The Bergen Performing Arts Center

Bringing Creative Vitality to Northern New Jersey

The bergenPAC theater

Russ Berrie was passionately committed to fostering arts and culture in New Jersey and for many years provided operating and capital support to the John Harms Center, one of the major theatres in northern New Jersey that sponsored live performances of many well-known and talented musicians and artists. The John Harms Center closed several years ago due to excessive debt.

Under new board leadership and with a challenge grant from the Russell Berrie Foundation, it reopened as the Bergen Performing Arts Center, or bergenPAC in 2003. The Foundation’s challenge grant will provide a total of $3 million in matching funds, once bergenPAC has raised an equal amount. This challenge grant is part of a $15 million capital endowment fund-raising campaign that the Center is undertaking to build long-term financial stability. The Foundation awarded the first million dollars of its challenge grant in the summer of 2005 and the second million dollars in the summer of 2008.  

The bergenPAC auditorium has been renamed “Russell Berrie Hall” in honor of the Foundation’s seed gift.

The mission of bergenPAC is to make the live performing arts accessible to the entire community; and to build a creative home that guides and liberates the imagination of young people, inspires and expands the lives of adults, and attracts established and emerging artists of excellence and relevance.

Artists scheduled to appear in 2009 range from classical icons Jose Carreras and Itzhak Perlman, to popular performers such as Kenny Rogers and Michael McDonald.  The theater will also showcase comedy stars Bill Cosby, Jackie Mason and the Smothers Brothers and international acts such as the Acrobats of China and the Russian American Kids Circus.

In addition to performances, education has an important role at bergenPAC.  It has expanded its community programs to serve area schools by bringing the magic of live theatrical performances, master classes with visiting artists, and skills training in the performing and recording arts directly to students.  The new performing arts school at bergenPAC also offers professional-level acting, music, dance and confidence-building skills to underserved and at-risk children. 

This year, bergenPAC is partnering with the Englewood Public School District to create an accredited Regional Magnet School in the Fine and Performing Arts which will be located in the Russell C. Major Liberty School building in Englewood.  bergenPAC will use the school to offer theater enrichment programs as well as specialized courses to students for high school credit on a fee basis.  Non-credit enrichment programs in the arts will also be available to the community for those without the ability to pay.

“Recent contributions from the community enabled bergenPAC to reach its goal of raising $1 million for an endowment fund which triggered a matching grant from our good friends at the Russell Berrie Foundation.  This $2 million restricted endowment fund serves a critical function by providing a solid financial foundation to ensure that bergenPAC will be part of the community for your children and your children’s children.  It's a demonstration that we're here to stay," said bergenPAC President Frank Huttle III.

For more information on bergenPAC, please click the following link to be directed to the theater’s website:  http://www.bergenpac.org