AERIAL PERFORMANCE: At McCarter Theatre, a world premiere by choreographer Rebecca Lazier and sculptor Janet Echelman is on, and above, the stage February 7 and 8.

Noli Timere, which is Latin for “be not afraid,” is a world premiere spectacle coming to McCarter’s Berlind Theatre for three performances February 7 and 8. The production is the result of a five-year collaboration between choreographer and Princeton University Professor Rebecca Lazier and sculptor Janet Echelman.

Presented in partnership with the University’s Lewis Center for the Arts, this aerial performance fuses contemporary dance, avant-garde circus, and large-scale sculpture “to explore the fragile interconnectedness of our world,” according to a press release. Set to an original score by French Canadian composer Jorane, the piece features eight multidisciplinary performers soaring up to 25 feet in the air within the net sculpture. more

CHORAL CONDUCTOR: Donald Nally is now the head of choral studies for Westminster Choir College of Rider University. (Photo by Charles Grove)

Donald Nally ’87 has been named director of choral studies for Westminster Choir College of Rider University. The three-time Grammy Award winner joined the full-time faculty this fall as conductor of the Westminster Choir and the Westminster Symphonic Choir and head of the graduate conducting program.

In his new role, he will guide undergraduate and graduate students and help set the trajectory for the College’s choral ensembles. He will continue to work with graduate conducting students in the Master of Music program. Nally studied with Joseph Flummerfelt and earned his Master of Music degree from Westminster Choir College. more

In a concert sponsored by Princeton University Concerts (PUC), the Takács String Quartet and pianist Sir Stephen Hough will come to Richardson Auditorium to perform a program of music by Beethoven, Brahams, and Hough on Thursday, February 20 at 7:30 p.m.

This will be Hough’s long-awaited PUC debut and the Takács String Quartet’s 10th PUC concert. The program features Beethoven’s String Quartet in F Major, Op. 18, No. 1; Brahms’ Quintet in F Minor for Piano and Strings, Op. 34; and Hough’s Les Six Rencontres, which he wrote specifically for the Takács Quartet. Part of the ensemble’s 50th anniversary season, the artists are bringing this program only to PUC and to The Royal Conservatory in Toronto. more

INTRIGUE AND MORE: J.B. Priestley’s “Dangerous Corner” is on stage at ActorsNET in Morrisville, Pa., through February 16. Pictured are actors Nicholas Pecht and Alyssa Capel.

ActorsNET presents J. B. Priestley’s thought-provoking drama Dangerous Corner, running through February 16 at the Heritage Center in Morrisville, Pa. Described as “a masterful exploration of time, truth, and the consequences of our choices,” the drama, which is one of Priestley’s “time plays,” invites audiences on a journey of revelation and intrigue.

“This ‘time play’ focuses on the fact that all our actions and choices have a ripple effect on those around us, like tossing a stone into a pond,” said Director Cat Milone. “Sometimes, if the stone lands differently, even ever-so-slightly, the impact could ripple out in an entirely different way and change the course of our lives and those around us. I think that’s something we can all relate to. Everyone has a moment in their lives where they think, ‘if only this one small thing had been different, I might not be where I am today.’” more

Renée Fleming
(Photo by Andrew Eccles)

The Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) has announced that soprano Renée Fleming will perform at the 2025 Princeton Festival on Saturday, June 7 in a concert led by music director Rossen Milanov.

Fleming’s appearance is part of the annual festival’s opening weekend. This year’s event, on the grounds of Morven Museum and Garden, runs June 6-21.

“Renée Fleming is an extraordinary artist, beloved by audiences around the world,” said PSO Executive Director Marc Uys. “It is a singular honor to present her at the Princeton Festival. Hearing her voice in the intimate setting of our Festival pavilion, surrounded by the beautiful gardens and summer evening sky, will be pure magic.” more

CALLING ALL SWIFTIES: Traci Marie stars in a live show that pays tribute to Taylor Swift’s recent tour, at State Theatre New Jersey on February 14.

State Theatre New Jersey presents “Are Your Ready For It? A Taylor Experience Starring Traci Marie,” paying tribute to Taylor Swift’s iconic Eras Tour on Friday, February 14 at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $25-$49.

The show features a live band tribute to the most successful tour in music history. Swift has been ranked by Billboard as one of the greatest artists of all time, alongside other legends like the Beatles, Michael Jackson, and Madonna. Swift has proven herself as a music icon, being the first and only artist to win a Grammy for Album of the Year four years in a row. more

“I’LL MAKE ME A WORLD”: Works by Clifford Ward are coming to Grounds For Sculpture in Hamilton May 18 through January 11, 2026. A “Prologue” exhibition is on view at Artworks Trenton now through April 12.

This spring, Grounds For Sculpture (GFS) in Hamilton will present “Clifford Ward: I’ll Make Me a World,” an exhibition guest curated by Noah Smalls, in the Museum Building from May 18 through January 11, 2026. Spanning over a decade of creative work, much of which was created at Clifford Ward’s studio on the GFS campus, this exhibition presents a rich tapestry of themes and concepts in his expansive practice. Ward is inspired by a diverse array of cultural influences, including contributions from the African diaspora, Australian Aboriginal people, and Native American and Maori cultures.

His work often explores geometry, Cubism, mythology, and anthropomorphism. Together, these myriad influences, themes and concepts transcend temporal and geographical confines, resonating with the collective human experience. more

“THE FLOWER SHOW”: This work by local artist Catherine J. Martzloff is featured in “Held Together,” her solo exhibition on view at the Nassau Club through June 5. An opening reception is on Sunday, February 16 from 3 to 5 p.m.

“Held Together” featuring works by local artist Catherine J. Martzloff, is on view at the Nassau Club, 6 Mercer Street, through June 5. The exhibition explores themes of resilience, renewal, and the beauty found in piecing life’s fragments back together.

“Held Together” features still lifes and reassembled compositions, blending vibrant hues with familiar objects — pitchers, bowls, and vessels — transformed through layered brushstrokes and unexpected color pairings. These paintings honor the quiet strength required to mend life’s pieces and celebrate the potential for fresh beginnings. more

Isles, Inc., a community development and environmental organization, has announced a request for proposals (RFP) for artists to design and complete an innovative mural project in Trenton’s Old Trenton Neighborhood. The project aims to transform a vacant lot at Perry and Montgomery streets into an engaging community space through public art.

The selected artist or team will create a mural on a 20-foot wide by 8-foot-high freestanding structure. The project, budgeted between $2,500-$3,000, emphasizes community engagement and seeks to uplift the neighborhood through creative expression.

“This mural project represents our ongoing commitment to revitalizing Trenton’s neighborhoods through arts and community engagement,” said Tyquan Benton, project manager at Isles. “We’re looking for artists who can not only create compelling visual art but also engage with community members in the creative process.” more

Dan Aubrey

The life and loves of noted ninth century beauty Annette Savage will be the topic of a talk on Saturday, February 9, 2 to 4 p.m., at the Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie. Titled “Le Jeu de l’Amour,” the program, led by journalist and writer Dan Aubrey, will explore how Napoleon’s brother and former King of Spain, Joseph Bonaparte, and his American mistress, Annette Savage, found passion and pain in the Trenton and Bordentown region of New Jersey.

Savage was 18 when she met Bonaparte. He had fled Europe following Napoleon’s defeat and arrived in her native Philadelphia. The year was 1818. Savage accompanied Bonaparte when he moved to the Trenton/Bordentown region to build his Point Breeze mansion and estate.

The couple became the parents of two daughters. The eldest, Pauline, was killed in an accident in 1823 and is buried at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in downtown Trenton. She was later recognized as a member of French royalty. Although Bonaparte ended the romantic liaison with Savage, he continued to support and communicate with her until his death in 1844. Savage died in 1865.  more

“UNCANNY VALLEY OF EVERYDAY LIFE”: Works by Princeton artist Margaret Koval will be featured at ArtWRKD Gallery in Newtown, Pa., February 7 though February 23.

ArtWRKD Gallery in Newtown, Pa.,  presents “The Uncanny Valley of Everyday Life,” artist Margaret Koval’s debut solo exhibition with the gallery, February 7 through February 23. This series of new paintings offers an exploration of the disquieting and surreal landscape of contemporary America, presenting an arresting gaze into the deep strangeness of where we live now.

The disquiet starts with the paintings themselves, which both depict and embody the show’s title. Executed with oils on high-grade burlap, their physical presence tricks the eye into seeing textiles — tapestries, needlepoints, or thread-worn rugs. Paint is slathered onto the back of the canvas and forced through the open-weave material. What extrudes out the front appears as loops of yarn, colored threads, or sometimes like the rematerialized pixels of the digital photographs which are the source material for much of Koval’s imagery. more