Historic Happenings Blog

Digital interactions for Friends of the Township of Ocean Historical Museum! Even though the Township of Ocean Historical Museum is closed and our events are suspended in order to preserve public health during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we remain committed to our mission to bring history to life and explore its relevance. We’ve compiled a number of history-related activities for you to do from the comfort and safety of your own home! Watch this space — we’ll be adding more content regularly. Explore Here!

Self-Quarantined and Bored? During the present COVID-19 pandemic it is critical people listen to medical experts and abide by the recommended "social distancing" rules where possible. If self-quarantining has you bored, now might be a good opportunity to catch up on your reading! Garden State Legacy can help! The  GSL archives  hold nearly 250 articles on New Jersey history and the  Bookstore  page is your portal to finding over 30 books by GSL authors. You can also plan for when the crisis passes and we can travel freely again with the  History in Your Backyard  directory of NJ history sites, museums, organizations, and more. Or, take a virtual museum tour of  Treasured Artifacts of the Garden State!

https://www.newarkmuseumart.org/nmoa-home Newark Museum of Art Newark Museum of Art has embraced the #MuseumFromHome movement on its social media platforms. "Lunch & Learn" talks with artists on Zoom and  Facebook Live , story times, art challenges, and at-home craft sessions are among the weekly programming. MONDAY, June 1 Jersey Skies Check out the latest stargazing and space news from the weekly astronomy column on our Facebook page. This week we will take a look at the Moon and two bright springtime stars. Leisure in Art Bracket: Round 1 (part 1) Artists have depicted how people spend their leisure times for centuries and across cultures. Select your favorite leisure-inspired artwork from the Museum collection! Voting will be available throughout the week, on Facebook and Instagram. TUESDAY, June 2 Ask an Astronomer: Dragon Launch, Noon Join us for “Ask an Astronomer” on Tuesday, June 2, at Noon. Colin Hutcheson talks about human spaceflight and the historic launch of...

https://artmuseum.princeton.edu/collections Princeton University Art Museum Princeton University Art Museum, which in normal times always has free admission, continues its generous ways with a wealth of on-line programming during the pandemic. A schedule of Zoom meetings with curators and Princeton University faculty members, who discuss various collections in the museum or lead roundtable discussions, is posted on the museum's website. Online gallery tours include one devoted to the work of Pablo Picasso. Downloadable kids' activities include an Andy Warhol-style Pop Art craft.

"Lonely Leaf In The Rain," a photo by William May, at Riverfront Renaissance Center For The Arts in Millville.  (Photo: Courtesy of Riverfront Renaissance Center For The Arts) Riverfront Renaissance Center For The Arts https://www.rrcarts.com/isolation-virtual-gallery.html "Isolation" is the aptly named on-line exhibit by Riverfront Renaissance Center For The Arts in Millville. Riverfront will continue to accept submissions by artists for this ongoing project and will update the presentation as entries are received. "We will share the video galleries through social media and on our  website  to reach our audiences and help keep the healing energy of art available to everyone," Riverfront stated in a press release.  "Helpless," a metal sculpture by Dan Dennison, at Riverfront Renaissance Center For The Arts in Millville.  (Photo: Courtesy of Riverfront Renaissance Center For The Arts) Each entry will include a description by the artist to describe...

Rowan University Art Gallery https://sites.rowan.edu/artgallery/exhibitions/tracing-origins.html Rowan University Art Gallery in Glassboro hosts "Tracing Origins," an online exhibition of the work of three Philadelphia-area artists: Colette Fu, Claes Gabriel and Hiro Sakaguchi. These artists create work inspired by their ancestral homelands and native cultures, using photography, paper engineering, painting, and sculpture. 

Zimmerli Art Museum http://www.zimmerlimuseum.rutgers.edu/exhibitions/exhibitions-overview#.XrBpkahKhqM Zimmerli Art Museum, at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, Zooms through the pandemic with free art classes and other programs. On  Instagram , the Zimmerli offers slide show tours of exhibitions and galleries and behind-the-scenes glimpses of the museum. The website has downloadable coloring pages of favorite works from the museum’s collections. Go:  zimmerlimuseum.rutgers.edu  or on  Facebook  or Instagram.

"Horses," from 1961 by Jacob Landau, is part of Monmouth University's permanent collection.  (Photo: Courtesy of Monmouth University) Monmouth University Art Collection https://www.monmouth.edu/art-collections/online-gallery/ Images from the permanent collection of Monmouth University in West Long Branch can be viewed online, including several dramatic pieces by Jacob Landau. "Geography of Hell," a 1968 lithograph by Jacob Landau, is part of Monmouth University's permanent collection.   (Photo: Courtesy of Monmouth University)

Monmouth Museum https://monmouthmuseum.org/virtualgallery "R'emerged," a virtual exhibit by Monmouth Museum, is online through, with artwork available for sale.  Monmouth Museum also is posting full-length video interviews of artists featured in "R'emerged" on YouTube and abridged versions on Instagram at  @themonmouthmuseum. "Winter Beach," a painting by Natalie Barringer, at Riverfront Renaissance Center For The Arts in Millville.  (Photo: Courtesy of Riverfront Renaissance Center For The Arts) On  Facebook,  Monmouth Museum hosts storytime and craft sessions on Wednesdays, as well as special craft videos on Fridays.  The deadline has been extended until May 15 for the museum's annual New Jersey Emerging Artist Series. Details are on Monmouth Museum's  Instagram  and  Facebook  pages.

Grounds For Sculpture https://www.groundsforsculpture.org/art/ How we would love to roam the 42 manicured acres of Grounds For Sculpture. For now, however, we will have to settle for an interactive map on the website of this outdoor sculpture museum and arboretum in Hamilton, and a glimpse of its more than 400 pieces of art. Grounds For Sculpture recently suffered the loss of its founder, Seward Johnson, who died March 10. A quote from Johnson graces the website: "It's easy sometimes to forget the simple things that give us pleasure. If we open our eyes, life is marvelous."

Educational Projects and Virtual Tours for Families available at the American Labor Museum/Botto House National Landmark’s website  www.labormuseum.net Haledon, New Jersey --   Educational projects and virtual Museum tours are available on the American Labor Museum/Botto House National Landmark website,  www.labormuseum.net  “Home-School Projects” page:  https://labormuseum.net/?p=home-school-projects       Museum trustees, staff, and volunteers understand that social distancing and quarantine can be difficult for children and adults. The Museum’s “Home-School Projects” ( https://labormuseum.net/?p=home-school-projects ) menu of online activities is designed to provide families with the opportunity to learn at home about the history and contemporary issues of workers, workplaces and the labor movement. Virtual tours, labor arts projects’ instructions, 1913 Paterson Silk Silk Strike role-playing cards, immigrant families’ r...

Itay Goren, who was scheduled to perform at the Farmstead Arts in March, has graciously shared his YouTube Channel so that all may enjoy a variety of performances - classical, jazz, from Brahms to Mozart and more. Thank you, Itay!  Itay's YouTube Channel Look for Itay at the Farmstead in 2021 ~ he will be back!

Miller-Cory Launches New Website Page The Miller-Cory House Museum in Westfield is currently closed to the public. We will reopen only when it is safe to do so, and we ask all of our community to stay home and stay healthy. In the meantime,  we are remaining connected through our Facebook page and our website, www.millercoryhouse.com . We've launched a new page on the website entitled Miller-Cory Medley. On it, we will be posting short articles and photos that we hope you will find interesting and enjoyable. Our first article was entitled "2 or 3 frogs in the box..." and our second is "You say catsup, I say ketchup...." Please check them out!  And if you need to get in contact with us, please email  millercorymuseum@gmail.com .

Ask the Barracks! Old Barracks Museum launches new distance learning aide The Old Barracks Museum is bringing history online!  Due to the closures of schools and other precautionary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19,  thousands of students are going to miss their scheduled field trips to the Old Barracks Museum this spring . While visiting the historical landmark to learn about New Jersey’s pivotal role in the American Revolution is an immersive, hands-on experience that can’t be replicated online,  the Museum is eager to connect with students to allow them the opportunity to connect with history.   Ask the Barracks  allows students, parents, and teachers to email questions about the American Revolution, the Battle of Trenton, diseases in the 18 th  century such as smallpox, and New Jersey to   askthebarracks@barracks.org . Selected questions will be answered via videos that will be posted on  www.barracks.org/askthebarracks  and...

Now online--a new exhibit “When Women Vote” – Old Barracks Museum’s Online Exhibit Explores the  Anti-Suffragist  History of Founding Members Trenton, NJ—The Old Barracks Museum is pleased to announce the opening of  a new online exhibit titled “When Women Vote: The Old Barracks and the Anti-Suffrage Movement.” View it at  barracks.org/whenwomenvote .  This timely exhibit, which is being released during the centennial celebration of the 19 th  Amendment, explores a conflicted aspect of history. The Old Barracks’ origin is rooted in the military struggles of the 18th century, but the building also has a unique history tied to a group of affluent Trentonian women.  In 1902, The Old Barracks Association (OBA) was founded entirely by women living in the Trenton area with the goal of preserving the historic structure. These women were from well-connected families and as such, were expected to be involved in the local community and pursue philanthropic proje...