This fall, TCNJ’s Center for the Arts proudly presents a dynamic season of signature events across our three on-campus venues, offering the college and surrounding communities a rich and diverse range of artistic experiences. From thought-provoking exhibitions to inspiring live performances, each event is designed to showcase creativity, foster conversation, and bring the arts to the forefront of campus life. The Center for the Arts presents over 260 public events annually. Here’s a preview of what’s in store for this season.
The season kicks off on Wednesday, Sept. 3 at 4 pm with an opening panel and reception for Futures Without Guns, a powerful multimedia exhibition at the TCNJ Art Gallery. Originally presented at the University City Science Center in Philadelphia, the exhibition, curated by Angela McQuillan, features the work of nine artists invited to imagine a future free from gun violence. Through a range of perspectives and mediums, the collection explores potential solutions to gun violence and health inequities, highlighting the transformative power of art in advancing social change.
The season continues on Friday, Sept. 12 at 7:30 pm with a new installment of the TCNJ Faculty Artist Recital series featuring GRAMMY® Award-winning producer and trombonist Douglas Beavers alongside acclaimed composer and pianist José Beviá. The duo will present original compositions alongside timeless selections from the Jazz and Latin Jazz repertoire. This event is ticketed.
WTSR Underground, a beloved decade-long campus tradition, returns on Saturday, Sept 20 & Sunday, Sept. 21. This two-day live recording session allows audience members to discover new music from five local underground/indie-rock bands from the tri-state each day between 11 am and 5 pm.
Moving into October, TCNJ Lyric Theatre presents their 4th Annual Broadway Open Mic on Saturday, Oct. 25 — with showtimes at 2 pm and 7:30 pm. Whether you want to get on stage and sing a showtune yourself, or sit back and watch the Lyric Theatre students perform, all are welcome to celebrate a mutual love of theatre. These events are ticketed.
Rounding out the fall season is TCNJ Opera Theatre’s inaugural performance, A Grand Night of Opera on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 7:30 pm. Visiting Artists in Residence Symphony in C, a Young Professionals Orchestra based in Camden, will be featured alongside our very own student musicians. The evening will feature TCNJ’s talented vocal students performing operatic classics. Repertoire will include well-known scenes from Die Fledermaus, Hansel & Gretel, Le Nozze di Figaro and Pirates of Penzance, prepared under the direction of TCNJ faculty members Dr. Brandi Diggs and Dr. Akiko Hosai. In addition, the operatic showcase will be conducted by Dr. Eric Laprade. This event is ticketed.
“We are the arts and culture hub for TCNJ and we are excited to invite our college community and neighbors to join us this fall,” said Pamela Barnett, dean ofthe School of the Arts and Communication. “We’ve built a season to delight, provoke thought and bring people together. There are so many good reasons to come to campus for a night out.”
For the latest information about these events, to purchase tickets, and to view more events, please visit https://tcnjcenterforthearts.tcnj.edu/calendar/
–Riley Eisenbeil ’24