The New Jersey State Museum is currently hosting an exhibition titled “Bark! Indigenous Cultural Expressions,” which runs from May 4, 2024, to January 5, 2025. The exhibit is located in the Museum’s Riverside Gallery on the second floor and features items from the Museum’s Ethnographic collection. These objects highlight indigenous cultural practices related to tree bark from regions including the Pacific Northwest, South America, Pacific Islands, and the local Eastern Woodlands.
Assistant Curator of Archaeology and Ethnography Karen Flinn stated, “The use of tree bark is global and ubiquitous, from prehistoric times to today. Indigenous communities all over the world harvest bark, using it as a source of food and medicine, to craft everyday objects and works of art.” The exhibition aims to showcase rarely seen artifacts from the Museum's collection and educate visitors on the significance of bark in indigenous cultures.
Organized by Flinn along with Curator of Education Beth Cooper, the exhibition will also feature activities suitable for all ages on select weekends throughout its duration. Details about these activities will be available on the Museum’s website. Additionally, exhibition text will be accessible in Spanish via a QR code and in large print format.
The New Jersey State Museum operates Tuesday through Sunday from 9:00 am to 4:45 pm and remains closed on state holidays. General admission is free. For more information, visit www.statemuseum.nj.gov or follow their social media accounts on Facebook (@NJStateMuseum), X (njstatemuseum), Instagram (nj_statemuseum), Threads (nj_statemuseum), and YouTube (@newjerseystatemuseum1895).
Located at 205 West State Street in Trenton, the New Jersey State Museum comprises three buildings including a state-of-the-art Planetarium. It houses over two million artifacts across its collections in Archaeology/Ethnography, Cultural History, Fine Art, and Natural History. The museum serves as a center for exploring science, history, and arts while preserving stories that inspire curiosity and creativity for community enrichment.
