New Princeton Art Museum Draws a Reunions Crowd

For alumni returning to Princeton for Reunions, one of the biggest changes on campus was impossible to miss: the new Princeton University Art Museum.

The museum opened its doors with a variety of programming throughout the weekend, including a welcome celebration, tours, family activities, and, of course, a look at exhibitions.

“We are so delighted to be hosting our first Reunions in the new art museum, and I’m imagining that for some of you who are returning from afar, this is probably your first set of experiences of the new museum,” director James Steward told visitors gathered for a tour.

“Were it not for today’s students, I don’t think this museum would have a purpose. And if it weren’t for yesterday’s students, we probably wouldn’t be able to financially operate,” he said.

The museum has drawn critical acclaim and thousands of visitors since reopening Oct. 31. Steward noted that attendance surpassed 300,000 within the museum’s first six months. He attributed the sustained interest in part to the new building’s design and expanded exhibition space, which allows the museum to showcase more of Princeton’s collection of more than 117,000 works of art than in the previous museum.

Emily Kent ’16 attended her first Reunions since she graduated and reflected on all of the changes on campus. She and her friends explained how the old art museum was often used as a study space, and that the band would stop by to distract students doing their work on game days.

She appreciated all the activities in the new museum that allow visitors to engage with the artifacts and was eager to wander the galleries, especially work by the Impressionists.

Kristina M. Giasi / Princeton University Art Museum

Other alumni viewed the museum through the eyes of the younger generation.

Mario Moya ’01 sat with his wife as they watched their daughter take advantage of the museum’s new creativity labs. She, along with many other children and adults, was following a template to make tiger ears and tails using various materials.

He also recalled the old art museum during his time as a student, admitting that he had set foot inside on only two occasions.

The new building, he said, offered a very different experience. “I will definitely come back,” he said.

Ben Elias ’05 also reflected on the open studio time and the open-ended nature of the activities. “I mean, the kids are having an absolute blast. There’s a lot of creativity, and it’s mostly adults having just a lot of different materials, so you get to experiment and see what works,” he said.

In addition to making tiger ears and tails, alumni were invited to explore printmaking technology and create their own Reunions-inspired embossed bookmarks using a variety of materials and textures, guided by local artist Amanda Chesney.

Tours were led by museum staff, including Steward, chief curator Juliana Ochs Dweck, and senior curator of American art Karl E. Kusserow. Along with the tours, attendees were encouraged to check out the four museum exhibits: “Photography as a Way of Life: Minor White, Aaron Siskind, and Harry Callahan”; “What Photographs Look Like”; “Toshiko Takaezu: Dialogues in Clay”; and “Willem de Kooning: The Breakthrough Years, 1945–50.” Alexandra Foradas, curator of modern and contemporary art, also held a lecture on de Kooning.

During his tour, Steward emphasized that the museum’s success ultimately depends on the Princeton community.

“I hope everyone who has ties to Princeton will understand this as your museum,” he said.

Lia Opperman ’25 is PAW’s reporting fellow.