Creativity and Connection
With the opening of the new building, two new classrooms—the Kathleen Compton Sherrerd Creativity Lab and the Laporte Family Creativity Lab—are poised to be hubs of discovery and welcome for visitors of all ages to experiment and explore with hands-on art-making activities. The Creativity Labs will host programs inspired by works in the collections and exhibitions on view. Program formats will vary—from drop-in activities to workshops requiring registration—and will support audiences with all levels of expertise.
Hands-on experiences are familiar to visitors to the Princeton University Art Museum, both prior to the building’s closure in 2020, and at our downtown locations during construction of the new Museum. Art-making activities that engage with the collections and exhibitions have been featured regularly at community and student events. For example, Family Day, a biannual celebration of art, welcomed thousands of visitors to participate in reading, writing, and art activities that often took place in the galleries, alongside the collections. The opportunity to color, cut, and collage beside original works of art is a joy. It is, however, not without its limitations, namely the relatively short list of “dry” materials approved for the setting. Pipe cleaners, tissue paper, beads, and double-sided tape can be the building blocks for any young artist, to be sure, but when conversations about the new building began, the idea of “wet” classrooms was solidly planted.
From the earliest iterations of a new Museum building, the Creativity Labs have been considered an exciting and promising opportunity for visitors to connect and engage with art, each other, and the Museum through tactile—and messier—forms of enrichment. These dedicated classrooms will make it possible for more visitors to explore mediums and techniques with greater expression and depth.
Art on Hulfish, the Museum’s temporary gallery space in downtown Princeton, became a vital component of the planning process. The gallery, which featured photography-forward exhibitions, had an art-making space that hosted drop-in activities, group visits, and workshops. Art on Hulfish was an incubator, providing dedicated time and space to test ideas, try out different program formats, and talk with visitors. Centering art as a tool for curiosity, reflection, and connection was the primary motivation for activities at Art on Hulfish, and the lessons learned have been invaluable in shaping the slated roster of programs for the new Creativity Labs.
For example, Open Studio will welcome visitors to play in the Creativity Labs, with a frequently changing series of open-ended activities and contemplative writing prompts. Driven by each visitor’s pace and interests, activities can be completed in ten minutes or an hour. Flexibility is at the core of Open Studio; visitors are encouraged to make the projects their own, using the activity instructions more as a starting point or list of suggestions than prescriptive steps.
Workshops, many led by local artists, will investigate particular media and techniques in a more concentrated manner. Programs designed for specific audiences will launch in the fall and expand over the course of the first year. Our Art for Families programs will return to Saturday mornings and will once again embolden elementary school–age visitors to unveil their inner artists. In the spring, the Creativity Labs will welcome groups—K–12 students and adults—for tailored programs that complement classroom curricula, support team building, or allow for social gathering.
All Creativity Lab programs will focus on the process of making and the celebration of experimentation, not the final result. Trying new things and pushing beyond one’s comfort zone is a great way not only to learn and discover but also to build resilience. It is in the journey of making that we find moments of growth and connection—to self, to others, to our surroundings, and to our past, present, and future.
Activities in the Creativity Labs are made possible in part by support from the IV Fund.
