Food for Thought: “Julia” Film Screening and Supper Club

Photo Credit: Julia Child in her kitchen as photographed ©Lynn Gilbert, 1978, Cambridge, Mass. (wikipedia.org)

On Tuesday, May 24 at 6 p.m., Hopewell Theater presents never-before-seen archival footage, personal photos, first-person narratives, and cutting-edge food cinematography that traces Julia Child’s 12-year struggle to create and publish the revolutionary Mastering the Art of French Cooking (1961), which has sold more than 2.5 million copies to date, and her rapid ascent to becoming the country’s most unlikely television star. It’s the empowering story of a woman who found her purpose — and her fame — at the age of 50 and took America along for the whole delicious journey.  more

Ansel Adams Photography Exhibition at Kean University

Photo Credit: From Wawona Tunnel, Winter, Yosemite, 1935. Photo by Ansel Adams. @The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust

Works by iconic 20th-century landscape photographer Ansel Adams are now on display at the Galleries at Liberty Hall Academic Center at Kean University. 

The “Early Works” exhibition features 42 original vintage photographs by the master photographer of the American West, ranging from the 1920s to the 1950s. It is open to the public with a pay-what-you-wish (PWYW) admission. more

The Weary Blues: Celebrating Langston Hughes at NJPAC

Join New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) for a special virtual presentation on Friday, April 29 at 7 p.m. to celebrate International Jazz Day, National Poetry Month, and the playwright and novelist Langston Hughes. 

Viewers will be treated to song and poetry performances by NJPAC’s Verses and the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Two local Newark poets, Dimitri Reyes and Treasure Borde, will share poetry inspired by Hughes’ life and times. Renowned jazz saxophonist Mark Gross and his quartet will also share their interpretations of Hughes’ compendium of writing.  more

Michener Art Museum Presents “Keith Haring: A Radiant Legacy”

Now on view at the Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pa., “Keith Haring: A Radiant Legacy” is drawing visitors from around the region for this intimate and extensive collection of a beloved artist. The exhibit will run through July 31, 2022.

Born in Reading, Pa., and raised in nearby Kutztown, Pa., Haring (1958-1990) developed an early love for drawing, which eventually expanded into paintings, prints, posters, sculpture, and his famous street art. Completely unique to himself, Haring developed a style that became as recognizable as Jean-Michel Basquiat and Kenny Scharf. Haring’s colorful graffiti, which punctuated New York City’s streetscape, helped to contribute to his meteoric rise.  more

Paul Robeson’s 124th Birthday Celebration

Join the Arts Council of Princeton and the Paul Robeson House of Princeton to commemorate Paul Robeson’s 124th birthday on Saturday, April 9 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The gathered community will celebrate with the laying of a wreath on Robeson’s bust outside the Arts Council and the acknowledgement of the first Robeson Scholars to honor area students who excel in the arts and athletics. A reception will follow with cake for all to enjoy.  more

“Bruce Springsteen Live!” at the Grammy Museum Experience at Prudential Center

On view through March 20, 2022

Fans of Bruce Springsteen are invited to explore 49 years of Springsteen and the E Street Band history through exclusive interviews, iconic performances, and artifacts from the Bruce Springsteen Archives at Monmouth University. Partnering with the Grammy Museum Experience at the Prudential Center in Newark, the “Bruce Springsteen Live!” exhibit will be on view through March 20, 2022, before traveling to Los Angeles. more

Virtual Rose Workshop with Renowned Rosarian Michael Marriott

Upper Rose Terrace at Bodnant. Credit: David Austin Roses and Howard Rice.

On February 22 at 2 p.m., Morven Museum presents a virtual event entitled “Return of the Rosarian” with Michael Marriott, live from the U.K. Marriott will discuss the British roots of Mount Vernon’s historic roses on Washington’s birthday and will share other rose-related tips and tricks for cultivating your own special rose-hued oasis. Personal Zoom links will be emailed to registered participants on the day of the event. A recording of the lecture will also be sent to all registrants following the event. Attendance is $10-15. more

Miss America 2020 Camille Schrier ’13 Visits Hun School

Image Source: Hun School of Princeton 

Camille Schrier (Hun School ’13) became a viral sensation when she was crowned Miss America 2020. Schrier was the first person in the organization’s 100 year history to win the famous competition based on a STEM platform. Her talent was in fact a demonstration of a chemical reaction using hydrogen peroxide, sodium iodide, and dish soap. The result was a large foamy concoction which she dubbed “elephant toothpaste.”

Schrier is currently pursuing a doctorate of pharmacology at Virginia Commonwealth University and visited the Hun School in early January to speak with current students. Schrier made for an engaging guest and discussed everything from her path to Miss America, women’s leadership, drug education, the opioid crisis,  how substance abuse effects cognitive behavior, and her experiences so far in the STEM field. more

Frank Sinatra Statue Unveiled in Hoboken on Singer’s 106th Birthday

Frank Sinatra circa 1955 at Capitol Studios

One of the most famous Hoboken natives, Frank Sinatra, received his own six-foot-tall bronze statue on December 12, on what would have been the singer’s 106th birthday. The legendary personality and entertainer is depicted in a three-piece suit leaning against a flickering lamp post with his hat tilted to one side. The confident and charismatic look was a trademark of Sinatra’s and the singer’s own daughter, Tina, stated that the statue is of a strong likeness to her father. The statue was designed by Carolyn D. Palmer. more

An Evening with Harry Connick Jr. at Count Basie

Don’t miss An Evening with Harry Connick Jr. on Friday, February 4 at 8 p.m. at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank. Ticket prices start at $50 per person and doors open at 7 p.m.

Connick’s career has exemplified excellence across theater, film, and music. A best-selling musician, singer, and composer, he is particularly known for his live performances, which exude energy and fun, an attribute of his native New Orleans roots. Connick has appeared on Broadway and in over 20 feature films. He began singing and playing piano at age 5 with his musician father. more

Book by PU Professor Named to “Financial Times” Best Books List

A book authored by local historian Harold James has been named to the Financial Times’ Best Books of 2021: Politics List. 

The War of Words: A Glossary of Globalization, published by Yale University Press, reveals the origins of key buzzwords and concepts used in contemporary political debate such as “neoliberalism,” “geopolitics,” and “globalization,” while highlighting communication challenges associated with their misuse.  more

Jane Lynch – “A Swingin’ Little Christmas!” Live in Concert

Thursday, December 9 at 7:30 p.m.

What do you get when you mix one part cabaret, one part comedy, and one heaping helping of Christmas kitsch? A Swingin’ Little Christmas! It’s a fun fresh twist on the Christmas specials of the ’50s and’60s when harmonies were tight, and swing was the thing. 

Starring Emmy and Golden Globe winner Jane Lynch (Glee, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), along with Kate Flannery (The Office, Dancing with the Stars), Tim Davis (Glee’s vocal arranger), and The Tony Guerrero Quintet. These top-notch talents will jingle your bells and get you in the holiday spirit faster than a glass of eggnog. more

PBS’s “Drive by History: Eats” Asks and Answers What Historical Figures May Have Eaten

What would George Washington or Walt Whitman have dined on? The new PBS series Drive by History: Eats answers these questions and more as it dives deep into New Jersey’s culinary past. 

In the first episode, New Jersey resident and Blair Academy alum Melissa F. Clark ’05 explores a meal designed to curry George Washington’s favor at The Hermitage in Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J. Using ingredients that would have been on hand during the summer of 1778 and employing the food trends popular during the period, Clark dishes up a delectable fried breaded chicken with sorrel sauce and raspberry fool for dessert.  more

Paul Muldoon Livestream Event, December 1

Labyrinth Books in Princeton will host a hybrid, livestream event with Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon on Wednesday, December 1 at 6 p.m. Muldoon will introduce his 14th collection of poetry, entitled Howdie-Skelp: Poems. He will be joined by fellow poet Michael Dickman.  more

Celebrating Community and the Library: 2021 Virtual Events

Princeton Public Library invites book lovers to connect and enjoy community at the Beyond Words 2021 events. The virtual talks for November and December will conversations with journalist and novelist Omar El  Akkad on November 12 at 7 p.m. and novelist Jean Hanff Korelitz on December 3 at 7 p.m. The cost to attend is $60 per participant, per event.

El Akkad is the author of the recently-released What Strange Paradise, which has been shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize for excellence in Canadian fiction. He is also the author of the award-winning 2017 novel American War. He will be joined in conversation by Professor Deborah Amos, the Ferris Professor of Journalism at Princeton University, an NPR international correspondent, and recipient of a 2021-22 Berlin Prize Fellowship. more

Women Inspiring Women Celebrates its 8th Global Event at Montclair State

The 8th annual Women Entrepreneurship Week (WEW) at Montclair State University was kicked off by cosmetics giant Bobbi Brown in conversation with friend and award-winning WNBC-TV reporter Tracie Strahan.

Brown was one of a dozen speakers who shared their stories of pivoting, as well as of failures and successes along their entrepreneurial journeys with the in-person and virtual audience. WEW is a global event, as students and attendees from 250 universities in 40 countries and 48 states participated this year, said Mimi Feliciano, a Montclair State University Advisory Board member for The Mimi & Edwin Feliciano School of Business and board member of the Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation (FCE&I), which hosted the event. more

Hopewell Theater Screening of Moby Documentary, November 19

As part of the Hopewell Theater’s ongoing series, Films That Made Music, the central New Jersey theater presents Moby Doc on Friday, November 19 at 8 p.m. 

With his first electronic single, “Go,” in 1991, Moby helped to define the music of an era. The mega-success of his 1999 album Play brought him into the stratosphere of fame when it became the best-selling electronic album of all time.  more

Fund for Irish Studies Series at PU Presents a Conversation with Novelist Roddy Doyle

Princeton University’s Fund for Irish Studies presents a conversation with award winning novelist, dramatist, and screenwriter Roddy Doyle led by scholar and critic Frintan O’Toole, co-chair of the series, on Friday, September 17 at 4:30 p.m. via Zoom. Princeton’s Howard G.B. Clark University Professor of the Humanities Paul Muldoon, co-chair of the series, will provide a welcome and introduction. The event opens the 2021-22 series, which will be virtual for the fall. The event is free and open to the public.

Doyle has written 12 novels, including The Commitments; Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, for which he won the Booker Prize in 1993; The Woman Who Walked Into Doors; and, most recently, Love. His latest book, a story collection called Life Without Children,will be published in the U.S. in spring 2022. Doyle has written eight books for children. He has also written for screen and stage. He is the co-founder of Fighting Words, which aims to help Irish children and young people to discover and harness the power of their own imaginations and creative writing skills. He lives in Dublin. more

Authors Pam Jenoff and Lisa Scottoline in Conversation, July 8

Princeton Public Library (PPL) presents an evening of historical fiction featuring two bestselling authors discussing their latest novels, one set in Poland during WWII and the other in prewar Italy. This is a virtual event hosted by the platform Crowdcast. The authors will be speaking from 8 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, July 8.

To register, visit https://princetonlibrary.libnet.info/event/5300423. This program is free to attend and is best suited for teens and adults. more

PPL Virtual Fundraiser, “Restoring Civility and Bringing Social Justice to American Life”

The Friends of the Princeton Public Library will host a virtual fundraiser on Saturday, January 30 at 11 a.m. via Zoom. “Restoring Civility and Bringing Social Justice to American Life: A Virtual Brunch and Talk” features four lifelong advocates for social justice as they share their vision for a more just, egalitarian, and united America. more

Virtual “Hocus Pocus” Event with Kathy Najimy, Oct. 24

Get into the spooktacular spirit with a live, online conversation with Kathy Najimy, star of the Halloween classic, Hocus Pocus,on Saturday, October 24 at 8 p.m. Tune in via Zoom for a wonderfully witchy discussion and Q&A hosted by the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, including stories of behind the scenes hijinks with Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker. Guests are encouraged to dress in costume for the Zoom presentation in what promises to be a fun celebration for all ages. The Hocus Pocus film is available to stream on the following platforms: Freeform, Disney +, Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, iTunes, Google Play, and FandangoNow. more

“Charlie Chaplin: A Man of the World”

Documentary Feature Focuses on the Romani Roots of Cinema Legend Charlie Chaplin 

Director-writer Carmen Chaplin is directing Charlie Chaplin, A Man of the World, a theatrical documentary feature that adds a hardly-explored new facet to the creator of the Tramp, one of the most iconic cinema characters in popular consciousness, plumbing Chaplin’s Romani roots and heritage.  more

PSRC Premier Fall Fundraiser Event with Senator Al Franken

The Princeton Senior Resource Center (PSRC), a community nonprofit whose mission is to help older adults thrive, offers programs for enrichment and lifelong learning, no-cost social services, resource referrals, and much more. Its 2020 fall fundraiser on Saturday, October 17 at 6:30 p.m. includes VIP Virtual Cocktails, humor, and discussion with Senator Al Franken. more

“Sunday with Dorie” Friends of PPL Fundraising Event

Cook along with five-time James Beard Award winner and New York Times best-selling cookbook author Dorie Greenspan in this special virtual fundraising event for Princeton Public Library (PPL) on Sunday, July 12 from 4 to 5 p.m. more

Toni Morrison Tribute in Celebration of NYPL’s 125th Anniversary

By Taylor Smith

Produced in partnership with the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, the New York Public Library (NYPL) at 476 Fifth Avenue (at 42nd Street) presents an evening of performances and conversations centered around Toni Morrison, the American icon, writer, and intellectual, on Wednesday, March 18 at 7 p.m. more

An Evening with Stephen Colbert and Julia Louis-Dreyfus at Montclair Film Festival

Image Credit: NJPAC 

By Taylor Smith

Experience two of the sharpest comedic minds onstage for one special evening as Stephen Colbert (a New Jersey resident) and Julia Louis-Dreyfus team up for the Ninth Annual Montclair Film Festival Benefit on Saturday, December 7 at New Jersey Performing Arts Center’s Prudential Hall in Newark. The comedic festivities begin at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $79.50 and are available for purchase at www.njpac.org. more

Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation Names 2019 Honorees

Dana and Christopher Reeve (Image Source: https://www.christopherreeve.org/about-us/christopher-and-dana)

By Taylor Smith

This year’s gala benefit for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation took place on Thursday, November 14 at Cipriani South Street in New York City.

The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation grew out of the community-driven Stifel Paralysis Research Foundation, which was founded in 1982 when Henry Stifel, a New Jersey high school student, was involved in a car accident that left him paralyzed at age 17. The organization evolved into the American Paralysis Association (APA). When actor Christopher Reeve was injured in a horseback riding accident in 1995, the APA was one of the first places that Reeve and his wife, Dana, sought support. By 1999, the APA and Christopher’s foundation united as the Christopher Reeve Foundation (Dana’s name was added to the moniker after her death in 2006). more

Penn Medicine Princeton Health Welcomes Sally Field — October 27 at Rider University

By Taylor Smith

“I wait for my mother to haunt me as she promised she would; long to wake in the night with the familiar sight of her sitting at the end of my bed, to talk to her one more time, to feel that all the pieces have been put into place, the puzzle is solved, and I can rest.” – Sally Field

The public is invited to “An Afternoon with Sally Field” at Rider University in Lawrenceville on Sunday, October 27 at 1 p.m. The talk is presented by Penn Medicine Princeton Health as part of its Community Wellness programming. Early registration is $40 per person and includes a copy of Field’s memoir, In Pieces. Purchase tickets, here: https://bit.ly/35itbFA more

Westfield Honors Native Son Charles Addams

Charles Addams

By Taylor Smith

Westfield, New Jersey, transforms into all things Charles Addams this October for AddamsFest — a month-long series of events including movie screenings, art exhibits, a masquerade ball, paranormal investigations, a costume contest, and a Halloween House Decorating Contest. more

MPower: Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Battle Against Tobacco Use

Mike Bloomberg 

By Taylor Smith 

“Philanthropy gives us a competitive advantage, we think, in recruiting and retaining talent. And I can tell you from personal experience, it is also good for the bottom line, as good a thing a company can do.” —Michael R. Bloomberg

Headquartered on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Bloomberg Philanthropies was founded in 2006 with the purpose of directing funding and research to five major areas: the environment, public health, the arts, government innovation, and education. By “using data in new ways,” Bloomberg Philanthropies routinely shifts policies and advances progress, legislation, and public opinion. As an example, the organization has potentially saved countless lives by creating solutions proven to curb global tobacco use. According to bloomberg.org, “If left unchecked, tobacco use will kill one billion people this century.”  more