Princeton has been home to many places and events in American history. In this online exhibition, you will find the people, places and stories behind some of Princeton’s most well-loved landmarks, and little-known sections of history. Through tiles created by artist Katherine Hackl, we have been able to share these stories and inspire lifelong long learning of our beloved town. By further examining each tile, you will learn the story behind it, view the images that inspired Hackl’s artwork and be connected with resources for further research.

More than two dozen pieces of art from the permanent collection are featured on display at the Princeton Public Library. Much of the art was commissioned or acquired for the opening of the Sands Library Building in 2004, but new works have been occasionally added to the collection. All artwork in the library has been acquired through generous private donations.

This exhibition presents 25 yōkai works created by Minako Ota. Yōkai painting is an important genre in Japanese art with a long history. From Heian-period tales and medieval picture scrolls to Edo-period ukiyo-e, people have visualized, depicted and passed down stories of unseen beings. What, then, are yōkai? They are not simply “frightening monsters.” While their nature varies widely, one key difference from Western monsters is that yōkai are not fundamentally evil beings to be defeated, but rather exist alongside humans, more like neighbors. They embody imagination in the face of the unexplainable, reverence for nature and the emotions that dwell within the human mind. Presences in the darkness, anxieties about illness and disaster, satire and humor directed at society, yōkai give form to the invisible. In the Edo period, yōkai became closely tied to entertainment and publishing culture, appearing in illustrated books, kibyoshi and ukiyo-e prints in diverse forms. They were both objects of fear and figures of humor and familiarity, gradually blending into everyday life. Yōkai culture is not merely a thing of the past. Its imaginative power continues to evolve in contemporary manga, anime and games. In this sense, yōkai can be seen as a mirror reflecting Japanese perceptions of the world, nature and the unseen. In this body of work, I reinterpret yōkai through my own contemporary sensibility while drawing on traditional styles. The accompanying texts for each piece introduce the background and origins of the individual yōkai. I hope that this exhibition, “Spirits Among Us,” beginning with “Hyakki Yagyo” (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons), resonates with the viewer’s imagination and gives rise to new stories. -Minako Ota, May 2026