Rutgers-Camden's Spring Semester Offers Wealth of Arts and Cultural Events for the Public

From concerts utilizing cutting-edge music software to new play adaptations of literary classics, Rutgers University’s Camden Campus will be a cultural hot spot for southern New Jersey this spring.

All events will take place in the Rutgers–Camden Fine Arts Complex, which houses the Stedman Gallery, Gordon Theater, and Mallery Room, which is located on the second floor. The building is on Third Street, between Cooper Street and the Benjamin Franklin Bridge on the Camden Campus of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

Musical performances:

The Mallery Room Concert Series on Wednesdays this spring will feature soprano Cheryl White on Feb. 10; pianist Matthew Bengtson on Feb. 17; pianist Kim Barroso with Stefan Orn Arnarson on violoncello on Feb. 24; electro acoustic music composer Mark Zaki, an assistant professor of music at Rutgers–Camden, on March 3; pianist William Carr on March 10; guitarist John Penn, a Rutgers–Camden alumnus, with guitarist Bill Newman on March 24; soprano Rebecca Siler with pianist Benjamin C.S. Boyle on March 31; violinist Halley Cody on April 7; soprano Youngjoo An on April 14; and recording artist and soprano Julianne Baird, a distinguished professor of music at Rutgers–Camden, directing the Rutgers–Camden Madrigal Choir in the music of Henry Purcell on April 21.

This free concert series is directed by Joseph Schiavo, Rutgers–Camden music program director and departmental advisor, presented by the Rutgers–Camden Department of Fine Arts, and sponsored by the Rutgers–Camden Office of Campus Involvement.  For more information, call (856) 225-6176. 

At 12:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 9, electronic music composer Joo Won Park, an assistant professor of music at the Community College of Philadelphia, will demonstrate how to use the text-based digital signal processing software SuperCollider with which he will offer a real-time performance. This free concert will take place in the Stedman Gallery.

At 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 28, the “New Music from Rutgers” concert will showcase original music by Rutgers–Camden student and faculty composers. Mark Zaki, an assistant professor of music at Rutgers–Camden, will direct the performance, which will take place in the Mallery Room.

Theatrical performances:

Franz Kafka’s 1925 novel The Trial will be performed for the stage in a new adaptation presented by students in Rutgers–Camden’s theater program. Performances will be held in Rutgers–Camden’s Gordon Theater at 5 p.m. Thursday, April 15; 8 p.m. Friday, April 16, and Saturday, April 17; 5 p.m. Thursday, April 22; 8 p.m. Friday, April 23, and Saturday, April 24.

Directed by Paul Bernstein, an assistant professor of fine arts at Rutgers–Camden, general admission for the show costs $10.

For reservations, please call (856) 225-6176.

Visual art exhibitions:

Through Feb. 27, a new exhibition at the Rutgers–Camden Center for the Arts will offer a rare glimpse into the creative life of a nation known primarily for its headlines, not its artistic contributions.

Open to the public for the first time in New Jersey, the exhibit “Beneath the Surface: Poster Exhibition from Iran” will take place in the Stedman Gallery.  Some 39 posters, ranging from a clean air campaign to a film directed by a woman to classical music concerts, will be displayed.

An artist’s point of view isn’t stated, but must be surmised. In today’s computer-generated world, does an inner voice even guide the artist? Beginning March 15, the creations of more than 20 artists in a variety of media will be showcased in the exhibition “Seeing Voices: The Visual Voice,” which will explore the influences of an artist’s voice. On view through April 24, the innovative exhibit designed to cultivate discussion amongst working artists, will coincide with a two-day symposia featuring panel discussions and artists’ receptions on Friday, April 9, and Saturday, April 10.

Curated by Rutgers–Camden artists Margery Amdur and Bruce Garrity, the exhibit is presented by the Rutgers–Camden Department of Fine Arts and the Camden County Cultural and Heritage Commission in cooperation with the Rutgers–Camden Center for the Arts. This exhibition is presented at both the Stedman Gallery and the Hopkins House Gallery of Contemporary Art, located at 250 South Park Drive in Haddon Township.

New works by Rutgers–Camden student artists and revisited pieces from the school’s esteemed alumni will highlight the exhibit “Generation to Generation” on view at the Stedman Gallery from May 10 through May 26. The collection will feature various multi-media works from painting to animation by graduating seniors in the Rutgers–Camden Department of Fine Arts and select alumni artists. A reception celebrating alumni artists will be held at 5 p.m. Saturday, May 16, and a reception celebrating student artists will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, May 24.

The Stedman Gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursdays.

The Camden Campus of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, offers 34 undergraduate and 17 graduate programs. Rutgers–Camden is home to more than 275 faculty whose research, teaching, and service endeavors are represented worldwide.

For directions to the campus, visit camden.rutgers.edu.

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