MONTCLAIR, NJ (June 23, 2026)
The Montclair Public Library and the Folklife Center of Northern New Jersey are hosting a traveling exhibition, Paved with Promise: Immigration and Cultural Heritage, in the lobby of the library’s Main Branch throughout the month of July. The exhibition will feature a suitcase and a host of artifacts brought to the United States by individual immigrants, including pan-pipes belonging to Pepe Santana, an Ecuadorian-born master musician based in New York City.
Santana will be playing in a live free multimedia performance with Grupo Inkhay, a six-piece Andean group, at the opening reception on Monday, June 6, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Light refreshments from Dumpling Diplomacy will be served after the concert while guests have the chance to view the exhibit. Thanks to the generosity of the Folklife Center, the event is free but registration is requested. Register at montclairlibrary.org/events.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming this exciting and innovative exhibition from our friends from the Folklife Center of Northern New Jersey,” says Library Director Radwa Ali. “Don’t miss the fun concert and delicious treats at the kick-off!”
The Library will also be featuring two other programs related to Paved with Promise: On Saturday, July 11, at 5 p.m. the MPL Youth Services department will present a Torito de Pucará Painting Workshop for all ages, sponsored by the Consulate of Peru. No registration is necessary. On Wednesday, July 15 at 1 p.m., the Adult School will be running a Create Your Indian Paper Quill Earrings Workshop, co-sponsored by the Folklife Center. Space is limited and registration is required. Register at adultschool.org.
Paved with Promise is part of a larger project at the Folkife Center of Northern New Jersey celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of the Immigration and Nationality Act (also known as Hart-Cellar) which lifted restrictions on immigration from outside Europe and opened the doors for legal migration from Asia, Africa, Latin America and more. Soon after 1965, many new communities found homes in New Jersey where they continue to add diversity and richness to our cultural landscape today.