nj arts maven: New Curator-Led Tours and Art in the New Year!

New Weekend Curator-Led Tours

Free with Museum Admission | Free for Members

Start the New Year with a new tour series on select Saturdays. This month we will feature From Flame to Flower: The Art of Paul J. Stankard. For more than 60 years, Paul Stankard has been dedicated to interpreting nature in flameworked glass, pushing the boundaries of the centuries-old paperweight tradition to create a new kind of glass genre. His work is exhibited in more than 70 museums worldwide, and he is considered a living master of his art form.

Get a more in-depth look at the artists and their processes with curator Michelle Graves and a special tour led by Horticulturalist Bruce Crawford.

Framing Nature’s Paradox

Neil Jenney & Donald Sultan, 1969-2023

On View Now!

The exhibition explores the intersection of contemporary practice with keen observation of the natural world and human nature through the works of two acclaimed artists, Neil Jenney and Donald Sultan. Framing Nature’s Paradox features 27 works including rarely seen pieces from across both artists careers and a new piece by Neil Jenney (Texting and Talking, 2023).

Support for this exhibition is provided by Barry and Jenny Jaruzelski.

From Flame to Flower

The Art of Paul J. Stankard

On View through February 4, 2024

New Jersey’s own Paul J. Stankard (b.1943) is one of the most influential artists to emerge from the Studio Glass movement. His revolutionary approach to flameworking, realistic botanical representations, and elevation of paperweights to fine art have distinguished him as a paramount figure in contemporary American glass. Over the course of the past sixty years, Stankard transformed the floral paperweight from its humble beginnings into an illusory encapsulation with marvelous powers to confound the viewer.

Major support for this exhibition is provided by the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass. Additional support is provided by Alan and Melanie Levitan, the Paperweight Collectors Association, Inc., and Schantz Galleries.

The Awakening

By Philip A. Robinson, Jr.

On View through February 4, 2024

Philip A. Robinson Jr. is an award-winning mixed media sculptor and conceptual artist, who uses wood to symbolize temporality within natural cycles of time and geography to amplify the narrative of identity within popular and marginalized cultures.

He received his BFA in Studio Art from Skidmore College and his MFA in Sculpture from Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers. Philip A. Robinson, Jr.’s work came to the attention of the Morris Museum through his involvement with Art in the Atrium, Inc.

Spark!Lab

Wednesday-Sunday | Noon to 4 PM

Excite your mind with Spark!Lab, whether it be a long weekend or a family day. Get your timed tickets at the front desk.

Spark!Lab at the Morris Museum is made possible by leadership support from BASF. Generous support is also made possible by Gay H. Osborn on behalf of the Blanche and George Jones Fund, Inc.

Daily Guinness Workshop Demos

Wednesday-Sunday | 2 PM

Free with Museum Admission

See, hear, touch, and explore! The Guinness Workshop is open to museum visitors with daily demonstrations of mechanical musical instruments in an interactive setting.

New Tour! Weekend Curator-Led Tour

Sat., January 6 | 11:30 AM-12:15 PM

Free with Museum Admission

Join us for a monthly curator-led tour of a special exhibition. In January, the tour will feature From Flame to Flower: The Art of Paul J. Stankard. Get a more in-depth look at the artists and their processes with curator Michelle Graves.

Acrylic and Pastel Combo Class

Classes begin on January 8

Registration is closing soon! Get creative in the New Year with artmaking classes. Not sure which mediums work for you? Try our combo class beginning January 8. Use pastels with their seductive color to create vibrant effects, or pick up the brush to learn the ins and outs of acrylic paint.

Art on Screen

Klimt and the Kiss

Wednesday, January 10 | 2:00 & 7:30 PM

Discover the scandalous life and the rich tapestry of extraordinary influences behind one of the world’s favorite paintings. Painted in Vienna around 1908 by Gustav Klimt, the evocative image of an unknown embracing couple has captivated viewers with its mystery, sensuality and dazzling materials ever since it was created. But just what lies behind the appeal of the painting – and just who was the artist that created it?

Horticulturalist-Led Tour of the Paul Stankard Exhibition

Saturday, January 13 | 11:00 AM

Free with Museum Admission

Join us for a special horticulturalist-led tour of From Flame to Flower by Bruce Crawford from the Frelinghuysen Arboretum. For more than 60 years, Paul Stankard has been dedicated to interpreting nature in flameworked glass, pushing the boundaries of the centuries-old paperweight tradition to create a new kind of glass genre. His work is exhibited in more than 70 museums worldwide, and he is considered a living master of his art form.

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Paul Stankard

Flower & Flame

Documentary Film

Wednesday, January 31 | 2:00 & 7:30 PM

This documentary film investigates the life of internationally acclaimed artist and pioneer in the Studio Glass Movement, Paul Stankard. For more than 60 years, Paul Stankard has been dedicated to interpreting nature in flameworked glass, pushing the boundaries of the centuries-old paperweight tradition to create a new kind of glass genre altogether.

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Follow along for the latest at the Museum: go behind-the-scenes, tour the galleries, and discover unexpected stories from the collection—all in three minutes or less!

Image credits (from top to bottom): Family programs photos by Marcus Romero. Neil Jenney, NA Vegetae (snowpainting) (detail), 2022-2023. Oil on wood. Photo by Argenis Apolinario. Image courtesy of the artist & Waqas Wajahat, NYC. Donald Sutan; Japanese Pines (detail), 2007; Tar and spackle on Masonite. Image courtesy of the artist & Waqas Wajahat, NYC. Paul Stankard, The Fecundity of Walt Whitman’s Garden, 2021, D. 6.0 inches, Photo: Jeff DiMarco. Spark!Lab photo by Marcus Romero.