Princeton Day School Presents WABI-SABI: A New Exhibit in the Anne Reid ’72 Art Gallery

The Anne Reid ’72 Art Gallery at Princeton Day School is pleased to present Wabi-Sabi, featuring the works of Princeton Day School Art Department faculty members Stephanie Stuefer and Chris Maher, from February 11th through March 7th. There will be luncheon reception with the artists on Friday, February 22nd from 12:30-1:30 pm, and a cocktail reception on Friday evening from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Both events will take place in the gallery.

Stephanie Stuefer, who teaches ceramics, and Chris Maher, who teaches furniture design and sculpture, have created a collaborative installation including works of clay and wood. Guided by the principles of wabi-sabi, a Japanese aesthetic centered on the acceptance of imperfection, and embracing asymmetry and irregularity, this exhibition strives to find beauty in the unexpected, allowing the inherent beauty in natural materials—a part of a tree trunk; a clay imprint of a fingerprint—to stand alone. Ms. Stuefer and Mr. Maher note, “The work embodies our own American interpretations of this Japanese concept, as we pay homage to the ancient traditions.”

The Wabi-Sabi exhibition will also offer students at Princeton Day School some interactive and cross-disciplinary learning opportunities. Gallery Director Jody Erdman explained, “The gallery space will be transformed into a Japanese tea room, and students

from all grades will be invited to experience the space. In the Lower School, Garden teacher Pam Flory will work with our youngest students to use dried herbs from the PDS Garden to make their own tea, which they will serve in the tea room. Middle School Spanish teacher Rachel Kamen will teach her students about relaxation techniques and exotic teas using the gallery as a classroom. And finally, Upper School English teachers Liz Cutler and Jamie McCullough plan to invite their students to the gallery and use the space for creative writing.”

Wabi-Sabi is open to the public from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday when school is in session, and by appointment on weekends. For an appointment, please call (609) 924-6700 or visit www.pds.org. The Anne Reid ’72 Art Gallery is part of the Princeton Day School arts wing dedicated to photography, ceramics, architecture and dance, as well as woodworking, set-building and performance art spaces. For more information about the Anne Reid ’72 Art Gallery, please call Jody Erdman, Art Gallery Director, at (609) 924-6700 x1772.