Founding NJPAC Vice President of Programming, Stephanie S. Hughley, Returns to Post

NEWARK, N.J., March 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Stephanie S. Hughley, founding VP of Programming for the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, will be returning to NJPAC on June 1st as VP of Programming and New Media. Ms. Hughley previously served as a member of the Arts Center's senior management team from 1995-1999, after which time she returned to Atlanta where she was appointed Executive Producer of the National Black Arts Festival (NBAF), for which she was the founding Artistic Director.

"Under Stephanie's leadership, NJPAC became known internationally for its unique mix of world-class and community-centered performances and activities," said Lawrence P. Goldman, NJPAC's President and CEO.

"I am excited about the thought of coming back to a place I know believes in what I believe - the power of art and culture to transform lives," said Hughley. "NJPAC has done an incredible job in presenting great artists for twelve seasons," she added. "What I hope to do is to look at what has been done, see what's relevant for today, and do more. In the end, it is about building on NJPAC's strengths and expanding into areas that have meaning and resonance for our audiences and what's going on in their lives right now."

Toward that end, Hughley has become a leading advocate for the use of technology, new media and social networking in creating interactive relationships with cultural audiences. "Today's world is all about technology," she said. "That's the reality. Of course, we will always want people to come to our theaters and have the live experience. Nothing will replace that. But, increasingly through technology, we have the opportunity to be in touch with our audiences instantly and consistently and make art and culture part of their lifestyles. I don't think we even know yet just how powerful all these technological tools can be in building arts participation."

Prior to joining NJPAC in 1995, Hughley was Theater and Dance Producer for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Cultural Olympiad and played an integral role in creating the Olympic Arts Festival that ran concurrently with the 1996 Olympic Games. Hughley also helped to conceive, develop and implement the groundbreaking Africa Exchange Program, an innovative cross-cultural six-year initiative funded by the Ford Foundation's Internationalizing New Work in the Performing Arts program.

In 2008, Hughley received the William Dawson Award from the Association of Arts Presenters for Programmatic Excellence for sustained achievement in programming. She is a graduate of Kent State University (B.S.) and Antioch College (M.Ed.) at Harvard University.

SOURCE New Jersey Performing Arts Center

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