For Vedra Chandler, Camden's Future Is a Work of Art

As a new doctoral student in Rutgers–Camden's public affairs program, Chandler is interested in how arts and cultural investment can serve as a catalyst for economic development and community revitalization.

Vedra Chandler has spent much of her life moving between worlds — from growing up in Camden to studying at Harvard, from performing on the road with the Broadway hit musical “Hairspray” to working in the city’s nonprofit and arts communities. Now, she is pursuing a Ph.D. in public affairs at Rutgers University–Camden, where she is examining how arts and culture can help cities thrive. 

“After college, when I was working as a professional actress, I would look at what it took to put a production together and the wide variety of different well-paying jobs that resulted from the show and wonder how – or even if – people from my own community knew these kinds of opportunities existed,” Chandler said. “That experience opened my eyes to the ways arts and culture can create economic opportunity, attract investment, and support entire communities. It made me think about what might be possible if cities like Camden intentionally invested in the arts as a catalyst for broader development and growth.”

The question is a deeply personal one for Chandler. Raised in Camden, she attended a highly ranked high school in a wealthy suburb outside the city and spent much of her childhood moving between communities that often felt worlds apart. The contrast left a lasting impression, fostering both a deep affection for her hometown and a growing curiosity about the forces that shape a city's opportunities, identity, and future.

“I knew early on that I was looking at an inequitable situation. I was literally driving 10 minutes, and I was in a different world,” Chandler said. “I remember asking my parents about it – they both grew up during the Civil Rights Movement, so they understood the history of racial injustice in Camden – but my Dad also has this eternal optimism about the city, in part because of what a salvation it was for his family.”

Chandler’s paternal family were sharecroppers who traveled north from South Carolina during the Great Migration, finding in Camden opportunities far beyond what they could have expected had they remained in the South. Her father carried that history with him, viewing Camden as a place that had transformed his family’s life and holding onto an enduring belief that the city could thrive again. Chandler shares that same sense of possibility – it is that sense of possibility that brought her home.

After nearly a decade performing across the country and around the world in productions including “Hairspray,” and Cirque du Soleil's “Kooza,” Chandler returned to Camden, bringing with her new ideas about the role arts and culture can play in the life of a city. 

The economic impact of a municipality’s focused investment in arts and culture is well known. A 2022 national study by Americans for the Arts found that nonprofit arts and culture generated $151.7 billion in economic activity, supporting 2.6 million jobs and $101 billion in personal income. Audiences also spent an average of $38.46 per person beyond the cost of admission at nearby restaurants, shops, parking facilities and other businesses. 

Back in Camden, Chandler knew the potential economic benefit an investment in arts and culture could have but was equally interested in how creative spaces and experiences can foster connection, civic pride, and a deeper sense of belonging.

Over the last decade, her belief in the power of the arts to strengthen neighborhoods and communities has only deepened through her work with organizations including The Neighborhood Center, the Camden Community Partnership, and the Heart of Camden, where she has used creativity to engage residents and reimagine Camden’s public spaces. She also serves as vice chair of the Camden County Cultural and Heritage Commission Advisory Board and was appointed to the New Jersey State Council on the Arts this past year.

Through her doctoral studies at Rutgers–Camden, Chandler hopes to build on her lived experience and community work to explore how an investment in arts and culture can create both economic opportunities and opportunities for residents to gather, connect, and develop a shared sense of identity and belonging. For her, the intersection of culture, economic opportunity, and community is central to imagining Camden’s future.

“I always knew I would come home, that I wanted to give back to Camden,” Chandler said. “It’s a privilege to be from a place that needs me. I hope my research helps elevate discussions about how we create places where people feel connected—to each other, to their community, and to a shared sense of home.”