Something for Everyone at Morven Museum & Garden's Grand Reopening

Grand Reopening festivities set for September 7th through 9th feature members-only hours, lecture, museum and garden tours, and exclusive public viewing of rare historical documents
By: MORVEN MUSEUM AND GARDEN
 
PRINCETON, N.J. - Aug. 22, 2018 - PRLog -- - "With the grand reopening of our newly imagined first floor permanent galleries, more than 200 years of American stories are being told and shared at Morven," Jill Barry, Morven Museum & Garden's Executive Director said recently.  "Morven tells a uniquely American story through the people that have walked through its halls." Morven's Grand Reopening weekend takes place September 7 through 9, from 10:00 a.m to 4:00 p.m. each day, at 55 Stockton Street, Princeton, New Jersey.

Morven Museum & Garden, a National Historic Landmark, was home to many notable Americans including one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, Richard Stockton, Robert Wood Johnson, Jr., as well as five New Jersey governors. A museum since 2004, Morven has, until now, focused on the patriarchs who led on the national scene.

Several of the weekend's highlights revolve around Richard Stockton, the signer, and his legacy:

• Richard Stockton's signed Oath of Abjuration & Allegiance, renouncing allegiance to King George III, recently conserved and on public view for the first time and only on loan this weekend.
• Renowned historian Maxine Lurie, in conversation with Morven's Curator of Collections & Exhibitions Elizabeth Allan, will discuss Richard Stockton's actions during the Revolutionary War, in an illustrated talk  Richard Stockton: Turncoat or Patriot? in Morven's Stockton Education Center at  2:00 p.m. Saturday, September 8; tickets $16 for public; $8 for Friends of Morven.
• Children's "Family Crest" take-home craft on September 8 and 9 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. each day.

Historic Morven: A Window into America's Past

"Looking at America through the lense of Morven, our new exhibition expands our narrative by adding the voices of the many people who lived and worked at Morven, including women, children, generations of enslaved men and women, immigrant servants, and later, employees," Barry revealed.

Historic Morven: A Window into America's Past, as the exhibition is known, chronicles America's history from the 18th through 20th centuries by telling the stories of those who helped shape it while living, working, and visiting this very special home.  It is the first major reinterpretation of the museum's permanent history galleries since Morven first opened as a museum in 2004,

"Our research in this endeavor spanned centuries while developing closer ties within our contemporary community," Barry added.  "We collected oral histories from people who lived and worked at Morven, including Governor Byrne before he passed, to gain first hand information.  We invited community members, notably those from the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood, to help us envision the exhibition's presentation, especially around the topic of slavery."

Morven's Curator of Collections and Exhibitions Elizabeth Allan, Registrar Jesse Gordon, museum interns, and volunteers pored over hundreds of years of information, papers and artifacts, to develop the exhibition, learning many new facts to include in the narrative. Isometric Studios of Brooklyn, NY designers of Morven's award-winning 2015 Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh exhibition, developed and executed the exhibit concept and design.

Funding for the exhibition provided byRobert N. Wilson and Michele Plante, Liza and Schuyler Morehouse, New Jersey Council for the Humanities, New Jersey Historical Commission, Valerie and Jim McKinney, Ann and Steve West, Ruth and Nick Wilson, Daphne A. Townsend, Richard Lounsbery Foundation, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Jill M. Barry, Carol and Richard Hanson, Eileen and Bob O'Neil, Barbara and J. Richard Pierce, The Thomas & Agnes Carvel Foundation, Holly Pyne Connor & The Helen R. Buck Foundation, and Georgia T. Schley.

Morven's Tales told both Inside and Out

"In addition to the beautiful new galleries, visitors to Morven this Fall will see a renovated landscape featuring many new plantings, and historic garden displays designed to be enjoyed from both inside, and outside, of Morven.  Horticulturist Pam Ruch and Garden Designer Peter Ham worked over the past year to create this more robust interpretation, melding the garden, historic home, and its grounds to create a more immersive and multifaceted visitor experience" Barry added.

Garden Tours will be held on September 7, 8, and 9 at 11:00  a.m. and 1:00 p.m. led by Morven's Horticulturists and gardeners.

For complete details on the weekend's events, and to register for tickets, either visit http://morven.org/grandreopening/ , email kkolvites@morven.org , or call 609.924.8144 x. 113

Media Contact
dlampertrudman@morven.org
6099248144
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Source:MORVEN MUSEUM AND GARDEN
Email:***@morven.org
Tags:Morven Museum, Princeton, New Jersey history
Industry:Arts
Location:Princeton - New Jersey - United States
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