Newark Museum

Newark Museum Visit

Leona Strassberg Steiner

Pat Wessel, Tour Guide

The Newark Museum has an especially unique role in Newark city proper, and that is education through the arts and sciences. Because of this role the museum enjoys large classes of school children who come both for the Art Education which has an entire floor just for this purpose, but also an amazing science exhibit which children flock to, both because of the wealth of knowledge that it offers as well as guided tours and workshops that take place in the exhibit itself.  Apart from the large children’s art education component the museum has also incorporated programs for the elder, who can come and have lunch and listen to lectures or enjoy a special tour catered to their needs and interests.

The Newark Museum and her collectors established specific exhibits that catered to the large African American community, with special exhibits from Africa, such as African masks, to honor the community. Contemporary African Art by African American artists is shown in a special wing, with artists from the New Jersey/New York area in particular. The museum also offers a large collection of paintings that coincide with the era of the first house the museum acquired in 1926, along with the art and furniture that was in the house, which still stands in all its grandeur.  Slowly the museum acquired more real estate with the YMCA building turned into the Art Education wing, along with a large sculpture garden.

The many different exhibits that the museum has are carefully planned out to coincide with it’s beautiful architecture, such as traveling shows are hung near the café to draw as many visitors as possible as well as easy access. The Tibetan exhibit is near the patio area where one can stop and gaze up to the sky, before continuing to the Photography wing.

The Newark Museum’s curators each work in their specific areas of expertise. Exhibits are planned years in advance with curators searching for specific works of art to buy or borrow from other museums.  In 1916 the museum started exhibiting contemporary work and just six years ago opened its photography wing for the first time.

Funding for the museum today comes mostly from wealthy donors in the Newark area, though the museum also does enjoy funding for its large Art Education department. The past few years the museum has had to deal with pay cuts and job cuts, as well as the lending collection and mini zoo closing because of the recession, with very little money for building new exhibits.

While walking around the Newark Museum, I especially enjoyed the newer part of the museum where the Tibetan and Contemporary art is located. The natural light coming from above and the spacious hallways that all direct you to the center of the building where the sculpture mobile by Alexander Calder is hung.

My favorite piece is by Willie Cole, called “Man Spirit Mask”. While looking at the Museum’s collection online I saw that he also has many other pieces that show the iron and the mark it leaves. A way to connect to his people's history of slavery, showing the mark it still leaves on many today.

This piece was acquired by MOMA