Art for the Streets

The Art Museum is bringing its collections to town through a new project called Art for the Streets. High-quality reproductions of extraordinary artworks from the Museum’s globe-spanning collections now adorn the glass windows and doorways of otherwise empty storefronts in Palmer Square and, more recently, the Princeton Shopping Center. This initiative—which we expect will extend to more windows in the coming months—seeks to help sustain the liveliness of Princeton at a time when many forces are challenging the survival of small businesses. Museum Director James Steward notes, “With so many empty storefronts, it seems critical to do what we can to safely enliven our town’s streetscapes and do our part to support local businesses, residents, and visitors at such a difficult time.” Residents out for a cup of coffee, some shopping, or a masked stroll now encounter reproductions of diverse works from across the Museum’s collections, including a beaded African tunic, an Edo-period Japanese print, a sculpture of a Maya god, and a painting by Édouard Manet, among others. Each reproduction is accompanied by a QR code linking it to additional information so that the viewing experience can become an educational one, too.