Art Exhibitions | Urban Agenda Magazine

Destination Morristown

Acorn Hall

Birthplace of the telegraph and home to NJ’s best meatballs.

By Sarah Emily Gilbert

Morristown, New Jersey has the conveniences of a city and the charm of suburbia. Along with access to mass transit and a walkable downtown, the Morris County town boasts Victorian-era homes, respected public schools, and historic sites. Among its estimated 18,594 residents are young professionals happy to find a culturally vibrant area where they can raise their families and arrive at Penn Station in an hour’s time. more

Intimate Moments With The Boss

By Ilene Dube

If you missed the MetLife concert or any of his four-hour, sold-out stadium performances, there’s still a chance. If you were not among the thousands who waited all night to be in line for one of his recent book signings, you can see The Boss in Princeton. Morven Museum & Garden is now exhibiting Bruce Springsteen: A Photographic Journey. more

NJ Summer Camp Fairs Scheduled for January

SUMMER THEATER: French Woods is an individual choice performing arts summer camp for children from 7 to 17 years old in Hancock, NY. They offer programs in theater, dance, music, circus, magic, rock and roll, visual arts, film and video, sports, tennis, fitness, water sports, skate board, horseback riding and more. Younger campers have more guidance and supervision, while older campers are able to take on some responsibility and have a chance to work in the areas of their interest. French Woods is just one of the many sleep away camps that will be represented at the NJ Camp Fairs across NJ.

You might not think that the dead of winter is the perfect time to find a summer camp for your child, but indeed it is. NJ Camp Fairs will be hosting a series of events this January 2017 where parents will have the opportunity to meet camp directors from exceptional day and sleepaway camps from around the country. more

How to Decorate Your Holiday Party

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By Sarah Emily Gilbert

“A touch of glitter works wonders. You will be spreading this sparkle for days…” – Egil Matiss, owner of Eggsotic Events.

How do you throw a party that’s larger-than-life? Larger-than-life decorations. Eggsotic Events based out of Hampton, New Jersey helps people in the New York/New Jersey area celebrate life’s greatest moments with their event décor and lighting design services. These party professionals can turn the seemingly craziest ideas into unforgettable events. Along with his team of experts, Eggsotic Events owner, Egil Matiss has created everything from a custom red carpet for the James A. Michener Art Museum to an oversized wall of live flowers for a wedding proposal at the Mondrian SoHo. more

Rival the Claus’s House with These Festive Outdoor Decorating Ideas

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Photo Credit: @shopterrain

By Sarah Emily Gilbert

There is one good thing about the sun setting at 4:30 p.m. in December: Christmas lights. A hitherto dark and dreary time, dusk becomes a period of holiday cheer as neighborhoods light up to showcase their Christmas trees, red ribbons, and wreaths. Here, we provide some outdoor decoration ideas to make the season even brighter. For more holiday inspiration, head to the Hopewell House Tour and Quilt Show on Sunday, December 18 from 1 – 4 p.m. more

Moving Forward/Looking Back at BergenPAC

Life Spring by Elizabeth Rundquist

A solo exhibition of mixed media paintings by Elizabeth Rundquist

The Sandy Bennett Art Gallery at the Bergen Performing Arts Center located at 30 North Van Brunt Street in Englewood, New Jersey hosts Moving Forward/ Looking Back: A solo exhibition of mixed media paintings by Elizabeth Rundquist. The art exhibit is in residence at The Sandy Bennett Art Gallery on the 2^nd floor of the bergenPAC now until December 29, 2016. The gallery is open to the general public during box office hours Monday – Friday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday, 12 p.m.-4 p.m., and is available to patrons of scheduled performances. There is a free reception open to the public on Friday, December 9, 2016 from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. more

Item of the Day: Michael Graves Witherspoon Watch

Michael Graves Black & Tan Witherspoon Watch | $140

“The People of Northern Papua New Guinea” – A New Exhibition at the Morris Museum

geomorrencourtesyjanetgardner

The Morris Museum presents an exhibition on the people of Northern Papua New Guinea from the research and collection of Dr. George E. B. Morren. Showcasing artifacts and natural specimens, the exhibition is on view now through February 12, 2017. more

Going, Going, Gone!

Sebastian Clarke is a favorite appraiser on TV's Antiques Roadshow, giving people the good, or bad, news about their treasures.

Sebastian Clarke is the Affable Auctioneer

By Anne Levin

If you attended a charity auction to benefit McCarter Theatre, Trinity Counseling Service, Princeton Charter School, or any number of other organizations in town last spring, you probably encountered Sebastian Clarke. He’s the lanky, personable guy who runs the show, rattling off the numbers and “filler words” to coax bidders higher and higher—but always with a light touch. more

Delicious Autumn

“Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.” — George Eliot

By Ellen Gilbert

Reader advisory: This article will not provide the last word in what to wear, cook, or how to decorate your house this fall. It. turns out that there are many, many opinions about what is au courant for every aspect of our lives (all year round, actually). This may be a disappointment for those needing guidance, but free spirits may consider this conclusion a boon. more

At Home With Design

Perhaps nothing is more representative of interior designers than their homes and studios.

Photography by Andrew Wilkinson

In addition to being a personal haven, it acts as a blank canvas for creativity. For our interior designer photo series, Urban Agenda Magazine got the opportunity to peek inside the homes of some of the areas most respected interior designers. Here, they share their design aesthetic, personal mottos, career highlights, and more. more

Crazy for Ceramics: A Marriage Mission

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By Stuart Mitchner

Edmund De Waal’s The Pot Book is the most recent in a long marriage’s succession of birthday, Christmas, and anniversary gifts inspired by my wife’s fondness for all things Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and Arts and Crafts, with ceramics at the top of the list. Another book I’ve got my eye on is related to the recent Princeton University Art Museum exhibit Women, Art, and Social Change: The Newcomb Pottery Enterprise, which my wife enthused about after a visit a few months back. more

Art Exhibits in Morris County, NJ

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Photo courtesy of stickleymuseum.org

Plan a trip to see these North Jersey exhibits before they close.

Tickets are on sale for this family-friendly Halloween event.

By Sarah Emily Gilbert

Halloween, a time for costumes, candy, and paying to get the wits scared out of you.

We can get behind the costumes and candy, but it’s harder to understand the mass desire to visit haunted houses, fright fests, or the like come Halloween. There’s a good chance that Mike Pollock, executive producer of RISE of the Jack O’Lanterns, is right there with us. His company works year-round to create a family-friendly Halloween show that allows people to ditch the ditch ax-murderers and the headless horseman for 5,000 real pumpkins carved into intricate designs. more

This Weekend in Bergen: Oct. 7-9

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Friday, October 7

10:30 a.m.: “Fly Guy and Other Stories” at the Shea Center for Performing Arts at William Patterson University in Wayne. This sensory-friendly, new musical revue is a compilation of popular children’s books and open only to classes and families with children with autism.

6:30 p.m.: Sesame Street Live: Elmo Makes Music at NJPAC in Newark. Monsters make music? Yes, they do, and in wonderful ways, too. Children learn that everyone can make and enjoy beautiful music together! more

Celebrate Oktoberfest at North Jersey’s Breweries

Before the ‘fest ends on October 3, make sure you get your chance to yell, “Prost!" at a local brewery

Saturday, September 17 marked the beginning of Oktoberfest, where millions of people flock to Munich, Germany to consume just about a million liters of beer. As the world’s largest festival of its kind, Oktoberfest is something to experience. While we can’t fund your ticket to Europe, we can provide you a list of seasonal brews in NJ ready to be consumed. Here, North Jersey brewers share their seasonal beers for this fall. more

This Weekend in Bergen: Sept. 30 – Oct. 2

Friday, September 30

6-10PM Nightmare on River Road in New Milford, NJ. A very scary indoor attraction – if you dare (through Sunday, October 2)!

8PM Dinosaurs After Dark at Field Station Dinosaurs in Leonia, NJ. Walk the park by lantern and search for escaped dinosaurs (through October 29). more

Architecture and Design Films Worth Seeing

Starting tomorrow, the 8^th Annual Architecture and Design Film Festival will be screening 33 fascinating films from around the world.

By Sarah Emily Gilbert

The 8^th Annual Architecture and Design Film Festival kicks off tomorrow, September 28 at Cinépolis Chelsea in NYC. Over the course of five days, 33 films from eight countries will screen at the festival along with a series of panel discussions, speakers, and director Q&As. Tickets are available online at www.adfilmfest.com. Here, we outlined a few of the fascinating films screening this year. more

Urban Insider: Moody Florals

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Photo Credit: @saipua

October calls for a different mood, entirely.

Meet Marc Evan and Chris Soria, creators of museum-worthy pumpkin carvings

By Sarah Emily Gilbert

Salvador Dali’s The Persistence of Memory, Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night, and Maniac Pumpkin Carver’s annual Halloween pumpkin carving. more

Urban Insider: Coffee Table Books

These gorgeous books are full of style and substance.

North Jersey foodies Anne Constance & Natalie Lewis share their tips for taking a savory snapshot

By Sarah Emily Gilbert

In the age of Instagram, people are sharing “foodstagrams” with their social media networks in unprecedented numbers. Perfectly plated veggie dishes and artfully designed acai bowls seem to be taking over the Internet, and we’re not complaining about it. This is particularly true when a photo from Fish.Eye Design (@fisheyedesign) pops-up on our Instagram newsfeed. more

An Inside Look at Heather Ujiie’s Upcoming Exhibit at HAM

Artist Heather Ujiie’s upcoming exhibit at the Hunterdon Art Museum may be called Fairytales, Monsters, and Hybrid Creatures, but the issues behind it are very human.

By Sarah Emily Gilbert

“I’m very interested in the idea of a narrative having a symbolic allegory or story that resonates with some kind of mass human consciousness,” explains Ujiie, an adjunct professor at Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia. “Fairytales, Greek mythology, and many of the world’s religions are all versions of these narratives that are embedded in each culture to unfold and communicate the psychological conflicts we all face. Whether it’s good and evil, a power struggle in politics, or coming to terms with subordinate and dominant issues with a mother and father.” more

Urban Insider: Coffee Mugs

Your morning coffee will taste even sweeter in one of these fun mugs.

The on-demand fabric producer now offers DIY home décor products through Roostery.com

By Sarah Emily Gilbert

“But I can see it in my head!”

It’s the line we use when that interior design project, outfit selection, or decorating effort doesn’t lead to the vision in mind. We can think up endless prints, colors, and patterns for our projects, but the problem occurs when we can’t find exactly what we imagine. Spoonflower understands that retail stores aren’t always as well stocked as our brains. more

Urban Insider: Fall Ankle Boots

Photo Credit: @thefryecompany

Think: falling leaves, football games, and an arsenal of ankle boots to wear every single day.

Jennifer Poe’s 10 Favorite Things

By Sarah Emily Gilbert

Throughout one of the hottest summers in history, a highly pregnant Jennifer Poe was hard at work in her Newtown, Pennsylvania interior design store, Rittenhouse Home Furniture and Décor. Merely weeks after giving birth to a baby boy, Poe is back at it, heading some of the most sought-after interior design projects in the Greater Philadelphia area.

This type of work ethic is nothing new for the recent mother of four. Since the age of 19, she has had a hand in the purchasing, gutting, and renovating of homes, quickly establishing her visionary talent. After graduating from the Art Institute of Philadelphia, Poe founded Rittenhouse Home Furniture and Décor, a full-service boutique firm with cosmopolitan sensibilities. Her storefront may be located in Newtown, but her clientele spans from Philadelphia’s most discerning neighborhoods to Bergen County. more

Urban Insider: Back to School

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Move to the head of the class with these stylish products.

This Weekend in Bergen: September 2-4

Sleepy Hollow NY

Photo Credit: Historic Hudson Valley

Friday, September 2

9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.: Dino Dig at Liberty Science Center, 222 Jersey City Blvd., Jersey City. Dig for dinos at this special, limited-engagement event.

10 a.m. to 7 p.m.: New York Renaissance Faire in Tuxedo Park, NY. Partake in 16th century rides, games, arts, crafts, food, music, and dance (through October 2). more

Urban Insider: Jack Rogers’ Spirit Sandals

Show your school spirit with Jack Rogers’ new Spirit Sandals collection! Perfect for cheering on your favorite school team or club, each pair features their iconic whipstitching and rondelles.

Acorn Hall

Birthplace of the telegraph and home to NJ’s best meatballs.

“A touch of glitter works wonders. You will be spreading this sparkle for days…” – Egil Matiss, owner of Eggsotic Events.

Photo Credit: @shopterrain

Life Spring by Elizabeth Rundquist

A solo exhibition of mixed media paintings by Elizabeth Rundquist

Sebastian Clarke is a favorite appraiser on TV's Antiques Roadshow, giving people the good, or bad, news about their treasures.

Sebastian Clarke is the Affable Auctioneer

“Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.” — George Eliot

Perhaps nothing is more representative of interior designers than their homes and studios.

Photo courtesy of stickleymuseum.org

Plan a trip to see these North Jersey exhibits before they close.

Tickets are on sale for this family-friendly Halloween event.

Friday, October 7

Before the ‘fest ends on October 3, make sure you get your chance to yell, “Prost!" at a local brewery

Friday, September 30

Starting tomorrow, the 8th Annual Architecture and Design Film Festival will be screening 33 fascinating films from around the world.

Photo Credit: @saipua

October calls for a different mood, entirely.

Meet Marc Evan and Chris Soria, creators of museum-worthy pumpkin carvings

These gorgeous books are full of style and substance.

North Jersey foodies Anne Constance & Natalie Lewis share their tips for taking a savory snapshot

Artist Heather Ujiie’s upcoming exhibit at the Hunterdon Art Museum may be called Fairytales, Monsters, and Hybrid Creatures, but the issues behind it are very human.

Your morning coffee will taste even sweeter in one of these fun mugs.

The on-demand fabric producer now offers DIY home décor products through Roostery.com

“But I can see it in my head!”

Photo Credit: @thefryecompany

Think: falling leaves, football games, and an arsenal of ankle boots to wear every single day.

Move to the head of the class with these stylish products.

Photo Credit: Historic Hudson Valley

Friday, September 2

Show your school spirit with Jack Rogers’ new Spirit Sandals collection! Perfect for cheering on your favorite school team or club, each pair features their iconic whipstitching and rondelles.

Starting tomorrow, the 8^th Annual Architecture and Design Film Festival will be screening 33 fascinating films from around the world.