On a recent visit to the New Jersey State Museum to meet with Susan Greitz, Marketing & Public Relations Manager, we found ourselves stepping into the Museum’s newest exhibition, Spirit of ’76: The Bicentennial, part of its broader celebration of America’s 250th. After touring the impressive installation, Susan noted that Nicholas Ciotola, the Museum’s Curator of Cultural History, led the curation of the exhibition, selecting and interpreting the remarkable pieces now on display.
Reflecting on the exhibition, Nicholas Ciotola shared, “This year the nation is celebrating its 250th anniversary. But it’s also the 50-year anniversary of the Bicentennial, a long-overlooked chapter of recent American history that is equally deserving of remembrance. In 1976, not unlike today, Americans were wrestling with issues of belonging, equity and patriotism and channeled their feelings about the country in a variety of different ways – socially, politically, and, most importantly for this exhibit, artistically.”
Drawing exclusively from the State Museum’s own collection, the exhibition features rarely seen artifacts and artworks created 50 years ago for the Bicentennial. Among the highlights is the Kent Bicentennial Portfolio, a striking collection of lithographs and screen prints by twelve artists—including Jacob Lawrence and Robert Indiana—each responding to the question, “What does independence mean to me?” Visitors will also encounter New Jersey state-issued Bicentennial items such as license plates and maps; flags produced by the Annin Company of Verona; commemorative medallions; ceramic works by Trenton’s own Cybis, Boehm, and Lenox; and a handcrafted album quilt from Princeton. Additional artworks and artifacts honor the famed Ten Crucial Days, when George Washington’s daring maneuvers near Trenton shifted the course of the Revolutionary War.
The exhibition explores the many ways governments, businesses, and everyday Americans marked the 200th anniversary of the nation’s independence. In the midst of the early 1970s—a period marked by social tension and national uncertainty—the Bicentennial became a unifying moment, a chance for Americans to rally around shared pride and patriotism. Spirit of ’76 captures that moment with the unmistakable look, feel, and optimism of 1970s America. The exhibition will be on view in the Museum’s second-floor Riverside Gallery through February 2027, supported in part by the Beulah L. Brinker Fund through the New Jersey State Museum Foundation.
As our meeting concluded, it occurred to me how meaningful it is for the Museum to present this exhibition at a moment when the nation is once again reflecting on its identity. Susan added that revisiting the Bicentennial offers valuable insight into how Americans have historically expressed pride, concern, and hope for the future.
Together, their perspectives underscored the significance of Spirit of ’76: The Bicentennial, an exhibition that not only commemorates a pivotal moment in American memory but also resonates powerfully with the questions we continue to ask today. It stands as a thoughtful and timely contribution to New Jersey’s celebration of America’s 250th.
The New Jersey State Museum is open Tuesday–Sunday, 9:00 am to 4:45 pm, and closed on all State holidays. General admission is free. For more information, visit www.statemuseum.nj.gov, like the Museum’s Facebook page (@NJStateMuseum), and follow on X (njstatemuseum), Instagram (nj_statemuseum), Threads (nj_statemuseum), and YouTube (@newjerseystatemuseum1895).