The New Jersey State Museum (NJSM) is presenting 2022 New Jersey Arts Annual: Reemergence. New Jersey is home to a diverse and robust artistic community; the New Jersey Arts Annual exhibition highlights the work of visual artists and craftspeople from around the state. The New Jersey Arts Annual: Reemergence exhibition is on view from June 25, 2022 through April 30, 2023.

This year’s exhibition theme is “Reemergence.” Artists, like most New Jerseyans, are taking steps to reemerge into an altered landscape. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, political and ideological polarization, and a collective reckoning with systemic racism remain critical to achieving the country’s promise.

“It is a privilege to present the work of these New Jersey artists as we all reckon with the events of the last few years, and consider how we move forward in the ongoing pandemic,” says Sarah Vogelman, NJSM Assistant Curator of Fine Art. “The 95 selected artists, working across disciplines and media, have each responded to the ruptures and challenges of life in the pandemic in their own ways. In much of the work, themes of anxiety, isolation, surrealism, and dis/connection come through, as do impulses to contemplate and commune with immediate surroundings, be it an interior scene, still-life, or landscape. We hope the exhibition serves as a place for the public to engage and reflect as we each envision reemergence.”

“The Arts Annual is an exhibition focused solely on New Jersey artists, and the State Arts Council is proud to support the many great artists who call New Jersey home,” said Danielle Bursk, the Director of Community Partnerships & Artist Services for the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. “Each year, the Arts Annual Exhibition is one way that we recognize and highlight new work, and provide the opportunity for audiences to see artworks from some of the most innovative and accomplished artists in the state. And our partners at the State Museum have done an amazing job curating a timely, inspiring, and powerful exhibition.”

Each year, the New Jersey Arts Annual is presented by the State Arts Council, in partnership with major museums around the state, alternating between host institutions. These exhibitions are open to any artist currently living or working in New Jersey. This year’s juried exhibition drew 1,999 submissions from 393 artists, representing every one of New Jersey’s 21 counties.  One hundred twenty-seven works by 95 artists were selected for inclusion in the exhibition (see list here https://nj.gov/state/museum/assets/pdf/2022-NJ-Arts-Annual-artists.pdf).

The New Jersey Arts Annual: Reemergence is a project of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and the New Jersey State Museum. At the New Jersey State Museum, the exhibition is also supported by the New Jersey State Museum Foundation.

The New Jersey State Museum is open Tuesday – Sunday, 9:00 am to 4:45 pm. For additional information visit www.statemuseum.nj.gov, like the Museum’s Facebook page (@NJStateMuseum), follow us on Twitter (njstatemuseum), or Instagram (nj_statemuseum).