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For Immediate Release
May 4, 2015
Contact: Monica Coffey
(609) 272-6921
“Building a Creative Community” program will focus on sustainability and the arts
This free event is sponsored by the Sustainable Jersey Atlantic-Cape May Hub
The Sustainable Jersey Atlantic-Cape May Hub will host "Building a Creative Community" on
Wednesday, May 20, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Noyes Arts Garage in Atlantic City. The program will
showcase how the arts play a key role in sustaining our communities and will help bring the
environmental and arts communities together. Local green teams, municipal officials and interested
members of the public are welcome to attend this free event.
Speakers include Bill Horin of ArtC (www.artcnow.com) who will highlight local art projects and Karen
Pinzolo, Director of Community Engagement for ArtPride, (www.artpridenj.com) who will talk about
how communities can begin to create a vision and compile a Creative Assets Inventory. Also presenting
will be Cape May City Mayor Ed Mahaney and members of Cape May’s Creative Team who will share
their experience in establishing their Creative Team and completing a Creative Assessment
Inventory as well as how they continue to refine the Pedestrian City Trail that connects
arts/historic/cultural/recreational/environmental/creative assets throughout Cape May City.
Establishing a Creative Team and developing a Creative Assets Inventory are actions under the
Sustainable Jersey program. These two actions are prerequisites to the Creative Placemaking Plan
action.
“Although the term ‘Creative Placemaking’ is relatively new, the concept has been around for quite
some time,” said Rick Dovey, Chairperson of the Sustainable Jersey Board of Trustees and President of
the Atlantic County Utilities Authority. “Creative Placemaking focuses on how arts and culture can
enhance community and economic development in sustainable ways. It’s about putting arts and culture
at the center of urban revitalization strategies and recognizing the value that they bring to even wellestablished communities. A Creative Placemaking Plan typically includes a set of strategies to make a
place more sustainable through – and for – arts and culture in ways that enhance the positive, distinct
qualities of the place and make the most of existing resources,” Dovey added.
“Not everyone makes the connection between arts and culture and sustainability, but knowing what
your community’s creative assets are can help your community to explore its strengths and discover
what makes it distinct,” said Lauren Skowronski, program director for community engagement at
Sustainable Jersey. “We’re excited to have such qualified speakers share their experiences and hopefully
inspire other communities to take on similar projects. In fact, this is exactly why Sustainable Jersey
created the Atlantic-Cape May Hub, to bring together local greens teams to share ideas and resources,”
Skowronski added.
Regardless of whether your municipality has a “green team” or is registered with Sustainable Jersey,
everyone is welcome to the event. There is no cost to attend, but interested residents and municipal
officials are encouraged to register online http://conta.cc/1DtzD5D. Parking is free for the first 50
registrants.
About Sustainable Jersey
Sustainable Jersey is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that provides tools, training and financial
incentives to support communities as they pursue sustainability programs. Currently, 422 of New Jersey’s
565 municipalities are participating in the sustainability certification program. In October, 2014 the
Sustainable Jersey for Schools program was launched in partnership with New Jersey School Boards
Association and other statewide educational organizations.
Sustainable Jersey’s partners include the New Jersey State League of Municipalities, The Sustainability
Institute at The College of New Jersey, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the
New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) Clean Energy Program. Program underwriters include the
Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the Surdna Foundation and BPU. Sustainable Jersey Small Grants program
cycles have been underwritten by Walmart, PSEG, Gardinier Environmental Fund and the New Jersey
Department of Health. Sponsors include South Jersey Gas, New Jersey Natural Gas, Church and Dwight,
Covanta, Energy Solve, Terhune Orchards, Bayshore Recycling, Good Energy, EcoMatters, Spiezle
Architectural Group, Waste Management of New Jersey, Investors Bank, Concord Engineering, Pennoni
Associates, Inc., and Gabel Associates. Sustainable Jersey for Schools is underwritten by the New Jersey
Association of School Boards and the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) Clean Energy Program. The
Sustainable Jersey for Schools founding sponsors are South Jersey Gas, New Jersey Natural Gas and NJM
Insurance Group. Additional funding is provided by the Foundation for Educational Administration and the
Bayer Foundation.
Website:
Facebook:
Twitter:
www.SustainableJersey.com
http://www.facebook.com/SustainableJersey
www.twitter.com/SJ_Program
About the Atlantic-Cape May Hub
The Atlantic-Cape May Hub is one of five active groups throughout New Jersey that Sustainable Jersey is
facilitating to strengthen collaboration and sustainability initiatives at the local level. Currently 77 percent
of municipalities in Atlantic and Cape May counties are participating in the Sustainable Jersey program.
About the Noyes Art Garage
The Noyes Arts Garage Stockton University is the cornerstone of the new Arts District in Atlantic City with
a mission to promote education, provide resources for emerging artists, and enrich the community. The
Arts Garage houses 15 artist studios, galleries, shops, a café, a flexible classroom studio, and hosts special
events throughout the year. It includes a 1,200 square ft. satellite gallery of The Noyes Museum of Art, the
new home of the African American Heritage Museum of Southern New Jersey and Atlantic City’s only Fair
Trade Store.
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