About the Museum
The Newark Museum of Art, in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, is the state's largest museum. It holds fine collections of American art, decorative arts, contemporary art, and arts of Asia, Africa, the Americas, and the ancient world. Its extensive collections of American art include works by Hiram Powers, Thomas Cole, John Singer Sargent, Albert Bierstadt, Frederick Church, Childe Hassam, Mary Cassatt, Edward Hopper, Georgia O'Keeffe, Joseph Stella, and Tony Smith.
Founding Director John Cotton Dana believed that museums were established to promote the appreciation, understanding, and enjoyment of the arts and sciences. Together with a group of public officials, prominent businessmen and local collectors, he established the Museum in 1909 at the Newark Public Library. He provided the intellectual leadership that made it one of the most progressive cultural institutions in the country.
Further reading: A Museum and Its City [PDF]
Washington Street and the James Street Commons Historic District Neighborhood
For more information: Washington Park & James Street Commons [PDF]
Former Site of the Polhemus House
For more information: The Polhemus House [PDF]
