The Trenton arts scene

Trenton, New Jersey, is hardly anyone's idea of a cultural mecca, right?

There's more going on there than you would expect. As arts and entertainment editor of The Times of Trenton, it's my job to stay on top of the cultural scene in the Trenton area, and believe me, there's a lot going on.

For starters, Trenton itself has a couple of major concert venues. There's the Patriots Theatre at the Trenton War Memorial, which plays host to numerous top local and nationally known orchestras. You've also got the Sun National Bank Arena (until recently the Sovereign Bank Arena), which plays host to top names in popular entertainment.

Trenton also has the Trenton City Museum, which displays both historic artifacts and exhibitions of the fine arts. There are also numerous smaller venues in downtown Trenton that host art exhibitions and musical performances.

You don't have to venture far outside Trenton to find the university community of Princeton and all the cultural attractions that pertain to an Ivy League institution. Princeton's own Richardson Auditorium is a major concert venue, and the university's art museum houses a major collection.

Princeton is also home to the McCarter Theatre Center, a venue that attracts major classical and popular artists. Also in town is the Westminster Conservatory, a training ground for top vocal and instrumental talent.

Mercer County is particularly blessed with its visual arts venues. In nearby Hamilton is the famous Grounds for Sculpture, one of the nation's largest sculpture gardens. And facing each other on the Delaware River are the twin artists' colonies of Lambertville, N.J., and New Hope, Pa., which are chock full of galleries displaying the works of local artists.

Of necessity, this is a superficial introduction to the Trenton area arts scene. In future entries I'll go into greater detail as I give you a heads-up about what's appearing in the latest edition of our weekend arts and entertainment tabloid, Good Times. I'll point you to the columns by my staff of knowledgeable writers: Anita Donovan on classical music, Lisa Rich on rock and pop music, Ted Otten on theater and Janet Purcell on visual arts. Stay tuned.