Enthusiastic, Copyright 2009 Lonni Sue Johnson

Morven Museum and Garden is pleased to announce Puzzles of the Brain: An Artist’s Journey through Amnesia, an exhibition on loan from The Walters Museum of Art in Baltimore, MD.

The Walters has partnered with the Cognitive Science Department of the Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts & Science at Johns Hopkins University to present a focus show exploring the impact of severe brain damage on the life and creativity of an artist.

The show tells the story of Lonni Sue Johnson, a successful artist and Princeton native, who drew for The New Yorker and The New York Times.  She suffered severe amnesia resulting from an attack of encephalitis in late 2007. The illness caused substantial brain damage, resulting in the complete loss of artistic productivity. Through intensive art therapy led by her mother Margaret Kennard Johnson (also an accomplished artist), Johnson began to produce a portfolio of “recovery art.” Her art provides unique insight into the devastating effects of amnesia, as well as the complementary roles played by language and memory in her artistic expression. Johnson’s case gives researchers a rare opportunity to contribute to the scientific understanding of brain function and art, and to apply that understanding to an appreciation of the synergies between art and science.

Puzzles of the Brain: An Artist’s Journey through Amenisa has been organized by the Walters Art Museum in partnership with the Cognitive Science Department of the Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences at The Johns Hopkins University.  The exhibition received generous support from the Johns Hopkins University Brain Science Institute, and the Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences.  We gratefully acknowledge Aline Marie Johnson’s role in helping us tell Lonni Sue’s story.

Additional support is provided by:
Jack Morton Exhibits
PNC Wealth Management
Princeton Brain & Spine Care
Princeton Magazine
Rita Allen Foundation

For a list of programs in conjunction with this exhibit, please visit Morven’s events page.

Meconopsis Napaulensis, Blue Poppy. Photograph by Linda Rutenberg.

Morven Museum & Garden proudly hosts a photographic journey through the mysterious realm of the nocturnal garden. Photographer Linda Rutenberg has travelled to thirty-five international gardens over the last five years in an effort to capture the world that comes alive as most of us close our eyes for the night. The result is an experience that transcends the usual daytime walk through a garden. Ms. Rutenberg has chosen well-known public gardens as her subjects ranging from Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania to the San Francisco Botanical Gardens in California. Discover the theatrical, colorful and sensuous world of The Garden at Night.

Join us for programs associated with this exhibit:

Opening Reception
Thursday, June 14, 2012, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

A Photographic Journey: The Garden at Night, A Lecture by Linda Rutenberg
Friday, June 15, 2012, 10:00 a.m.
call 609.924.8144 x. 106 for reservations

Watercolor by Sandra Nusblatt

Picture yourself in the serenity of this historic garden in the heart of Princeton. You will be surrounded by beds of heirloom plants from the 18th and 19th centuries. Peonies and iris abound, and majestic trees dot the formal grand lawn. In this four-week mini-course, offered by the Arts Council of Princeton, you will spend the morning painting the flora of this very special place. The instructor will be on hand for introductory lessons and for individual guidance throughout the morning (class for all levels). Bring your watercolors, a portable chair, and some sun protection.

Instructor: Ruth Councell

To register for the class, visit the Arts Council of Princeton’s Spring 2012 class registration page.

Gemma Farrell practicing yoga at sunrise by the lake at Omega Institute, in Rhinebeck, New York. Photo taken by Todd Shapera.

Celebrate Spring with Gratitude Yoga and Morven Museum & Garden.

Morven’s Great Lawn will provide a peaceful atmosphere where all yoga-lovers are welcome. With teacher Gemma Farrell from Gratitude Yoga, explore the benefits of taking your practice out of the studio, as being outside can intensify and inspire your yoga experience in many ways including, focusing awareness, breathing deeply, and practicing stillness.

This event is free and open to the public of all ages and skill levels.

Those who attend this special class will also receive a discounted admission to the museum.

A Special Arts Council of Princeton and Morven Collaborative Event!

Art al Fresco! Join us for the Art Council’s exciting new Paint Out program at Morven, whose beautiful grounds become your studio for a day of painting en plein air. Discover endless possibilities in capturing the spirit and essence of this historic site. Let inspiration flow from the impressive façade and architectural details of the mansion, the colorful garden’s heirloom plants and soaring spruce trees, or the majestic great lawn. Come explore the changing effects of natural light as it bathes the grounds throughout the day. The public will be invited to visit and observe artists at work.

To register for the Paint Out, please visit the Arts Council of Princeton’s Spring 2012 class registration page.

Annis Boudinot Stockton. Courtesy of Princeton University Art Museum.

Morven´s Muse: The Life and Times of Annis Boudinot Stockton Participants in this new poetry workshop will be treated to a very special introduction to the life and times of one of America´s first notable woman poets – Annis Boudinot Stockton. Features include a guided tour of the historic mansion on a day that it is closed to the public, and access to items and artwork that have special resonance with the Boudinot and Stockton families. Participants will read and discuss Stockton´s poetry, learning more about her craft and her times (she was also an ardent patriot of the Revolution). There will be time to linger and find inspiration in a family portrait, views of the gardens, the décor and furnishings, or some other appealing aspect of the house and its history, as the starting point for an original poem. After individual writing time, the group will reconvene to share writings and experiences.

Instructor: Maxine Susman

Peony. Photograph by Linda Rutenberg

In this lecture Linda discusses the beginnings of the Garden at Night project, including where the idea came from, how the idea evolved, the structure of the project, the creation of the book and the challenges of photographing nature at night.

Linda Rutenberg has been a photographer, author and educator for the last thirty years. Her award-winning book “Mont Royal – A World Apart” reveals one year’s exploration of the Frederick Law Olmstead Park that is in the heart of Montreal, Quebec. She has created the photographs for eleven books with ECW Press called the Secret Series about North American cities. Her latest series includes three books “The Garden at Night-Private Views of Public Edens ” published by Chronicle Books 2007, ”After Midnight Through the Seasons at the Montreal Botanical Gardens” by Verve Editions 2008 and “The English Garden at Night” by Thames & Hudson 2010. In addition, Linda was recently invited to be Artist in Residence at the Eden Project in Cornwall, England where she produced the exhibition ‘Eden at Night.’

Her fine art work has been exhibited internationally, (Canada, US, Mexico and Europe) and can be found in many prestigious collections including the National Gallery of Canada, Agnes Etherington Collection, Standard Life, Banque Nationale Collection and the Biblioteque National in Paris.

She has taught workshops in different parts of the world and has organized photographic trips through Mexico, United States and Canada. In 1995 she opened Camera Lucida Image Centre in Montreal which housed a darkroom rental facility, a lab, a school and a gallery. In 1997 opened Galerie Mistral, a fine art photography gallery in Montreal, Canada.

Her work can be seen at:
www.lindarutenberg.com and www.thegardenatnight.com

Linda lives and works in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Seating is limited. Please call 609.924.8144 x. 106 for reservations.

Tea is served each Wednesday at 1 pm. Reservations are required. Featured menu items include tea sandwiches, scones, and an assortment of fresh fruit and sweets.

Tea & Tour is offered Wednesdays January through November at 1pm. A docent-led tour of the home can be scheduled at either 12:15 pm or 2:15 pm

$ 16.00  Members  |  $ 20.00  Non-Members

Advance reservation is required and subject to availability. Payment is due at time of booking. Space is limited so plan on booking your tea as far in advance as possible. Please call Michelle Sheridan (609) 924-8144 ext. 106 for reservations.

The First Floor of the mansion features elegant galleries presenting Morven’s history, and is available for seated, plated dinners or cocktail receptions; by adding the second floor galleries, showcasing changing exhibits, the number of attendees can easily be increased. The well-appointed Conference Room is an ideal, private location for business meetings. Morven’s Garden Room is an intimate space for luncheons and small cocktail receptions boasting a beautiful view of the Colonial Revival Garden.

The Colonial Revival Garden, planted in the early 20^th century, is a beautiful outdoor space with spring bulbs, phlox throughout the summer, and bright fall foliage. The Grand Victorian Front Lawn, dotted with majestic trees and beds of heirloom perennials from the 18^th and 19^th centuries, can accommodate large groups in a tented arena with Morven’s façade as a backdrop.

For information on rental and fees, please contact Simmy Kumar at 609.924.8144 ext. 113 or skumar@morven.org.

Please click for futher information on available venues.

Colonial Revival Garden

Courtyard

First Floor

Front Lawn

Garden Room

West Wing Conference Room

Morven’s newly restored Art Moderne Pool House (coming soon)!