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.
theatre
Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey appoints Anisa Mehdi as President of the Board of Trustees 
(MADISON, NJ) -- The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (STNJ) has announced the election of Emmy Award–winning arts journalist Anisa Mehdi as President of the Board of Trustees, effective December 2025. A respected journalist, documentary filmmaker, and arts advocate, Mehdi brings decades of experience in storytelling, public media, and cultural leadership to her new role.
music
PSO Soundtracks Spotlights the Norwegian Hardanger Fiddle on February 4th 
(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Princeton Symphony Orchestra's (PSO's) Soundtracks Series continues on Wednesday, February 4, 2026 at the Princeton Public Library with a musical presentation which introduces the national instrument of Norway, the Hardanger fiddle. Showtime is 7:00pm.
ParkStage announces first concerts: Sublime, The Head and The Heart, and The B-52s 
(EAST FREEHOLD, NJ) -- ParkStage, the nonprofit Count Basie Center's outdoor concert venue collaboration with Monmouth County Tourism, has revealed its first wave of artists coming this summer to East Freehold Showgrounds - Sublime (Friday, June 19), The Head and The Heart with special guests Wilderado (Friday, June 26), and The B-52s with special guests The English Beat (Saturday, July 11).
comedy
Art House Productions and Naked Eddie present "Can't Cancel Stoopid" - Live Comedy Show 
(JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- Art House Productions and Naked Eddie present "Can't Cancel Stoopid" - a live comedy show on Thursday, January 29, 2026 at 7:30pm. The lineup includes Naked Eddie, Gina Dee, Dan Finegold, Dan Franks, Amanda Giles, and VJ Preziosi.
One-of-a-Kind Joke Lab Launches Monthly at Newark Culture Club 
(NEWARK, NJ) -- Ha! or Nah: A Joke Lab, an inventive comedy series that invites audiences into the behind-the-scenes process of joke creation, is launching as a monthly event every fourth Thursday at Newark Culture Club. The series begins on Thursday, February 26, 2026 at 7:00pm.
film
The ShowRoom and Asbury Park Movie Club present Remembering Reiner Film Series 
(ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- The ShowRoom and Asbury Park Movie Club present Remembering Reiner, a three-film retrospective celebrating the remarkable, genre-spanning career of filmmaker Rob Reiner, screening Wednesdays throughout February. The series includes screenings of This Is Spinal Tap, When Harry Met Sally, and The Princess Bride.
Psychedelic short 12th House screens at the New Jersey Film Festival on Saturday, January 31, 2026 
12th House is an abstract short from Ilona and Israel Laboy, a psychedelic menagerie of strange imagery which seems to hold a deep, personal significance for the filmmakers yet can just as easily be enjoyed as a simple barrage of the bizarre. The first few shots act as a rapidly ascending gradient into maximalism, beginning with an almost entirely grayscale shot of the main character walking in a daze on the beach, with barely perceptible accents of color in her makeup. More color is added with the introduction of a graffiti-laden phonebooth, standing as a monument of vibrance against the background of a dull gray ocean, before the film finally reaches a crescendo and embraces the visual aesthetic of psychedelic overstimulation which will characterize the majority of the short, with the setting transitioning from the black-and-white beach to what appears to be either a bar or restaurant drenched in multi-colored neon lighting.
art
Staten Island Museum Spotlights the Borough's Creative Voices with "Here You Are: Staten Island Triennial 2026" 
(STATEN ISLAND, NY) -- The Staten Island Museum presents Here You Are: Staten Island Triennial 2026, a new landmark exhibition featuring newly commissioned and recent work across fiber, painting, film, photography, and graphic design. The exhibition will be on view through Sunday, October 18, 2026.
Montclair Art Museum presents See It Now: Contemporary Art from the Ann and Mel Schaffer Collection 
(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- Montclair Art Museum presents See It Now: Contemporary Art from the Ann and Mel Schaffer Collection, a landmark exhibition presenting a major selection of contemporary art from one of the most discerning private collections formed over the past four decades. The exhibition will be on view February 7–June 28, 2026.
Oyster Point Gallery presents "Splendid Unended" curated by George Bates 
(RED BANK, NJ) -- The Oyster Point Gallery presents Splendid Unended from February 3 through March 30, 2026. The exhibition was curated by George Bates. For his inaugural show, Mr. Bates has selected 18 artists from New Jersey, New York, and California to present a diverse and engaging showcase.
