###

Office of the Secretary of State
Department of State
125 West State Street
Trenton, NJ 08625

For Immediate Release
December 9, 2008

Contact:
Press Office: (609-777-0830)
Museum (609-777-0572)

TRENTON, NJ — The New Jersey State Museum will host the 2008 /New Jersey Arts Annual: Crafts/ juried exhibition with the theme “Transformations” through March 15, 2009.

The “Transformations” theme echoes the recent substantial renovations to the State Museum, which transformed the infrastructure of the historic building while creating fresh opportunities for exploring and learning in a modern venue.

“The /Arts Annual/ exhibitions illustrate the extraordinary vitality of New Jersey’s artists and reinforce the value of art in our lives,” said Secretary of State Nina Mitchell Wells. “Programs such as this exhibition create wonderful synergy between artists and the public, while allowing our most talented artists to showcase their work and visitors can enjoy the quality and diversity of the creative pieces.”

More than 125 craftspeople from around the state submitted work for the jury process. The exhibition features 58 by 27 artisans.

“This year the New Jersey State Museum invited the artisans to consider transformation – of ideas, materials or space, and how the products of these transformations themselves trigger additional change – of craft forms, perception or society itself,” said Eric Pryor, the Museum’s executive director. “Included in the exhibition are works in the traditional crafts materials of textile, ceramic, metal and wood, as well as some materials and methods that expand the concept of craft.”

On Wednesday, December 10, the State Museum and the Friends of the New Jersey State Museum will celebrate the New Jersey craftspeople included in the “Transformations” exhibition and introduce the Museum’s new Executive Director, Eric Pryor, from 6:00 - 8:00 pm. Please RSVP (acceptances only) by Monday, December 8 to 609-292-5420.

The /Arts Annual /series/ /is sponsored by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts; the Jersey City Museum; the Montclair Art Museum; the Morris Museum; The Newark Museum; The Noyes Museum of Art; and the New Jersey State Museum. “Transformations” has received additional funding from the Friends of the New Jersey State Museum.

The New Jersey State Museum is located at 205 West State Street, Trenton, NJ. The main building and auditorium are open Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 am – 4:45 pm, and Sunday, noon to 5:00 pm. The Museum is closed Mondays and all state holidays. Exhibitions are also presented in the Museum’s satellite gallery next door in the Department of State building at 225 West State Street. Exhibit hours at this location are Monday through Saturday, 9:00 am – 4:45 pm; closed Sundays and all state holidays. On weekends, free parking is available in lots adjacent to and behind the Museum.

The New Jersey State Museum/Department of State has received generous support for its exhibitions and programs from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/NJ Department of State; New Jersey Network Public Television and Radio; The Bunbury Company; The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation; the Friends of the New Jersey State Museum; Merrill G. & Emerita E. Hastings Foundation; The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey; the New Jersey Historical Commission; New Jersey Council for the Humanities; the National Endowment for the Arts; the Hyde & Watson Foundation; PSEG, PSE&G; Atlantic City Electric; AT&T; Bank of America; and the New Jersey Division of Travel & Tourism.

For more museum information, please call the Museum’s recorded information line at (609) 292-6464 or visit its website at www.newjerseystatemuseum.org <http://www.newjerseystatemuseum.org/>. The New Jersey State Museum is a division of the NJ Department of State. Please visit www.trentonparking.com <http://www.trentonparking.com/> for a number of options for parking in downtown Trenton.



The New Jersey State Museum offers an exciting range of family-friendly programs and events throughout the 2008/2009 school year. In conjunction with Young Audiences New Jersey, the Museum offers family performances on the second Saturday of each moth, art festivals in October and May, and school-day performances throughout the year. In addition, the Museum also offers science-based school-day performances, gallery tours on the first Friday of each month, weekly film screenings at 1:00 pm on Wednesdays, and exhibition-specific demonstrations and classes. Program information, exhibition schedules and more can be found at www.newjerseystatemuseum.org <http://www.newjerseystatemuseum.org/>.

The Friends of the New Jersey State Museum was founded in 1968 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) to support the Museum’s collections, exhibitions and programs through fundraising, volunteerism and advocacy. Friends members comprise the core docent group for the Museum. The Friends also operate a gift shop selling merchandise related to the Museum’s exhibitions and New Jersey history and culture. Proceeds support the Museum’s publications. This year marks the Friends’ 40^th anniversary and four decades of a highly successful, rewarding partnership with the Museum.**


(Digital images of works included in the exhibition are available by request*)

###