Newark Arts
Patricia Ryan — Senior Creative Director, NJPAC
Rebecca Pauline Jampol — Co-Director, Project for Empty Space
Sherri-Ann Butterfield — Senior Vice President, Social Impact, NJPAC
Stefon Harris — Co-Director, Express Newark; Founder & Director, Harmony Lab
Tamara Remedios — Director of Neighborhood Impact, Audible
Tim Lizura — Executive Vice President, Real Estate & Capital Projects, NJPAC
Victoria Walker — Director, Arts and Education District
Weiss/Manfredi — Multidisciplinary New York City–based design practice, Cooperman Center architect
Stories in Sound, Movement and Community is created in partnership with Project for Empty Space
