TRENTON, NJ – The New Jersey State Museum (NJSM) is pleased to present 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 below).

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).

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About the New Jersey State Museum
Located at 205 West State Street in Trenton, the New Jersey State Museum encompasses three buildings including a state-of-the-art Planetarium and holds over 2 million artifacts in its collections in Archaeology/Ethnography, Cultural History, Fine Art and Natural History. The New Jersey State Museum is a center for the exploration of science, history and the arts. We preserve and share stories that inspire curiosity and creativity for the enrichment of our communities.

About the New Jersey State Museum Foundation
The New Jersey State Museum Foundation was founded in 1968 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) to support the Museum's collections, exhibitions and programs through fundraising, volunteerism, advocacy and marketing. In recent years, the Foundation has received generous support from the PNC Foundation, NJM Insurance Group, Department of State/New Jersey Historical Commission, The Henry Luce Foundation, The Capstone Foundation and Princeton Area Community Foundation. The Foundation also operates the Museum membership program, as well as the Museum Shop which sells merchandise related to the Museum's exhibitions and collections, and New Jersey history and culture. Proceeds support the New Jersey State Museum's collections, exhibitions and programs.

About the New Jersey State Council on the Arts
The New Jersey State Council on the Arts, created in 1966, is a division of the NJ Department of State. 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 receives direct appropriations from the State of New Jersey through a dedicated, renewable Hotel/Motel Occupancy fee, as well as competitive grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. To learn more about the Council, please visit www.artscouncil.nj.gov.