ArtPride New Jersey believes in the importance of providing the knowledge and tools necessary to advance our industry while making networking opportunities available to our members, community leaders, and the creative sector. We hope you'll join us at one of the upcoming professional development events we either produce or partner with other organizations to make available to the field.
If you need accessibility assistance in order to attend an ArtPride webinar or in-person event, please contact adam@artpridenj.org a minimum of two weeks in advance of the event.
Creating Change 2026: Community and Culture Shift
October 28, 2026
9:00 am - 4:30 pm
Count Basie Center for the Arts
(Red Bank, NJ)
The Creating Change Summit is an annual in-person gathering of the arts and culture community focused on learning, inspiration, and action as we move together toward a more just, equitable, accessible, and anti-racist arts sector. Creating Change 2026 will be a space for connection, learning, and practice of foundational skills for cross-sector partnership.
The summit sessions will collectively offer a toolkit for building community, solidarity, and collective power in the arts and beyond. This year’s summit will prioritize relational tools that build connection to build collective power and push back against fragmentation, fracture, and isolation used by people and systems that hoard power and perpetuate oppression. The Creating Change Network is a program of New Jersey Theatre Alliance in partnership with ArtPride New Jersey, with a mission to build a more equitable, just, accessible, and anti-racist arts community in New Jersey.
Presented in partnership with the New Jersey Theatre Alliance.
ArtsPay NJ Learning: Staff Onboarding and Orientation
November 12, 2026
10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Zoom Meeting
In this training, you will hear from an experienced HR professional about recommended practices and procedures related to onboarding new staff members. Based on the 2025 ArtsPay NJ survey findings, a significant number of workers report that they don’t know the details of their benefits, including PTO and health insurance, and are unclear on important details of their organization, such as budget size or funding structure. This training aims to give practical, manageable suggestions for how to ensure that new staff have a clear understanding of the organization, their benefits, and their job responsibilities.
Facilitator: Diane L. Parker is a proven leader in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategy and Human Resource Management with over two decades of experience in media and the financial services industry. Diane most recently served as Vice President and Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at PGIM Fixed Income, the investment management firm for Prudential, headquartered in Newark, NJ.
Cultural Planning: A Tool for Local Economic Impact 
November 17, 2026
2:00 pm
New Jersey League of Municipalities Conference | Room 320
Atlantic City Convention Center
(Atlantic City, NJ)
How can municipalities turn the value of arts and culture into action? This panel will explore how New Jersey communities use cultural planning, partnerships, and placemaking to support economic development, downtown revitalization, and community identity. Attendees will gain practical strategies for launching cultural planning efforts, securing buy-in, and demonstrating measurable community impact.
Presiding Mayor: The Honorable Mayor Jason Cilento of Dunellen
Panelists:
Barbara Bickart, Senior Advisor, Arts & Culture, New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA)
Ken Leap, President, ReImagine Runnemede
Jenn Hampton, Vice President, Asbury Park Arts Council
Carrie Turner, Executive Director, Asbury Park Arts Council
ArtPride New Jersey + AC Arts Foundation Reception: An Evening Recognizing Barbara Bickart
League of Municipalities Conference
November 18, 2026
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Bar 32 | Iron Room
121 S Tennessee Ave
(Atlantic City, NJ)
ArtPride New Jersey and the Atlantic City Arts Foundation invite municipal leaders, arts advocates, and community partners to a special reception celebrating the power of the arts in strengthening New Jersey’s downtowns and communities. The evening will recognize Barbara Bickart, Senior Advisor of Arts and Culture at the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) for her leadership and investment in arts-driven economic and community development, with a special focus on the impact of the A.R.T. and CAFE programs.
Come connect with colleagues from across the state and celebrate the artists, organizations, and public partners using creativity to activate public spaces, draw people downtown, and contribute to more vibrant communities throughout New Jersey.
ArtsPay NJ Learning: Developing and Updating Employee Handbooks
January 21, 2027
10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Zoom Meeting
Join a legal expert in employment law to learn about the importance of and steps to developing employee handbooks as a way to protect your organization, communicate your values to employees, and provide clarity about company culture and policy. Based on the results of the 2025 ArtsPay NJ survey, a significant number of organizations report not having a handbook, and many employees report a lack of understanding about company policies and benefits. This session will offer practical and actionable steps to creating or updating employee handbooks where that information is consolidated and clearly communicated to all employees. Additionally, our facilitator will speak to employee classification (exempt, non-exempt, and independent contractors) and how to ensure that your handbook provides clarity around different categories of employment..
Facilitator: Brigitte Gladis has more than a decade of experience litigating complex employment and commercial matters in New Jersey federal and state courts, from the outset of the litigation process through trial. Her practice currently focuses on representing public and private employers in all aspects of employment litigation, including defending claims of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.
