duCret Center of Art

Ian Fraser: Silent Movie Concert
2025-03-07 19:00 - 21:30 UTC | duCret Center of Art, 1030 Central Avenue, Plainfield, NJ, 07060, United States
Join us on Friday, March 7th, at 7 PM at the duCret Center of Art in Plainfield, NJ, for a unique opportunity to see a movie the way people did before the advent of the talking picture with a screening of the classic 1924 silent romantic comedy film “Girl Shy”!
The film was produced by and stars Harold Lloyd as a shy young man who can’t talk to women. He ventures out to publish a book full of fictional conquests but finds true love (Jobyna Ralston) along the way.
Enjoy this screening (and free popcorn!) featuring a live score performed by award-winning organist and Plainfield resident Ian Fraser (https://ianfraserorganist.com) on his touring digital theatre organ.
Click below for tickets:

Adults: $20.00

17 and Under: $10.00

Fields Poetry Series 3/20
2025-03-20 19:00 - 21:00
The Fields_March 20_2025
—The Fields—Poetry Reading Series
March 20 at 7 PMduCret Center of Art1030 Central AvePlainfield, NJ
Featuring:
Liz Kingsley
Liz Kingsley’s poems appear in New Ohio Review, The Round,The McNeese Review and other magazines. Her fiction hasappeared in The William and Mary Review, and her essays havebeen published in New Jersey Family Magazine and theanthology Blended: Writers on the Stepfamily Experience. AnMFA candidate at the Rainier Writing Workshop at PacificLutheran University, Kingsley teaches elementary specialeducation. She lives in New Jersey with her wife, some of theirgrown children, and many nonhuman animals. Her poems liveat lizkingsleywriter.com.
Judith Christian
Judith Christian’s poetry has appeared in local journals andanthologies and has garnered four Pushcart nominations. Her 2018chapbook A Certain Knowing was published by The Paulinskill PoetryProject. In 2023, she wrote and designed Shifted Construction Plate, alimited edition fine arts book of ekphrastic poetry featuring paintingsby artist Mikel Frank (mikelfrank.net). She considers herself adilettante artist who has had work included in exhibits at the ViridianGallery in Chelsea. Her art has also appeared on the cover and insidethe pages of the literary journal “This Broken Shore.”
Followed by
10 Open Mic Slots
The event is free but donations are welcomed

ZUMBA for a Cause
2025-03-29 13:00 - 15:00
Join us for an energetic “ZUMBA for the Cause” event where every dance move makes a difference! All proceeds go to the Brown Institute for Young Learners, fueling inspiring programs for kids.
Dance, smile, and help shape a brighter future—see you on the floor!
$20 at the door

New Jersey One Act Play Festival
2025-04-04 20:00 - 2025-04-06 22:00
he New Jersey One Act Play FestivalJoin us for an unforgettable weekend of theater as we present Chance & Other Meetings — a collection of original one-act plays exploring unexpected encounters, twists of fate, and the moments that change everything.
Performances:April 4th at 8 PMApril 5th at 8 PMApril 6th at 3 PM
Discover the magic of chance — where every meeting tells a story.

Click Here for Tickets

Silent Movie Night: Buster Keaton
2025-05-02 19:30 - 22:00
Adult Tickets: $20.00

17 and under Tickets: $10.00

Join us on Friday, May 2nd, 7:30 PM at the duCret Center of Art in Plainfield, NJ, for a unique experience! See a movie the way people did before the advent of the talking picture with a screening of Buster Keaton’s classic 1923 silent comedy “Three Ages”!
Enjoy this screening (and free popcorn!) featuring its original score performed live by award-winning organist and Plainfield resident Ian Fraser (https://ianfraserorganist.com) on his touring digital theatre organ.
Preceding the film, Ian will perform a historical presentation/concert “Sounds of the Silents” highlighting popular music that was written for and/or used in silent films.
About the Film:
The first feature Keaton wrote, directed, produced, and starred in, he structured the film like three inter-cut short films.
Three parallel plots in three different historical periods — prehistoric times, Ancient Rome, and modern times (the Roaring Twenties) — are intercut to prove the point that love has not significantly changed throughout history!

The Field Poetry Series
2025-06-16 19:00 - 22:00
Join us for the second installment of the Field Poetry Series, an evening that celebrates powerful voices and shared expression. This event will feature acclaimed poets Adele Kenny and Michael T. Young,
In addition to our featured readers, we are offering 10 open mic slots on a first come basis. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just finding your voice, this is your chance to step into the spotlight and connect with a vibrant poetry community.
Bring a friend, bring a poem, and be part of the conversation.
Free and open to the public.Light refreshments will be served.

Our Town - Porch Play
2025-07-05 08:00 - 2025-07-14 17:00
Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center presents Our Town, Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning classic that captures the simple beauty and profound truths of small-town American life. Set in the fictional town of Grover’s Corners, the play explores themes of love, daily life, and mortality through the lives of ordinary people, reminding us to cherish every moment.
Join us for this timeless production:

July 5 & 6 at St. Luke’s Church, Metuchen, NJ

July 11, 12 & 13 on the front porch of the duCret Center of Art, Plainfield, NJ

Experience this moving story in unique community settings, under the stars and close to home.

Maura Donahue Small Bites Opening Exhibition
2025-09-13 15:00 - 17:00
Small Bites at the duCret Center of Art, located at the intersection of Union, Somerset, and Middlesex Counties in New Jersey, features artist Maura Donahue’s vivid paintings on food, body image, and identity. This New Jersey art exhibition invites audiences to explore themes of indulgence, shame, and self-expression, making it a must-see event in Central New Jersey.
In this body of work, the artist turns an unflinching gaze on her relationship with food, its pleasures, stigmas, and its complicated emotional weight. Through self-portraits of eating, still lifes of food, and paintings of discarded packaging, she confronts insecurities tied to consumption and indulgence head-on. What might otherwise be a source of shame is transformed into something luminous and unapologetic. By rendering these moments in vivid, colorful paintings, the artist rewrites the narrative on her own terms, allowing her to shift vulnerability into something more. Themes of indulgence and overindulgence are explored not as quiet confessions but as bold visual statements, challenging viewers to confront their own associations with overindulgence, stigma, and societal ideas of shame.
Open to the Public – Free
Reception Date: September 13th
Time: 3pm-5pm

Jazz and Art Fundraiser
2025-10-18 07:00 - 23:00
Tickets and Information

Explore creativity

duCret Center of Art

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Phone
(908) 757-7171

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Email
info@ducret.edu

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Address
1030 Central Ave, Plainfield, NJ 07060

Macbeth - presented by Dragonfly
2025-10-24 20:00 - 2025-11-02 17:00
Macbeth is a tragic play by William Shakespeare that explores ambition, power, and guilt. It follows the story of Macbeth, a brave Scottish general who encounters three witches predicting that he will become king. Driven by ambition and spurred on by his wife, Lady Macbeth, he murders King Duncan and takes the throne.
Consumed by paranoia and guilt, Macbeth becomes a tyrant, committing more murders to secure his position. Eventually, his cruelty leads to rebellion and his own downfall. The play reveals how unchecked ambition can destroy both the individual and everyone around them.
Oct 24th & Oct 25th at 8 PM
Oct 26th at 2 pm
October 31st and November 1st at 8 PM
November 2nd at 2 PM

Play: BREATHE
2025-11-22 19:00 - 2025-11-23 23:00
BREATHE is about an adult autistic woman who, after encountering a clown and a soothsayer at a carnival with her caretaker father, wakes up the next morning without autism. The father calls in his estranged wife, who left the home to pursue a relationship with another woman, to address the seeming miracle. While the father tries to track down the clown and soothsayer, the mother gets to know her daughter as a non-autistic person, who is experiencing a new and exciting engagement with the world. When the father returns without answers, he must confront his daughter’s changed outlook and her newfound willingness to experience life, and come to terms with his redefined role in her life. The father and mother also address their failed relationship, and their roles in each others’…

Saturday: November 22nd at 7:00 PM and Sunday November 23rd at 2:00 PM

The Field Poetry Reading Series
2025-12-05 19:00 - 22:00
The Field Poetry Reading SeriesCelebrate the power of words at The Field Poetry Reading Series, a free community event showcasing poets and spoken word artists.
Enjoy featured readings, then take the stage yourself during our open mic session—with 15 slots available for poets eager to share their voice.
It’s an evening of creativity, connection, and inspiration open to all lovers of language and art.

Within These Walls - Art Exhibition
2025-12-06 15:00 - 17:00
Within These WallsJoin us on Saturday, December 6th, from 3–5 pm for the opening reception of Within These Walls, a vibrant showcase of artwork created by duCret’s instructors and resident artists. This exhibition celebrates the creativity, skill, and dedication of the artists who shape our community every day.
If you can’t make the reception, the exhibition will remain on view through December 31st—stop by and experience the talent that lives within these walls.

Silent Movie: The Phantom of the Opera
2025-12-06 19:00 - 21:00
The Phantom of the Opera – 100th Anniversary Screening
Experience the magic of silent cinema with live organ accompaniment by Ian Fraser (https://ianfraserorganist.com/), bringing The Phantom of the Opera (1925) to life as it celebrates its 100th anniversary.
Starring Lon Chaney in his unforgettable role as the masked Phantom, this haunting classic weaves mystery, romance, and horror within the grand halls of the Paris Opera House.
A century later, its timeless power and artistry still captivate audiences around the world.

$20.00 Free Popcorn
