March Recap

Published April 1, 2024

I decided to visit the Morris Museum for my monthly highlight on one of the few sunny weekends that hinted of summertime. The Morris Museum was recommended to me as a great New Jersey museum to visit.

 

The Morris Museum

An easy drive off of major highways brought me to the tree-lined front parking lot of the Morris Museum. Cars from Massachusetts and New York already filled several rows of spaces. I took this as a sign that this was going to be a worthwhile visit.

I purchased my ticket at the front desk (which I recommend over online purchases), and made my way into the foyer of the gallery. Several archways branched to the different galleries, past the massive glass and bead praying mantis, one of Jan Huling’s works.

The first gallery had 4-5 pieces and felt like a historic house with its wide wooden floors, purple-gray walls, and decorative crown molding. A wide staircase led the way upstairs and reminded me of our visit to the Dowling Walsh Gallery in Rockland, Maine.

I moved to the left, which was a light orange-pink gallery featuring large oil paintings of portraits and cottage houses / landscaped. One woman sat in the corner on the single high-back chair and sketched the large portrait above a massive fireplace. Another woman with long hair paced back and forth as she examined one of the landscape oil paintings.

Sean Cavanaugh Artwork

Back through the first gallery and to the right featured Sean Cavanaugh’s Eyes on Nature. This gallery displayed watercolor, oil, and gouache images of trees, tree bark and branches, underwater scenes with fish and coral, and other elements of nature. 

I liked how Sean Cavanaugh’s work had backgrounds of organic wallpaper behind it. One of my favorite pieces of his work was a study of how moss grew on different sides of a birch tree.

Different women of all ages also sat on the hardwood floors of this gallery and sketched and took notes. I imagined that there must’ve been an art class or club visiting the gallery this weekend to have so many people studying each piece.

Jan Huling Artwork

It turned out that Jan Huling also had her own dedicated gallery of artwork. In this gallery, her animals take on a whimsical, fairytale style with unique elements like wings, crowns, inanimate objects that become physical features, and more.

I was most impressed by her pieces that felt lifelike, like the blanket draped over the end table and the cat hanging over the edge, as if ready to jump to the ground.

Some of my favorite pieces from this gallery were the fawn with the crown and the teacup on the table.

Fresh Perspectives 2024

I walked through the Oceania Arts and popped out in a hallway buzzing with people. Even more students, this time of younger ages, stood in the hallway studying artwork of all mediums from New Jersey high school students.

I was impressed that these pieces were created by students. A few of my favorites were the collage city, pool photography, charcoal Eve, and digital pieces.

The delighted shrieks of children echoed from the far end of the hall. To avoid them, I crossed through the doors into the quiet and dimly lit gallery.

Recipes, Remedies, and Rituals

I was most excited to explore the works in the rare book botanicals (1500s-1800s). No one was in this gallery, and the folks who did pass through quickly looked at the central glass display and then continued on to the next gallery.

I browsed each of the glass cases that held large and small leather-bound books. Pages of intricate cursive, notes, and images discussed the differences in plant varieties, their medicinal benefits, and gardening tips.

Of this gallery, my favorite items were the butter mold and stamp from 1750 and this beautiful artwork accompanying the herbal history of plants book.

Richard Whitten Artwork

The next gallery was — to me — the largest in the museum. It was a massive, high-ceiling gallery featuring Richard Whitten’s work, Set in Motion.

This gallery had 59 works in total. They ranged from pencil sketches of ideas to the finished painting. These pieces featured paint on wood that gave you the feeling of 3D, movement, and texture.

My favorite pieces from this exhibit were the artwork with the eyes, which reminded me of The Great Gatsby, and a small glass case featuring smaller, delicate sculptures.

The Mega Model Train Gallery

I retraced my steps and went back down the hallway to the end of the room, which featured a massive platform of model trains. No wonder the children were shrieking with delight.

Viewers can stand on a platform overlooking the massive platform and press buttons to start the trains and send them around their tracks. The different levels showcase well known locations and brands and include tons of detail.

Mechanical Music & Automata 

After exploring the third floor, which offered a small gallery of Native American artwork and contemporary pottery, before transitioning into an Earth-science area for children, I made my way downstairs to the last gallery.

This gallery features over 750 mechanical music boxes, pianos, dolls, and more, showcasing the evolution of technology for music and art. Viewers could sit and watch small video clips on the historical evolution, see demonstrations of each music box, and create their own music in an interactive workshop area.

I loved the small, handheld music boxes and I was most impressed with the massive wooden organs and players that took up large areas of the room.

There was even a section for the popularity and evolution of animatronic dolls and animals, which I didn’t spend much time in because it was creepy. These were the cutest animals I saw in the display case, and the least creepy of the dolls.

Overall, it was an enjoyable and leisurely day exploring the Morris Museum. I loved the variety of artwork, the historical background of the exhibits and artists, and the variety of offerings for both adults and children to enjoy. I would definitely return to the Morris Museum to watch their films and see their new exhibits.

What’s your March Highlight?

Do you have a favorite activity, adventure, or highlight from March? Tell me about it in a comment below.

If you’re looking for other New Jersey restaurants and activities to do, click here to read my other New Jersey posts, on the blog.