#b#Onsite Reporting Much Appreciated#/b#
I am the docent coordinator for the Cranbury Museum and education chair for the Cranbury Historical and Preservation Society. I wanted you to know how pleased we all were with the thoughtful, well-written, and comprehensive article by Dan Aubrey about the Cranbury Museum (U.S. 1, July 17). Dan was at the museum on two separate days, personally attended multiple tours I gave with visitors, and then interviewed me and others about our work, the current and upcoming exhibits and basically all aspects of this special historical stop in Cranbury.
We can’t thank him and your paper enough for taking the time to highlight our museum and the works of the society. The number of our Sunday visitors has increased dramatically since the article came out. We are genuinely heartened by the response it has engendered and deeply grateful. Thank you so much for giving our special little museum such wonderful attention and publicity. We welcome you to come back and see our upcoming fossil exhibit, set to open on Sunday, August 18. We are gathering many exciting exhibit articles and it should be one of the most interesting and unique exhibits we have ever offered.
Thanks again to Dan and your wonderful publication for such special treatment. We are grateful.
Don Davidson
For more information on the Cranbury Museum, visit www.cranburyhistory.org/museum.
#b#Return to the Barnes, Says Art Historian#/b#
At the suggestion of a Princeton friend who is a longtime reader of U.S. 1, I am inviting New Jersey residents to register for my architectural appreciation class — entitled, “Phenomenal Buildings” — which is being offered this fall at the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia. Ilene Dube described the new Barnes Foundation building as well as the institution’s history in her U.S. 1 article, “Paris Is Great; Philadelphia’s a Blockbuster,” on August 8, 2012.
The new building on the Parkway was designed by a Princeton alumnus, architect Tod Williams ‘65 and ‘67, with his firm Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects. They also designed both Taplin Auditorium and Fineberg Hall on the Princeton University campus.
The Barnes architecture class takes place once a week on Friday mornings at the Barnes Foundation on the Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia. It runs from September 13 to December 20. This would be an incredible opportunity to become familiar with the new building, the world renowned collection, and enrich your knowledge and understanding of great architecture.
In the words of U.S. 1 writer Ilene Dube: “If you can tear yourself away from all those Matisses, take a moment to look down at the floor in the Light Court. It is made from ipe, a Brazilian walnut reclaimed from boardwalks at Coney Island. ‘The new space needed a durable floor that was also warm and inviting,’ note the architects. The boards reputedly offer that clean-dirty look, and though I didn’t get down to sniff it, you can supposedly still smell ocean when it’s wet.”
Sign up soon. Space is limited.
Grace Ong Yan, Ph.D.
The writer will teach “Phenomenal Buildings,” Fridays from 10 a.m. to noon at the Barnes Foundation (and with special site visits) September 13 to December 20. Fee: $900. For information visit www.barnesfoundation.org/education/art/semester-courses or call 215-278-7300.
