On Oct. 31, the Princeton University Art Museum will be open to the public after nearly half a decade of remodeling. Our columnists who attended the Museum Student Preview event on Oct. 25 give us their first impressions.
Halloween spectacle distracts from the museum’s true purpose
By Ian Rosenzweig ’29, Contributing Writer
The art museum’s opening is the realization of a major investment in the University’s commitment to art and the culmination of years of meticulous planning. But the events surrounding its opening have shifted the focus away from the art itself.
The student preview on Oct. 25 featured a DJ and a “silent disco,” seemingly prioritizing turnout and nightlife over a recognition of the art’s cultural significance. The opening event itself is organized around a 24-hour Halloween gimmick.
The museum possesses a highly esteemed collection. Rather than prioritizing exploration and education about these artworks and artifacts, however, the Museum’s Director of Collections and Exhibits has suggested students come to the museum after a night out so they could rest in its “comfy chairs.”
This is probably not going to be a conducive environment to appreciating the art. The museum will be full of drunk students and a series of progressively less relevant activities, reducing the new space into a Halloween afterparty venue. Perhaps the museum will feature as one segment in students’ memories of their Halloweekend. Perhaps not. Either way, that shouldn’t be the museum’s primary selling point.
While the flexibility of the opening experience may provide students with comfort to which they will fondly return, the museum is a space for active intellectual enjoyment, not passive leisure. The opening weekend festivities seem like a good time, but they may end up threatening the new museum’s ultimate reach and impact on students beyond the glamorous yet misfocused Halloween ostentation. The museum’s promotional events should instead reflect its most fundamental goal: creating the space to appreciate good art.
Contributing Opinion Writer Ian Rosenzweig ’29 is a prospective SPIA major from Bryn Mawr, Pa. He can be reached at ir2411[at]princeton.edu.
As a beautiful third space, the museum reaffirms Princeton’s commitment to the humanities
By Audrey Tan ’29, Contributing Writer
In the midst of many universities defunding the humanities, Princeton University opening its art museum not only provides a valuable new space for students, but also shows exactly where Princeton stands in the debate.
The first thing that stuck out to me was the museum’s open floor plan and extensive seating. The delicately curated pieces provided a lot of visual intrigue that made it the perfect place to hang out, study, or even go on a date.
Drinks, food, and a DJ during the student preview proved how easily the museum can be converted into an interesting venue for other events. It’s easy to imagine clubs and organizations hosting special events there, adding another layer to the extracurricular life at Princeton.
What I found most powerful about the museum, however, was not the endless rendezvous opportunities it provided, but rather what it stands for. In a time when so many other institutions are choosing to cut down their humanities programs, Princeton opening the art museum is not only a statement — it’s a rebellion.
The museum is an extraordinary new place on campus not just because of its expansive collection of art, but the fact that it exists at all in today’s political climate for the arts and humanities. I encourage all students to give the museum a visit and keep in mind what exactly it means for the art to be there as you peruse it.
Contributing Opinion Writer Audrey Tan ’29 is a prospective Economics major from Pullman, Wash. She can be reached at at4887[at]princeton.edu.
The Art Museum invites students to integrate art into their daily lives
By Ana Boiangiu ’29, Contributing Writer
Saturday night marked the first time the Princeton University Art Museum has opened its doors to the student body since 2021. Open after years of remodeling and expansion, the museum attracted a large audience eager to see what Princeton’s newest landmark has to offer.
The student preview allowed me to experience the visual arts, something I have long been looking for on campus. It is equally humbling and exciting that, as a Princeton student, I have a Monet accessible, just a five minute walk away. Furthermore, the museum’s very existence is a testament to the University’s commitment to celebrating the humanities. Art now has the potential to become part of students' daily routines, allowing us to learn and value its deep beauty on a regular basis.
The museum’s unconventional layout is a breath of fresh air, with its diverse exhibitions making the art accessible to novices and allowing visitors to engage with novelty in every visit. Speculating about the meaning of each piece with my much more knowledgeable friends was fun and memorable. Still, I promised myself I would return with my research done, appreciating the works from a more informed angle.
The opening night’s flashy schedule indicates that the museum will play host to many interesting events, but the somewhat theatrical energy did not distract me from the art itself. Instead, the packed program reminded me that I have four years to appreciate PUAM extensively. Having a museum with such an esteemed collection readily accessible is something students shouldn’t look past — all of us should take advantage of it.
Contributing Opinion Writer Ana Boiangiu ’29 is a prospective Mathematics major from Tulcea, Romania. She can be reached at ab5939[at]princeton.edu.
At PUAM, stop and smell the art
By Ava Johnson ’27, Columnist
Seemingly-perpetual construction has irritated students for my entire time at Princeton. The massive eyesore projects of New Dillon Gym and PUAM were inconvenient and annoying – especially for students who were drawn to Princeton by its picturesque campus and gothic aesthetic. Yet as I walked through the art museum, I had one prevailing thought: we are so lucky this is here. PUAM is a gorgeous building filled with carefully curated, thought-provoking art. We are all privileged to have it on our campus, and I hope that all Princeton students can take the time to appreciate the gift that is this space.
Leisurely appreciation is certainly not how we’re wired to spend our days as students. The Princeton experience is rigorous, and it drives all of us to focus intensely on a never-ending array of pursuits and passions. It takes diligent, even obsessive, work to accomplish our goals. PUAM reminds us to slow down and take a second to more deeply inhabit the privilege that it is to attend Princeton, not just when it comes to securing our degrees, but also to appreciate art and admire beauty. At a place where everyone is always working on the next project, I hope we take the opportunity that PUAM provides to remember how lucky we are to be here and acknowledge the beautiful things in life.
Ava Johnson is a junior in the Politics Department. She can be reached at aj9432[at]princeton.edu
Read More
Guilty about your ChatGPT environmental impact? Eat one less burger instead.
Jack L. ThompsonPersuading a single friend to eat one fewer hamburger will do orders of magnitude more good than eliminating all their college AI use. The fact of the matter is that ChatGPT isn’t nearly the environmental catastrophe that some make it out to be.
Persuading a single friend to eat one fewer hamburger will do orders of magnitude more good than eliminating all their college AI use. The fact of the matter is that ChatGPT isn’t nearly the environmental catastrophe that some make it out to be.
Dr. Bill Frist ’74, environmentalist?
Alex FosterWhile the HMEI website notes that “sponsorship of any event does not constitute departmental or institutional endorsement of the specific program, speakers, or views presented”, we should note and discuss Frist’s voting record and the whole of his legacy on human and planetary health.
While the HMEI website notes that “sponsorship of any event does not constitute departmental or institutional endorsement of the specific program, speakers, or views presented”, we should note and discuss Frist’s voting record and the whole of his legacy on human and planetary health.
Princeton, serve the state by taking public transportation
Vitalia SpatolaAs Princeton students, we have the duty to support public transportation both in practice and in principle. Using transit creates a culture of using transit, and the more people who use it, the more money NJ Transit can generate.
As Princeton students, we have the duty to support public transportation both in practice and in principle. Using transit creates a culture of using transit, and the more people who use it, the more money NJ Transit can generate.