Cultural Institutions

CAMDEN COUNTY

Walt Whitman Cultural Arts Center
2nd and Cooper Streets
Camden
856-964-8300
www.waltwhitmancenter.org

The Walt Whitman Cultural Arts Center is a nonprofit, multicultural literary, performing and visual arts center. The center has presented a variety of cultural programs to a regional audience.

ESSEX COUNTY

Montclair Art Museum
3 South Mountain Avenue
Montclair 973-746-5555
www.montclair-art.org

With 15,000 fine arts and ethno- graphic objects, this 87-year-old museum is one of the principal cultural institutions in the state. It is home to a renowned collection of American art from colonial times to the present, and to one of the nation's largest assembly of Native American art and artifacts. Be on the lookout for its exhibits that include Latino artists.

New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC)
One Center Street
Newark
1-888-GO-NJPAC or 973-642-0404
www.njpac.org

New Jersey's largest performing arts center, located on Newark's riverfront, offers a wide variety of programming year-round. NJPAC's season will include many Latino programs, including World Festival 111, a yearlong series to celebrate the diverse art and culture of the Spanish-speaking world.

Newark Museum
49 Washington Street,
Newark
973-596-6550 or 1-800-7MUSEUM
www.newarkmuseum.org

New Jersey's largest museum holds a wealth of cultural treasures. Artwork from Latino artists may be seen throughout the year, while special programs and exhibits are featured during Hispanic Heritage Month (September through October 12) to celebrate the Latino culture and heritage. Those interested in 20th-century Spanish art and architecture may sign up for a museum-sponsored tour of Barcelona, Bilbao and San Sebastian, October 21-29.

Perfecto Oyo1a Biblioteca Criolla
280 First Street
Jersey City
201-547-4541
www.JCLibrary.org

(go to Branches, then to Criollo, a bilingual web page]

1t» the 28 years since the Perfecto Oyo1a Library and Cultural Center began operations in Jersey City, this library has grown to house one of the largest collections of Spanish-language and Hispanic-related materials in the state. When it opened its doors in 1972, it had only about 500 books and a small record and magazine collection. Today the facility has over 20,000 books, magazines, filmstrips, cassettes and records. And Perfecto Oyo1a has developed into more than a library ~ it has become a cultural attraction, and resource center addressing the needs of the entire Hispanic community.

Newark Public Library
5 Washington Street,
Newark
973-733-5643 973-733-7772
www.npl.org

The library offers a wide selection of Latino programs during Hispanic Heritage Month (September through October 12) for both adults and children. There is also La Sala Hispanoamericana, which contains the largest collection of Spanish-language materials of any public library in the state. In La Sala you will find a children's collection, audio and videocassettes in Spanish, Noticias en Espanol (an electronic database of Spanish periodicals) and bilingual personnel.

New Jersey Historical Society
52 Park Place
Newark
973-596-8500

The New Jersey Historical Society, which dates back to 1845, maintains the largest single collection of New Jersey material in the world. Exhibits, lecture series and collections of historic information can be found here. Exhibits, work- shops and lectures include themes related to the state's fast-growing Latino communities.

Teatro Si
Newark Symphony Hall
1020 Broad Street
Newark
973-643-8009 908-301-9496

This theater company presents programs representing New Jersey's array of Hispanic cultures. Many plays are performed for the entire family both in Spanish and English.

HUDSON COUNTY

Jersey City Museum
350 Montgomery Street
Jersey City
201-413-0303
www.jerseycitymuseum.org

The Jersey City Museum, housed in an 80-year-old landmark building that underwent a complete renovation in 2000, is dedicated to enriching the cultural life of the community it serves. 1t strives to reflect the cultural diversity of the region and of Hudson County artists.

Park Theater Performing Arts Center
560 32nd Street,
Union City
201-865-6980 ext. 20

The Park Theater Performing Arts Center has been presenting programs and performances of diverse cultures since 1983. The Center is the home of the historic 1,400-seat Park Theater, built in 1931. Audiences can attend theatrical productions, traditional and contemporary dance and musical presentations, as well as exhibits.

Segunda Quimbamba Folkloric Center
279 Second Street
Jersey City
201-420-6332

This nonprofit organization is the only group of its kind in New Jersey committed to the preservation and awareness of Bomba and Plena, two rich musical and dance traditions reflecting Puerto Rico's African heritage. Its 15-member ensemble dance and percussion group plays at cultural festivals, parades, schools, university campuses and concerts. Please call for information on upcoming events, dance and drumming workshops, or to arrange a tour of the center.

MERCER COUNTY

The New Jersey State Museum
205 West State Street,
Trenton
609-292-6464
www.state.nj.us/state/museum/musidx.htm

Since 1965, this collection of fine artworks and artifacts has grown to become one of the most comprehensive in the state and one of the most outstanding in the nation. Exhibits have included Jack Delano from Puerto Rico, permanent collections from Paulo Chavez, Marisol Escobar and many other Latino artists.

Princeton University Art Museum
McCormick Hall Princeton University,
Princeton
609-258-3788

One of the state's largest public art collections features paintings, sculpture and artifacts produced in various historical periods across the Hispanic world, from medieval Spain to the pre-Columbian Maya and Olmec cultures to Picasso and modern Latin American artists.

MIDDLESEX COUNTY

Alborada Spanish Dance Theatre
55 Piersoll Road,
Old Bridge
732-255-4071

This nonprofit dance company has gained wide recognition for its Spanish dance programs in concerts and festivals, including Flamenco, Spanish neoclassical dance, poetry and drama. They also present educational lectures and demonstrations on dance forms to schools and universities throughout New Jersey.

Rutgers Center for Latino Arts and Culture
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
122 College Avenue
New Brunswick
732-932-1263

This Center was established in 1992 to advance the arts and humanities, and promote the cultural traditions of Latinos in the United States and the Spanish-speaking Americas. Artists are encouraged to exhibit, perform, publish and create new work in association with scholars diverse communities and student They present music and dance performances by various artists, and art exhibitions.

The State Theatre
15 Livingston Avenue
New Brunswick
732-246-7469 (877) state-11
www.statetbeatrenj.org

Each season, the theater presents performances that include international dance, classical concerts, comedy and classic Broadway musicals. Performances have included Teatro de Danza Espanola, Ballet Folclorico Nacional de Mexico and Ande Manta from Ecuador.

The Puerto Rican Cuatro Project
92 Van Liew Court
East Brunswick
732-238-3087
www.cuatro-pr.org

Nearly everything aficionados want to know about Puerto Rican stringed instruments can be found through this organization, named for the cuatro, the traditional guitar of the island's countryside music. The organization is devoted to collecting information about these instruments and making cuatros. The group also presents cuatro festivals, instructions on playing cuatro, guitar, and performances by a jibaro string orchestra. For additional information visit the Web site, where you can download samples of cuatro music.