Culture & Heritage - 2018 Fall Newsletter

The Sarnoff Collection at TCNJ Offers Rebroadcast of 'War of the Worlds'

In October 1938, a news bulletin interrupted a CBS radio program and told of unusual activity that had been spotted on the surface of Mars. More news flashes told of ominous events: a strange cylinder falling on a farm in Grover’s Mill, NJ, and then the emergence of Martians intent on destroying the human race. All of this was part of the Halloween episode of the Mercury Theatre of the Air, and although an announcer did state at the start of the show that it was a dramatization of a story by H.G. Wells, its format accidentally spread terror across the country as listeners mistook the radio dramatization for actual news reports of a Martian invasion.

The Sarnoff Collection at The College of New Jersey will be hosting a broadcast of Orson Welles’ radio play, “War of the Worlds” on Sunday, Oct. 28, 2018, at 1:30 p.m. Visitors to the museum will hear this play just like its original audience would have-- from the speakers of a vintage 1936 RCA radio. Prior to the show, the Sarnoff’s curator will give a short talk about daily life and media habits in the 1930s United States and discuss the aftermath of this broadcast, explaining how and why it became such an important part of American broadcast history.

The Sarnoff Collection is located on the second floor of Roscoe West Hall at The College of New Jersey. Visitor parking is available at the entrance to Parking Lot 17 and on the circle in front of the Education School. For more information, contact Florencia Pierri at pierrif@tcnj.edu or 609-771-2654. This event is free and open to the public. 

Celebrate the New Year with World- Renowned Soprano Carla Maffioletti

Celebrating the New Year with an evening of festive classical music is one of Trenton’s most popular and beloved traditions. This year, the Capital Philharmonic  is delighted to present world-renowned coloratura soprano Carla Maffioletti as their special guest artist. Join them on Monday, Dec. 31, at 8 p.m. at Patriots Theater at the War Memorial, 1 Memorial Drive, Trenton. If you have ever watched André Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra on PBS, or maybe even live, you might have seen one of Ms. Maffioletti’s performances. She toured with André Rieu around the world for a dozen years, recording over 20 CDs and DVDs. She has performed in numerous prestigious venues like Radio City Music Hall, Waldbühne in Berlin, Shönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Olympic Park in Seoul and International Forum in Tokyo, to name just a few. She is taking time out from her numerous engagements with some of Europe’s major opera houses to appear at this gala concert. Experience the excitement that Maestro Spalding, the Capital Philharmonic, and Carla Maffioletti will be bringing to the New Year – a night to remember!

For tickets or for more information about other events visit capitalphilharmonic.org.

'What's It Worth?' at Pennington Library

What are your antiques, collectibles and household contents worth? And where can you sell them for as much as possible? Join the appraisal event at the Pennington Public Library on Oct. 3, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., and ask Michael Ivankovich to answer these questions. A professional appraiser, Ivankovich is the radio show host of WBCB 1490’s "What’s It Worth? Ask Mike the Appraiser.” He has over 40 years of experience in the auction, antiques and collectibles business.

A limited number of free appraisals will be available to attendees of this program. Appraisals limited to first 40 items registered. If event registration is not filled, appraisals may continue until 40-item limit is reached. (So it doesn’t hurt to have a few extras with you just in case!) Registration required for appraisals. Limit of 2 tickets/appraisals per person. Registration isn't required if you simply wish to attend without any items for appraisal.

To register visit https://whatsitworthpenningtonlibrary.eventbrite.com  or for more information about other events at the Pennington Public Library please visit penningtonlibrary.org, 30 North Main St., Pennington, or call 609-737-0404.

The 52nd Annual New Jersey Senior Citizen Art Show — Now on Display!

The New Jersey Senior Citizen Art Show is now on display at the Meadow Lakes Gallery in East Windsor until Oct. 25. The exhibit, which includes artists from all over New Jersey, features original artworks created within the past three years, from drawings to paintings to crafts, by New Jersey residents ages 60 or older.

A huge thank you to all of the seniors who participated and congratulations to all our winners! For gallery hours or directions, contact Meadow Lakes at meadowlakesonline.org  or call 609-448-4100.

The West Windsor Arts Council Commemorates 'War of the Worlds' broadcast with mARTian Art Project

On Oct. 30, 1938, Orson Welles’ dramatization the “War of the Worlds” on CBS Radio affiliates across the nation brought to life the book of the same name by H. G. Wells through a dramatic reading that was taken to be a news announcement of Martian aliens landing in the sleepy, rural town of Grover’s Mill, New Jersey (a part of current day West Windsor).  People throughout the region believed the broadcast, panicked, and hastily fled the area. In Grover’s Mill there were even reports of a resident shooting at the water tower (which approximated the description of the Martian space ships).  Today, we embrace this unique history and celebrate it as a moment of true belief of life from outer space and the power and influence of the arts.

For the 50th anniversary of the radio broadcast, West Windsor Township held a festival. A plaque at the Van Nest Park adjacent to the Grover’s Mill Pond and across the street from the water tower (still existing, but on private property), commemorates this “fake news” story that caused a sensation in 1938. 

Working together with community partners, the West Windsor Arts Council (WWAC) is commemorating the “War of the Worlds” radio broadcast with the announcement of a permanent, outdoor, township-wide, family-friendly, public sculpture installation, collectively called The mARTian Project. The sculptures will be installed in various highly trafficked locations in historic West Windsor.  When complete, this installation will help build a stronger sense of community identity, encourage people to remember the township’s history and create a permanent outdoor sculpture installation for all to enjoy. 

So far, WWAC has published an open call for sculptors to submit proposals for their designs. This open call will be ongoing but artists are encouraged to submit their proposals in time to be highlighted during the 80th anniversary celebrations.  WWAC has commissioned local artist Eric Schultz to create the first sculpture inspired by this story to be installed at the West Windsor Arts Center.  WWAC is also seeking sponsors and locations for future sculpture installations. 

Together with several community groups, small businesses, and volunteers, the West Windsor Arts Council (WWAC) has spearheaded the creation of a full line-up of events tied together with a Martian landing theme and leading up to the 80th anniversary on Oct. 30, 2018. Most activities will be free to the public and designed to accommodate all ages and interests, including art activities, film screenings, lectures, a bike ride, music, an Orson Welles séance, and much more.   

More information on The mARTian Project and the full schedule of events can be found online at www.themartianproject.org.

Slave Dwelling Project is Hosted at Morven this Fall

In Conjunction with the Historical Society of Princeton, Princeton Public Library, Arts Council of Princeton, and Witherspoon-Jackson Historical and Cultural Society, Morven Museum is honored to host a Slave Dwelling Project program Oct. 12 and 13, bringing Mr. Joe McGill’s program to New Jersey for the first time. Mr. McGill’s Slave Dwelling Project brings historians and the public together to educate, collaborate and organize resources to illuminate and often, save, important African American history related to slave ancestry.

Shirley Satterfield will kick off the weekend’s activities with a walking tour of Princeton’s Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood on Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. ($8 per person, limited to 20 people. All funds for this tour will go to Witherspoon-Jackson Historical and Cultural Society.) The tour is approximately two hours long and requires participants to be able to comfortably walk or stand for the duration of the tour. 

At 6 p.m., members of the public, of all ages, are invited to gather for supper and conversation with Mr. McGill. He will lead a participatory program reflecting on the need to preserve memories which live in the homes of enslaved ancestors and the ways in which Morven is affecting this through its reinstalled galleries.

For those who wish to continue the conversation, participants will adjourn to a circle around a fire pit in what was the working gardens of Morven. Please bring lawn chairs or blankets if you plan to stay.

A select number of guests will sleep over in the Mansion on Friday evening with Mr. McGill. Sleeping spaces are extremely limited with participants bringing their own sleeping bags and resting on the floor in the West Wing – near where we believe Morven’s slaves would have lived and worked. To be included in the lottery for Friday night's sleepover, email Morven's Curator of Education and Public Programs at dlampertrudman@morven.org and include a line or two describing why you are interested in the sleepover.

The public is invited on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. for a light breakfast. Reflections of the night will be shared by those who slept over and questions fielded by Mr. McGill.

Saturday hosts a number of meaningful and interactive events stemming from an examination of Morven’s slave narrative and expands into everyone’s historic narrative from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. including:

• A variety of musical performances by ethnomusicologist and fiddle/banjo scholar Jake Blount
• Presentation of the Stockton Papers and other rarely viewed Stockton materials by Izzy Kasdin, Executive Director of Historical Society of Princeton
• Princeton Public Library’s providing genealogy and ancestry research materials for use by the public
• A liberty-themed interactive chalkboard art wall
• Children’s hands-on take home paper quilt project led by Dressler Smith of Arts Council of Princeton

To register, please contact Morven's Curator of Education and Public Programming, Debra Lampert-Rudman, at 609-924-8144 x.106. 

A Place In Time: The Morven Mansion

Home to one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and to five New Jersey governors, Morven has played a role in the history of New Jersey and the nation for more than 250 years.

Richard Stockton (1730-1781) built Morven in the 1750s on land granted to his grandfather by William Penn in 1701. After a fire in 1758, the home was rebuilt and christened Morven, (“big mountain” in Gaelic) by Richard’s wife Annis Boudinot Stockton (1736-1801). Richard was a graduate of the first class of The College of New Jersey (now Princeton University)  and became a prominent lawyer. He was one of five New Jersey delegates appointed to the Continental Congress where he signed the Declaration of Independence. The British ransacked Morven later that year, capturing and imprisoning Stockton. He was released in January 1777. Annis is one of America’s earliest published female poets, immortalizing heroes of the Revolution such as George Washington, who called her “the elegant Muse of Morven.”

Four more generations of Stocktons resided at Morven through the early 20th century before the property was leased to General Robert Wood Johnson, Chairman of Johnson & Johnson and the first non-family member to live there (1928-1944). He was followed by five New Jersey governors when Morven served as the state’s first Governor’s Mansion (1945-1981).

After the Governor’s Mansion was relocated in 1982, Morven went through an extensive restoration and archaeological investigation. Morven re-opened as a museum and garden in 2004.