Americanfrican TOUR GUIDE
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N EW JERSEY’S AAMERICANfrican TOUR GUIDE CELEBRATIONS MUSEUMS SHOP & DINE TRAVEL & TOURISM NEW JERSEY COMMERCE & ECONOMIC GROWTH COMMISSION NEW JERSEY’S AfricanAMERICANTOUR GUIDE T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S INTRODUCTION ABOUT THIS GUIDE MUSEUMS CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS JAZZ & BLUES EVENTS SHOP & DINE CELEBRATIONS & EVENTS ITINERARIES SKYLANDS REGION GATEWAY REGION DELAWARE RIVER REGION This guide is representative SHORE REGION of sites attractions and other offerings for those visiting New Jersey Information GREATER ATLANTIC CITY REGION supplied in this publication is believed to be correct at the time of publication SOUTHERN SHORE REGION The New Jersey Commerce and Economic Growth Commission is not responsible for changes and/or typographical errors Many events in this Guide are held annually If you miss an event contact the event’s organizers for next year’s schedule To receive details on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance please contact each location directly wwwvisitnjorg Introduction Commerce Secretary William D. Watley with youngsters at The Newark Museum enjoying the exhibit, The Parking Garage, by sculptor George Segal. African Americans have for centuries contributed to the culture of the Garden State. It is a heritage visible in the historic Black churches that dot New Jersey, in the works of both traditional and modern artists, and in the antique handicrafts of everyday New Jerseyans of African descent that have become part of museum exhibits. You can experience these traditions in person. See them in the historic churches and the artwork. Hear them in jazz or blues festivals or taste them in a soul food restaurant. Explore all of this and more with the help of this guide. Whether you are planning a vacation or want to explore New Jersey’s African American past and present, you will see why New Jersey adds value to your life. New Jersey and you…Perfect Together A Word About This Guide This booklet offers a guide for visitors to enjoy the Garden State’s African American heritage. Up for some jazz? Have a craving for old-fashioned soul food? Looking for a hand-crafted African gift item for that special someone? It’s all listed here. In addition, a special itinerary section provides a broad look at what New Jersey has to offer, with a focus on African American historic sites and other major attractions such as the Liberty Science Center, the State Aquarium, the Meadowlands Sports Complex and, of course, the Jersey Shore. M USEUMS TheThe artsarts come alive in New JerseyJersey atat nearly 200 museums thatthat contributecontribute toto thethe GardenGarden State’sState’s richrich cultural life. Some areare large,large, and home to nation- allyally renownedrenowned collections of finefine art;art; othersothers areare small,small, oofferingffering uniqueunique insightsinsights intointo locallocal history.history. Many have paintings and sculptures by African or African American artists, old as well as modern. You can also view antique objects made by everyday peo- ple, such as tribal masks from Africa and home crafts produced by African Americans a century ago. Be on the lookout, too, for special exhibits of historical papers, photos and artifacts. Reliquary Guardian Image, Republic of Gabon-Central Africa, Kota People, courtesy The Newark Museum. MUSEUMS African Art Museum of the Society of African Missions 23 Bliss Avenue Tenafly 201-894-8611 One of the few museums in the United States dedicated solely to the art of sub-Saharan Africa. Its founding fathers, Catholic mission- aries, have built a permanent col- lection of some 250 pieces from West Africa and the Sudan, includ- ing a treasure trove of carved masks, wooden and clay sculp- tures, bronze castings, fabrics and jewelry. The art of people such as the Yoruba, Masai, Chokwe, Baule and Senufo are well represented. Two works showcased at the Zimmerli Museum. left: One of the many quilts found Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Museum at the Afro-American Historical 71 Hamilton Street Society Museum. New Brunswick 732-932-7237 State are the hallmarks of New www.zimmerlimuseum.rutgers.edu Jersey’s only museum dedicated exclusively to African Americans. More than 60,000 works of art from Its holdings include some 250 various cultures dating from the quilts dating from 1841 to the 16th century to today make this present, posters for civil rights Rutgers University showcase—locat- Afro-American marches, photographs of New ed in one of the oldest and most Historical Society Museum Jersey’s historic African American beautiful parts of campus—the Greenville Branch, Jersey City churches, musical instruments, fig- third largest U.S. university muse- Public Library (2nd Floor) urines of policemen and firemen, um. The permanent collection 1841 Kennedy Boulevard and antique dolls. Unique to the includes highly regarded works by Jersey City museum are the approximately 800 African American artists, such as 201-547-5262 artifacts relating to the NAACP in “The Good Shepherd,” painted in Outstanding collections and a the state, and the special Pullman 1902-1903 by Henry Ossawa Tanner; commitment to researching the Porters collection, which tells of “Three Girls,” by Hughie Lee-Smith; cultural heritage of the African the African American railroad and “The Sun Flower Quilting Bee American community in the Garden workers who were central organiz- at Arles,” by Faith Ringgold. ers of the civil rights movement. Jersey City Museum The Newark Museum 350 Montgomery Street 49 Washington Street Jersey City Newark 201-414-0303 973-596-6544 or www.jerseycitymuseum.org 800-7-MUSEUM www.newarkmuseum.org The mission of the newly renovated Jersey City Museum is to celebrate New Jersey’s largest museum offers the multi-ethnic cultural history of exhibits on fine arts, historical Hudson County. Alongside the work artifacts, and displays of natural of living artists who make Hudson science specimens. It is home to County their home is a 500-painting the Western Hemisphere’s most collection of traditional portraits, important collection of Tibetan landscapes and still-lifes that span art, as well as nationally renowned the 19th and 20th centuries. In collections from the Americas, addition, the section on Decorative Africa, the Pacific, classical Egypt, Arts & Historical Objects encompass- Greece and Rome. It also features es historically significant ceramics, the 1855 Ballantine House—a glass, textiles, woodwork, and stone National Historic Landmark that from the region. Among the unique recreates a sumptuous Victorian holdings is a collection of 500 lifestyle—and the Dreyfuss advertising and product Planetarium, with its state- designs related to of-the-art Zeiss projec- Jersey City tor for visitors to industry. study the heavens. Its African Montclair Art American hold- Museum ings range from 3 South the paintings Mountain of early 19th Avenue century por- Montclair traitist Joshua 973-746- Johnson to 5555 ext. sculptures by 214 folk artists William One of the Edmondson nation’s and David most com- Butler to the prehensive contemporary works collections of Native of Robert Colescott, Mel American art and arti- Edwards and Alison Saar. Its facts, as well as an out- permanent African collections of standing assembly of American baskets, textiles, wood sculpture colonial, 19th century and modern and leather, bead, jewel and metal art make the Montclair Museum a work provide a thorough view of leading force in the cultural life the arts and crafts of Africa from of New Jersey. the Mediterranean to the Cape of Among the Montclair Museum’s Good Hope. programs with a focus on African American art is “Creating Art: New Jersey Historical Society Conversations with African American 52 Park Place Artists.” Recent exhibitions have Newark included mid-career retrospectives 973-596-8500 from top to bottom: of the work of Beverly Buchanan www.jerseyhistory.org Afro-American Historical Society and Janet Taylor Pickett, as well as The oldest cultural institution in Museum, Jersey City Museum, installations by Lorenzo Pace and the state, founded in 1845, offers a Jersey Explorer Children’s Museum, Sam Gilliam Whitfield Lovell. New Jersey State Museum. museum and hands-on educational exhibits showcasing the multicultur- right: Mwash-ambooy mushall al past and present of New Jersey. (mask), The Newark Museum Its collections include 65,000 books collection. MUSEUMS on the history of the Garden State, Princeton University Art Museum Cape May County Historical its counties and regions; nearly 200 Princeton University Campus and Genealogical Society pre-1870 newspapers; more than Princeton Cape May Courthouse 100,000 photographs; 2,000 maps; 609-258-3788 504 Route 9 North more than 1,500 diaries from www.princetonartmuseum.org 609-465-3535 every day people, and rare legal New Jersey’s only Ivy League cam- The history of Cape May County documents of historic significance pus is the tranquil setting for an takes center stage, with displays including the 1664 charter deeding important collection of antiquities of artifacts and documents at the land that would become that includes Greek and Roman the John Holmes House, a pre- New Jersey to the Duke of York. ceramics, marbles and bronzes, and Revolutionary building listed on ancient Chinese paintings and cal- National Registers of Historical New Jersey State Museum ligraphy. Also well represented are Places. The Society celebrates 205 West State Street Olmec and Maya art and European Black History Month in conjunction Trenton masters from the Renaissance to with the Whitesboro Historical 609-292-6308 the 19th century. There is also a Foundation, featuring guest www.newjerseystatemuseum.org growing collection of African art speakers and showcasing a collec- The famous painting of George and modern art. tion of artifacts, documents and Washington crossing the Delaware, photographs from residents of the on display in the Auditorium historically Black town, Whitesboro. Lobby, is just the best known of the holdings at one of New LOCAL MUSEUMS Jersey Explorer Jersey’s most complete museums.