Center for the Arts

Gallery Exhibitions

Pop Surrealism: From the James and Maureen Dorment Collection

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.

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! 

SOLD OUT

Candlelight Concerts

90s Hip-Hop on Strings

Featuring works from the 90s Hip Hop genre, 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 that includes Killing Me Softly, Can I Kick It, Gin and Juice, Hypnotize and many more! 

SOLD OUT

Tuesday Night Record Club

Stevie Wonder, Talking Book

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 Stevie Wonder, Talking Book.

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

Performing Arts Series

The Doo Wop Project Returns with a Brand New Show: Echoes of the Street

The dynamic Broadway stars of The Doo Wop Project are on a mission to put Doo Wop on everyone’s playlist! With their smokin’ hot band, they capture and deliver the classic sounds of the guys who, back in the day, harmonized with each other on stoops, in the subway, and on street corners, and they have also created a unique, exciting, fun way to “Doowop-ify” today’s biggest hits – reimagining them as though they had been written during the Doo Wop era! Once you experience The Doo Wop Project live on stage, you’ll see why everyone around the country calls them AMERICA’S PREMIERE DOO WOP GROUP.

Art on Screen

Exhibition on Screen – Klimt and The Kiss

Stepping into a world of passion and emotion the powerful and gripping new film KLIMT & THE KISS from director Ali Ray explores this masterpiece that captures the essence of love and the human experience so well. The film delves into the details of the real gold, decorative designs, symbolism and simmering erotica, and exams the rich tapestry of extraordinary influences behind one of the world’s favorite paintings which is on display at the Belvedere Museum in Vienna, Austria.

Tuesday Night Book Club

Toni Morrison, Sula

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 Sula by Toni Morrison. Sula and Nel are two young black girls: clever and poor. They grow up together sharing their secrets, dreams and happiness. Then Sula breaks free from their small-town community in the uplands of Ohio to roam the cities of America. When she returns ten years later much has changed. Including Nel, who now has a husband and three children. The friendship between the two women becomes strained and the whole town grows wary as Sula continues in her wayward, vagabond and uncompromising ways.

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!

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.

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.