News from the Princeton University Art Museum

 

Artist Talk Renee Cox Thursday, April 15, 5:30 p.m. (EDT)

 

Renee Cox’s photographs—frequently self-portraits—explore issues related to the representation and exploitation of Black bodies while seeking to create new, positive imagery. We are delighted to have three of Cox’s works join the Museum’s collections. In this live program, hear the award-winning artist discuss these images and the contexts that inform their creation. Cox’s talk will be followed by a conversation with Katherine Bussard, Peter C. Bunnell Curator of Photography. Details and free registration here.

Lecture Guides for the Soul: Art from China's Warring States Period Thursday, April 29, 5:30 p.m. (EDT)   Join Cary Liu, Nancy and Peter Lee Curator of Asian Art, as he discusses the acquisition of two important tomb artifacts dating from the Warring States period (ca. 470–221 BC). One is a rare bronze lamp made with different colored alloys that may have guided the soul to the afterlife. The other is a uniquely decorated eared cup that may have been used to provide sustenance to the deceased. Details and free registration here.   Save the Date The Academic Museum and the Journey toward Equity Thursday, May 6, 5:30 p.m. (EDT)     During this year’s Friends Annual Keating Lecture, Johnnetta Cole—the former president of Spelman College and Bennett College, the former director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, and the recipient of an honorary doctorate from Princeton University—will offer a compelling call to action for the academic museum in America. Hosted by Museum Director James Steward. Details and free registration here.   Princeton Institute of Materials Symposium Materials for Today and Tomorrow Wednesday, April 21, 8:45 a.m.–6 p.m. (EDT)   Materials for Today and Tomorrow: A Princeton University Materials Science Symposium brings together Princeton faculty and alumni and industry and government leaders to discuss the development of breakthrough scientific and technological materials-based innovations. Bart Devolder, the Museum’s chief conservator, will present during the 11:00 a.m. panel, “Materials Science: Bridging Engineering and the Arts.” Details and free registration here.   Gala 2021 A Global Gathering Saturday, May 1, 7 p.m.      Join us for an uplifting virtual gathering in recognition of the Museum’s recent successes and even brighter future. Drawing inspiration from the Museum’s globe-spanning collections, we will celebrate the transformative power of great art with a live online event. Although we will be apart, this will be a special moment to build community in support of the forward-looking work of the Art Museum. Proceeds support the wide range of programs we offer to all, free of charge. Tickets and information here.    Museum Store   The Museum Store offers exhibition-inspired keepsakes, art publications, jewelry, gifts for children, and distinctive works by artisans. Kim Allison in Massachusetts creates porcelain bowls inspired by birch bark’s distinctive patterns. She burnishes and sponges porcelain, then hand-carves the surfaces to build up layers of character that, when fired, evoke what she calls “the velvety quality of the bark, the grooves of the lenticels, and each of the rough knots in your hands.”   Each Store purchase supports the Museum’s core mission of bringing art into everyday life. Shop at 56 Nassau Street in downtown Princeton or online at PrincetonMuseumStore.org. Image credits Renee Cox, The Signing (detail), 2018, printed 2020. Princeton University Art Museum. Museum purchase, Kathleen Compton Sherrerd Fund for Acquisitions in American Art. © Renee Cox Chinese, mid-Warring States period to early Western Han dynasty (ca. 470–221 BC), Sword-bearer lamp, 4th–2nd century BC. Princeton University Art Museum. Museum purchase, Fowler McCormick, Class of 1921, Fund Johnnetta Cole. Photo: Boston Photography   From left: Indian, Mana Lalji (detail), ca. 1860. Museum purchase, Fowler McCormick, Class of 1921, Fund | Egyptian, New Kingdom, early 18th Dynasty, Fragmentary lid from the coffin of Wadj-shemsi-su (detail), ca. 1500–1425 BC. Museum purchase, Fowler McCormick, Class of 1921, Fund. Photo: Bruce M. White | Mario Moore, The Center of Creation (Michael) (detail), 2019. Museum purchase, Fowler McCormick, Class of 1921, Fund. © Mario Moore | Yorùbá artist, Nigeria, Tunic (detail), late 19th–early 20th century. Museum purchase, Fowler McCormick, Class of 1921, Fund. Photo: Bruce M. White | Japanese, Meiji period (1868–1912), Utagawa Kunisada and Hashimoto Sadahide, Interior of the Gankirō Tea House (Butterfly Opera) (detail), 1861. Museum purchase, The Anne van Biema Collection Fund. Photo: Bruce M. White