Toshiko Takaezu: Portrait of an Artist

Toshiko Takaezu is one of the most important ceramicists in America. She is certainly one of a kind. Of Japanese descent and Hawaiian birth, Takaezu lives a life that some describe as "zen". Through compelling images of her work and interviews that verge on a philosophy of life, this half-hour documentary reveals the influences that have shaped her signature style. In the 1950s, Takaezu was at the forefront of the movement that took crafts into the world of fine arts. She is represented in museums world-wide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her influence has also been felt as a teacher: for 25 years she was the head of the ceramic department at Princeton University. Takaezu is now making what many people consider her best-and biggest-work ever. Her bronze bells have been commissioned to commemorate occasions such as, most recently, a 9/11 memorial at Princeton University. Toshiko Takaezu: Portrait of an Artist puts the teabowls, bronze bells and 12 foot ceramic forests of this prolific and diverse potter into the context of her life: teaching, cooking, unstacking her kiln. The viewer travels from the surreal volcanic landscapes of the artist's native Hawaii to the fall harvest bounty in her rural New Jersey garden. Original broadcast in 1993.
Tuesday, September 6 at 6:30 pm

New Jersey Legacy – The Two New Jerseys

After the English conquest of New Netherland, King Charles II of Britain granted the former Dutch territories to his brother James, Duke of York, who divided the colony into New York and New Jersey. James gave New Jersey to his friends, John, Lord Berkeley, and Sir George Carteret, who sold their shares to other investors, known as proprietors. In 1676, the colony was divided into East and West Jersey. From the outset, the two New Jerseys were beset with problems. In 1702, the proprietors asked the crown to take over the government, reuniting New Jersey. Narrated by Celeste Holm. Original broadcast in 1993.
Tuesday, September 13 at 6:30 pm

Latin Music Caravan

The award-winning series Images/Imagenes is the longest running Hispanic affairs program in the PBS system. For more than three decades, Images/Imagenes has examined the critical issues of New Jersey’s Hispanic population. The history of Latin music comes to life in this Emmy-nominated special that takes viewers on a musical journey, starting with the Tango, the Rumba, the Conga, the Mambo, the Merengue and the Salsa music of today. Original broadcast in 2001.
Tuesday, September 27 at 6:30 pm