SUBMISSION DEADLINE EXTENDED: MARCH 20, 2026 @ 5 PM
The “What If?” Art Show Call for Art 2026
Art to be displayed at Global Neurosciences Institute
in partnership with Hopewell Valley Arts Council.
The Theme: “What If?” | Inspired by Ted Chiang’s ‘Exhalation’
For Our Younger Artists (Ages 8–12) What do you envision when you think of the future? Use the question, “What If?” to open your mind to the endless possibilities ahead. Do you imagine a world that will be perfect? Terrible? Ordinary? Super weird? Use materials of your choice to share your vision with us.
The Goal: Think outside of the box to communicate what it would look and feel like to live in this imagined future world.
For Our Teens & Adults Ted Chiang’s Exhalation starts with one simple question: “What if?” He uses that spark to explore how a single change, big or small, might reshape our world and our lives. We invite you to imagine your own unique vision of the future—whether utopian, dystopian, or somewhere in between.
The Goal: Don’t just show us a different world—show us what it feels like to live there.
Submission Guidelines
Medium: All artistic mediums are welcome, including painting, digital art, photography, and mixed media.
Size & Specifications: Pieces must be smaller than 28″ x 28″. Works must be either framed with a wire or mounted on foam core for display.
Art Submission:
Open to everyone ages 8 and up.
Limit one entry per person.
Please ensure your name, phone number, and email are affixed to the back of your artwork.
Deadlines: Submissions due by March 20th, 2026 (EXTENDED DEADLINE) to the Pennington Library (30 N Main St, Pennington, NJ).
Art Pickup: Works can be picked up from the library after May 8th.
Artist Statement: Please include a brief statement (60 words max) with your submission. It must begin with the phrase “What if…” and describe your idea for the future depicted in your work.
Once your masterpiece is complete, please download and print the submission form below. This form must be filled out and attached to the back of your artwork.
This event is part of our 2026 Beyond the Page – an initiative designed to broaden our imaginations and understanding of our world, our neighbors, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. The featured book Exhalation contains nine stunningly original, provocative, and poignant stories, where author Ted Chiang tackles some of humanity’s oldest questions, along with new quandaries only he could imagine. Please visit PenningtonLibrary.org/2026BeyondThePage for a full calendar of events and more information.
Building on the tremendous success of our past community-wide reading initiatives, the Pennington Public Library is thrilled to present Beyond the Page, spanning March and April 2026. This program is designed to bring our community together around one powerful book, sparking conversation and thoughtful discussion.
Supported by local schools, dedicated community partners, and volunteers, Beyond the Page aims to broaden our imaginations and understanding of our world, our neighbors, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book.
Free copies of the book may be picked up at the Pennington Public Library.
Book Summary
Photo by Alan Berner
Exhalation: Stories is the highly celebrated collection from Ted Chiang, one of the most respected authors working in speculative fiction today. Chiang’s stories use imaginative, high-concept scenarios as thought experiments to explore deep philosophical and human questions.
This collection of nine thought-provoking stories includes “The Lifecycle of Software Objects,” which delves into the ethical and emotional complexities of raising sentient digital beings, forcing the reader to confront what defines life, ownership, and parental responsibility. Another key story imagines a mechanical species grappling with the nature of consciousness and inevitable entropy.
Chiang’s narratives are deeply empathetic, focusing on the human experience while tackling massive themes like free will, determinism, artificial intelligence, parallel universes, environmentalism, and the terrifying beauty of the cosmos. Readers are invited to reflect on the relationship between humanity and the technology we create, and to consider the profound future implications of our present-day advancements.
The collection is an ideal choice to spark innovative programming and a truly meaningful community conversation that goes beyond the page of the book itself.
Upcoming Programs & Events
Please bookmark and revisit this page as we provide additional program information and registration details.
Key Events
Thursday, April 16 @ 7:00 pm via Zoom Closing Keynote:Virtual Conversation with Author Ted Chiang
In partnership with the Hopewell Valley Regional School District Registration and Details
Community Art Exhibition
Submissions Due: Friday, March 13, 2026“What If?” Art Show: Call for Art
Inspired by Ted Chiang’s Exhalation, we invite artists (ages 8-adult) to imagine the future. Selected works will be displayed at the Global Neurosciences Institute, Pennington.
In partnership with the Hopewell Valley Arts Council. View Theme & Submission Guidelines | Download Entry Form
Community Initiatives
Friday, March 20, 2026 Tech Night In
An evening for families to explore and share technology together. This initiative provides resources and prompts for interactive, tech-based family activities that spark creativity and connection.
In partnership with the Hopewell Valley Municipal Alliance, Digital Wellness Initiative and Hopewell Valley Regional School District. https://www.penningtonlibrary.org/tech-night-in
In-Person Workshops & Programs
Saturday, March 14 @ 1:00 PM at Pennington Public Library Robotics Workshop
A hands-on experience for families. Recommended for ages 8+
Featuring student leaders from the Hopewell Valley CHS Robotics Team Registration and Details
Saturday, April 11 @ 11:00 AM at The Watershed Institute Clever Corvids: Understanding the World’s Smartest Birds.
An interactive program for adults and families with children.
In partnership with The Watershed Institute Registration and Details
Virtual Lectures & Workshops (via Zoom)
Wednesday, March 18 @ 7:00-8:30 PM via Zoom Guided Autobiography WorkshopExploring Identity and Memory Reflect on how your most significant memories evolve over time with Julie Feibush Registration and Details
Thursday, March 19 @ 7:00 PM via Zoom In Conversation with Dr. Cal Newport New York Times bestselling author known for books like Deep Work and Digital Minimalism Registration and Details
Tuesday, March 24 @ 7:00 PM via Zoom The Great Silence of Lichens: Biology, Ecology, and Listening
An educational lecture about lichens – complex, symbiotic organisms that reveal the health of our environment – with Dennis Waters
In partnership with The Sourland Conservancy Registration and Details
Tuesday, April 7 @ 7:00 PM via Zoom The Art of Storytelling: Rewriting the Pop Culture Script with Dr. Grace Gipson
Explore the multi-faceted identity of Afrofuturism and its blossoming relationship with speculative fiction across literature, film, and music.
In partnership with The Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum Registration and Details
Film & TV Screenings
Sunday, March 15, 2026, 3:00 PM, Hopewell Valley Central High School
Exhalation Themed Film Screening & Discussion: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Registration and Details
Wednesday, March 18, 2026, 2:00 PM (HVRSD School Half Day), Pennington Public Library
Family Film Screening & Craft: Wall-E Registration and Details
Sunday, March 29, 2026, 3:00 PM, Pennington Public Library
Exhalation Themed Screening & Discussion: The Twilight Zone: The Lonely and Star Trek: The Next Generation: TheMeasure of a Man Registration and Details
Book Discussions
Tuesday, March 10, 2026, 7:30 PM, Pennington Public Library Novella Discussion: The Lifecycle of Software Objects By Ted Chiang
Too Busy for Books Book Club
To Register: Please e-mail kha@penningtonlibrary.org
Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 2:00 PM, Hopewell Community Room
Hopewell Branch, Mercer County Library Discussion of short stories by Ted Chiang: The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate Exhalation Dacey’s Patent Automatic Nanny
The Short of It Discussion Group
Registration opens March 15th at https://events.mcl.org/event/16263265
For Sponsorship and Partnership Opportunities, please contact the library directly.
Past Programs & Events
Sunday, March 1 @ 3:00 pm at The Pennington School Kickoff: “Bounded Freedom: Human Expression in the Age of AI” with Dr. Nathan C. Walker, Rutgers AI Ethics Lab
Wednesday, March 4 @ 7:00-8:30 PM via Zoom Demystifying Artificial Intelligence
with Eddi Khaytman, MBA, Web Developer and AI consultant
Thursday, March 5, 2026, 2:00 PM via Zoom Book Discussion: Exhalation: Stories by Ted Chiang
Pennington Library Adult Book Club
Saturday, March 7 @ 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM at HVCHS Media Center A Morning of AI Exploration at HVRSD | A Community-Wide Event
Featuring workshops on Artificial Intelligence education for all levels (parents, novices, and advanced users)
Presented by the Hopewell Valley Regional School District Educational Technology team
Sunday, March 8, 2026, 3:00 PM, Pennington Public Library
Exhalation Themed Film Screening & Discussion: Robot & Frank
Tuesday, March 10 @ 7:00 PM via Zoom Relating with Kids & Tech: Building Bridges in a Digital World
With Dr. Jill Richards, Director Comprehensive Mental Health Services
In partnership with the Hopewell Valley Municipal Alliance, Digital Wellness Initiative and Hopewell Valley Regional School District.
Author Mariah Fredericks discusses her novels The Lindbergh Nanny and The Wharton Plot with the Pennington Public Library.
Thursday, August 28, 2025 @ 7 pm via Zoom
Join us as we delve into two of author Mariah Fredericks’ captivating works: The Lindbergh Nanny and The Wharton Plot. In The Lindbergh Nanny, Mariah transports us to the tumultuous 1930s, offering a gripping, intimate look at one of America’s most infamous crimes through the eyes of the woman closest to the Lindbergh family. Then, with The Wharton Plot, she whisks us away to the glittering, yet often restrictive, world of turn-of-the-century New York society, where a fascinating mystery unfolds around the iconic Edith Wharton. Join us as Mariah discusses her meticulous research, her unique approach to historical narrative, and the inspiration behind these two compelling novels that explore the complexities of human nature and societal pressures across different eras.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Pennington Public Library
About Our Presenter: Mariah Fredericks was born, raised, and still lives in New York City. She graduated from Vassar College with a degree in history. She is the author of the Jane Prescott mystery series, which has twice been nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award. The Lindbergh Nanny, her first standalone novel, was nominated for the Agatha and Anthony Awards. The Wharton Plot was named one of Library Journal’s Best Crime Novels of the Year. Her new novel, The Girl in the Green Dress, featuring New Yorker writer Morris Markey and Zelda Fitzgerald, will be published September 2, 2025.
Free! An online “peek” and Virtual Talk aboutWashington Crossing State Park’s New Museum and Visitors CenterPresented by Clay Craighead and Mark Sirak, Lead Historians at WCSP Thursday, June 12, 2025 from 3:00-4:00 pm
Discover the exciting future of Washington Crossing State Park! Join Park Historians Clay Craighead and Mark Sirak for an engaging hour-long Zoom chat about the $28 million in improvements transforming this nationally-known Hopewell Township landmark. This is your chance to get answers directly from the experts! We invite you to submit your questions in advance regarding:
The NEW Visitor Museum
The immersive “Experience the Crossing” feature
The remarkable artifacts from the Swan Foundation
Updates on the Park’s 13 miles of trails
The restoration of the Park’s 1932 Arboretum
The exciting preparations for 2026’s 250th Birthday Celebration
The return of the Harding Mural
Mark and Clay will share insights and answer your questions during this free program, a collaboration between the Washington Crossing Park Association and the Pennington Public Library. Please submit your questions in advance upon registration. A recording of this webinar will be made available for those unable to attend live.
About Our Presenters: Mark Sirak and Clay Craighead are “Resource Interpretive Specialists” at the NJ Department of Environmental Protection, with a combined 60 years of service at Washington Crossing State Park. They administer the Visitor Museum and its extensive collection of Revolutionary War artifacts, give tours to school children and other visitors, run lectures and programs, and offer weekly musket firings to the delight of all.
Weaving is a pastime of the main character of our Big Read title Circe by Madeline Miller. We welcome you to join us with your own weaving!
God’s eyes, also known as Ojos de Dios, were first made by the Huichol Indians in Mexico so that their gods would protect and watch over them. The God’s eye is a symbol of the all-seeing power and understanding unseen things.
This event is part of the 2024 NEA Big Read – an initiative designed to broaden our imaginations and understanding of our world, our neighbors, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. The featured book Circe by Madeline Miller retells a Greek story from the eponymous heroine’s point of view, giving voice to a lesser goddess Homer’s The Odyssey. We have curated a list of age-appropriate companion titles for our community’s young readers that explore traditional stories from cultures around the globe, ranging from the Greek mythology of Circe to Vietnamese legends. Please visit PenningtonLibrary.org/2024BigRead for a full calendar of events and more information.
NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.
The 2024 NEA Big Read has completed, but you can still check below for our program recordings
Through the 2024 NEA Big Read initiative, the Pennington Public Library aims to brought our community together around one book, Circe by Madeline Miller. This program broadened our imaginations and understanding of our world, our neighbors, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book.NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. See below for program recordings.
Book Summary
Circe retells the story of the eponymous Greek mythological figure. Although traditionally viewed as a heartless, beautiful witch who turns men into swine, the Circe of Madeline Miller’s imagining has more depth. This Circe is a multidimensional, flawed, and empathetic character struggling to find meaning and worth in her immortal life. Through Miller’s detailed and honest first-person narrative, which takes place over thousands of years, Circe becomes relatable.
Born to Helios, god of the sun and the mightiest of Titans, Circe is strange, not powerful like her father, nor alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power–the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.
Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts, and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus.
But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods from whom she is born or the mortals she has come to love.
We have also curated a list of age-appropriate companion titles for our community’s young readers. These books explore traditional stories from cultures around the globe, ranging from the Greek mythology of Circe to Vietnamese legends.
Past Programs & Events
Speaker & Lecture Recordings
Sunday, February 25 @ 3:00 pm via Zoom Kickoff: Author Daniel Mendelsohn (An Odyssey: A Father, A Son and an Epic) in Conversation with Rev. Dr. Gordon S. Mikoski, Ph.D.) Recording Available
Thursday, February 29 @ 7:00 pm via Zoom When a Bit-Part Player Becomes the Protagonist: Examining the Impact of a Retelling
with Storyteller Joanne Epply-Schmidt Recording Available
Thursday, March 14 @ 1:00 pm Hybrid In-Person and via Zoom Nutrition the Mediterranean Way with Robert Wood Johnson Barnabas Health Recording Available
April 2, @ 7:00 pm via Zoom Author Keynote: Madeline Miller in Conversation with Author/Illustrator George O’Connor.
In partnership with the Hopewell Valley Regional School District and the Miami Book Fair Recording Available
Speakers & Workshops
March – April 2024 Available @ Pennington Public Library & through listed local businesses Take Home Craft: God’s Eye Weaving Kits
Sunday, March 3 from 1:00 – 4:30 pm @ Hopewell Valley Central High School A Little Like Spell Work: Writing About Crafts and Crafting
(A Guided Autobiography Workshop)
Wednesday, March 6 @ 7:00 pm via Zoom Art Talk: Explore Ancient Greece with the Princeton University Art Museum
Saturday, March 9 from 2:00 – 4:00 pm @ YWCA Princeton Circe’s Strength: Self Defense for Women, Teens & Adults
Sunday, March 10 @ 3:00 pm @ Pennington Public Library Cultivating the Herb Garden of the Gods with Rutgers Master Gardeners of Mercer County
Wednesday, March 13 from 2:00 – 4:00 pm @ The Watershed Institute Circe’s Magic: A Family Exploration of Plants (with a Craft and Tea!)
Saturday, March 16 @ 2:00 – 3:30 pm @ Pennington United Methodist Church Family-Friendly Art Workshop: Discovering Your Magic
with Jane Zamost and the Hopewell Valley Arts Council
Wednesday, March 20 @ 7 pm @ Pennington Public Library Circe’s Loom: Hands-on Weaving Presentation with Twist Knitting and Spinning
Saturday, March 23 from 10:00 – 11:30 am @ Pennington Public Library Family Art Workshop: Daily Life in Ancient Greece& Make Your Own Greek Vase
with the Princeton University Art Museum
March 28 – April 6, Drop-In @ Pennington Public Library Make and Take Eclipse Viewers
Saturday, April 6, @ 1:00 – 2:30 pm @ Pennington Public Library Wild Edibles: A Foraging Talk & Walk with Author Debbie Naha-Koretzky
Sunday, April 14, @ 3:00 pm @ The Pennington School A Way with Words: An Afternoon of Multicultural Storytelling
with Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum
Friday, April 26, 8 pm @ Washington Crossing State Park Observatory “Such a Constellation Was He to Me”: Stargazing
with Amateur Astronomers Association of Princeton
Book Discussions
Thursday, March 7 @ 2:00 pm via Zoom Companion Book Discussion: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Pennington Library Adult Book Club
Tuesday, March 12 @ 7:30 pm, Pennington Public Library Companion Book Discussion: Galatea by Madeline Miller
Too Busy for Books Book Club
Thursday, March 28 @ 7:00 pm via Zoom Book Discussion: Circe by Madeline Miller
Thursday, April 11 @ 7:00 pm, Pennington Public Library Book Discussion: Circe by Madeline Miller
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