The Monmouth Museum is proud to share the successful opening of our new satellite location in downtown Dunellen. Thank you to everyone who joined us on Saturday, May 2, 2026, to celebrate this exciting milestone. Located at 266 North Avenue, this space marks the first expansion in the Museum’s 60-year history and a meaningful step in bringing arts and culture to a new community.
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Opening Exhibition: The Cardboard Show

Now on view through July 5, 2026, The Cardboard Show features an immersive installation by acclaimed artists Porkchop and Bradley Hoffer.

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Bringing the creative energy of the Asbury Park boardwalk to North Avenue, the artists transform corrugated cardboard into illuminated botanical forms that feel both familiar and otherworldly. Radiating from the walls and ceiling, sculptural elements suggest oversized blossoms, spores, and subtle mutations. Light filters through layered cardboard, casting shifting shadows that animate the space and create a sense of growth and movement.

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Working with one of the most ordinary and disposable materials, Porkchop and Hoffer elevate cardboard into something immersive and architectural. Corrugation becomes structure, texture, and a filter for light, where the temporary begins to feel enduring. The installation imagines what might flourish in the absence of human presence, suggesting a world where nature quietly reclaims what we’ve built.

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“It’s about pushing a material people overlook to its limits,” said Porkchop. “Cardboard is something we throw away every day, but when you start layering it, lighting it, and building with it, it becomes something alive.”

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A New Chapter for the museum

The Dunellen site combines two storefronts into a vibrant cultural hub offering rotating exhibitions, hands-on STEAM programming, family learning experiences, and community arts initiatives. Located directly across from the Dunellen Train Station on NJ Transit’s Raritan Valley Line, the space is designed to be accessible to residents, commuters, and visitors from across the region.

“We are honored to receive this support from NJEDA and excited to begin this new chapter,” said Erika Schaefer, Executive Director of the Monmouth Museum. “Bringing artists like Porkchop together with Brad Hoffer in an experiential installation like this allows us to introduce something truly unique to Dunellen.”

Mayor Jason Cilento added, “We are delighted to welcome the Monmouth Museum to downtown Dunellen. Their presence brings energy, creativity, and cultural engagement to our community.”

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VISIT uS

The exhibition runs through July 5, 2026, and admission is FREE for the duration of the exhibit.

All programming is also free, including:

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• Free weekend workshops for all ages: Saturdays and Sundays, 11am to 2 pm

• Free weekday storytime and craft: 11am to 2 pm

 

Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am to 4 pm (closed Mondays)

More exciting features are coming soon, including an interactive children’s area, microscope station, and opportunities for birthday parties, school tours, and special events.

Calls for art will be announced shortly, including a Dunellen-specific members exhibition.
 

SUPPORT

This project has been made possible through the support of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) and funding through the A.R.T. Phase II Grant Program.

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​For more information:
Phone: 732-224-1992
Email: ejenison@monmouthmuseum.org

Emily Jenison, Assistant Manager of the Dunellen location

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