Passaic County Community College, Cultural Affairs

Housed in the historic Hamilton Club Building, which was established in 1897 as a gentleman’s club and purchased and refurbished by Passaic County Community College in 1995, the Cultural Affairs Department is comprised of the nationally renowned Poetry Center, the Theater and Poetry Project, the PCCC Art Galleries, Passaic County Cultural & Heritage Council, and the Folklife Center of Northern NJ. The various centers, programs, and events the Cultural Affairs Department oversees are here.

Established in 1980 by Maria Mazziotti Gillan, the Passaic County Cultural & Heritage Council (PCCHC) is the officially designated county arts, cultural and heritage agency, granting state funds annually to approximately 40 Passaic County organizations. Through its local arts and history programming, the PCCHC strives to reflect the diversity and preserve the ethnic traditions and cultures of its communities. Often, events reach beyond local residents, however, drawing an audience from surrounding counties.

In addition, PCCHC-funded organizations provide essential outreach to the inner City and other underserved communities, enriching lives through arts and history programming. For example, Paterson youth benefit from activities offered by the Paterson Youth Photography Project at Oasis, a non-profit that promotes art appreciation through photography workshops and exhibits. Another non-profit, Halls That Inspire creates message-based murals with students in the Paterson Public Schools and other communities throughout Passaic County.