It’s the most wonderful time of the year—if you work for or support one of the 564 municipalities in New Jersey. The League of Municipalities is once again taking over Atlantic City for its 111th Annual NJ League Conference this November 17-19, and ArtPride New Jersey has the distinct honor of ensuring that arts and culture has a place in the important conversations around how municipalities can build thriving communities all over New Jersey!
What is the League of Municipalities?
First established in 1915, the New Jersey State League of Municipalities is a non-partisan, non-profit voluntary association, designed to:
Further enhance the ability of New Jersey’s municipal governments to represent their constituents by:
- Acting as a forceful advocate for New Jersey’s municipalities before the State and federal governments.
- Serving as a definitive information clearinghouse and providing educational opportunities for elected and appointed officials.
- Providing networking opportunities and forums for discussions and sharing of mutual concerns.
[The New Jersey State League of Municipalities mission statement]
What is the NJ League Conference?
The NJ League Conference is the largest municipal conference in the country, providing a gathering place for local officials and professionals to connect, network, and learn.
Advance Registration is open through November 16th, though on-site registration will remain an available option as well.
Vincent Hall, Director of Advocacy Operations for ArtPride New Jersey explains how crucial this forum is for cultivating relationships between municipal leaders and advocating for local-level changes that have a big impact. “It is a great opportunity for people on the municipal level to interact with those who provide all different kinds of services for municipalities. This can be anyone from health and human services, waste management, police and fire; all of the services that keep a municipality running,” he says.“It's kind of like a trade show, to be quite honest, because the convention floor is given over to nearly 1,000 booths. What it becomes is an opportunity for attendees to interact with these vendors, organizations, municipal utilities, for-profits and more who hold a booth at the conference.”
For the past twelve years, ArtPride New Jersey has held a presence at the conference. This year, the organization will have a booth on the conference floor, and encourages all attendees to stop by and discuss public art with them. If you can’t catch them on the floor, there will be additional avenues to learn about ArtPride New Jersey through their panel discussion and reception opportunities.
In addition to building and expanding relationships with municipal leaders, ArtPride New Jersey also acts as a resource—sharing information and data around how the arts can catalyze local economic development, as well as sharing opportunities for learning and growth, such as through their Mayor's Committee on Arts and Culture.
Cultural Planning: A Tool For Local Economic Impact
ArtPride will host a panel entitled “Cultural Planning: A Tool for Local Economic Impact” on Tuesday, November 17th at 2pm in Room 320:
Arts and culture are increasingly recognized as essential tools for economic development, downtown revitalization, and community identity, but how do municipalities move from recognizing that value to putting it into practice?
This panel will explore how New Jersey communities have successfully integrated arts and culture into local planning, economic development, and placemaking efforts. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for initiating cultural planning efforts, building cross-sector partnerships, securing buy-in, and demonstrating measurable community impact.
Vanessa Ramalho, Director of External Relations at ArtPride New Jersey says, “As in previous years, our focus remains the integration of arts and culture in the spaces where we live our daily lives. This year’s panel is a bit more concrete in that mission as we bring in representatives from municipalities who have found innovative ways to elevate arts and culture as a community development strategy into their city planning. It will be a dynamic, fun panel representing municipalities from all across the state. Regardless of how big or small your municipality is, or where you are in your public arts journey, you will be able to see yourself in this conversation and leave with tangible, concrete guidance to move forward with this kind of work in a sustainable way.”
Panelists include Barbara Bickart, Senior Advisor, Arts & Culture, New Jersey Economic Development Authority; Jenn Hampton, Vice President of Asbury Park Arts Council; J. Kenneth Leap, President of Reimagine Runnemede; and Carrie Turner, Executive Director of Asbury Park Arts Council. Mayor Jason Cilento of Dunellen will serve as moderator.
ArtPride New Jersey and the Atlantic City Arts Foundation Reception
In addition to the two aforementioned opportunities, ArtPride New Jersey will be honoring Barbara Bickart, Senior Advisor, Arts & Culture New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) with a reception at Bar 32/Iron Room on November 18th from 5 to 7pm. Bickart is being celebrated for her leadership and investment in arts-driven economic and community development, with a special focus on the impact of the Activation Revitalization and Transformation (A.R.T) Phase II Program.
We have previously covered Bickart’s efforts in support of both the A.R.T. PHASE I and II programs on our industry blog, Voices from the Field, as well as a number of grantees who have applauded her for her support.
The happy hour reception not only celebrates the innovative work of the NJEDA in leveraging the arts for economic development,but offers an opportunity for newcomers and past attendees alike to network and enjoy a bit of the Atlantic City arts and culture scene outside of the conference hall.
