Last night, the Chase Room at NJPAC was filled with people young and old who share a love for Newark arts and the role of NJPAC in Newark and in New Jersey since it was originally built.
On a panel discussing the challenges and triumphs that came with the audacious concept of building a world-class performing arts center in Newark, NJ were the 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 sat together and reminisced on the naysayers and those who championed the efforts to bring NJPAC to fruition.
There have truly been many unsung heroes and loud pessimists who all had their say when the idea was first brought to light. And the challenges included everything from local outcry, resistance from the state level, and even the discovery of buried remains beneath the ground!
