“FUELING MIGRATION”: This watercolor by Joanne Amantea is featured in the “95th Juried Art Show” at Phillips’ Mill in New Hope, Pa., which closes on October 27.

The “95th Juried Art Show”at Phillips’ Mill, which has welcomed over 1,200 visitors since it opened last month, closes this Sunday, October 27.

Among the over 200 artists exhibited in the historic 18th century gristmill are Princeton artists Joanne Amantea, Linda Bachert, Joanne Donnelly, Paul Giancola, Katarzyna Iwaniec, Lori Langsner, Helene Mazur, Meera Pradhan, Delphine Salzedo, and Melanie Teasley. more

The New Jersey State Museum in Trenton will host its annual Halloween Spooktacular on Sunday, October 27 from 12 to 4 p.m.

Guests can enjoy Halloween-themed games and crafts in the Museum’s Riverview Court. Children in costume may participate in trick-or-treating on the Museum’s front lawn at 1:30 p.m. Following the trick-or-treating, there will be a raffle for Museum-themed prizes. Event participants will receive one raffle ticket each when they check in for the event. Free planetarium shows will be offered at 1 and 2 p.m. Tickets for those shows will be available on a first-come, first served basis at check-in.

The New Jersey State Museum is located at 205 West State Street, Trenton, and is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.; closed on all State holidays. General admission is free. For more information, visit  statemuseum.nj.go.

Join the Princeton Einstein Museum of Science on October 26 in Dohm Alley, next to 102 Nassau Street, from 2 to 5 p.m. to see its current exhibit, “Einstein’s Attraction to Magnetism,” which has been extended through November 30. Kids can try experiments and get activity sheets and compasses at the free event.

Instructor Nancy Toolan receives flowers at the recent opening of “Learning Curves: Works from the Beginning Drawing Classes,” featuring works by residents of Princeton Windrows. The exhibition is on view in the Russell Marks Gallery on the Princeton Windrows campus, 2000 Windrow Drive, through the end of December.

LEVIT RETURNS: Nine years after he made his Princeton University Concerts debut, Igor Levit comes back to do a mini-residency October 30-November 3.

Nine years after his Princeton University Concerts (PUC) debut, pianist Igor Levit returns to PUC on Wednesday, October 30 through Sunday, November 3 for a mini-residency bookended by live performances, with a screening of the documentary Igor Levit: No Fear at the Princeton Garden Theatre in the intervening days.

On Wednesday, October 30 at 7:30 p.m. at Richardson Auditorium, Levit will play a solo recital program encompassing J.S. Bach Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 903, Johannes Brahms Ballades, Op. 10, and Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92 arranged for piano solo by Franz Liszt.  more

PICKING PROWESS: Guitarist Beppe Gambetta brings his combination of Italian folk music with Kentucky bluegrass to Princeton on October 18. (Photo by Giovanna Cavallo)

The Princeton Folk Music Society presents a fusion of American and Italian folk music traditions with Beppe Gambetta on Friday, October 18 at 8 p.m., at Christ Congregation Church, 50 Walnut Lane.

Gambetta is a guitar master (think Earl Scruggs meets Richard Thompson) who taught himself to flat-pick by listening to bluegrass albums. He combines the folk music of Italy and points east with the bluegrass style of Kentucky. He also is a talented vocalist. He sometimes likes to step away from the microphone so that the audience can experience the music without electronic enhancements.  more

MCFARLANE AT MCCC: Works by Philadelphia-based artist Tim McFarlane are featured in “Black Drawings and Other Things You Didn’t Know About,” on view through December 18 at the Gallery at Mercer County College in West Windsor.

Mercer County Community College’s Gallery presents “Tim McFarlane – Black Drawings and Other Things You Didn’t Know About” through December 18. An opening reception is on October 16 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.

The exhibition, featuring 17 pieces by Philadelphia-based artist Tim McFarlane, allows the viewer to imagine ongoing changes to human-made environments as emphasized through fluid, multi-layered systems, color, and process. Using mostly mixed media or acrylic on canvas, McFarlane captures his observations of human-driven changes in everyday life such as the remaking of public and personal spaces, the remnants of old buildings at construction sites, public spaces changed through continual use, and more. more

“CONTINUUM”: The Arts Council of Princeton invites the community to a send-off for the public mural by Ilia Barger at Paul Robeson Place and Witherspoon Street on October 16 from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

The Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) invites the community to a send-off for the “Continuum” mural at Paul Robeson Place and Witherspoon Street on Wednesday, October 16 from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
“Continuum” was the Arts Council’s first major mural project, completed in 2012 by artist Illia Barger. This piece commemorates three collaborative temporary public art installations located in empty lots on Paul Robeson Place between 2001 and 2006. Herban Garden (2001), Terra Momo’s produce garden, was created by landscape designer Peter Soderman. This corner oasis became the inspiration for two subsequent public sculpture gardens: Writers Block (2004) and Quark Park (2006), conceived of by Kevin Wilkes, AIA, Soderman, and Alan Goodheart, ASLA.

These mini parks were beloved by the community and when it became time for them to be dismantled, the ACP — together with Raoul and Carlo Momo — wanted to create an art installation that honored their memory. The Momos provided the downtown wall and the ACP provided the artist. Barger designed and painted Continuum and helped launch the ACP’s public art campaign, which still continues. more

“MAINE LIGHT”: Landscape photography by Robin Resch is featured in “Nature Eternal, on view through the end of November at Songbird Capital on Nassau Street.

Noted photographic artist Robin Resch presents her latest exhibition, “Nature Eternal,” at Songbird Capital this fall. The show, located at 14 Nassau Street, features a collection of landscape photography that draws viewers into the relationship between nature’s strength and our shared ephemerality. The exhibition will run through November, offering visitors an immersive visual experience.

At the heart of Resch’s work lies an exploration of the powerful forces of nature and the delicate balance between its fleeting moments and eternal cycles. Informed by a quote from Rainer Maria Rilke, “If we surrendered to earth’s intelligence, we could rise up rooted like trees,” Resch’s imagery seeks to evoke the emotional resonance of being fully present in nature. Her images, often abstract and contemplative, reflect the energy of a crashing stream, the quiet of rolling fog, or the fleeting sensation of wind. Through these images, Resch brings to life the idea of nature’s transience as a parallel to the human experience.  more

Members of the Thalea String Quartet, who are taking part in a three-day residency program at The Pennington School will perform a free concert on Friday, October 18 at 7 p.m. in the school’s Meckler Library. The school is at 112 West Delaware Avenue in Pennington. Visit pennington.org.

SHAMPOO AND SASS: “Steel Magnolias” is on stage at Mercer County Community College’s Kelsey Theatre through October 13.

The play Steel Magnolias explores the relationships between a tight-knit group of Louisiana southern ladies who gather in Truvy’s small-town beauty parlor, celebrating the milestones in each other’s lives. A production of the play is currently at Kelsey Theatre at Mercer County Community College through October 13.

Truvy’s is where all the ladies who are “anybody” come to have their hair done, including the town’s rich curmudgeon, an eccentric millionaire, and the local social leader. The play is filled with acerbic but humorous verbal collisions, exploring the unconditional strengths of sisterhood, resilience, and love. more

ActorsNET kicks off its 28th season with a production of Ira Levin’s classic Broadway hit Deathtrap, running from October 11 through 27 at the Heritage Center Theatre, 635 North Delmorr Avenue in Morrisville, Pa.

One of the longest-running plays in Broadway history, Deathtrap follows a once-successful playwright now grappling with a creative dry spell. When a former student sends him a promising new script, the struggling writer hatches a plan to collaborate with the young playwright — or perhaps something more sinister? What unfolds is a suspenseful and comic exploration of ambition, greed, and deception.

Show times are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. There will be a special Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. on October 19 in addition to the regularly scheduled evening performance. Visit actorsnetbucks.org for more information.

Enriqueta Somarriba

State Theatre New Jersey (STNJ) celebrates the power of classical performance with the annual Classical Season Celebration on Thursday, October 17, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. This year’s event will take place in STNJ’s intimate Studio space and, as a first for State Theatre, will be a performance entirely by candlelight. Pianist Enriqueta Somarriba will perform a 45-minute program of classical favorites woven together with pieces by Spanish composers.

“We are very happy to present this important annual event in a new and exciting way this year,” said Sarah Chaplin, STNJ president and CEO. “This fundraiser is essential to us as a nonprofit presenting theater, as it helps us receive vital support from our community to sustain our classical performances and arts education initiatives throughout the year.”

The event opens with a cocktail reception. The fundraiser supports the continued success of the year-round classical and educational programming — including STNJ’s Symphony Scholars program with the New Brunswick Public School District, Edison High School, and SpeakMusic Conservatory. more

JOIN THE PARTY: Más Flow, Princeton University’s Latin dance company, will be on hand for the Arts Council of Princeton’s (ACP) all-ages Dance Party, held outdoors in the ACP parking lot on Friday, October 11 in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.

The Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) will host an all-ages Outdoor Hispanic Heritage Month Dance Party on Friday, October 11 from 7-9 p.m. The ACP is at 102 Witherspoon Street.

Attendees are invited to show off their moves and learn a few new ones as volunteer dance instructors from Más Flow, Princeton University’s Latin dance company, lead tutorials in favorites like salsa, merengue, bachata, cumbia, and more.  more

On Thursday, October 17 at 12:15 p.m., the 23rd season of Westminster Conservatory at Nassau will continue with a recital of music for oboe and piano in Niles Chapel at Nassau Presbyterian Church, 61 Nassau Street.

The performers, oboist Melissa Bohl and pianist Phyllis Alpert Lehrer, are members of the teaching faculty of Westminster Conservatory. The recital is open to the public free of charge.

The program will include Seven Bagatelles for Solo Oboe by Gordon Jacob, Fantasy in F minor, op. 49 by Frederic Chopin for solo piano, and the Sonatina for oboe and piano by Franz Reizenstein.
Bohl is the principal oboist of the Capital Philharmonic of New Jersey, the Orchestra of St. Peter-by-the-Sea, the Bravura Philharmonic Orchestra and the American Repertory Ballet Orchestra. She plays oboe and English horn with the Plainfield Symphony and performs regularly with many other area musical organizations, including the Garden State Symphonic Band and the Somerset Symphony Orchestra. At Westminster Conservatory, she teaches oboe and is head of the woodwind, brass, and percussion department.  more

The Princeton Garden Theatre will present the documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story starting Friday, October 11. Tickets are now available for the run.

Reeve was a 1970 graduate of Princeton Day School (PDS). The film tells the story of his journey as a classically trained actor who, following a horseback riding accident, became a powerful advocate for disability rights. After becoming internationally recognizable, he felt more comfortable in his hometown.

“I can fool a lot of people,” he said when receiving a PDS Alumni Achievement Award in 1990, “but it’s so great to come back to a place and just be me again.”

The Princeton Garden Theatre is at 160 Nassau Street.

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Mill Ballet School in Lambertville honors the legacy of its founder, Mark Roxey, whose Latino heritage has shaped his artistry and passion for dance, fostering an inclusive environment for students and audiences alike.

Roxey began his formal training at The Joffrey Ballet in New York City and has performed and choreographed internationally. His creative vision has touched countless lives through Roxey Ballet and Mill Ballet School.

To celebrate Roxey’s contributions and Hispanic culture, Mill Ballet School has launched Latin Ballroom classes for students of all ages and experience levels.  more

“GREEN FIRE ESCAPE”: This watercolor on paper work by Mark Oliver is featured in “Available Light,” on view at the David Scott Gallery in the offices of Berkshire Hathaway, 253 Nassau Street, through December 31. An artist reception is on Saturday, October 19 from 2 to 5 p.m.

David Scott Gallery, 253 Nassau Street, now presents its latest exhibition, “Available Light,” a collection of paintings by New York architect and artist Mark Oliver. Recently named one of the top 100 watercolor artists in the U.S., Oliver’s paintings have appeared in TV shows such as Billions, Ray Donovan, and Gossip Girls. The exhibition runs through the end of the year. An artist reception is on Saturday, October 19 from 2 to 5 p.m.

As a student of architecture at Westminster University, London, Oliver learned something that would become an integral part of his design aesthetic. “We were taught that natural light is the most important element of architecture,” he said. “We had to use it to shape and define, to blur and shade.”  more

An artist-led group exhibition is at historic Kings Oaks farm, 756 Worthington Mill Road, Newtown, Pa., through October 20. The exhibition features work by 27 artists from across the U.S., Argentina, Australia, Denmark, Italy, Japan, Russia, Scotland, Thailand, and Ukraine. Paintings, drawings, prints, collages, ceramics, sculptures, textiles, and installation art are on display in two historic farm buildings. Gallery hours are 11 a.m.to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday and by appointment. For more information, visit kingsoaksart.com or call (215) 603-6573.