A LETTER FROM BOARD OF TRUSTEES PRESIDENT, JOE KOSSOW
The Arts Council of Princeton had a year of incredible growth. We were able to continue to expand the programs and events that our community treasures, while supporting our mission of building community through the arts.
Our classes and camps brimmed with students who were excited to learn from the Arts Council’s dedicated and talented faculty! We continued to innovate in the types of classes we offer to best meet the desires of the many types of students who make the Arts Council a second home. New outreach programs that we introduced within the past couple years – such as smART Kids, an afterschool kids’ program for middle schoolers, and the Pride Art Club for LGBTQIA+ students – illustrate our commitment to explore and support every opportunity to change a life through the incredible power of art.
You joined and supported our public events in a big way, too! Last spring’s Art People Party was a smashing success. Café Improv and Story & Verse continue to flourish as venues to share musical and spoken word talent. Our three galleries hosted a wide variety of beautiful and thought-provoking exhibitions for over 216 artists. We brought art into Princeton in popular and exciting ways, like Princeton’s most widespread music festival, Porchfest, which nearly doubled in size in its second year. New Arts Council murals beautified the town in many locations. And our art markets, held throughout the year, featured tents and chalets filled with the unique work of hundreds of talented local artisans.
Your appreciation and support continued to be incredible, for which everyone at the Arts Council is inspired and grateful. Personally, in my role of Board President, I am ready and excited to help the ACP continue to build on what’s here, and dream about what’s to come. I hope that you will join me to share the joy that comes with bringing art into all our lives. Your participation in Arts Council programs and your generous support is so very, very much appreciated.
Joe Kossow, President, Board of Trustees
A LETTER FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ADAM WELCH
As I write this year in review, I am turning the page on my third anniversary with the Arts Council of Princeton. This annual report reflects only one bouquet from the artistic and cultural garden our community helped cultivate. This year has seen a deluge of activity for the ACP. Our center has become a destination for artists throughout the region. Our reputation is growing as a creative incubator – a cultural bellwether – and so too has the demand for our services. Our focus is to ensure we remain accessible for amateur and professional artists, as well as art appreciators and tourists, of whom Princeton welcomes over two million annually.
The community’s investment in the future of this venerable organization helps to ensure that we can remain a central resource for cultural equity. It is our priority to continue providing a place of belonging and social wellbeing for each member of our community. It is in this spirit that, just this year, we hosted a celebration for Paul Robeson’s 125th Birthday, created four murals on Spring Street, launched the Princeton Sketchbook Club, expanded the townwide Porchfest, introduced a second outdoor art market, and provided outreach programs that demolish barriers to creative self-expression for underserved youth five days a week.
As our long-standing services continue – such as Arts Exchange, established in 1993 to welcome children and teens facing housing and food insecurity – newer programs are paving the way to welcome even more members into our creative family. Our Pride Art Club meets weekly to gather LGBTQIA+ teens and allies in exploring expression in a safe, creative space. smART kids has expanded to provide our local middle schoolers from low-income families with art lessons in digital art, sewing, aerosol art, printmaking, and so much more. Their confidence in our studios is soaring.
The ACP promotes the wellbeing of our community in concrete ways. We work hard each day to address cultural inequity and promote innovation and discussion. In difficult times, we have proven that we provide positive outlets for self-expression and reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation. We celebrate all that it means to contribute to a powerful sense of community identity.
Of course, none of this is possible without the support of a community that values the arts.
Thank you for being along for the ride.
Adam Welch, Executive Director
NUMBERS TELL OUR STORY
COMMUNITY
- $20,998 offered in need-based scholarships to children and adults
- $17,610 in donated or discounted rental fees to
community members - 60+ free community events and programs
- 51 weeks of Arts Exchange programming for HomeFront kids and teens
- 48 weeks of programs for low-income seniors
- 36 weeks of smART Kids programming for local middle schoolers
- 20 weeks of programming for Princeton Young Achievers
- 7 murals and public art installations
EDUCATION
- 334 distinct classes
- 38 Zoom-based classes
- 32 free virtual drawing sessions in collaboration with Princeton University Art Museum
ARTISTS
- $28,000 in art sales
- 634 visual and performing artists showcased
- 17 unique exhibitions
PEOPLE
- 12,649 event attendees and participants
- 4,746+ hours of service from 225 dedicated volunteers
- 3,021 creative students
- 1,000+ inspiring members
- 500+ generous donors
- 350+ students engaged in our outreach programs
- 68 professional teaching artists
- 8 full-time staff and 3 part-time staff
REACH
- 435,939 Instagram Reel Views
- 15,000 Email subscribers
- 9,111 Instagram followers
- 9,100 Facebook followers
- 3,161 Twitter followers
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Our free community events bring creative expression and cultural appreciation to the masses! Our Día de los Muertos event continues to be a town favorite, and this year’s event was made extra special by the large-scale skulls created by local artists, each unique and reflective of their respective styles. A brand-new event, the Princeton Art Bazaar included 80 artistic vendors, live music by Princeton’s own The Band of Changes, hands-on art making, and refreshing local beer courtesy of Triumph Brewing Company. A perfect day!
- ART OF Series
- Artist Chalet Winter Village
- Café Improv
- Ceramic Scavenger Hunt
- Daruma Workshop with Miya Table & Home
- Downtown Gallery Art Crawl with Princeton University Art Museum
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Breakfast + Art-Making
- El Día de Los Muertos Community Event
- Fiesta del Día de Los Reyes Magos: Three Kings Day Flamenco Performance
- Free Exhibition Opening Receptions
- Hometown Halloween Parade
- Inspiration: Spring Concert by Stretto Youth Chamber Orchestra
- Joint Effort Safe Streets
- Outdoor Juneteenth
- Concert by Stretto Youth Chamber Orchestra
- Paul Robeson’s 125th Birthday Celebration + Scholarship Presentation
- Paul Robeson Film Series
- Pop-Up Beer Garden with Old Hights Brewing Co
- Princeton Art Bazaar
- Princeton Piano Project
- Princeton Porchfest
- Princeton Pride Dance Party
- Sauce for the Goose Outdoor Art Market
- Story & Verse: Storytelling and Poetic Open Mic
- Thursday Night Virtual Artmaking with the Princeton University Art Museum
- Witherspoon Jackson Neighborhood Association Community Meetings
ANNE REEVES ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM
DAVE DIMARCHI
Printmaker Dave DiMarchi was our Fall 2022 Artist-in-Residence. During his residency, he engaged in a deeper exploration of his print works – further pursuing research of the interconnected language of collage, drawing, printmaking, and installation in his work. Dave’s residency focused on working across printmaking processes, allowing the process to direct each new step of the prints. This responsive style of printmaking pushed his practice out of its comfort zone, allowing for a deeper connection to process and product, and a deeper appreciation of making. Dave not only completed a suite of new printed works – editions, monoprints, dimensional prints – but created a site-specific mural on Spring Street exploring collage-style printmaking, painting and digital techniques.
ONOME DANIELLA OLOTU
Painter Onome Olotu was the ACP Anne Reeves Winter/Spring 2023 Artist-in-Residence. As a newcomer to our area, Onome was very curious about Princeton and its history, particularly the historically Black Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood where our building is located. She interviewed Black residents to understand their stories and created a series of paintings honoring them and their role in Princeton’s history.
Many of Olotu’s paintings present a vintage postcard feel along with a sense of travel. During her residency, she created three public workshops for Princeton residents. Attendees of all ages used mixed media techniques to place themselves into historical postcards that she had created in our print studio. In all, there were over 65 postcards created by members of our community displayed in an exhibition this past August.
GRACE VILLAMIL
Installation artist Grace Villamil was a Spring 2023 Artist-in-Residence. In April, Villamil opened her interaural space installation inside the Barbara Boggs Sigmund Lobby of the Paul Robeson Center. Grace sculpted hundreds of emergency blankets to transform our space into a completely different world. Villamil’s art is driven by her interest in perception, our interconnected nature, and the shared experience. Through the synthesis of sound, light, environment, and material, she explores an idea of mysticism: the boundaries of humanity and the uncertainty beyond it. Grace’s multimedia mylar installations are large-scale, interactive environments sculpted with emergency blankets, creating spaces of reflection within a womb-like environment. These environments encourage the public to sense beyond their accustomed function and assumed limitation. The functionality of these installations eschew the behavioral and intellectual conventions associated with galleries and museums. This installation acts as a bridge or meeting place between the communities of Princeton; connecting and creating space for new possibilities to occur.
Grace’s work was experienced by hundreds of people from April through June 2023. She held two Listen-In events, where the public was treated to curated music and light within the “womb” of the mylar.
PUBLIC & COMMUNITY ART
In September 2022, the Arts Council announced a community-wide project that would supply blank sketchbooks to anyone interested in participating in a new artistic endeavor, the Princeton Sketchbook Club. Hundreds of sketchbooks were picked up by locals and sent across the country to be filled with doodles, poetry, collage, or whichever medium the recipient chose to fill its pages.
When the beautifully diverse completed books were returned, we gathered for the opening celebration of the Sketchbook Library, now open to the public.
Beyond our gallery walls, our artists continued to make a splash. Our public art program brought color and character to Princeton’s Central Business District via three new temporary Spring Street murals: Somatic Pause by Dave DiMarchi, Live for Today by Leon Rainbow, and the Robeson Tomato mural painted by the ACP creative team.
A big change took place right here in our parking lot, too. Team ACP and a fantastic group of volunteers transformed the once monochromatic lot into a large-scale piece of asphalt art! The mural has completely elevated the look and feel of our outdoor events. Here’s to more and more color in our daily lives!
EDUCATION
Our educational programming continues to flourish thanks to our dedicated instructors and students. Education staff and our talented teaching artists developed and ran online and in-person classes including Flamenco, watercolors, mixed-media collage, and ceramics.
We continued to develop our printmaking studio program, led by ACP Print Studio Manager Dave DiMarchi, and offered a range of classes from Cyanotype to Woodblock Printmaking. Our instructors brought printmaking to our Arts Exchange and outreach programs as well, offering unique classes based on Kitchen Lithography and Monotype with found objects. We were thrilled to offer corporate and educational private workshops in printmaking for a range of organizations including Bloomberg Philanthropies, Hun School of Princeton, and the Ranney School.
EXHIBITIONS
Our award-winning Taplin Gallery was host to a stunning assortment of exhibitions. Shows included:
- Women on the Wall – Karen Titus Smith and Wendy Gordon
- Retrieving the Life & Art of James Wilson Edwards and a Circle of Forgotten Black Artists – James Wilson Edwards, Rex Goreleigh, Hughie Lee-Smith, Selma Hortense Burke, and Wendell T. Brooks. Curated by Judith K. Brodsky and Rhinold Ponder
- Annual Member Show – ACP Members
- What Remains – Hetty Baiz and Laura Duerwald
- Where Color Meets Memory – Dolores Poacelli and Katie Truk
- Art People Party Tombola Preview – Tombola Artists
- Inspired by Optimism – C.a Shofed and Jane Zamost
- Form and Foundation – Sean Carney and Henrieta Maneva
- Recollections – Sue Collier
Our Solley Lobby Gallery and the Lower-Level Gallery were also hosts of the following exhibitions:
- On Optimism – Heloisa Dos Devaneios
- Cynthia “Chip” Fisher Memorial Exhibition – Aaron C. Fisher
- A Technicolor Lens – Samantha Foglia
- INKED! – Judith K. Brodsky, Celia Connaire, David DiMarchi, Eileen Foti, Trudy Glucksberg, Elizabeth Massa
- Art of Karima Muyaes – Karima Muyaes
- Painting Women: Variations on a Theme – Charles David Viera
- Various Shades of Black – Aaron C. Fisher
- Train of Thoughts – Donna Payton, Kathleen Preziosi, and Libby Ramage
- Sketchbooks: A Manual and Recipe Book for Making Pictures – Mary Dolan
- Raíces – Abelardo Montaño
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
As a community organization, collaboration is at the heart of what we do. Our programs are more vibrant, more accessible, and more creative when we partner with the many nonprofits and businesses in our town and the region.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
The ACP is dedicated to strengthening cultural equity in our community. Outreach programs represent our founding ethos: creative self-expression is fundamental to well-being. Our free weekly programs for our vulnerable and under resourced populations offer the same high-quality professionally taught art education as any of our fee-bearing classes. We never cease to be amazed by the talent and creativity shown by our community’s art makers.
ArtReach offers free, weekly hands-on arts education throughout the school year to students from Pre-K through Middle School. Through hands-on instruction and bilingual learning, these art experiences are designed to encourage creative self-expression, promote self-esteem, and enhance community well-being.
Creative Aging is our program for low-income seniors at Bryant House, a local assisted living facility. Our art instructors go on-site to bring professional and specially tailored arts programming to people of all ages and abilities.
The PRIDE Art Club continued this year, taught by artist Elizabeth Massa. This free afterschool class for LGBTQIA+ teens and their allies centers on the creation of a graphic novel to foster a collaborative and nurturing educational environment. Through the process of developing original narratives and characters, teens explore issues of gender identity, self-expression, and acceptance in a safe and creative space.
In it’s 30th year, our partnership with HomeFront, the Arts Exchange program offers students aged 5 to 18 weekly art making experiences. Our students expressed their creativity and spirit through a wide range of mediums including printmaking, digital arts, ceramics, and fiber arts.
This year, the ACP continued smART Kids*, a program designed to offer local middle schoolers a safe place to gather after school and share in hands on art creation with a bilingual instructor. The students also received homework help and delicious food. We are deeply grateful to Kathy Herring, Jammin’ Crepes, and Send Hunger Packing Princeton for offering healthy and hearty refreshments, as well as Princeton University for providing staff and student tutoring volunteers – they made this program that much more special. *As of 2023, re-named
FUNDRAISERS & SUPPORT
ART PEOPLE PARTY: CLUB 57 AND THE COSMIC CLOSET
In April, we held our signature spring art fundraiser, Art People Party: Club 57 and the Cosmic Closet. We transformed our building and parking lot to resemble the early 1980s East Village art scene of Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, RuPaul and more. More than 200 guests enjoyed dancing, our signature “Tombola” art lottery featuring works donated by 30+ regional artists, and delectable Nomad Pizza and iQuisine Catering. This event supports the Anne Reeves Artist-in-Residence program, which empowers local artists to create new work and showcase their talents via workshops, public art opportunities, and gallery exhibitions. It also supports our many outreach programs that offer quality hands-on art making experiences to under resourced members of our community. Check out photos from the event.
ART OF SERIES
The pilot year of the Arts Council of Princeton’s ART OF series has been a tremendous one! Evolving our Dining by Design fall fundraiser into more intimate, more affordable events throughout the year has allowed us to bring 15+ cultural experiences to a broader audience. Over 600 participants from our community and the surrounding areas joined us to make chocolate, dance salsa, taste wine, and take a deep dive into topics ranging from Iftar to astrology. This feels like the right way to embody our mission of building community through the arts. Click here to learn more about the ART OF series and see what is coming up!
MEMBERSHIP
Membership provides critical support for our free community educational programs, celebrations, and exhibitions that enrich, surprise, and inspire so many. When you become a member of the Arts Council of Princeton, you’re supporting the arts that keep our town vibrant, creative, and inclusive. As an organization that receives no direct funding from the municipality, we rely on support like yours to continue to keep the arts thriving in our community.
Members receive discounts on classes, camps, workshops, and our ART OF series, as well as a special monthly members newsletter and valuable savings when you shop at local partners (such as McCaffrey’s Markets).
VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers are the backbone of the ACP and the reason we are able to serve our community seven days a week. With a full-time staff of eight, we simply couldn’t operate without the generous volunteers who assist with our outreach programs and greet visitors at the front desk. We welcome individuals and group volunteers of all ages!
As a certified organization with the Presidential Volunteer Service Award, the Arts Council of Princeton recognizes qualifying teen and adult volunteers. Last year 21 Presidential Volunteer Service Awards were awarded.
FINANCIALS
DONOR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
GUARDIAN ANGEL $25,000+
Timothy M. Andrews
VIRTUOSO $15,000-$24,999
Andrew H. Siegal Memorial Fund
Anonymous Fund of the Princeton Area Community Foundation
Bloomberg
Church & Dwight
George H. & Estelle M. Sands Foundation
Mary Owen Borden Foundation
Tamara Simpkins Franklin
VISIONARY $10,000-$14,999
Anonymous
First Bank
Patrick de Maynadier/De Maynadier Family Charitable Fund
STAFF & BOARD OF TRUSTEES
ARTS COUNCIL OF PRINCETON STAFF
Adam Welch, Executive Director
Erin Armington, Education Manager
Claudia Ceballos, Reception
Dave DiMarchi, Print Studio Manager
Maria Evans, Artistic Director
Mini Krishnan, Office Administrator
Melissa Kuscin, Marketing & Program Manager
Wadiya Legette, Reception
Stephanie Nazario, Financial Administrator
Liza Peck, Development Director
Kathleen Preziosi, Ceramics Manager
Catherine Rommel, Reception
Sapphire Srigley, Education Assistant
Emma Stephens, Development Associate
BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2023-24
Joe Kossow, President
John Thompson, Vice President
Mimi Mount, Treasurer
Jacqui Alexander, Secretary
Tina Motto, Executive Committee Member at Large
Tamara Simpkins Franklin, Executive Committee Member at Large
Patrick de Maynadier, Executive Committee Member at Large
Philip Clippinger
Aaron Fisher
Lindsey Forden
Samira Ghani
Kathy Herring
Dozie Ibeh
Stephen Kim
Viridiana Martínez Weiss
Diana Moore
Lydia Pfeiffer
Alex Pimentel
Adam Welch, Executive Director
Anne Reeves, Founding Director
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS
Sarah Collum Hatfield, Co-Chair
Ed Stelmakh, Co-Chair
Timothy M. Andrews
Kathleen Bagley
Leigh Bartlett
Peter Bienstock
James Burke
Ben Colbert
Barbie Cole
Ted Deutsch
Jessica Durrie
William Harla
Mitch Henderson
Jamie Herring
Isabella de la Houssaye
Claire Jacobus
Kookie Johnson
Casey Lambert
Wendy Mager
Cameron Manning
Maria Dominguez Momo
Raoul Momo
Carlo Momo
Veronica Olivares Weber
Anne O’Neill
Jacqueline Phares
John Rassweiler
Nancy Robins
Judith McCartin Scheide
Dawn Schrader
Anne VanLent
Anne Wright Wilson