Center for the Arts

Gallery Exhibitions

Front Row Center: Icons of Rock, Blues, and Soul

The iconic photographs of Larry Hulst capture the freewheeling energy of live music and the enduring visual spectacle of rock’s greatest performers. From Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix to David Bowie and Lauryn Hill, Front Row Center: Icons of Rock, Blues and Soul brings together over 70 images of legendary musicians and singers across three genres and generations. The exhibition charts Hulst’s extraordinary path through the pulsing heart of the most exciting live music of the last century, showcasing a unique visual anthology of rock, blues, and soul music from 1970–1999. These images, which have been featured on album art and Rolling Stone spreads, convey Hulst’s lifelong passion for the magnetism, immediacy, and unpredictability of live music. With photos that also document the unforgettable voices of funk, punk, and beyond, Front Row Center grants viewers an all-access pass to some of the most memorable performances in popular music history.

GALLERY TALK by Prof. Ken Womack: June 2 at 5:30 PM

Special Event

Monmouth University Music & Arts Festival 2022

Monmouth University’s Summer Music and Arts festival is now in its third season—and it’s first as an in-person event – in the theatres and galleries across campus. With family-friendly programming, student performances, a visual arts exhibit and an eclectic evening concert – there truly is something for everyone to enjoy.

Special Event

Peter and the Wolf by the Garden State Philharmonic

Join us for a family-friendly performance of Serge Prokofiev’s famous story Peter and the Wolf by the Garden State Philharmonic. In this production, children are invited to participate by filling in coloring books on stage for story time with the Garden State Philharmonic.

Special Event

Blue Hawk House Band

Monmouth University’s very own Blue Hawk House Band, who has been entertaining folks virtually throughout the pandemic monthly during Tuesday Night Record Club, will make their live debut. These talented students put their very own spin on rock and pop classics.

Performing Arts Series

Special Event

An Evening of Poetry, Jazz and “Harp”Beats with Kuf Knotz and Christine Elise, Robert Pinsky, Digba Ogunbiyi Quartet and Gregory Schwartz

Join us for an evening of an evening of Poetry, Jazz and “Harp”Beats featuring – Kuf Knotz and Christine Elise’s hip-hop poetry with bluesy beats supported by the harp, New Jersey native and former Poet Laureatre Robert Pinsky ‘s “PoemJazz” with a reading and performance of poems in concert with a variety of jazz improvisations. Also featured on the evening’s bill are the Digba Ogunbiyi Quartet playing original compositions that are deeply rooted in Ogunbiyi’s Nigeria roots yet highly informed by his years of studying Jazz, and an opening set by Gregory Schwartz, former recipient of the Poet Laureate of Asbury Park award.

Tuesday Night Record Club

The Go-Go’s, Beauty and the Beat

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 The Go-Go’s, Beauty and the Beat

Great Art on Screen

Botticelli: Florence and the Medici

Florence in the era of the powerhouse Italian statesman, politician and patron Lorenzo de’ Medici, was the heart of Renaissance art and culture. One artist, above all others, was able to evoke the lights and shadows of this unforgettable era: Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510). Through Botticelli: Florence and the Medici, we re-live Florence and all its art workshops through Botticelli’s life, his collaborations, his challenges and successes. From the outset of Botticelli’s career under the wing of the Medici family, he established himself as the inventor of an ideal beauty, seen in works such as The Allegory of Spring and the Birth of Venus. The death of Lorenzo de Medici marked the downward spiral of the Florentine master, who was destined to be forgotten for over three centuries, but the rediscovery of Botticelli by the Pre-Raphaelites reignited a genuine fascination with the artist and sparked a Botticelli-mania which continues to this day. 

Tuesday Night Book Club

Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita

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 month’s novel is Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita.

Great Art on Screen

Venice: Infinitely Avant Garde

A tour of the magical city, Venice: Infinitely Avant Garde showcases masterpieces by Tiepolo, Canaletto, Rosalba Carriera and the intellectuals who fell in love with Venice: from Canova to Goethe, Lord Byron to Walter Scott, down to the great Hollywood stars drawn to its yearly Film Festival. 1600 years after its legendary foundation, Venice continues to be unique for its urban landscape and for its rich history, but above all, the city is unique for its identity, which combines the charm of decadence with the excitement of being on the cutting edge. 

Tuesday Night Record Club

The Pretenders, Pretenders

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 The Pretenders, Pretenders.

Tuesday Night Book Club

Carson McCullers’ The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter,

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 month’s novel is Carson McCullers’ The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter.

Tuesday Night Record Club

The Moody Blues, Days of Future Passed

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 The Moody Blues, Days of Future Passed.

Adult Education Series

Roots of Rock ’n’ Roll, Part I

This three-session virtual course taught by Kit O’Toole – the first of a two-part course – explores how gospel, blues, and jazz contributed to the development of the music of Elvis Presley, Fats Domino, Little Richard, and much more. How gospel, blues and jazz impacted instrumentation, vocal style, and composition will also be studied. In addition to multimedia presentations, class discussion and activities will enable attendees to identify the essential elements of rock. 

Class Schedule: Thursdays - Sept. 15, Sept. 22 & Sept. 29 | 7:30 - 9:00 PM

Tuesday Night Book Club

Ta-Nehisi Coates’ The Water Dancer

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 month’s novel is Ta-Nehisi Coates, The Water Dancer.

Performing Arts Series

The Heart of Saturday Night the music of Tom Waits by Pat Guadagno & Small Change

Pat Guadagno and his band Small Change along with special guests Eryn O’Ree and Ryan Gregg, pay tribute to the head-scratching, mind-bending music of Tom Waits.

Performing Arts Series

Roger McGuinn

As a co-founder of The Byrds, Roger McGuinn is firmly established as an indisputable industry icon. From his signature 12-string Rickenbacker sound, to his instantly recognizable vocals on hits like Turn, Turn, Turn, Eight Miles High and Mr. Tambourine Man, Roger McGuinn didn’t just make music; he made history.

Tuesday Night Record Club

Kendrick Lamar, To Pimp a Butterfly

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 Kendrick Lamar, To Pimp a Butterfly.

Adult Education Series

This Day in Music

In this collaboration with the Rhythm and Blues Preservation Society, we are delighted to present This Day in Music, a three session virtual course taught by Sonja Elise Freeman and Perry Thompson. Each course meeting will address a profound moment on that date in music history. This semester’s dates include Jimi Hendrix and the Experience’s inaugural performance in 1966, Prince’s adoption of a symbol to represent his name in 1992, and Hip-Hop legend Snoop Dogg’s 50th birthday in 2021.

Class Schedule: Thursdays - Oct. 6, Oct. 13 & Oct. 20 | 7:30 - 9:00 PM

Tuesday Night Book Club

John Irving’s The Cider House Rules

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 month’s novel is John Irving’s The Cider House Rules.

Performing Arts Series

Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn

Hailed as “the king and queen of the banjo,” (Paste Magazine) sixteen-time Grammy® Award-winner Béla Fleck returns to our stage alongside his wife, fellow banjoist and singer Abigail Washburn. Fleck is the world’s premier banjo player, known for his eclectic mix of bluegrass and jazz, while Washburn marries folk traditions with far-flung Eastern influences. Together, their sound is familiar yet wildly innovative and on stage, their artistry and chemistry results in a picking partnership unlike any on the planet.