The Borough Council responds to efforts to reach minority residents.
By: Jennifer Potash
The Arts Council of Princeton’s outreach efforts to minorities in the Princetons during the past year struck a positive chord with the Princeton Borough Council.
The Arts Council is required, as a condition of its purchase of its building from the borough, to make an annual report of its activities, especially in the John-Witherspoon neighborhood.
On Tuesday, representatives from The Arts Council presented that report, which detailed new programs aimed at increasing the participation by John-Witherspoon neighborhood residents, to the Borough Council.
During the presentation of The Arts Council’s 1999 report, council members said the organization did not reach out enough to its neighbors.
The 1999 report focused on The Arts Council’s efforts to expand its building, at Paul Robeson Place and Witherspoon Street, and included a section on the Neighborhood Committee’s fund-raising efforts toward the medical expenses of a local girl who underwent a liver transplant.
Council President Roger Martindell said the activities The Arts Council embarked upon in 2000 were exactly what he had hoped the organization would do for the community.
"I thank you for doing such good work," Mr. Martindell said.
Councilman David Goldfarb, who said the 1999 report did "not say much about the activities this year with the neighborhood," appeared pleased with the 2000 report.
"I would like to echo Mr. Martindell’s comments," he said.
The Arts Council is very pleased with the council’s response, said Anne Reeves, executive director of the organization.
"The neighborhood is one of our greatest joys," she said.
The Arts Council’s mission is to unite the different communities and cut across cultural differences through the celebration of the arts, said Chris Ludwig, chairman of The Arts Council’s board of trustees.
Nearly 30 scholarships were provided to financially needy Princeton children to attend Arts Council classes or camps last year, said Alvin McGowen, a member of The Arts Council’s board of trustees and the neighborhood committee, which gave the council the highlights of the report.
Also, all of The Arts Council’s flyers sent home to Princeton Regional School District students are now translated into Spanish, Mr. McGowen said.
The Arts Council has held more events targeting the neighborhood residents.
The first ever Kwanzaa celebration was held in December, during which local children recited the seven principles of the holiday through poetry, followed by a potluck dinner, Mr. McGowen said.
The Kwanzaa celebration will be a yearly event, and The Arts Council intends to intensify publicity efforts in the neighborhood, Ms. Reeves said.
More outreach has been done with the children attending the Princeton Nursery School on Leigh Avenue, Ms. Reeves said.
During the school’s 70th anniversary celebration in June, The Arts Council had a crafts table at the neighborhood block party which piqued greater interest in the organization’s programs, Ms. Reeves said.
All of the students will come to The Arts Council building Sept. 22 for a special music program tailored for each age group, Ms. Reeves said.
"If we can get the children interested in The Arts Council, then maybe they’ll bring parents and older siblings, Ms. Reeves said.
The program is the result of a $10,000 grant from Target Stores, Ms. Reeves said. The Arts Council plans to seek more corporate grants this year, she said.
The Arts Council is in talks with officials from the nursery school and the Clay Street Learning Center about developing future programs for the children.
The Art Council has other activities planned for the rest of the year that officials hope will attract residents from the John-Witherspoon neighborhood, in addition to other borough and township residents.
A Day of the Dead celebration, which incorporates significant aspects of the annual Mexican festival, will take place Nov. 3 at The Arts Council building. The entire Arts Council building will be transformed into a Mexican village replete with traditional Mexican cuisine, storytelling sessions in English and Spanish, and music.
All Princeton Regional School District elementary school students and students from the John Witherspoon Middle School have been invited to design two Day of the Dead altars to be displayed in The Arts Council gallery.
For the entire month of November, school classes will visit the gallery and have the opportunity to make a Mexican folk art toy.
Two literary programs scheduled for the fall were created with the neighborhood residents in mind.
The first program is a 10-week morning workshop for participants to record their recollections of early 20th century Princeton in writing. At the end of the program, there will be a public reading of the memoirs.
The Arts Council plans to expand its "Art in Unexpected Places" series and will bring in local religious leaders to discuss how they create weekly sermons, Mr. McGowen said.
The Arts Council also is making more efforts to lower the amount of vehicle traffic on neighborhood streets from its visitors and staff.
Employees now park at the Hulfish Street garage, owned by Palmer Square, Ms. Reeves said.
Also, during large performances signs will be posted on the Paul Robeson Place side of the Arts Council property directing the vehicles to park in the Palmer Square garages, she said.