To mark the 50th anniversary of the New Jersey Historical Commission (NJHC) and emphasize the significant work of history organizations and programs across the state, we asked our FY2017 and FY2018 grant recipients to submit a short narrative and photos describing the impact of NJHC funding. Each week until the end of our fiscal year in June, we will post a spotlight featuring the responses of our grant recipients. Whether NJHC support contributed to general operating, a brand new exhibit, an engaging education program or the restoration of a historic object, it’s truly amazing to see what New Jersey history organizations, libraries, and individuals have to offer.
This week we spotlight The Newark Museum!
NJHC funding supported the establishment of the Newark Museum’s first permanent gallery dedicated to New Jersey ceramics. From pickle jars to pie plates, from artistic porcelains to modern studio pottery, the objects in the exhibition reflect New Jersey’s rich tradition and history as one of the great pottery and porcelain centers of the Western World. Titled Hot, Hotter, Hottest: 300 Years of New Jersey Ceramics, this long-term installation explores the technical and aesthetic development of ceramics in New Jersey, showcasing important objects that are found nowhere else in the country. The exhibit also commemorates the centennial of the Museum’s groundbreaking exhibition about New Jersey’s ceramics industry, The Clay Products of New Jersey, held in 1915. NJHC funding enhanced the exhibition by helping create didactic materials about ceramic manufacturing, and allowing the Museum to introduce interactive technologies in the gallery in the form of touch-screens. In addition, NJHC funds supported the presentation of an exhibition-related public lecture series on ceramics in New Jersey.
Interactive component of the Hot, Hotter, Hottest: 300 Years of New Jersey Ceramics exhibit
For questions about NJHC Grantee Spotlights, please contact Greer Luce, Communications Officer, at 609-633-0776 or greer.luce@sos.nj.gov.
About the New Jersey Historical Commission
The New Jersey Historical Commission (NJHC) is a state agency dedicated to the advancement of public knowledge and preservation of New Jersey history. Established by law in 1967, its work is founded on the fundamental belief that an understanding of our shared heritage is essential to sustaining a cohesive and robust democracy.
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