Princeton University Art Museum

06/01/2026

“During a hectic week earlier this semester, Princeton University senior Michelle Thurber took a break from working on her thesis to spend nearly an hour contemplating the rich landscapes of a Thomas Gainsborough painting on loan at the Princeton University Art Museum.

Thurber said the piece, “Landscape with a Ruined Abbey on a Hill” (ca. 1754-55), came alive to her in a way that no painting ever had. She noticed details like a donkey hiding in the shadows and was filled with gratitude by the beauty of its “dusky orange” sunset. “And I realized that was not because other paintings weren’t alive, but because I’d never looked at any one work of art for long enough,” she wrote in a recent essay, ‘Slow Down With Art.’”

Read more: https://www.princeton.edu/news/2026/05/01/joyful-moments-busy-days-how-new-art-museum-cultivating-opportunities-reflect-and

The Princeton University Art Museum offers many ways for students to take a break from their busy lives and ‘Slow Down with Art.’

05/30/2026

Free to all, and open every day! ☀️ See what’s on view, book your table , and plan your visit to the Museum by tapping to the link in our bio!

05/29/2026

Let's go! ⚽ In celebration of this summer’s international soccer tournament, we’re exploring Mexico’s ancient sporting tradition at the Art Museum, in partnership with the Consulate of Mexico in New Brunswick, NJ. These events are free and open to the public. Join us!

Talk: The Ballgame of Ancient Mexico
June 12
Around 3,600 years ago, the Indigenous people of ancient Mexico began using tree sap to make rubber, creating balls for a sport that would come to be known by the Aztecs as ullamalitzli. Hear Joanne Baron, the Museum’s curator of the art of the ancient Americas describe the origins of the bouncing ball that we use in modern sports. Afterwards, visit the galleries to see objects related to the ancient Mesoamerican ballgame!
https://ow.ly/WvYW50Z5KHR

Spanish-language tours: The Art of the Mesoamerican Ballgame
Join us for a Spanish-language gallery tour exploring how the ancient game was played and what the sport meant to the people of ancient Mesoamerica. Dates:
June 21
July 6
July 12
July 13
July 16
https://ow.ly/S4EC50Z5KHS

¡Vamos! ⚽ En el marco del torneo internacional de fútbol de este verano, el Museo de Arte, en colaboración con el Consulado de México en New Brunswick, NJ, te invita a explorar una de las tradiciones deportivas más antiguas de México. Todas las actividades son gratuitas y abiertas al público. ¡Acompáñanos!

Plática: El Juego de Pelota de México Antiguo
12 de junio
Hace más de 3,600 años, los pueblos originarios de México comenzaron a utilizar la savia de los árboles para crear caucho y fabricar pelotas para un juego ancestral que los aztecas llamaron ullamaliztli. Escucha a Joanne Baron, curadora de arte de las Américas antiguas del Museo, hablar sobre los orígenes de la pelota que hoy se utiliza en deportes modernos. Al finalizar, visita la galería para conocer piezas relacionadas con el juego de pelota mesoamericano.
https://ow.ly/WvYW50Z5KHR

Recorridos guiados en español: El Juego de Pelota de México Antiguo
Acompáñenos en un recorrido guiado en español por la galería para descubrir cómo se practicaba este juego ancestral y qué significado tenía para los pueblos de la antigua Mesoamérica. Fechas:
21 de junio
6 de julio
12 de julio
13 de julio
16 de julio
https://ow.ly/S4EC50Z5KHS

ℹ️ Late Comala, Early Classic Period, Colima, Mexico, "Standing ballplayer," 200–400 CE. Princeton University Art Museum. Museum purchase, Fowler McCormick, Class of 1921, Fund.

05/29/2026

This Saturday: the Olivia and Leslie Foundation and the Museum invite you to celebrate the incredible achievements of our youngest local creators! 🎨 Over the course of a six-week intensive Art + Math Program through the Foundation, students ages four to seven explored the intersection of logic and imagination through objects in the Museum’s collections to create vibrantly patterned collages, intricate symmetry paintings, and more.

Join us at the Museum for an exhibition of student art, along with art-making activities, and light refreshments. All are welcome to join; registration is encouraged. Learn more: https://ow.ly/HJpy50Z5Iw5

📸: Kristina Giasi

05/27/2026

Friday, June 5: discover the fascinating journeys taken by works of art at our next Pop-Up Talk!

This month the Museum’s Curator of Provenance, MaryKate Cleary discusses how provenance research shapes our contemporary understanding of cultural heritage stewardship by uncovering the ownership histories of key works in our collections and the complex paths they took to arrive in our galleries. Afterwards, join MaryKate in the galleries to see the works in person!

Free and open to the public, no tickets or registration required. Learn more: https://ow.ly/uccB50Z4TT2

ℹ️
Assyrian, Neo-Assyrian Empire (ca. 911–609 BCE), Kahlu [Nimrud], Iraq, Relief of a winged genie (apkallu), from the palace of Ashurnasirpal II, ca. 883–859 BCE. Princeton University Art Museum. Gift of Robert Garrett, Class of 1897.

Hear about recent provenance research illuminating the lives of objects in our collections. Discover the fascinating journeys taken by works of art during this talk and gallery walkthrough with the Museum’s Curator of Provenance, MaryKate Cleary. Learn how provenance research shapes our contempora...

05/27/2026

Experiment with analog photography—no experience needed. ☀️ On June 6, join local artist and educator Heather Palecek in the Creativity Labs for a workshop on lumen printing: photographic prints made with sunlight. (Can't make it on June 6? This workshop will be offered on June 20, too!)

Inspired by the exhibition "Photography as a Way of Life: Minor White, Aaron Siskind, and Harry Callahan, participants will learn to observe their environment and understand how photographers work with negatives and light to create their artwork.

Open to ages 8+ (participants under 14 must be accompanied by an adult). Learn more + register here: https://ow.ly/rHo650Z4qc6

Cosponsored by the Princeton Photo Club.

📸: Heather Palecek

05/26/2026

Congratulations are in order for Museum Director James Steward, who was recently awarded The Foreign Policy Association Medal at their Cultural Diplomacy Dinner. The award is the highest honor bestowed by the Foreign Policy Association and recognizes individuals who demonstrate leadership in cultural diplomacy and work to expand public knowledge of international affairs.

📸: James Steward addresses the Foreign Policy Association. Photo: Grace Wu/Frame Studios.
Yue-Sai Kan, Director of the Foreign Policy Association presents James Steward with the FPA Medal. Photo: Grace Wu/Frame Studios.

05/26/2026

Congratulations, Princeton '26: today is yours. 🐅

ℹ️ Adam Van Doren, "Belfry, Nassau Hall," 2013. Princeton University Art Museum. Gift of the artist. © Adam Van Doren.

05/25/2026

The Museum will be open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Monday, May 25 ☀️ Tap to our website to plan your visit!

https://artmuseum.princeton.edu/visit

📸: Jacqui Hance

ℹ️
Nick Cave, “Let me kindly introduce myself. They call me MC Prince Brighton.” (detail), 2025. Princeton University Art Museum. Museum commission made possible by the John B. Putnam Jr. Memorial Fund and the Fowler McCormick, Class of 1921, Fund. © Nick Cave.

05/24/2026

So happy together 🎶

On Thursday, Museum Director James Steward was made an honorary member of the Great Class of 1976! If you joined him for a Museum tour on Friday, you may have seen him wearing his class jacket proudly!

He is pictured here with ‘76ers Tom Swift, Rosalie Norair, and Jeremy Tennenbaum.

📸 Photo: Kristina Giasi