Jeff Whetsone Named Director of Princeton University’s Program in Visual Arts

Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts has named award-winning photographer Jeff Whetstone as the new director of the University’s Program in Visual Arts. Whetstone has been a member of the visual arts faculty since 2015 and succeeds Martha Friedman, who has directed the program since 2016 and will return to teaching full-time.

Whetstone’s photographs and films imagine America through lenses of anthropology and mythology. His Post-Pleistocene series illuminates the depths of wild caves in Alabama and Tennessee where layers of human markings reveal millennia of cultural evolution. His ongoing New Wilderness project portrays a human-centric American wilderness and questions how human cultural connection to the wild is revealed in contemporary times. Whetstone’s artwork also investigates the role gender, geography, and heritage play in defining the human position in the natural world. A self-described biologist at heart, he explores the cyclical and evolving narrative of landscapes as a force that compels humans to adapt. His work varies considerably with each project, but always addresses the particularities of a place and explores interplay between geography and human experience. For Whetstone, the natural world is a cultural experience, and the built environment is firmly, yet problematically, situated within the web of nature. more

Fall Open House at Arts Council of Princeton

The Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) invites the community to a Fall Open House on Saturday, September 18 from 1-3 p.m.

Free and open to the public, the Fall Open House will feature the inaugural ACP Pottery Throwdown where attendees can watch ceramic artists in friendly competition while competing in various challenges on the potter’s wheel. In addition, each studio will be filled with opportunities to watch artists at work and discover the variety of classes and workshops the Arts Council has to offer, including painting and drawing, dance, textile art, clay, and more. more

Jasper Johns: “Mind/Mirror” Joint Exhibition

Flag, 1954–55, by Jasper Johns (American, born 1930) (The Museum of Modern Art, New York: Gift of Philip Johnson in honor of Alfred H. Barr, Jr., 106.1973) © Jasper Johns/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

From September 29 through February 13, 2022, patrons and art lovers will have the opportunity to see, in-person, a 65-year survey of the artist Jasper Johns’ works of contemporary art at both the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art. more

WheatonArts Festival of Fine Craft

The 22nd annual Festival of Fine Craft at WheatonArts offers two days of an art and shopping experience for the entire family with more than 125 juried artists and craftspeople displaying and selling their works. Visitors will also partake in special artist demonstrations, hands-on family art activities, a Beer and Wine Garden, Glass Pumpkin Fundraiser, live music, and more.

This year’s event will be held on October 2 and 3 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. WheatonArts is located on 45 wooded acres at 1000 Village Drive in Millville, New Jersey (GPS address). This historic organization is home to the Museum of American Glass, the Creative Glass Fellowship Program, New Jersey’s largest Folklife Program, Artist Studios (hot glass, pottery, and flameworking), Museum Stores, and nature trails. Admission is $12 for adults, $11 for seniors (62+), and $7 for students. Members and children under age 5 are free. more

14th Annual Hopewell Tour Des Arts

The annual Hopewell Tour des Arts returns this fall on Saturday, September 25 and Sunday, September 26. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

For 14 years, this event has showcased the heart and soul of Hopewell’s artist community. With the opportunity to showcase their live work, the event allows patrons to step inside artists’ studios and study them and their craft. From painting to drawing, sculpture and photography, the tour delivers a wide range of artistic skill and techniques. A self-guided tour map can be accessed at https://www.hopewelltourdesarts.com/map-2021. The tour begins at Hopewell Train Station, 2 Railroad Place in Hopewell. more

“It’s Personal: The Art of Robert Beck” Exhibition at the Michener Art Museum

Robert Beck (b. 1950), Sunday Morning, 1996. Oil on panel. 24 x 18 inches. James A. Michener Art Museum.

The Michener Art Museum presents “It’s Personal: The Art of Robert Beck,”  opening July 30. The exhibition focuses on Robert Beck's place in the storied world of the  New Hope-Lambertville arts community. Beck has played an important role in advancing and  expanding the region's traditions of Impressionism and Urban Realism, with distinctive oil paintings of the people, places, and occupations of our time. He is well known for documentary paintings,  as he refers to his paintings done on site in one go. Whether single works or multi-image “visual essays,” these distinct paintings record his world much like the Pennsylvania Impressionists recorded theirs in their time. Unlike those images, Beck describes a world that contemporary audiences  recognize as their own. Viewers respond to his keen perspective on the storefronts, street corners, bars, restaurants, carnivals, basketball games, funeral homes, and parades, of their here and now. While New York, Bucks County, and the villages along the upper coast of Maine, present subjects  and contrast for his examinations, the exhibit includes work from series he created in the American West, Europe, and Africa. It is a remarkable story of a contemporary artist establishing a voice, becoming part of a community, and creating a body of work that will resonate in Bucks County and well beyond for many years. more

Calling For All Bell Lab Stories

First TSPS Operators in US, Morristown, NJ, 1969. Courtesy of AT&T Archives and History Center.

Did you or someone you know work for the Bell System in New Jersey?

In March 2022, Morven Museum & Garden will open an exhibition, “Ma Bell: The Mother of Invention in NJ,” that will explore the ways in which the company pioneered innovations that transformed all aspects of modern-day life. more

Roebling Museum Selected by Smithsonian to Create Exhibit on American Workers

Image Source: https://www.roeblingmuseum.org

The Smithsonian Institution announced that it has chosen Roebling Museum to develop an exhibit about work in a steel-making company town founded in 1905. Roebling Museum, which documents the history of a company town built by suspension bridge engineers John A. Roebling’s Sons Co., is one of five museums nationwide to participate in Smithsonian’s Museums on Main Street program. more

Solo Art Exhibition by Carole Jury, May 4-9

A resident of Princeton for seven years, artist Carole Jury will showcase her art from May 4 through May 9 at 19 Hulfish Street in Palmer Square. A portion of the proceeds will go to support Share My Meals, a non-profit that fights food insecurity and food waste in the Princeton area. more

Virtual Art Making with the Princeton University Art Museum

Greek, Tarentine, statuette of Nike, mid-3rd century B.C. Terracotta. Princeton University Art Museum. Museum purchase, gift of friends and colleagues in honor of Frances Follin Jones.

“Drawing from the Collections: Rendering Clothing and Drapery”

On Thursday, March 4 at 8 p.m., Princeton University Art Museum, in partnership with the Arts Council of Princeton, presents “Drawing from the Collections: Rendering Clothing and Drapery.” 

This free online art making experience is inspired by a Greek statuette of Nike from the Hellenistic period. In this sculpture, the goddess of victory wears a clinging chiton with a long overfold that reveals the lines of her figure. A belt cinches the garment creating diaphanous pleating and the illusion of wind-swept movement.  more

Frick Madison to Open March 18, 2021

Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) “Officer and Laughing Girl,” ca. 1675. Oil on canvas. The Frick Collection, New York.

The Frick Collection announces days/hours and timed ticketing for its temporary new home on Madison Avenue.

Advance tickets available for purchase beginning February 19.

The Frick Collection announced today that it will open the doors to Frick Madison, its temporary new home, on Thursday, March 18, 2021. Located at the Breuer-designed building at 945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street, former site of the Met Breuer and the Whitney Museum of American Art, Frick Madison will welcome visitors Thursday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Timed entry tickets will need to be purchased in advance, with online sales beginning February 19. The Frick Collection will operate Frick Madison for approximately two years while its historic buildings on East 70th Street undergo renovation. This temporary relocation enables the Frick to provide public access to its celebrated collections during a time when the museum and library would otherwise be closed. Details about member previews and a virtual press preview will be shared in the coming weeks. more

Honor Titus: “For Heaven’s Sake” at Timothy Taylor Gallery in New York

All artwork by Honor Titus

Timothy Taylor Gallery now presents “For Heaven’s Sake,” the first solo New York exhibition of paintings by self-taught American artist Honor Titus (b. 1989). This exhibition will be on view through March 27, 2021. more

Meet the Makers Behind Source and Tradition

Nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and Barnegat Bay in the former Applegate’s Hardware Store in Bay Head, New Jersey, Alexandra Vaga and Shayne Boyle operate an inspired and unique ceramics studio and gallery. Lightly renovated to preserve the integrity and stories occupied by the original Jersey Shore business, the space is currently filled with all manner of coastal inspired ceramic objects. more

In Nature’s Realm: The Art of Gerard Rutgers Hardenbergh

Image Credit: Grouse, 1885. Gerard Rutgers Hardenbergh (1856-1915), oil on canvas. Private Collection.

Opening February 19, 2021

In line with its mission of celebrating the art of New Jersey, Morven Museum & Garden will present the first exhibition examining the work of Gerard Rutgers Hardenbergh (1856-1915). more

The Frick Celebrates its 85th Anniversary

Image Source: The Frick Collection

The Frick Collection now marks the 85th anniversary of its opening with a range of free content across its digital platforms. On December 16, 1935, the museum opened its doors to the public, sharing with New York City and the world, Henry Clay Frick’s extraordinary art collection and the Fifth Avenue Gilded Age mansion that houses it. more

Annual Holiday Train Show at NYBG

Experience the magic of the holidays at New York Botanical Garden’s (NYBG) Holiday Train Show. Marvel at model trains zipping through an enchanting display of famous New York landmarks – imagine the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, Rockefeller Center, and other favorites – each delightfully re-created from natural materials such as birch bark, acorns, and cinnamon sticks. more

Morven Museum’s Annual Festival of Trees

Open now through Sunday, January 10, 2021

Morven’s Festival of Trees is open to the public during regular museum hours, Wednesdays through Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The museum will be closed from 1-1:30 p.m. for cleaning. Timed admission tickets are available for purchase by visiting https://www.morven.org/festival-of-trees. Walk-up admission tickets will be by availability in the museum shop. Visitors should be prepared for possible museum entrance delays in observance of CDC guidelines ensuring reduced crowd sizes. more

Diwali: Festival of Lights Himalayan Heritage Online

Saturday, November 7, from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

Join the Rubin Museum in Manhattan in celebrating Diwali or Deepavali, the festival of lights, at home and bring light to these challenging times.

This virtual gathering features opening music from Neil and Maitreya Padukone, a father-son duo who play guitar, sitar, and table in the Indo-Latin fusion band Salsa Masala, and recipients of awards from the Queens Council on the Arts and The Shed. India Home seniors and Telugu Literary and Cultural Association will showcase their talent, and community members will share Diwali song and dance, including the traditional folk dance form of Garba. During the themed live drawing class, attendees can participate from home, and they will learn how to create Rangoli flower designs. more

Sauce for the Goose Outdoor Market at Princeton Shopping Center

Ready, set, shop small!

Kick off your holiday shopping at Sauce for the Goose Outdoor Art Market on Saturday, November 14 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Princeton Shopping Center. Now celebrating its 27th year, this one-day outdoor market is a unique opportunity to purchase handmade gifts directly from local artisans and crafters working in ceramics, textiles, jewelry, fine art, and more. Find one-of-a-kind gifts all while supporting the creatives living and working in the community. more

Frenchtown’s ArtYard Presents “Shelter Is”

Image Sources: https://artyard.org

ArtYard now presents “Shelter Is,” an exhibition that brings together the work of nine artists whose practices consider the physical and psychological function of shelter, its construction, and its improvisational nature. The works on view also explore questions of who seeks shelter, and for what reasons – political, socioeconomic, or environmental. At a time when people around the globe are being asked to “shelter in place,” the concepts of home, safety, security, and residence take on special meaning. more

Celebrate Day of the Dead with the Arts Council of Princeton

Celebrate el Dia de los Muertos with the Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) for socially distanced outdoor workshops beginning October 10. The public is also invited to view and display their Day of the Dead artwork in the ACP’s Taplin Gallery from November 1-14. more

Virtual Look at 17th-Century Dutch Paintings, Oct. 8

Paulus Moreelse (Dutch, 1571-1638), “Shepherdess,” 1633. Oil on canvas. Princeton University Art Museum. Museum purchase.

Join Ronni Baer, Allen R. Adler, Class of 1967, Distinguished Curator and Lecturer, for a virtual visit to the planned installation of 17th-century Dutch paintings at the Princeton University Art Museum that was canceled due to COVID-19. Baer will introduce you to works that haven’t often been on view, place familiar paintings into new contexts, share discoveries resulting from ongoing research, and explore a recent acquisition or two. more

Zimmerli Announces Virtual Programs in October

Erik Bulatov’s “Krasikov Street,” 1977. Oil on canvas. Collection Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers. Norton and Nancy Dodge Collection of Nonconformist Art from the Soviet Union.

The Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers offers a variety of virtual programs in October, from longtime favorites to new ways of engaging with art lovers. Please note that the museum building remains closed to the public and in-person programs are suspended until further notice. more

Rubin Museum of Art Will Reopen on September 12

Safety protocols protect staff and visitors, enabling a contemplative, intimate Museum experience

Free admission extended to all health care providers

The Rubin Museum of Art has announced its reopening to the public on September 12, with exclusive member preview days of September 10 and 11. more

Welcome Back Guidelines at Grounds for Sculpture

Photo Credit: Grounds for Sculpture

Grounds for Sculpture is happy to welcome back guests and visitors to their outdoor gardens and exhibits via timed entry tickets, which must be purchased in advance. All buildings and indoor exhibitions will remain closed. The outdoor grounds will be open Thursdays-Mondays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. more

Whitney Museum of American Art to Reopen on Sept. 3

New York City museums have eagerly been awaiting Governor Andrew Cuomo’s permission to reopen their doors to the general public. The announcement finally came last Friday when Cuomo told reporters that New York City museums, aquariums, and other “low risk” cultural institutions could reopen on August 24. In response, the Metropolitan Museum of Art announced a target reopening date of August 29. The Whitney Museum of American Art will follow suit on September 3, and the Morgan Library and Museum on September 5.  more

NJ Artist Named Recipient of Nation’s Highest Honor in the Folk and Traditional Arts

The National Endowment for the Arts recently announced the recipients of its 2020 National Heritage Fellowships. Onnik Dinkjian of Fort Lee is among the nine recipients to be honored this year. These lifetime honor awards of $25,000 are given in recognition of both artistic excellence and efforts to sustain cultural traditions for future generations.  more

29th Annual Arts Festival in Doylestown Goes Virtual

The 29th annual Arts Festival in Doylestown, Pa., is going virtual for the safety of its participants, attendees, and community. Normally it is the biggest weekend in Doylestown, this year, patrons will be celebrating from home on September 12 and 13. Browse all of the 2020 participating artists at dtownartsfestival.com. Expect virtual demos, studio tours, performances, and more on social media leading up to and throughout the festival weekend. more

Panel Discussion: A Garden for Solace

Thursday, July 30, 5:30 p.m.

Gardens, those plots of land that have been nurtured and formed by the human hand, have found appeal as places of solitary or group refuge, renewal, and enjoyment by societies across the globe and throughout history. more

Gustafson Named Interim Director of Zimmerli Art Museum

Donna Gustafson has been appointed interim director of the Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University, one of the nation’s largest and most respected university-based museums. more