Shopping Center Awaits Arts Council

Matthew Hersh

Following the example of the Princeton Public Library, the Arts Council of Princeton will set up a temporary base at the Princeton Shopping Center next month.

The move will take place as work begins on the cultural institution's new 16,740-square-foot, Michael Graves-designed building at the corner of Paul Robeson Place and Witherspoon Street. The entire structure, once completed, will add 8,040 square feet to the current building.

The conTEMPORARY Arts Center will be housed in the southernmost end of the Shopping Center adjacent to Eckerd Pharmacy. Classes will be conducted at the satellite location, as well as exhibitions and other programming for the next 18 to 24 months, according to a joint letter from Jeff Nathanson, executive director of the Arts Council, and Wendy Mager, president of the Arts Council board of trustees.

Operations will also expand to the Princeton Public Library, the Princeton University Art Museum, various University locations, the YMCA, and the Suzanne Patterson Center.

Since the June groundbreaking for the new building, the Arts Council has been holding its summer school session at the Princeton Junior School on Fackler Road in Lawrence Township.

In the meantime, the Arts Council is involved with the $7.5 million capital campaign launched in March to get the new building completed. The fund-raising effort includes several upcoming events, including a yard sale on Saturday, September 10, and the presentation of the Witherspoon-Jackson Neighborhood quilt on Sunday, September 11, at the loft studio of the Paul Robeson Building at 102 Witherspoon Street. The hand-crafted quilt contains over 90 photographs compiled by residents illustrating historical scenes of the neighborhood.

The Arts Council's annual Dining by Design fund-raiser in October is also expected to contribute to the capital campaign. The theme for the annual culinary event located at several homes throughout the area, will be "Casablanca," with a showing of the movie of the same name this Monday, August 29 at 8 p.m. at Mediterra on Hulfish Street.