Despite the higher temperatures taking over, I hope you are enjoying these longer days. And that you are finding some time to reconnect with family and friends, perhaps under a patio umbrella or in the shade at an NMOA Arts in the Garden performance.
In the spirit of adding to your leisure time, we will be departing your inboxes for the rest of July and August and returning this fall.
In the meantime, we will reactivate the Alice Ransom Dreyfuss Memorial Garden in partnership with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. This programming exemplifies our commitment to diversity and inclusion as we celebrate an impressive range of genres for all audiences. Over the next several weeks, you’ll have an opportunity to enjoy everything from Broadway to Beethoven to jazz to a Mask-erade. I am excited about this unique series becoming an annual part of the region’s summer calendar. New Jersey Symphony Orchestra President and CEO Gabriel van Aalst has been a wonderful collaborator as we worked to welcome culture seekers back to the downtown arts district. Thank you again, Gabe, and to everyone involved at the Symphony.
I would also like to give an appreciative shout-out to my friends at the Newark Downtown District for adding more charming urban greenspaces to our neighborhood. From now until October, additional “parklets” will increase the outdoor dining space around the downtown area, with options to grab a bite in between your culture hops.
Expanding our reach beyond downtown, we are also joining a citywide program of events at Riverfront Park. All summer long, you can enjoy music, dancing under the moonlight, yoga classes, movie nights—two of which are presented by the Museum—and even ways to get out on the water. Summer Guide to Riverfront Park | Newark Story Ideas (newarkhappening.com)
All this activity leads up to a not-to-be-missed fall schedule at The Newark Museum of Art. I will save the full reveal for September, but understanding that anticipation is part of the fun, here is a quick preview.
To start, we will once again be partnering with Newark Arts and their signature Newark Arts Festival. Additionally, our Fall Luncheon this year will focus on the theme of Artist as Global Citizen and is just as “of the moment” as it sounds. Of course, there are new installations in the galleries with perhaps the biggest news being a long-awaited renovation in one of our earth sciences galleries. The first presentation planned is an immersive experience around endangered species.
Whew—and that only takes us to early November! Stay tuned for more details. And again, enjoy the hopefully more carefree days of summer, as fleeting as they may be.
With summer beverage in hand, I toast you for all your support!
Linda C. Harrison
Director and CEO
The Newark Museum of Art
