Center for the Arts

Gallery Exhibitions

Pop Surrealism: From the James and Maureen Dorment Collection (Postponed)

Opening Reception and Gallery Exhibition Postponed – due to unforeseen circumstances the opening reception will be scheduled at a later date.

Pop Surrealism (or Lowbrow Art) is a contemporary art movement blending surrealism’s dreamlike, unconscious themes with pop art’s imagery from popular culture, cartoons, comics, and kitsch, characterized by high technical skill, satirical commentary, and roots in underground scenes like hot-rod culture and punk rock, often featuring fantastical characters and exploring social themes with dark humor and whimsy with magazines like Juxtapoz popularizing the style. The exhibition features key artists from this movement including Mark Ryden, Camille Rose Garcia, Ana Bagayan, Swoon, Neckface, Barnaby Whitfield, John John Jessie, Tim Biskup, Liz McGrath, Mark Ryden, Aaron Johnson, Camille Rose Garcia, R. Crumb, and many more. Reception will be held on Friday, February 20th from 7 – 9 p.m.

ArtNOW: Performance, Art, and Technology

Poetry & Image: Exploring how Image and Language Inspire and Transform One Another in Generative Ways

February 12, 2025
Hands-on Workshop: 11:40 AM – 2:35 PM, DiMattio Gallery
Poetry Reading: 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM, Great Hall Auditorium

Two visiting poets, Andrea Ballou and Mike McCarthy, will give a reading and lead a workshop that explores how poetry and image making can inspire, dialog, and transform the other in the creative process. Associate Professor Kimberly Callas collaborated with McCarthy on his recent poetry book Behold and will join the discussion and workshop.

Adult Education Series

Creative Writing (Advanced)

Class Schedule: February 12, 17, and 19 | 7:30 – 9:00 PM
Whether you are embarking on your memoir or crafting your first work of fiction, the task of the writer is to develop compelling characters that connect with readers. Taking the “me out of memoir” allows you to develop your parents and loved ones as characters. In this three part course, we will utilize description, dialogue, and action to create characters that resonate with readers of any genre. No experience necessary, just a willingness to create characters to jump off the page!

Zoom Link will be provided upon registration.

Candlelight Concerts

Tribute to Fleetwood Mac

Featuring works from Fleetwood Mac, Candlelight Concerts allow audiences to connect with the most iconic pieces of the greatest composers and listen to the top hits of well-known artists in a different way. The string quartet has a tentative program of performing song Rhiannon, Gypsy, Landslide, Don’t Stop, and many more! 

Candlelight Concerts

Valentine’s Day Special

Fever Up’s Candlelight concert series was created with the intention of democratizing access to classical music, and the space and performers are illuminated by thousands of candles to create a truly magical experience. The String Quartet has a tentative program that includes songs such as Can’t Help Falling in Love, A Thousand Years, Por Una Cabeza, All You Need Is Love, and more!

Please note: There are two Candlelight Concerts this evening, and each ticket is valid for only one performance.

Candlelight Concerts

Tribute to Adele

Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations like never before. Fever Up’s concert series was created with the intention of democratizing access to classical music, and the space and performers are illuminated by thousands of candles to create a truly magical experience. The String Quartet has a tentative program that includes songs such as Hello, Rumour Has It, Set Fire to the Rain, Rolling in the Deep, and many more!

ArtNOW: Performance, Art, and Technology

Heightened Scrutiny

The film exposes the dangerous role of mainstream media in fueling anti-trans legislation, uncovering how biased coverage drives hate, endangers lives, and threatens democracy itself. With insights from journalists like Jelani Cobb, Lydia Polgreen, and Gina Chua, and activists like Laverne Cox, the story dismantles anti-trans disinformation and highlights its devastating real-world impact.

National Theatre: Broadcast in HD

Life of Pi

Puppetry, magic, and storytelling combine in a unique, Olivier Award winning stage adaptation of the best-selling novel. Filmed in stunning 4k, the story of a 16-year-old boy stranded on a lifeboat with a hyena, zebra, orangutan, and a Royal Bengal tiger is brought vividly to life. Hiran Abeysekara (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) plays Pi Patel, joined on stage by Mina Anwar (The Thin Blue Line), Raj Ghatak (The Kite Runner), and Nicholas Khan (NT Live: The Beaux Stratagem).

Visiting Writers

Visiting Writers Series with Joseph Earl Thomas

Blake Butler is the author of twelve book-length works, recently including Molly, Void Corporation, and UXA.GOV. His short fiction, interviews, reviews, and essays have appeared widely, including in The New York Times, Harper’s, The Paris Review, Fence, Bomb, Bookforum, and as an ongoing column at Vice. In 2021, he was longlisted for the Joyce Carol Oates Prize. He is a founding editor of HTMLGIANT.

World Cinema Series

Chile ’76

The Institute for Global Understanding (IGU) and the Center for the Arts at Monmouth University invite you to the first Pearson’s World Cinema Series (PWCS) movie and discussion event of the spring semester on Thursday, February 26th, at 6:05 PM in Pollak Theatre. We will screen the movie Chile, ’76 (2022) directed by Manuela Martelli. The movie will be hosted by Dr. Debora Machado Nunes with Prof. Frank Cipriani. Screening will be followed by a discussion and refreshments.

Department of Music & Theatre Arts Productions

Play On!

This is the hilarious story of a theater group trying desperately to put on a play in spite of maddening interference from a haughty authoress who keeps revising the script. Act I is a rehearsal of the dreadful show, Act II is the near disastrous dress rehearsal, and the final act is the actual performance in which anything that can go wrong does

Department of Music & Theatre Arts Productions

Play On!

This is the hilarious story of a theater group trying desperately to put on a play in spite of maddening interference from a haughty authoress who keeps revising the script. Act I is a rehearsal of the dreadful show, Act II is the near disastrous dress rehearsal, and the final act is the actual performance in which anything that can go wrong does

Department of Music & Theatre Arts Productions

Play On!

This is the hilarious story of a theater group trying desperately to put on a play in spite of maddening interference from a haughty authoress who keeps revising the script. Act I is a rehearsal of the dreadful show, Act II is the near disastrous dress rehearsal, and the final act is the actual performance in which anything that can go wrong does

Department of Music & Theatre Arts Productions

Play On!

This is the hilarious story of a theater group trying desperately to put on a play in spite of maddening interference from a haughty authoress who keeps revising the script. Act I is a rehearsal of the dreadful show, Act II is the near disastrous dress rehearsal, and the final act is the actual performance in which anything that can go wrong does

Tuesday Night Record Club

Kate Bush, Hounds of Love

It’s just like book club but with albums! With new advances in technology, the way we consume music through our devices, apps and on demand streaming services like Pandora, Spotify and iTunes is making the idea of the “album” as an art form extinct. Get together with other music enthusiasts on Tuesday nights to discuss some of the greatest records of all-time! Listen to the album beforehand and then come prepared to discuss. This event will feature Kate Bush, Hounds of Love.

Free and open to the public, but registration is required.

Candlelight Concerts

Tribute to Queen and The Beatles

Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations like never seen before. Get your tickets now to discover the music of Queen and The Beatles at Pollak Theatre under the gentle glow of candlelight. The String Quartet has a tentative program that includes songs such as Here Comes the Sun, Yesterday, I Want to Break Free, Bohemian Rhapsody, and more!

Candlelight Concerts

Tribute to Queen and The Beatles

Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations like never seen before. Get your tickets now to discover the music of Queen and The Beatles at Pollak Theatre under the gentle glow of candlelight. The String Quartet has a tentative program that includes songs such as Here Comes the Sun, Yesterday, I Want to Break Free, Bohemian Rhapsody, and more!

Candlelight Concerts

Coldplay vs. Imagine Dragons

Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations like never seen before in Long Branch. Get your tickets now to discover the music of Coldplay vs. Imagine Dragons at Pollak Theatre under the gentle glow of candlelight. The String Quartet has a tentative program that includes songs such as The Scientist, Viva la Vida, Radioactive, Believer, and more!

Art on Screen

Exhibition on Screen – Mary Cassatt: Painting the Modern Woman

Mary Cassatt made a career painting the lives of the women around her.  Her radical images showed them as intellectual, curious and engaging. This was a major shift in the way women appeared in art. This film tells a riveting tale of great social and cultural change at a time when women were fighting for their rights and the language of art was being completely re-written. Mary Cassatt and her modern women were at the heart of it all.

Professor Kenneth Womack will offer pre-film commentary about Cassatt’s groundbreaking Modern Woman project. After the screening, he will lead a discussion about the film and Cassatt’s enduring artistry. He will also be on hand to sign copies of The Time Diaries, his novel about Cassatt’s relationship with fellow impressionist Edgar Degas. Copies of the book will be available for purchase at cost for $20.

Tuesday Night Book Club

Taylor Jenkins Reed, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Join us for Tuesday Night Book Club! Hosted by Monmouth University’s Ken Womack, each month we’ll explore a different novel. All you have to do is Zoom in and join the discussion! This week’s book is The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reed. Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now? Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career. Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story nears its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.