by Ilene Dube
In New York and Philadelphia, we may visit galleries in renovated industrial lofts. Here in the burbs, many of our galleries can be found in educational institutions. High schools, both public and private, and even one pre-K through middle school in the region, operate fine art galleries to showcase some of the best regional artists, as well students and faculty.
By bringing art into people’s lives, school galleries seek to inspire reflection and serve as a catalyst for community exchange. “We believe in the power of art to stimulate creative thinking, aesthetic appreciation and openness to new ideas”—these words from the web page of the Marguerite & James Hutchins Gallery at the Lawrenceville School sum it up for all the school galleries in the region.
Princeton High School’s Numina Gallery was the first student-run gallery in the country, according to its website. When it opened in 2000, the Numina took advantage of an unused storage room.The space has since grown to a larger area, thanks to grants from the Geraldine R. Dodge and Robert Wood Johnson foundations.
Numina Gallery exhibits professional artists—Judith K. Brodsky, Mel Leipzig, Rex Goreleigh, Ricardo Barros, Miriam Schaer, and Raphael Ortiz, founding member of the International Fluxus Movement, have all been shown—as well as students and art educators. There are collaborations with the Arts Council of Princeton, such as an exhibit of paper cutouts last year by Sara Schneckloth, in conjunction with an exhibit on drawing curated by Marsha Levin-Rojer at the Paul Robeson Center for the Arts.
Numina is Latin for sacred space, and what makes the space sacred are those white walls, say the curators. “It represents purity, and it’s the center of the school, where artists can display their work and get feedback,” says Veronika Bychkova, student curator of the gallery.
“It’s also sacred space for those who don’t necessarily produce art but enjoy their peers’ art,” says junior curator Jane Robertson. Veronika and Jane met in a watercolor class at the Arts Council of Princeton.
Student members form a committee that meets to decide upon shows. They hang the art and prepare the wall text. “Labels are the hardest part,” says Veronika. For the senior show at the end of each year, students include their artist statement to hang with the work. “Hanging takes the longest and hurts your fingers. It can take two days, especially if we have to repaint the walls.”
Artwork is hung at eye level, and to assure it lines up a string is run across the wall. The works are usually not framed, although some donated frames are occasionally used. Works on paper are hung by pins, and originals are sometimes scanned for exhibition.
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