The United States of Us

This Week's Episode

In this episode, artists grapple with the legacy of our nation, retelling history through their own, often-overlooked perspectives.

Korean-born pianist Min Kwon plays over 70 new variations of "America the Beautiful" by a diverse group of composers.

Playwright Emily Mann’s Greensboro: A Requiem remembers the 1979 Greensboro Massacre.

The Zimmerli Art Museum highlights Angela Davis’s lasting impact as a political and visual icon.

And, photographer Phil Buehler captures the decline of consumer culture with haunting images of an abandoned mall in Wayne, New Jersey.

NJ PBS

Sat, 7/4 @ 7:30 pm

Sun, 7/5 @ 9:30 am

WNET Thirteen

Sun, 7/5 @ 11:30 am

Images in gif: Min Kwon photographed by Lisa-Marie Mazzucco / A reading of Greensboro: A Requiem / Herb Bruce's 1971 Free Angela poster, Lisbet Tellefsen Archive / Detail of Sam Goody by Phil Buehler

Find out where (and how) to watch!

A Month of Sculpture

This month, we're focusing on sculptors previously featured on State of the Arts.

At Rowan University, ceramic artist Syd Carpenter and sculptor Jack Larimore connected the campus to its Pine Barrens surroundings with Batsto Homestead, their evocative work of public art created for the Chamberlain Student Center. Watch here.

On the Blog

At Grounds for Sculpture, I’ll Make Me a World gathered work by Clifford Ward spanning 12 years in an homage to his culture, ancestors, and personal creative journey. “I’m trying to compensate for what I don’t know about myself,” he explains—and that search for understanding has resulted in a stunning collection of work that breaks narrative boundaries. Read here.

Happening Now

MudGirls Studios is hosting South Jersey Clay Connection on July 8 in Atlantic City—don't miss this opportunity to network and learn more about opportunities with the organization! See here for more info.

Our related story: Mudgirls Studios.

The Sister Chapel, an iconic feminist artist collaboration from 1978, has reopened at the Rowan University Museum of Contemporary Art after 18 months of restoration!

Our related story: The Sister Chapel.

Don't miss Opening the Vault: A Look Inside the GFS Collection, now at Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton until December!

Our related stories: Willie Cole, Toshiko Takaezu, Tallur L.N., Steve Tobin, and Joyce J. Scott, all artists included in the exhibition

Highlights

Broadway veteran Laiona Michelle wrote and starred in Little Girl Blue: The Nina Simone Musical, which had its world premiere at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick.

Our 2019 story: The Nina Simone Musical.

Steven R. Carty is a second-generation basket weaver from Mount Holly, New Jersey, on the edge of the Pine Barrens. He’s known for using wild materials, including invasive plants, as materials for his baskets.

Our 2023 story: Steven R. Carty.