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The mARTian Project

West Windsor Arts Council (WWAC) commemorates the War of the Worlds radio broadcast with a public sculpture installation, called The mARTian Project.

On October 30, 1938, during radio broadcast of “The War of the Worlds,” local residents, and a nationwide audience, heard that an alien spacecraft had landed in Grover’s Mill (a farming village in West Windsor, NJ), Martians had emerged and they were going to invade the United States. Although the broadcast was a radio drama based on H.G. Wells’ 1898 novel “The War of the Worlds,” many people believed it was a factual newscast, which sparked widespread panic and media outrage. A monument was installed many years later near Grover’s Mill Pond in Van Nest Park to commemorate this infamous and exciting historic event.

The first sculpture to be installed as part of the mARTian Project is called “Scoutship” by NJ-based artist Eric Schultz. The 12-foot sculpture was installed in time for the 80th anniversary of the broadcast and a dedication ceremony was held on November 17, 2018. Township officials, local residents, and members of the media were on hand to celebrate the accomplishment.

The mARTian Project

WWAC intends to continue this public arts project. This is made possible through your support and donations. Thank you!

The mARTian Project

About West Windsor, NJ & WWAC

West Windsor was initially established in 1682. Today, West Windsor Township is located in central New Jersey, 4 miles from Princeton University, 48 miles from Philadelphia and 60 miles from Manhattan. The West Windsor train station is served by Amtrak and New Jersey Transit. Its cultural activities and attractions include the West Windsor Arts Center, summer concerts, community festivals and several town parks.

The West Windsor Arts Council (WWAC) is a non-profit organization that was created in 2002 because a group of citizens came together out of deep community spirit and a belief in the transformative power of the arts. In 2010, the WWAC moved into a local firehouse that was built in 1931.

The WWAC’s Mission is to provide high quality cultural programming that brings people together and transforms the world around us by inspiring, educating and promoting the arts and art appreciation for our diverse community. It serves as a gathering point for West Windsor and surrounding communities by presenting arts education classes and camps, community outreach events and rental space, performances in theater, music, and dance, literary events and art exhibitions. These programs serve over 14,500 individuals each year.

The WWAC’s vision is to commemorate the War of the Worlds radio broadcast with a permanent, outdoor, township-wide, family-friendly, public sculpture installation, collectively called The mARTian Project. The sculptures would be installed in various highly trafficked locations in historic West Windsor. When complete, the installation would help build a stronger sense of community identity, encourage people to remember the township’s unique history and create a permanent outdoor sculpture installation for all to enjoy.

The mARTian Project is an initiative of the West Windsor Arts Council

952 Alexander Road
Princeton Junction, NJ 08550
Phone: 609.716.1931

Office hours:
Mon-Fri 10 am – 6 pm, Sat 10 am – 4 pm

Questions?