Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum

As a lover of the visual arts, I have a soft spot for museums. As a photographer, I am forever tempted to bring my camera along. Often, taking pictures inside is outright prohibited. Sometimes it is allowed, but only in specified parts of a building. In any case, I am told that any pictures taken inside a museum cannot be publicly sold or traded. This, I presume, is in the interests of artists or their agents who wish to make sure that any revenues derived from the distribution of their intellectual property will accrue to its rightful owner.

Once the taking of pictures inside a museum has been officially sanctioned, the photographer’s problems only multiply. As the lighting inside tends to fall below the threshold required (and the use of flash is always most emphatically prohibited), any pictures he might take will tend to be dark and grainy. Still, it has been my experience that, given one has made enough attempts, a small percentage of pictures will (sometimes, with the aid of photo shop) turn out tolerably well.

It is not my intention here to promote any particular artist over any other. The pictures presented as addendums to this writing are simply the ones that happened to turn out under difficult lighting conditions. My aim (if, indeed, there is an aim) is to promote the Zimmerli as a fine place to spend an afternoon contemplating a wide variety of the plastic arts and paintings. Many of the exhibits are here on a rotating basis which keeps the experience from becoming stale, inviting also future visits. We noted that the emphasis here was on Russian (non-conformist) art. I had to consult Wikipedia later to find out exactly what this means. There was also a wing in which contemporary Indian art was featured.

The Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum is located on Rutgers University campus in New Brunswick, NJ. It is within easy walking distance of the town where a number of very good restaurants and coffee bars beckon. The Museum itself has coffee and gift shops. It is neatly tucked away in a park-like setting near where the very first buildings comprising what is now Rutgers University were built. Rutgers is one of only two colonial colleges that later would become public universities. (The other is the College of William and Mary.)

The Zimmerli Art Museum serves as a research facility for students, faculty, and visiting scholars. It also provides educational and cultural resources for communities and schools throughout New Jersey, offering a wide variety of interactive programs for both children and adults.

For information about current exhibitions, programs, hours, and directions call (732) 932-7237 or visit the web site: http://www.zimmerlimuseum.rutgers.edu/.

Peter Koelliker pkoelliker8@yahoo.com