MacArthur Genius Award Recipient Mary Jackson to Exhibit Baskets at Morven in May

Basket by Mary Jackson.
Basket by Mary Jackson.

Basket maker and MacArthur Genius award recipient Mary Jackson will display some of her work at “Morven in May: A Celebration of Art, Craft and Garden” on May 2 and 3.

Morven in May features a juried exhibition and sale of contemporary American-made fine crafts, as well as a Morven’s popular heirloom plant sale.

Exhibiting in Princeton for the first time, Jackson is the nation’s most celebrated maker of sweetgrass baskets. Her work is shown in major art museums and prized by collectors around the world including Prince Charles and Empress Michiko of Japan. She received a MacArthur Genius award in 2008.

Also new this year are the glass artist Martin Kremerof Pound Ridge, New York, and decorative porcelain sculptor Katherine Houston of Boston, Massachusetts. A full list of the 2015 Morven in May exhibitors and images of their work is available on Morven’s website.

This year, the fine craft exhibition has grown from 25 to 35 professional artisans from around the U.S. Art mediums include glass, ceramics, decorative and wearable fiber, furniture, jewelry, wood, and mixed media. Among the thirty-five exhibitors, there are a number of returning artisans including furniture designer Barry Newstat and textile artist Erin Wilson.

2015 Morven in May jurors included: James Steward, Director, Princeton University Art Museum; David Rago, Founding Partner, Rago Arts; and Veronica Roberts, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, Blanton Art Museum.

The weekend kicks off on the museum’s great lawn with a Friday evening preview party catered by Max Hansen, then opens to the public for two days. All proceeds from Morven in May help fund the museum’s exhibitions, historic gardens, and educational programs.

Tickets for Friday night’s preview party start at $125 and are available for purchase on Morven’s website or by calling (609)924-8144, ext.113.

Morven in May is open to the public on Saturday, May 2nd, 10 a.m.– 5 p.m. and Sunday, May 3rd, 11 a.m.—4 p.m. Tickets for the Saturday and Sunday admission are available at the tent entrance and are $10, $8 for Friends of Morven. There is no charge for Plant Sale.

A National Historic Landmark, Morven Museum & Garden is situated on five acres in the heart of Princeton. The former New Jersey Governor’s Mansion showcases the cultural heritage of the Garden State through regular exhibitions, educational programs and special events. Morven Museum & Garden, 55 Stockton St., Princeton, NJ 08540, 609-924-8144.