Letter to the City: Rebuilding Trust in Our Arts Ecosystem
Letters to the City is a blog series from Jersey City Arts Council Executive Director Deonté Griffin-Quick. Each letter explores themes, ideas, and observations that shape the continued success of our arts community. Rooted in curiosity, these letters invite us to collaborate, engage, and take action.
Written by Deonté Griffin-Quick
What is trust? What does it mean to be trustworthy? And what do we need to feel safe enough to extend our trust?
These are questions I’ve been asking myself over the past several months. The arts and cultural sector—both nationally and here in Jersey City—is experiencing a defining moment that will shape our trajectory for years to come. As the safety nets we once depended on begin to fray, we are challenged to reexamine our policies, practices, and plans. We would be remiss not to acknowledge the harm, broken trust, and displacement that continue to affect our artistic and social communities. Harm between people, institutions, and systems—often fueled by broken promises or shortsighted interests—creates barriers to the collective progress we all seek.
In my last Letter to the City, I extended an invitation to join Jersey City Arts Council (JCAC) in imagining a new future for our organization and our broader arts community. Yet extending that invitation also comes with a responsibility: to ensure that those we invite feel they can trust us as we navigate the unknown together.
As I continue to attend gatherings in the community, I meet with artists, policymakers, funders, organizational leaders, partners, and community members. I am reminded of how vital it is to ensure alignment before we collaborate or embark on ambitious initiatives. Trust is the foundation that allows creativity, innovation, and collaboration to thrive.
At JCAC, we believe that building and sustaining trust requires a shared framework—one that centers transparency, listening, capacity, accountability, specificity, and values alignment.
Transparency builds understanding through openness about policies, how decisions are made, and how resources are allocated.
Listening ensures all voices are heard and respected.
Building capacity allows us to follow through on our commitments responsibly.
Accountability keeps us grounded in action and our mission.
Specificity ensures clarity in what we ask of our community, artists, partners, grantees, and funders.
Values alignment reminds us to act in integrity with our mission and one another.
This framework is not just a concept—it’s a call to action. It invites us to rethink how we show up, how we collaborate, and how we move forward together.
At JCAC, we are committed to applying these principles in all we do, from our partnerships and advocacy to the way we serve our local arts community. Cultivating trust requires building relationships that are genuine and intentional, rather than transactional, so that collaboration and connection can truly flourish.
We invite you to join us in this work. Whether you are an artist, partner organization, policymaker, or neighbor, your voice and your trust matter. Together, we can build an arts ecosystem in Jersey City rooted in transparency, care, and shared purpose.