The American Revolution created dramatic disruptions and opportunities for the people of New Jersey. While much is known about the challenges faced by the leaders of the conflict, most Americans are less familiar with the experiences of ordinary people. We invite you to explore their lives and how their experiences, views, and choices were shaped by their unique circumstances.

Revolutionary Lives: Living the American Experiment Then and Now is a traveling exhibit that explores the stories of everyday people during the American Revolution in New Jersey in 12 portable panels.

Upcoming locations:

March 24 - April 7: Millville Historical Society and Bayonne Public Library

April 10 - 24: Perth Amboy Historic Preservation Commission and Newark Public Library

April 29 - May 13: Historical Society of the Township of Chatham and Sparta Historical Society

A new Cape May MAC (Museums+Arts+Culture) exhibit at the Cape May Welcome Center, 609 Lafayette St., is open to the public through Jan. 4, 2027, and explores how Cape May made a difference in the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783).

“Today the Craftsman Movement stands not only for simple, well made furniture, conceived in the spirit of true craftsmanship, designed for beauty as well as comfort, and built to last, it stands for a distinct type of American architecture, for well built, democratic homes, planned for and owned by the people who live in them […], and meets the needs of wholesome family life.”

-- The Craftsman, October 1913

In honor of the Semi-quincentennial of the United States of America, we invite you to tour the Log House at Craftsman Farms, the heart of Gustav Stickley’s Craftsman utopia. Largely restored to its 1910 - 1917 appearance, the Log House, which was designed to be Craftsman Farms’ clubhouse and became the Stickley family’s home, features many original furnishings and other rare and important objects from the museum’s collections.

Led by one of our volunteer docents, this guided tour takes visitors through the two main floors, offering an in-depth look at Stickley’s life, his work, and his belief in the power of well-designed, democratic homes to improve everyday life. Through the lens of the Arts and Crafts movement, the Gustav Stickley’s America tour invites visitors to consider how ideals of beauty, simplicity, and purposeful living offered a distinctly American path toward justice, happiness, and dignity in daily life.

Tours are given one Saturday a month at 11:30. To see the schedule and purchase tickets, visit: https://www.stickleymuseum.org/visit/featured-tours/

Six artists who live in or work in Hunterdon County are tasked with responding to themes of the American Revolution and to think about them on an expansive level. This diverse group of artists will bring their personal histories and styles to reflect on the collective history of Hunterdon County, New Jersey, and the nation in celebrating the country’s 250th anniversary.

Taken together, these artists’ practices offer a mosaic of perspectives. Some might highlight the tactile and intimate stories passed through generations; others might focus on how landscapes and materials bore silent witness to pivotal eras; still others could interpret historical documents, symbols, and human figures in new and visually compelling forms. This collective approach transcends traditional commemorations, emphasizing that the country’s 250th anniversary is not merely about looking back, but about continuously re-evaluating the past, engaging with the complexities of heritage, and envisioning the future. In doing so, they bring nuanced, personal, and community-centric insights to a national milestone, enriching the conversation around what it means to mark 250 years of American history.

Participating artists:

Bonnie Berkowitz
Heejung Kim
Krystle Lemonias
Lauren Rosenthal McManus
Liz Mitchell
Elie Porter Trubert

https://www.hunterdonartmuseum.org/

The Hunterdon Art Museum is pleased to announce its latest exhibitions. “Paul Deery – Bach in Color: The Goldberg Variations,” “Contemporary Artists Respond,” a group exhibition and “Christine Romanell – Cosmic Crossing” an Augmented Reality experience.  Each of these exhibitions feature a dynamic range of art that explores visualizations of musical compositions, musings on the State of New Jersey’s 250th anniversary and explorations of color and repetitive patterns via Augmented Reality.

“Paul Deery: Bach in Color: The Goldberg Variations” features a series of pigmented works on paper. The artist spent years constructing a visual language to translate Bach’s Goldberg Variations into a beautiful symphony of constructed color. This exhibition features the entire series as well as supplemental materials and notes from Deery’s deep inquiry of these storied compositions. “Contemporary Artists Respond” is a group exhibition featuring Bonnie Berkowitz, Heejung Kim, Krystle Lemonias, Lauren Rosenthal McManus, Liz Mitchell, and Elie Porter Trubert. Each artist was asked to respond to themes including from diversity, land and resources, liberty, justice, equality, and migration. Collectively, these artworks allow us to understand history not as a distant concept, but as a continuous flow of influence that shapes our identity in the present. Artist Christine Romanell, created a series of digitally fabricated artworks, including Augmented Reality sculptures as the inaugural artist for the museum’s “Out of Bounds Residency” which highlights artists working to push the limits of the art forms and the physical space of the museum. Her work laser cut and AR sculptures are on view on the museum’s terrace and in the museum shop.

For over seventy years, the Hunterdon Art Museum has been educating, challenging, and inspiring community through the arts. It presents over twelve exhibitions annually of contemporary art, craft, and design in a 19th-century stone mill that is on the National Register of Historic Places. A landmark regional art center since 1953, the museum showcases works by established and emerging contemporary artists and also offers a dynamic schedule of classes and workshops for children, teens, and adults. The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, from 11am to 5pm. The museum is located at 7 Lower Center Street in Clinton, New Jersey. For more information visit us at www.hunterdonartmuseum.org or call 908-735-8415

“Contemporary Artists Respond” has been made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Journey through Morris County’s past with the Morris County Historical Society’s new program, “Fermenting a Communal Spirit.” This engaging event will take you back in time to explore the vital social hubs that shaped the region: its historic taverns, speakeasies, and clubs. We’ll examine how these places did more than just serve libations—they were the very heart of the community, adapting to society’s needs from the Revolutionary War through the modern age.

These establishments were dynamic centers of activity, fostering connections and fulfilling diverse community roles. Throughout history, they functioned as local gathering spots, military command posts, and even essential stops for travelers. You’ll also learn how they adapted to changing times—from small-town taverns temporarily becoming courtrooms to some locations providing sanctuary as part of the Underground Railroad. These diverse functions each played a part in defining the county’s character and left an indelible impression on its landscape.

We invite you to uncover the powerful stories of resilience and community spirit that echo from these historic spots. From bustling social clubs to hidden speakeasies, these venues uniquely contributed to Morris County’s identity. Come explore their lasting legacies and discover how these gathering places truly helped to forge a communal spirit.

Acorn Hall and Morris County Historical Society’s exhibit galleries are open to the public during regular tour hours or by appointment.

• Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 11am–4pm (last tour 3:15pm)

• Sundays from 1pm–4pm (last tour 3:15pm)

We’re heading back to the groovy 1970s for this exhibition! The year 2026 marks the 50- year anniversary of the American Bicentennial. In 1976, officials hoped that a widespread celebration of the nation’s 200th birthday would help Americans move beyond the societal turmoil of the 1960s and early 1970s and rally together around patriotism for their shared country. Drawing exclusively from the State Museum’s own collections, Spirit of ‘76: The Bicentennial showcases an assortment of rarely-seen artifacts and artworks produced fifty years ago as part of the excitement for our Bicentennial. Highlights include masterpieces of porcelain by the Cybis studio of Trenton, prints by Robert Indiana, Jacob Lawrence and other American artists from the Kent Bicentennial Portfolio and a handcrafted album quilt made by a group of first-time fiber artists from Princeton. Can you dig it?

For more information, dig deeper at https://www.nj.gov/state/museum/explore-exhibits.shtml.

Drawing on an array of PUL’s manuscript and rare book collections, this exhibition will commemorate the 250th anniversaries of U.S. independence and the Battle of Princeton, and showcase Princeton’s archival treasures from the revolutionary era alongside documents and artifacts that reveal local experiences of the American Revolution on campus and in the surrounding communities. Exploring the Revolution across lines of gender, class, race, allegiance, and status, the exhibition will offer visitors a range of perspectives on the Revolution’s ideals and contradictions, its anxiety and violence, and its achievements and tragedies.

Curated by Michael Blaakman, Associate Professor of History, and Gabriel Swift, Librarian for Early American Collections.

Members of the public are welcome to visit the exhibition between 10:00 A.M. and 6:00 P.M. on weekdays, and between 11:00 A.M. and 6:00 P.M. on Saturdays and Sundays.