May 28 – August 23, 2026
Common Ground: NJ Artists Think Monumental
New Jersey Arts Annual 2026
Over 530 recent works by 91 artists living and working in the State were submitted to a juried process, which invited works that engage thoughtfully with the outdoors—works that respond to light, weather, and the natural environment, or that reimagine our relationship to landscape and community. The following artists’ work were chosen:
Clifford Blanchard – Morristown, NJ
Sunil Garg – Summit, NJ
Wendy Gordon – Lambertville, NJ
Robert Koch- Jersey City, NJ
Robert Lobe – Newark, NJ
Judith Peck – Mahwah, NJ
Jill Scipione – Jersey City, NJ
Lee Tal -Jersey City, NJ
Josh Urso – Jersey City, NJ
The selection process was led by Johannah Hutchinson, Executive Director of the International Sculpture Center and Publisher of Sculpture Magazine. This 42nd edition of the Arts Annual, in a historic first will consist of works made to be installed outdoors, activating the museum’s 8-acres as an open-air gallery from May 28 through August 23, 2026. Each work was scrutinized by the juror for how it responds to scale, terrain, materiality, and public space.
Since presenting the very first Arts Annual in 1985, the Morris Museum has been a consistent partner in this important annual program that supports the state’s artistic talent. The Museum has presented a total of eleven NJ Arts Annual exhibitions, with topics that range from specific media to thematic approaches.
The New Jersey Arts Annual Exhibition is a cosponsored project of the Morris Museum and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.
ABOUT THE NEW JERSEY ARTS ANNUAL
The New Jersey Arts Annual is a unique series of exhibitions highlighting the State’s visual and performing artists. In partnership with major museums around the state, one exhibition takes place each year, alternating between host institutions. These exhibitions are open to any artist currently living or working in New Jersey. The Arts Annual series is sponsored by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment of the Arts. Since 1984, the New Jersey State Arts Council has co-sponsored the prestigious Annual in keeping with its mission to encourage and foster public interest in the arts, promote freedom of expression in the arts, and to facilitate the inclusion of art in every building in New Jersey. To learn more about the Council, please visit www.artscouncil.nj.gov.
