Here is the morning update from New Jersey's arts newswire. We regularly publish between 8-15 new articles and news reports each day. Nobody covers the Arts throughout the Garden State like New Jersey Stage!
If your arts organization sends out press releases, make sure you have [email protected] on your media list for coverage.
music
Songwriters By The Sea: Musical Storytellers Take Listeners On A Journey 
If you've ever been to a Light of Day Winterfest event in mid-January, you know what a movable, musical feast it is—eclectic live performances in storied venues all over Asbury Park and beyond. And all to benefit the Light of Day Foundation (LOD) in its quest to end Parkinson's Disease and other related neuro-degenerative diseases within our lifetime.
film
A Day in the Life of a Monk Documentary Screens at the 2026 New Jersey Film Festival! 
Portrait of a Monastery is a documentary by John Decker that follows the life of monks in the Order of the Holy Cross. They mainly rely on the teachings of the Rule of St. Benedict, focusing on peace, prayer, and work. This documentary differs from others by choosing to omit interviews. This gives it a very unique feel, as Decker instead chooses to highlight the beauty in and around the Holy Cross Monastery in West Park, New York. Scenes tend to jump from nature to the monks singing or partaking in regular activities. Everything is captured very gorgeously and makes use of the sounds that are present, rather than adding music in post-production, leading to birds heard chirping or the beautiful songs of the monks. Decker’s cinematography makes you feel as if you are there witnessing this in real time, and the use of the sounds that are naturally occurring adds to this. The outside shots tend to be very still, and there is a serene quality to these that encapsulates the way the monks must feel.
dance
Carolyn Dorfman Dance to perform in Jersey City 
(JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- Jersey City Theater Center at White Eagle Hall will present a multidisciplinary experience that bridges continents, cultures, and generations: Where Deep Waters Cross, featuring Carolyn Dorfman Dance in collaboration with Jersey City Poet Laureate Rashad Wright. The performance takes place Sunday, February 1, 2026 at 4:00pm.
art
Andy Warhol: On Repeat comes to Zimmerli Art Museum 
(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- Andy Warhol: On Repeat, on view at the Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers from February 11 to July 31, 2026, brings together the artist's early durational films and later serial photographs to examine repetition and duration as central forces in his art.
Art in the Atrium presents "Visual Voices" 
(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- Art in the Atrium, Inc. (ATA), a non-profit arts organization founded in Morris County that champions Black art excellence, returns with its fifth major exhibition at Mayo Performing Arts Center's Art Upstairs and Starlight Galleries. ATA presents "Visual Voices", on display from January 16 through March 2, 2026.
The Herb + Milly Iris Gallery at SOPAC presents I AM YOU — A New Exhibition by Emerging Artist Tatum Sabin 
(SOUTH ORANGE, NJ) -- The Herb + Milly Iris Gallery at SOPAC presents I AM YOU, a vibrant and deeply personal exhibition of paintings by New Jersey–based multimedia artist Tatum Sabin, currently a student at Howard University. The exhibition will be on display February 5–March 15, 2026. Featuring work created over the past two years, I AM YOU traces Sabin's artistic growth through bold color, expressive mark-making, and layered materials that move fluidly between portraiture and abstraction.
Calling All Artists! Display Your Work at the Long Beach Island Branch of the Ocean County Library 
(SURF CITY, NJ) -- Are you a creative individual looking to share your work with your community? The Long Beach Island Branch of the Ocean County Library is looking for artists within the Ocean County area to display their artwork in the branch's meeting room. They are also looking for collectors and/or artists to display their collections, crafts or hobbies in the branch's lobby display case.
community
Discover Hunterdon Wine Country with New "2 for $26" Tasting Deal at Seven Local Wineries 
(HUNTERDON COUNTY, NJ) -- Wine lovers looking for an easy winter-to-spring getaway have a new reason to explore Hunterdon County. Access Greater Hunterdon Wine Country has launched a "2 for $26" wine tasting promotion, inviting visitors to enjoy local wineries at a special seasonal rate through April 2026, excluding Valentine's Day weekend.
Morris County Teen Arts Festival Paused for 2026, Seeking to Return in 2027 
Morris Arts regretfully announces that The Morris County Teen Arts Festival will not take place in 2026. Previously hosted by the County College of Morris, the festival was a one-day event open to all Morris County middle and high school students. The event included performances, exhibitions, workshops, and adjudication in multiple categories of performing and visual arts.
Tickets to go on sale for Morristown ONSTAGE 
(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- Get ready for an unforgettable experience! The Morris Educational Foundation (MEF) announced that tickets for its premier fundraiser, Morristown ONSTAGE, will go on sale on Wednesday, January 28th at noon. Featuring the talents of the greater Morristown community and beyond, the show will be held on Tuesday, February 24, 2026 at the Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC) in Morristown, New Jersey. Doors will open at 6:00pm and the show will begin at 7:00pm.
Mountain Creek Resort to Celebrate 60th Anniversary with a Festival this Weekend 
(VERNON, NJ) -- Mountain Creek Resort, the New York Metro Area's premier four-season mountain adventure destination, presents a weekend celebration honoring its 60-year legacy in Vernon. On Saturday, January 24, and Sunday, January 25, 2026, guests are encouraged to visit the mountain for its 60th Anniversary Festival, a two-day event featuring retro-themed discounted lift tickets, a terrain-park competition, and après-style fun and live entertainment at both the resort's South Base and Vernon Base.
