Princeton University Art Museum Forms Advisory Forum of Regional Leaders

THE FOLLOWING NEWS RELEASE WAS DISTRIBUTED ON NOVEMBER 13, 2014

PRINCETON, NJ— The Princeton University Art Museum announced today the establishment of a new Community Leadership Council. Charged with helping the Museum better understand and serve the needs of residents in New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania, the Council will bridge University and region to inspire a citizenship that is more engaged in the visual arts.

Led by Museum Director James Steward, this new advisory forum comprises representatives from diverse area constituencies. Council members include: Kristin Appelget, Director, Princeton University Community and Regional Affairs; Kate Bech, Chief Executive Officer, Princeton Family YMCA; Stephen Cochrane, Superintendent of Schools, Princeton Public Schools; Princeton Class of ’81; Jessica Durrie, Co-Owner, Small World Coffee, Princeton; Patricia Hart, Executive Director, Womanspace, Inc., Lawrenceville; Shing-Fu Hsueh, Mayor, West Windsor Township; Nancy Kieling, President and CEO, Princeton Area Community Foundation; Liz Lempert, Mayor, Princeton, NJ; David Rago, President, Rago Auctions, Lambertville; David Tierno, Community Leader; past president of the Friends, Princeton University Art Museum; Rev. Dr. John E. White, Dean of Student Life and Vice President for Student Relations, Princeton Theological Seminary; former pastor, Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church; Nick Wilson, Community Leader, Princeton Class of ’51; and Richard Woodbridge, Community Leader; former mayor, Princeton Township; Princeton Class of ’65.

Additional members will be appointed throughout the year.

“As the Museum grows, we feel increasingly the responsibility to be a compelling resource for communities across our region and across the state,” notes Museum Director James Steward. “I am honored that these distinguished leaders have agreed to work with me to help make this Museum a force for good, and a center for community building.”

The Community Leadership Council succeeds and builds upon the efforts of the Museum’s former Friends Board, established more than sixty years ago.

By budget the largest museum in the state of New Jersey, the Museum seeks to lead the conversation about the role of the humanities and the visual arts in the 21^st century both on and off campus, deepening the sense of a vibrant visual arts culture at Princeton while making many of the University intellectual assets available to a wider set of audiences.

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About the Princeton University Art Museum

With a collecting history that extends back to the 1750s, the Princeton University Art Museum is one of the leading university art museums in the country. From the founding gift of a collection of porcelain and pottery, the collections have grown to over 92,000 works of art that range from ancient to contemporary art and concentrate geographically on the Mediterranean regions, Western Europe, China, the United States, and Latin America.

Committed to advancing Princeton’s teaching and research missions, the Art Museum serves as a gateway to the University for visitors from around the world. The Museum is intimate in scale yet expansive in scope, offering a respite from the rush of daily life, a revitalizing experience of extraordinary works of art, and an opportunity to delve deeply into the study of art and culture.

The Princeton University Art Museum is located at the heart of the Princeton campus, a short walk from the shops and restaurants of Nassau Street. Admission is free. Museum hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m. The Museum is closed Mondays and major holidays.

Please direct image requests to Erin Firestone, Manager of Marketing and Public Relations, Princeton University Art Museum, at (609) 258-3767 or ef4@princeton.edu.