Common Ground: NJ Artists Think Monumental - New Jersey Arts Annual 2026

Over 530 recent objects by 91 artists living and working in the State were selected through a juried process, which called for submissions that thoughtfully engage with the outdoors. The resulting exhibition includes works of a variety of mediums that respond to light, weather, and the natural environment, and that reimagine our relationship to landscape and community.

The featured artists are as follows:

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.