The Morris Museum invites submissions for the 2026 New Jersey Arts Annual - Common Ground: New Jersey Artists Think Monumental, a juried outdoor exhibition of monumental sculpture, installations, and murals. This exhibition will transform the Museum’s 8.4-acre campus into a dynamic landscape of contemporary art.

Submitted works should respond to scale, terrain, materiality, and public space; provoking curiosity, inviting movement, and reimagining how art lives in shared environments. Artists are encouraged to submit pieces that demonstrate technical excellence, conceptual depth, and a strong sense of spatial dialogue.

Through Common Ground: NJ Artists Think Monumental, the Morris Museum continues its commitment to presenting contemporary art beyond traditional gallery walls - celebrating the power of sculpture to transform open space into a site of reflection, discovery, and wonder.

All artists over the age of 18 who either work or live in the state of New Jersey are eligible to apply. All mediums are eligible. There is no entry fee.

Questions? Contact:

Stephanie Nerbak | 609-292-4474 (NJ Relay 711)

About 2026 New Jersey Arts Annual Juror Johannah Hutchison



Johannah Hutchinson is Executive Director of the International Sculpture Center, a global nonprofit organization committed to advancing sculpture as an art form and cultural practice. Since joining ISC in 2004, Hutchinson has helped shape the organization’s growth in membership, programming, and publications, most notably Sculpture Magazine. Hutchinson’s practice emphasizes forging partnerships across artists, institutions, and communities. She has repeatedly underscored the importance of placing sculpture within public, educational, and interdisciplinary contexts - most recently in relation to ISC’s annual conferences and outreach initiatives.

About the New Jersey Arts Annual

The New Jersey Arts Annual is a unique series of exhibitions highlighting our state’s artists. In partnership with New Jersey's major museums, one exhibition takes place each year, alternating between host institutions. These exhibitions are open to any artist currently living or working in New Jersey. Since 1985, the Arts Annual series has been co-sponsored by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a division of the New Jersey Department of State, and a partner agency of the National Endowment of the Arts.

About the Morris Museum

Founded in 1913 and located on 8.4 acres in Morris Township, New Jersey, the Morris Museum draws visitors across the region to its dynamic and acclaimed art exhibitions and performing arts events. Its 45,000+ object collection of art and material culture from around the world joins the art of our time in displays throughout the Museum’s purpose-built spaces, and within the historic Twin Oaks mansion.

Accessibility

The Arts Council is committed to ensuring its programs are accessible to all people.

For accessibility services related to filing this application, please contact Access Coordinator Lindsay Dandeo: lindsay.dandeo@sos.nj.gov | 609-984-7020 (NJ Relay 711)

The New Jersey State Council on the Arts, created in 1966, is a division of the NJ Department of State and a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. The Council was established to encourage and foster public interest in the arts; enlarge public and private resources devoted to the arts; promote freedom of expression in the arts; and facilitate the inclusion of art in every public building in New Jersey. The Council believes the arts are central to every element we value most in a modern society including: human understanding; cultural and civic pride; strong communities; excellent schools; lifelong learning; creative expression; and economic opportunity. To learn more about the Council, please visit www.artscouncil.nj.gov.

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