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This plenary brings together regional leaders from Mural Arts Philadelphia, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Artworks Trenton, Newark Arts, and Camden FireWorks, whose work demonstrates that art and culture are not peripheral to public life, but are, in fact, constitutive of it. From large-scale mural initiatives and citywide arts advocacy to arts-and-wellness programming and neighborhood-based creative placemaking, the panelists will explore how cultural institutions function in systems of care that respond to the needs of individuals and communities alike. Grounded in the Summit’s theme of Community, Culture & Care, this session will show how artists move beyond programming toward long-term cultural production and stewardship while building resilient cities where creativity serves the public good.

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Panelist: Michael Chovan-Dalton

Michael Chovan-Dalton is a photographer, educator, curator, and podcaster. He is the creator of the podcast Real Photo Show and the co-creator and producer of PhotoWork with Sasha Wolf, he also consults for podcast startups. He is a professor and coordinator of Photography at Mercer County Community College in New Jersey and is the Director of the JKC Gallery in Trenton, New Jersey. He is a founding member of the Homecoming Biennial and a media partner for the Chico Review. Michael is also an occasional juror, and he collaborates on many photographic projects and shows with other artists and curators. His work is in the permanent collections of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and The Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art at the University of Oklahoma.

Chovan-Dalton received his BFA from the School of Visual Arts and his MFA from Columbia University.

Panelist: Lauren LeBeaux Craig

Lauren LeBeaux Craig is Executive Director of the Newark Arts Council and a cultural strategist dedicated to building sustainable creative infrastructure for artists and communities. A cum laude graduate of Spelman College and a graduate of Rutgers School of Law–Newark, she spent a decade practicing law before transitioning into arts leadership, where she now brings more than twenty years of experience across marketing, media, community engagement, artist advocacy, and cultural programming.

Since joining Newark Arts in 2016, LeBeaux Craig has played a key role in shaping Newark’s creative economy. She founded the organization’s marketing department and now leads initiatives that support artists, expand cultural access, and strengthen the city’s arts ecosystem. Under her leadership, the Newark Arts Festival has grown into the largest arts festival in New Jersey and a major driver of cultural tourism and artist opportunity.

A former gallery owner and past Executive Director of Art in the Atrium, she is also the author of 100 Things Newark, a cultural tourism guide featured in The New York Times, AP Travel, and The National. LeBeaux Craig integrates creativity, cultural stewardship, and wellness into her leadership, grounded in the belief that thriving cities are built by investing in artists and the communities that sustain them.

Panelist: Aly Maier Lokuta

Aly Maier Lokuta, MA (she/her) is the Assistant Vice President of Arts & Well-Being at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), where she leads innovative programming, research, evaluation, and education at the intersection of arts and health, serving communities in Newark and across New Jersey. A multidisciplinary artist, Aly stays well through creating visual art, writing, and playing guitar. Learn more about , , and her .

Panelist: Jazlyne Sabree

Jazlyne Sabree (b. 1990, New Jersey) is an interdisciplinary artist based in the Greater Philadelphia area. She received her Bachelors in Art from Clark Atlanta University, an HBCU in Atlanta, GA where she studied art and journalism. She then went on to become an art educator, returning to college to receive her Masters in Art Education at Boston University. She received her Masters in Fine Art at Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art. She is a recipient of the Clark Atlanta University Art Guild Award, the Linda Lora Pugliese Award for Excellence in Art Education, the PAFA Venture Fund Grant, MassMoCA Artist Residency, the AACC Fellowship at the Montclair Art Museum, and most recently the Mural Arts Fellowship for Black Artists. Additionally, she has been featured on platforms such as News 12, WHYY, several podcasts such as The Truth in this Art, and in many publications. She was also awarded a teaching artist residency in Monrovia, Liberia in West Africa at the Cachelle International Creative Arts Center, as well as the Casa Na Ilha Artist Residency in Ilhabela, São Paolo, Brazil. Her work is in the permanent collection of the Waldemar Belisário Museum in Ilhabela, São Paolo, Brazil, and the PAFA Museum in Philadelphia along with many other private collections.

Panelist: Craig Shofed

Craig Shofed has been a resident of Trenton, NJ for 20 years. Introduced to Artworks in 2007, he has remained actively involved with the organization. Following his second kidney transplant in 2011, Craig transitioned from a 20-year career as a Project Troubleshooter in IT to pursue his passion as a full-time artist, creating under the name C.a. Shofed. In 2018, he was appointed Managing Curator at the BSB Gallery in Trenton and joined the Artworks board. In 2022, Craig became the Managing Director of Artworks.

This session explores how artists, nonprofits, and higher education institutions function as civic infrastructure using creativity not simply to create programming, but also strategically to promote community care, economic vitality, identity-building, and belonging. Drawing from grassroots activism in Camden, Newark, and Atlantic City, socially engaged artistic practice, and Stockton’s academic leadership, the conversation will examine how artistic ecosystems can move beyond cultural events to sustain cultural stewardship. The discussion will focus on how creative placemaking becomes a form of care while supporting neighborhoods, empowering artists, and positioning universities as anchor institutions within regional cultural networks.

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Michael Atkins currently serves as the Executive Director of the , an independent nonprofit responsible for 105 mural commissions in Atlantic City. He is a communication strategist and multimedia producer with a passion for storytelling, civic engagement, and all things offbeat. Before his current role, Michael served as Communications Director for , a statewide policy nonprofit that advances placemaking and urbanism throughout the Garden State, and for Friends which organizes the largest urban river cleanup in the nation and promotes environmental awareness through poetry. Michael is a proud resident of Atlantic City and holds an appointed position on the Atlantic City Historic Preservation Commission. 

 

Layqa Nuna Yawar is a muralist and multidisciplinary artist whose large-scale public works blend portraiture, symbolism, and storytelling to explore migration, identity, and social justice. Rooted in his Kichwa-Kañari heritage, his practice centers on reclaiming history and amplifying underrepresented voices through collaborative, community-based projects. A Rutgers University graduate and lecturer, Layqa has created murals worldwide and worked with institutions such as MoMA PS1, the Public Art Fund, and NYFA. His work is permanently installed at sites including Newark Liberty International Airport’s Terminal A and Make the Road NY headquarters, and he has received numerous honors, including awards from the Newark Museum of Art and Open Society Foundations. 

 

Jazlyne Sabree (b. 1990, New Jersey) is an interdisciplinary artist based in the Greater Philadelphia area. She received her Bachelors in Art from Clark Atlanta University, an HBCU in Atlanta, GA where she studied art and journalism. She then went on to become an art educator, returning to college to receive her Masters in Art Education at Boston University. She received her Masters in Fine Art at Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art. She is a recipient of the Clark Atlanta University Art Guild Award, the Linda Lora Pugliese Award for Excellence in Art Education, the PAFA Venture Fund Grant, MassMoCA Artist Residency, the AACC Fellowship at the Montclair Art Museum, and most recently the Mural Arts Fellowship for Black Artists. Additionally, she has been featured on platforms such as News 12, WHYY, several podcasts such as The Truth in this Art, and in many publications. She was also awarded a teaching artist residency in Monrovia, Liberia in West Africa at the Cachelle International Creative Arts Center, as well as the Casa Na Ilha Artist Residency in Ilhabela, São Paolo, Brazil. Her work is in the permanent collection of the Waldemar Belisário Museum in Ilhabela, São Paolo, Brazil, and the PAFA Museum in Philadelphia along with many other private collections. 

Moderator: Ian Marshall is Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities and a Professor of Literature.  He specializes in Cultural Rhetoric, Modern American Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition. 

This breakout session will explore how arts organizations, artists, and institutional partners are redefining public health and community care through creative practice. Drawing on NJPAC’s work at the intersection of the arts, health, and healing; Camden-based artist Eric Montgomery’s community-grounded practice; and Michael Chovan-Dalton’s cultural leadership perspective, this session will examine how art functions as preventative care, trauma response, neighborhood stabilization, and social connection. The panelists will show how cultural programming can intentionally support mental health, civic belonging, intergenerational healing, and long-term community resilience.

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Erik James Montgomery is a fine art photographer whose narrative-based portraiture explores the beauty, complexity, and resilience of the Black experience. His work examines identity, race, history, and cultural memory, blending documentary awareness with conceptual staging to spark dialogue and reflection. A New Jersey native with over three decades of experience, he is also the founder and Executive Director of the EJM Foundation, which provides photography education to marginalized youth in Camden and beyond. Montgomery’s work has been widely exhibited, and he is currently completing his MFA in Fine Art Photography at the Academy of Art University, continuing his commitment to photography as a tool for storytelling, empowerment, and social change. 

Aly Maier Lokuta, MA (she/her) is the Assistant Vice President of Arts & Well-Being at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), where she leads innovative programming, research, evaluation, and education at the intersection of arts and health, serving communities in Newark and across New Jersey. A multidisciplinary artist, Aly stays well through creating visual art, writing, and playing guitar. Learn more about , , and her . 

Michael Chovan-Dalton is a photographer, educator, curator, and podcaster. He is the creator of the podcast Real Photo Show and the co-creator and producer of PhotoWork with Sasha Wolf, he also consults for podcast startups. He is a professor and coordinator of Photography at Mercer County Community College in New Jersey and is the Director of the JKC Gallery in Trenton, New Jersey. He is a founding member of the Homecoming Biennial and a media partner for the Chico Review. Michael is also an occasional juror, and he collaborates on many photographic projects and shows with other artists and curators. His work is in the permanent collections of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and The Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art at the University of Oklahoma. 

Chovan-Dalton received his BFA from the School of Visual Arts and his MFA from Columbia University.

Moderator: Brian Jackson 

Brian K. Jackson serves as Vice President for Community Engagement at ������ý, where he is responsible for developing strategies to connect Stockton more deeply with a wider range of community collaborators, in addition to leading the administration and operations of the Stockton Atlantic City Campus.  

Framed within the Summit’s theme of Culture, Community & Care, this session will consider how public art serves as both creative and communal expression. Our panelists, working artists, alongside leadership from Newark Arts, will examine how murals, installations, and socially engaged practices transform public spaces into platforms for storytelling, representation, and community dialogue.

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Manuela Guillén is a Philadelphia-based painter, muralist, and digital illustrator whose work is deeply influenced by her Cuban and Salvadorian heritage and her upbringing in Miami. Drawing inspiration from plants, tropical colors, and cultural identity, her vibrant practice explores themes of art education, mental health, sociopolitical awareness, and environmental sustainability. Guillén has collaborated with local, national, and international organizations, including Mural Arts Philadelphia, PangeaSeed, and the Gender Justice Fund, and her murals can be found across the United States and Mexico. In addition to her studio and public art practice, she is a dedicated art educator committed to inspiring creativity and using art as a tool to connect and uplift communities.

Danielle Cartier is a muralist and mixed media painter known for large-scale works that combine reconstructed materials, ephemera, and layered printmaking processes. Originally from Northern California, she holds a BFA from Sonoma State University and an MFA from the University of Pennsylvania. Her work has been exhibited nationally, and she has taught at several universities and community art centers across the region. Since 2017, Cartier has completed over fifty public murals throughout South Jersey. She currently teaches at Rowan University and ������ý and is the founder of DC Gallery & Studio in Millville, New Jersey, where she continues her studio practice and community-based work.

Lauren LeBeaux Craig is Executive Director of the Newark Arts Council and a cultural strategist dedicated to building sustainable creative infrastructure for artists and communities. A cum laude graduate of Spelman College and a graduate of Rutgers School of Law–Newark, she spent a decade practicing law before transitioning into arts leadership, where she now brings more than twenty years of experience across marketing, media, community engagement, artist advocacy, and cultural programming.

Since joining Newark Arts in 2016, LeBeaux Craig has played a key role in shaping Newark’s creative economy. She founded the organization’s marketing department and now leads initiatives that support artists, expand cultural access, and strengthen the city’s arts ecosystem. Under her leadership, the Newark Arts Festival has grown into the largest arts festival in New Jersey and a major driver of cultural tourism and artist opportunity.

A former gallery owner and past Executive Director of Art in the Atrium, she is also the author of 100 Things Newark, a cultural tourism guide featured in The New York Times, AP Travel, and The National. LeBeaux Craig integrates creativity, cultural stewardship, and wellness into her leadership, grounded in the belief that thriving cities are built by investing in artists and the communities that sustain them.

Moderator: Craig Shofed has been a resident of Trenton, NJ for 20 years. Introduced to Artworks in 2007, he has remained actively involved with the organization. Following his second kidney transplant in 2011, Craig transitioned from a 20-year career as a Project Troubleshooter in IT to pursue his passion as a full-time artist, creating under the name C.a. Shofed. In 2018, he was appointed Managing Curator at the BSB Gallery in Trenton and joined the Artworks board. In 2022, Craig became the Managing Director of Artworks. 

This interactive session explores the musical lineage of hip hop and its deep roots in earlier Black musical traditions, including Jazz, Gospel, Disco, Soul, and Rhythm and Blues. Rather than emerging suddenly in the late twentieth century, hip hop developed from a long continuum of Black musical innovation that emphasized rhythm, improvisation, storytelling, and community participation.

Through guided listening, discussion, and brief demonstrations, participants will trace how elements such as jazz improvisation, gospel call-and-response, soul’s emotional expression, and disco’s dance rhythms shaped hip hop’s sound and performance style. The session will also incorporate audience participation through call-and-response exercises and musical examples, illustrating how these participatory traditions remain central to hip hop culture. Together, participants will experience how hip hop reflects a living continuum of Black musical creativity. 

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Donnetrice C. Allison, Ph. D, serves as Professor of Communication Studies and Africana Studies at Stockton University in Galloway, NJ, and she is also the current chair of the Africana Studies Program. As a scholar, Dr. Allison has published several articles and offered dozens of conference presentations on media portrayals of African Americans.  

Creatively, Dr. Allison recently published a poem on the racial profiling of her son entitled, “A Simple Walk” with Birch Bark Editing, and she also wrote and produced a television pilot called Teaching While Black, which has been awarded, nominated, and screened at several film and television festivals. Her upcoming debut novel, A Mother’s Truth, loosely based on her journey to find her Nigerian roots through her mother’s stories will be published by Four Way Books in 2027. 

Beverly Vaughn is  Professor of Music, Performing Arts Program Coordinator, Vocal/Choral Program Coordinator  and an affiliate faculty member of the Africana Studies Program at Stockton University in Galloway, New Jersey,  She is a native of Columbus, Ohio and a graduate of Pine Forge Academy, La Sierra University in Riverside, California  with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and The Ohio State University where she completed both her  Master of Music degree and Doctor of Music degree - both in voice performance.   

Vaughn, a mezzo-soprano, made her operatic debut in as the Strawberry Woman in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess with the Graz (Austria) Opera followed by her debut as Nicklaus in Hoffman’s Erzahlungen (The Tales of Hoffman) with the Vienna Volksoper. She also received international critical acclaim for her performance as Hannah in the world debut of Sir Michael Tippett’s The Ice Break at the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden under the direction of Sir Colin Davis. She also received accolades for other operatic appearances such as her portrayal in the title role as Carmen in Opera Harlem’s seven-month, 11-country European tour of Carmen Jones.

She has presented vocal and choral workshops in singing technique and on topics such as the religious music traditions of African Americans, Principals of Effective Singing, Tips for Maintaining Vocal Health for Music Teachers, The Joy of Teaching by Rote (in collaboration with Kathleen Spadafino,), The Joy of Gospel Music, Musical Tools Students Can learn from Gospel Music, Gospel Music as part of the concert choir repertoire (in collaboration with Dr. Maredia Warren), etc. for choirs, universities, colleges, symposia, international  conferences and community organizations throughout the world  in countries which include  New Zealand, Israel, China, Jamaica, Austria, Grenada, Antigua, Greece, Spain, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Nigeria, Kenya, Brazil, Zanzibar, Australia,, Canada, Portugal, Seychelles, St. Thomas, etc., as well as throughout the United States and on regional, national, and international professional, academic, and conference zooms.