Twenty-two years ago, ground was broken for NJPAC, a premier performing arts center in a languishing section of Downtown Newark. Four visionaries who took the idea of NJPAC and turned it into a reality – Thomas H. Kean, former Governor of New Jersey; Raymond G. Chambers, Founding Chairman of NJPAC; Lawrence P. Goldman, Founding President and CEO of NJPAC; and Sharpe James, former Mayor of Newark – will reunite this evening to reminisce in a panel discussion, Present at the Creation: How a Dream Came to Be. John Schreiber, NJPAC’s President and CEO, joins the conversation as moderator.
This one-of-a-kind, historic evening offers a behind-the-scenes look as these leaders impart their personal recollections of the genesis of NJPAC, its impact on the revitalization of Newark, and anecdotes about the complicated process of moving from blueprint to brick and mortar. Today NPAC has become symbol of Newark’s revitalization.
NJPAC began in 1986 as just a grand plan, a belief voiced by then-Governor Thomas H. Kean that New Jersey deserved its own world-class performing arts center. Ultimately it was decided there was no better place for a Jersey arts center to take root than in Downtown Newark; a building that would not only host the world’s greatest performers, but also act as a catalyst for revitalizing the state’s largest city.
After gaining vital public sector support and an unprecedented wave of philanthropy from individuals, corporations and foundations, NJPAC broke ground in 1993 on the site of the former Military Park Hotel. Architect Barton Myers designed the building, with Newark’s industrial heritage as inspiration. A momentous opening celebration on October 18, 1997 included the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Tango X2, Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Chita Rivera, Savion Glover and American Ballet Theatre. The performance later aired on PBS’ Great Performances.
Since opening night, NJPAC has attracted nearly 9 million visitors and reached more than a million Newark and New Jersey children with innovative arts education programs. The free outdoor Horizon Foundation Sounds of the City concert series has attracted thousands every week in the summertime. NJPAC hosted visits from two U.S. Presidents and the Dalai Lama, is home to the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival and James Moody Jazz Festival and provided the backdrop for several feature films, television shows and the blockbuster TV competition, America’s Got Talent. Today NJPAC is the artistic, cultural, educational and civic center of New Jersey — where great performances and events enhance and transform lives every day.
