Art Exhibitions | Princeton Magazine

Chatham to Hold Annual Fishawack Festival on Saturday, Chatham Borough Farmers’ Market to Follow

By Doug Wallack

On Saturday, June 10, the Chatham Borough Department of Community Services will hold the annual Fishawack Festival in downtown Chatham. Inaugurated in 1971, the festival — which takes its name from the Lenni-Lenape term for the Passaic River — is a day-long celebration of the region’s culture and history. The festivities will include local art exhibits, live music and dance performances, a car and truck show, a petting zoo, a climbing wall, an exhibition on Lenni-Lenape history, and more. more

The Art and Life of the Landscape, from Cézanne to Capability Brown

By Stuart Mitchner

When the weather was gloomy and the mood was right, I could see a Cézanne painting in our backyard. This minor miracle was due not to any mortal painter or landscaper but to the mighty forces that formed the Princeton Ridge, which we have been living on for thirty years. Thanks to some long-long-ago geological turbulence, the makers of the Ridge deposited an immense boulder smack in the middle of the yard, forming a focal point for painterly fantasies. Half a year ago an ash tree was growing out of a cleft in the boulder, creating an effect not unlike the tree-in-rock formation in the right foreground of Cézanne’s Rocks—Forest of Fontainebleau, of which Ernest Hemingway said, “This is what we try to do in writing, this and this, and the woods, and the rocks we have to climb over.” more

“Opera and the Movies”

Three events for the price of one: an informative discussion, a feature film, and a live performance by Princeton Festival artists.

Fans of the 2012 Dustin Hoffman film Quartet, starring Maggie Smith and Tom Courtenay among other well-known actors, can join lovers of great singing on June 4 at 3 p.m. at Princeton’s Garden Theatre for “Quartet²,” a Princeton Festival program that will expand their enjoyment of both art forms. more

This Weekend in Princeton: May 12-14

Friday, May 12

6:30 to 8 p.m.: Damsel Duo, an indie-neo-folk group featuring Beth Meyers and Monica Mugan, presents a Mother’s Day concert with acoustic-based duo Helen and Molly. Molly Trueman of Helen and Molly is Mugan’s daughter; Hinds Plaza.

Saturday, May 13

9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: St. Lawrence Rehabilitation Center hosts its annual Bike Safety Rodeo and Safe Kids Day. Children ages 3-12 and their families are invited to learn about safety and prevention when participating in sports and other recreational activities. Children will receive free bike helmets, have their bikes inspected, and ride a safety course. RSVP by emailing bikerodeo@slrc.org. more

Scenes From McCarter Theatre Center’s Gala 2017

A Night in Old Havana

Photography by Erica Cardenas

On Saturday, May 6, McCarter Theatre Center welcomed Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra to “A Night in Old Havana” Gala 2017. The evening began with a cocktail reception and dinner on McCarter’s back lawn, which was tented and decorated with 1940’s-era old Havana flare. The musical performance was held at McCarter’s Matthews Theater. The electric after-party included more food, entertainment, and dance. All proceeds benefit McCarter’s Artistic, Education, and Engagement Programs. more

In Pictures: Communiversity 2017

Pops of Color and Whirls of Music

Photography by Erica Cardenas

Communiversity 2017 took place on Sunday, April 30. The streets of downtown Princeton swelled with visitors who enjoyed non-stop entertainment, food, and vendors from 1 to 6 p.m. Various stages were erected around town and performances ranged from alternative rock concerts to flamenco. Witherspoon Media Group was there, handing out the latest editions of Town Topics Newspaper, Princeton Magazine, and Urban Agenda Magazine. Witherspoon Media Group photographer Erica Cardenas made sure to capture all of the action. more

This Weekend in Princeton: April 28-30

The Arts Council of Princeton’s Communiversity ArtsFest draws over 40,000 art lovers and fun seekers to downtown Princeton, making it Central New Jersey’s largest and longest running cultural event. (Photo Credit: Emily Reeves, Town Topics Newspaper)

Friday, April 28

11 a.m.: Free, Tiger Tales for children ages 3-5 at Cotsen Children’s Library (repeats weekly).

Noon: Princeton University Men’s Baseball vs. Cornell at Clarke Field.

4:30 p.m.: Princeton University’s Fund for Irish Studies welcomes writer Kevin Barry for a reading from his novel Beatlebone at the James M. Stewart ’32 Theater at 185 Nassau Street. Free. more

“Nassau Hall to Hoagie Haven: Paintings by James McPhillips” on Display at PPL

“McPhillips Self Portrait”

No matter where Princeton-natives live, James McPhillips’ paintings will take you home.

By Sarah Emily Gilbert

If you don’t already have James (Jay) McPhillips’ Princeton rebus on your car, you’ve likely seen the bright orange bumper sticker around town. McPhillips’ pop rebus graphics have certainly made their mark on Princeton, and most recently, the Princeton Public Library (PPL). In conjunction with the redesign of the library’s second floor, McPhillips debuted his biggest art show to date, “Nassau Hall to Hoagie Haven.” On display in the Reading Room until July 31, the body of work features paintings of Princeton and the surrounding areas, along with the pop rebus graphics synonymous with McPhillips’ name. more

Princeton Alums Todd and Jedd Wider Return to Town for the Screening of Their New Film: God Knows Where I Am

Photo of Linda Bishop courtesy of God Knows Where I Am

God Knows Where I Am at Princeton Garden Theatre from April 13-18.

Princeton alums and filmmakers Todd and Jedd Wider will be screening their film God Knows Where I Am at the Garden Theatre from Thursday, April 13 to Tuesday, April 18. The Thursday night 7:30 p.m. screening will be followed by an in-person Q&A with the Widers, along with actress Lori Singer and Gerardo Puglia. The event is free with a Princeton University ID. more

“Charles Sheeler: Fashion, Photography, and Sculptural Form”

Novelist and Poet Aldous Huxley seated, looking into the camera, wearing checkered pants, a dark vest and sportcoat, shirt with white collar, and a pale necktie.

The Michener Art Museum’s Spring Exhibit Honors the Father of Modernism

Currently on view at the James A. Michener Art Museum is Charles Sheeler: Fashion, Photography, and Sculptural Form, a groundbreaking exhibition that features never-before-seen photographs by Charles Sheeler, one of America’s most celebrated modernists. Inspired by Sheeler’s portrait and fashion work for Condé Nast from 1926 to 1931, the multimedia show features a significant display of these newly discovered photographs as well as paintings and other photographs created by Sheeler, 1920s fashion ensembles, and Sheeler-designed textiles. Evoking the exuberance, glamour, and promise of the Jazz Age, the exhibition will be on view until July 9, 2017. more

Photographer Ricardo Barros To Speak on “Figuring Space”

“UNTITLED”: This photograph is from Ricardo Barros’s exhibit “Figuring Space.” He will speak at 7:30 p.m. at the D&R Greenway Land Trust, 1 Preservation Place, Princeton on Monday April 3. The event is free and open to the public.

By Doug Wallack

In his most recent work, noted photographer Ricardo Barros tackles the inexpressible — the abstraction that is space itself. Barros will be giving a lecture on his portfolio “Figuring Space” on Monday, April 3 for the Princeton Photography Club at the D&R Greenway. more

There’s Still Time to Celebrate the Colors of Holland at the Philadelphia Flower Show

Photography by Jeffrey Tryon

American and Dutch designers highlight a land transformed by tulips and eco-design

The 2017 PHS Philadelphia Flower Show, “Holland: Flowering the World,” celebrates the beauty and ingenuity of Dutch culture, from vivid flower fields to innovative eco-design, on view through Sunday, March 19 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

20 acclaimed films with filmmakers and other speakers presented over seven days.

The 2017 Princeton Environmental Film Festival opens Monday, March 27, and runs through Sunday, April 2. Now in its 11th year, the award-winning festival features a lineup of 20 acclaimed films with filmmakers and other speakers presented over seven days. Films and additional programs are scheduled both during the day and in the evening at the library, on the Princeton University campus and at the Princeton Garden Theatre. more

Going, Going, Gone! 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

Lit From Within

“A great liberal arts education is the best possible training for a life in the theater. A class in theater is a wonderful training for life.” – Jane Cox, Director, Princeton University Program in Theater

Can lighting design make the world a better place? In the post-election season, award-winning lighting designer Jane Cox was struggling with the answer. Her mother ran Amnesty International in Ireland, working with political prisoners—an experience that had a formative impact on Cox. Lighting design, by contrast, seemed a frivolous pursuit. more

This Weekend in Princeton: Feb. 17-19

The Princeton Indoor Track and Field Invitational at Jadwin Gym will begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday, February 19. (Photo Credit: Princeton Athletics | www.goprincetontigers.com)

Friday, February 17

11 a.m.: Free, Tiger Tales for children ages 3-5 at Cotsen Children’s Library (repeats weekly).

Noon: “Black History at PTS Matters,” a panel discussion about the role of black history at Princeton Theological Seminary; Mackay Campus Center Auditorium at PTS.

4:30 p.m.: Fund for Irish Studies at Princeton University presents Fintan O’Toole on “If It Wasn’t for the Irish and Jews” at James M. Stewart ’32 Theater. more

This Weekend in Princeton: Feb. 3-5

Lucian Msamati and Southbank Sinfonia in National Theatre Live’s Amadeus

Friday, February 3

11 a.m.: Free, Tiger Tales for children ages 3-5 at Cotsen Children’s Library (repeats weekly).

11 a.m.: Homeschool Week at the Princeton University Art Museum. The day’s theme is “Africa” and includes interactive tours followed by related art projects. All ages are welcome. No tickets or reservations required.

6 p.m.: Princeton University women’s ice hockey vs. Yale.

7 p.m.: Princeton University women’s basketball vs. Dartmouth. more

Artist Josh Rockland Displaying at Small World Coffee

Hydra, 2016. 18″x24″

Morristown-based artist exhibiting at Small World Coffee in Princeton, NJ

Artist Josh Rockland is displaying his work at Small World Coffee on 254 Nassau Street through out the month of January. On his website, joshrockland.com, he writes: “My paintings have a personal, narrative quality that combines seemingly unrelated objects in an aesthetic and accessible way.” Rockland is originally from Princeton and currently resides in Morristown. more

Rago Auctions Announces January Auction Dates

Exceptional works by Evans, Nakashima, Chihuly and more in Rago’s Janury 21-22 Auctions

On Saturday, January 21 and Sunday, January 22, Rago will hold auctions of Early 20th Century and Modern Design. Below, is the calendar of events, along with highlights from each collection.