The Newark Museum of Art facts for kids
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The Newark Museum of Art seen from Washington Park
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| Established | 1909 |
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| Location | 49 Washington St Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Public transit access | Washington Park Station (Newark Light Rail) |
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James Street Commons Historic District
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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John Ballantine House
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| NRHP reference No. | 78001758 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | January 9, 1978 |
The Newark Museum of Art is a large and exciting museum located in Newark, New Jersey. It used to be called the Newark Museum. This museum is the biggest in the state of New Jersey. It has amazing collections of art from America, Asia, Africa, and other parts of the world. You can see beautiful paintings, sculptures, and decorative items.
Besides art, the museum also focuses on natural science. It has a cool Planetarium where you can learn about stars and planets. There's also the Victoria Hall of Science, which shows off many items from the museum's huge collection of 70,000 natural science specimens.
Outside, you can explore the Alice Ransom Dreyfuss Memorial Garden. This garden has modern sculptures and is a place for fun community events and concerts. You'll also find a very old stone schoolhouse from 1784 and the Newark Fire Museum here.
The museum was started in 1909 by a librarian named John Cotton Dana. He wanted to create a place in Newark to show art, science, history, and technology. The first items in the museum were Japanese prints, silks, and porcelains.
The museum is open every day from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Contents
History of the Museum
How the Museum Started
The Newark Museum of Art began in 1909. It was founded by John Cotton Dana, who was a librarian and a reformer. He believed that a museum should be a place for everyone to learn and enjoy. The museum's first home was on the fourth floor of the Newark Public Library.
Moving to a New Home
In the 1920s, the museum moved into its own building. This was possible because Louis Bamberger, a kind person, gave a generous gift. The building was designed by Jarvis Hunt. He also designed Bamberger's main store in Newark. The museum is located on Washington Park.
Growing Bigger Over Time
Since then, the museum has grown a lot. It expanded into a red brick building that used to be a YMCA. It also expanded into the historic 1885 Ballantine House. In 1990, the museum grew even more by adding another building. A famous architect named Michael Graves helped redesign much of the museum at that time.
Changes and New Beginnings
For many years, the museum had a small zoo with animals. This mini-zoo closed in August 2010. In 1997, the museum closed its front entrance to protect the artwork from changes in temperature and humidity. But in February 2018, after some updates, the front doors were opened again.
On November 6, 2019, the museum changed its name to "The Newark Museum of Art." This new name helps show how important its art collection is. The museum's art collection is considered one of the top 12 in the country! The Newark Black Film Festival also started with the museum and used to be held there every summer.
Amazing Art Collections
The Newark Museum of Art has many different types of art. You can see art from various cultures and time periods.
American Art Highlights
The museum has a large collection of American art. It includes famous works by artists like Thomas Cole, John Singer Sargent, Mary Cassatt, and Georgia O'Keeffe. You can see paintings, sculptures, and other art pieces that tell stories about American history and culture.
Tibetan Art Collection
The museum's Tibetan art galleries are known as some of the best in the world. This collection was bought from Christian missionaries a long time ago.
How the Tibetan Collection Started
In 1910, a missionary named Albert L. Shelton lent his Tibetan art collection to the museum. This was the first time a museum had an exhibition just for Tibetan art. It was very popular! After Edward N. Crane, a museum trustee, passed away, his family bought the collection from Shelton. They gave it to the museum to create a permanent collection in Crane's memory. The museum also asked Shelton to bring back more items between 1913 and 1920.
The Sacred Altar
At first, the Tibetan art was shown like other art, with descriptions for each piece. But in 1935, the museum built a special temporary altar to display the collection. People loved it so much that the museum decided to keep it permanently. Later, Tibetan monks and important visitors came to bless the altar.
Growing the Collection
The museum kept adding to its Tibetan collection until the 1940s. Now, it has over 5,000 items! This includes paintings, sculptures, special ritual objects, and beautiful textiles. In the 1980s, the museum expanded its Tibetan galleries. A new altar was created by a Tibetan artist named Phuntsok Dorje. In 1990, the 14th Dalai Lama himself blessed this new altar. As of 2019, the museum has more than 5,500 Tibetan art pieces. It is the largest and most unique collection in the Western Hemisphere.
Tibetan Photos and Films
Besides art, the museum also has many old photographs and films about Tibet. There are over 2,500 pictures taken between 1904 and 1949. There are also hours of film footage from 1935 to 1937.
The Ballantine House
The Ballantine House is a special part of the museum. It is a preserved house from the Victorian Era. It was designed by architect George Edward Harney.
Who Lived Here?
This house was once home to John Holme Ballantine, his wife Jeannette, and their four children: John, Robert, Alice, and Percy. Mr. Ballantine owned a brewery in Newark. The house was very big, with twenty-seven rooms spread across three floors!
A Museum Gallery
In 1937, the Newark Museum bought the house. They have carefully restored it to look like it did in the Victorian times. Now, it serves as galleries for the museum's large collection of decorative arts. You can explore the rooms and imagine what life was like for the Ballantine family.
See also
- Explorers Program at Newark Museum
Images for kids
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The Newark Museum of Art seen from Washington Park
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The Newark Museum of Art logo
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John Ballantine House
