Voices From the Field

2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the United States, also recognized as the Semiquincentennial. Much has happened in our short tenure as a union, and we turn to the historians, and often the artists, among us to make sense of our storied and complicated past. Today’s voice from the field is Noelle Lorraine Williams, a Newark-based artist and historian, and Director of the African American...

In a nation easily threatened by the chaos of change, equity and diversity have become contentious in an increasingly polarized world. Despite their definitions reflecting fairness and justice , these words have been targeted as “radical” and antithetical to a healthy society. Statistics state otherwise. The benefits of DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) in the workplace are clear. According to HR...

Healthcare in the United States is a hot-button topic, inundating news media almost daily, and yet perhaps not a topic you would expect to appear in a conversation regarding the arts and humanities. However, the practice of social prescribing is slowly entering the mainstream, and organizations like the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) are working to ensure the practice thrives. The...

A vibrant mural beckons passersby with its bright yellow background and multicolored art, juxtaposed alongside the gray, muted colors of the surrounding buildings. The red text above its open windows reads “Brick N Kulture Event Space.” The neon and sparkling hues filling the mural are enough to inspire curiosity. Strangers wander into the adjoining Cultural Collective Café to ask questions, only...

These are tumultuous and uncertain times. The hyperpartisan nature of the United States’ political landscape is worrying, no matter where you find yourself on the political spectrum. There is one underlying yet indisputable fact dominating news cycles, and that is the division of these United States. As then-senatorial candidate Abraham Lincoln once said in 1858, "a house divided against itself...

In preparing to write this article about the importance of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority’s (NJEDA) funding and investment in the arts, I visited their website to learn more about their programming. The bevy of readily available information makes it clear just how much the NJEDA is doing to spark economic development in New Jersey through innovative strategies that are serving as a...

The nonprofit world and the arts world have been upended in recent months as the new administration’s policy changes have begun to take effect. A number of executive orders have been enacted since the beginning of the new term in January, so many that it can be difficult to track. The Americans for the Arts Action Fund has done a great job of breaking down the timeline and cataloging these orders...

Housing instability in New Jersey is rising at an alarming rate. Over 1 in 4 families do not have any emergency savings at all, creating economic struggle and the inability to afford basic necessities. While these facts are unsettling, organizations are working overtime to battle these conditions and support their community. HomeFront — founded by Connie Mercer and located in Lawrenceville, New...

The daunting task of building a nonprofit organization from the ground up is not for the faint of heart, as Cheryl Brass could attest. Brass is the Creator and Program Coordinator of the newly minted East Brunswick Symphony Orchestra. In her quest to grow the young organization, Brass thought first to partner with the dynamic conductor Nate White as her Artistic Director, and then with the city of...

“I sometimes feel like this, and I really feel a lot of courage after seeing this performance.” 5th grade student, Bridgewater, NJ These were the words of a student who’d just experienced an assembly performance “A Seat for Rosa,” performed by Yearning To Learn Inc through Young Audiences New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania (YANJEP or simply Young Audiences). In the performance, a child tells his...