Morris Museum to open New Jersey outdoor sculpture exhibition

By AI, Created 4:28 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – The Morris Museum will launch Common Ground: NJ Artists Think Monumental on May 28, bringing nine New Jersey-made outdoor sculptures to its 8-acre campus through Aug. 23. The 42nd New Jersey Arts Annual expands the long-running series beyond gallery walls and spotlights how large-scale art interacts with landscape, place and community.

Why it matters: - Common Ground marks a first for the New Jersey Arts Annual by moving the exhibition outdoors and onto the Morris Museum’s grounds. - The show turns the museum’s 8-acre campus into a public setting for large-scale sculpture. - The exhibition highlights New Jersey artists and the state’s visual arts ecosystem.

What happened: - The Morris Museum is presenting Common Ground: NJ Artists Think Monumental, the 42nd New Jersey Arts Annual. - The exhibition opens with a member preview and opening reception on Thursday, May 28, 2026. - Common Ground will remain on view from May 28 through Aug. 23, 2026, in Morristown, New Jersey. - Nine works were selected for the exhibition from 530 recent objects submitted by 91 artists living and working in New Jersey.

The details: - Johannah Hutchinson, executive director of the International Sculpture Center and publisher of Sculpture Magazine, led the juried selection. - The jurors evaluated each work for scale, terrain, materiality, light and public space. - The selected artists are Clifford Blanchard of Morristown, Sunil Garg of Summit, Wendy Gordon of Lambertville, Robert Koch of Jersey City, Robert Lobe of Newark, Judith Peck of Mahwah, Jill Scipione of Jersey City, Lee Tal of Jersey City and Josh Urso of Jersey City. - A digital catalog will accompany the exhibition and add context on the artists and their work. - The Morris Museum has hosted 11 NJ Arts Annual exhibitions since the series began in 1985. - The New Jersey Arts Annual is a project of the Morris Museum and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. - The Arts Annual series is open to artists currently living or working in New Jersey. - The New Jersey State Arts Council has co-sponsored the annual since 1984. - More information is available at the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

Between the lines: - The outdoor format signals a broader approach to display, with sculpture designed to interact directly with terrain and public space. - The selection process suggests a strong emphasis on how each work functions in an open-air museum setting rather than in a standard gallery. - Allison Tratner, executive director of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, said the museum partnership has produced exhibitions that spark timely conversations.

What’s next: - Visitors can see the exhibition beginning May 28. - The digital catalog will provide additional interpretation once the show opens. - The Arts Annual will continue its rotating museum format with future annual exhibitions at partner institutions.

The bottom line: - Common Ground expands a long-running state arts program into a public outdoor sculpture experience and puts New Jersey artists at the center of the Morris Museum’s campus.