THE ATRIUM GALLERY

Morris Arts and the Morris County Art Association present an exhibition of defiantly human-made art.

Everyone is an artist here.

What does it mean to be here—to belong, to create, to imagine, to remember, to connect?

We Are Here is a community-wide exhibition celebrating the people, ideas, experiences and creative expressions that bring us together.

This exhibition invites us to look beyond a single story and toward the people who make up our communities today. Across four floors, we will explore identity, imagination, belonging and human connection through the eyes of artists of all ages and experience levels.

We are creating a space where established artists can share alongside emerging voices, college students can exhibit alongside seasoned creatives, and first-time exhibitors can see their work on a gallery wall for the very first time.

You do not need to be a professional artist to apply. You simply need something to say, make, imagine or share.

All submitted artwork must be conceived and created by a human artist. AI-generated artwork, including fully or partially AI-generated images, will not be eligible for exhibition. This is not about rejecting technology. It is about pausing to recognize something uniquely human: The desire to make something that comes from you. Everyone is welcome. 

WE INVITE SUBMISSIONS FROM:

• Professional artists
• Emerging artists
• College and university students
• Senior artists
• Local creatives
• First-time exhibitors
• Photographers
• Illustrators
• Fine artists
• Mixed-media artists
• Textile and fiber artists
• Makers and multidisciplinary artists

Artists of all backgrounds, generations and levels of experience are encouraged to apply. Never exhibited your work before? This is your invitation.

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

We welcome original artwork that explores one or more of the following ideas:

• Identity, memory, place, personal experience and self-expression.

• Dreams, possibility, creativity, play and the worlds we create in our minds.

• Community, connection, relationships, home, shared experiences and the things that bring us together.

• The creative process, human expression, imagination and what we hope to make next.

These themes are intentionally open to interpretation.

JURORS

Mary Shay-Millea, Ph.D., History of Art – Rutgers University, Educator, Curator & Author, Currently founder and owner of Millea Method, Far Hills, NJ, and Arts Council of the Mendhams Board Member, formerly, Adjunct Instructor – Montclair State University (Art of Western Civilization, Renaissance to Modern), Sylvan C. Coleman Fellow | The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, VP Trusts & Estates Christie’s Auction House, New York, NY. 

Susan Luciano, M.F.A. School of Visual Arts in Photography and Related Media,  B.A. Williams College.  Currently, Trustee of Arts Council of the Mendhams.  Formerly Adjunct Professor SUNY Empire State College and taught photography on the high school and middle school level.

CURATOR

Laurie Pettine, BFA Illustration Parsons New School, Sculptor, Mixed Media artist, Curator, Founder & Trustee Arts Council of the Mendhams, Morris County Art Association Board Member, former owner of ArtLab Gallery, Mendham, NJ, founder and organizer of Morris County Artists’ Network, current member Pro Arts Jersey City & Studio Montclair.

AWARDS:

• Two Juror Awards for $100 each

• Five Honorable Mentions

VENUE

Atrium Gallery, Morris County Administration and Records Building, Floors 2-5, 10 Court Street, Morristown, NJ 07960

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENT CRITERIA

This exhibition is an OPEN CALL to all artists, 18 years and older who RESIDE or WORK in Morris County and the State of New Jersey. 

ENTRY FEE

IMPORTANT – A non-refundable application fee of $20. (link to MCAA here)

ALL COLLEGE STUDENTS DO NOT HAVE TO PAY THE ENTRY FEE. 

*** Payment of the application or membership to MCAA does not guarantee acceptance. ***

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES- ENTRY PROCEDURE

Online entry HERE 

• Provide correct name spelling, birthdate, mailing address, email, home and cell numbers.
• Artist’s webpage and links to social media (if applicable)
• Artist’s Bio/CV (300 word max or upload as pdf attachment)
• Artist’s Statement (250 word max or upload as pdf attachment)
• Artist’s process (In 150 words or less describe what methods you use to make your artwork)
• Artists may submit a maximum of 5 works of art (JPEG, PNG formats accepted)
• Submit work that will be available for the duration of the exhibition. No substitutions will be accepted after selections are finalized.
• No giclee reproductions of original art accepted

SPECIFICATIONS

Most mediums welcome, including painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, collage, fiber, mixed media, wall hung sculpture. (The venue cannot accommodate sculpture in the round, video and projection.) WALL HUNG WORK ONLY.

• 2D Work: Maximum of five feet in any direction including frame, not to exceed 30 lbs. Wall-hung art must be properly wired for hanging – no saw-tooth hangers, no string, no missing hardware. Stretched canvas should have finished painted edges or strip framing.

• 3D wall work: Maximum 4 ft. in any direction, maximum 6 in. depth, not to exceed 30 lbs. 

• NO ceiling hung work.

Image preparation: Your image file names will be used to create the label for your piece, so please follow the file name instructions carefully and EXACTLY!

Size: 72ppi, maximum 1200px on the longest side

Name files as follows: Lastname_Firstname_Title_Medium_FRAMEDsize_price.jpg

Example: Mouse_Mickey_Welcome to My House_Oil on Canvas_FRAMED30x40 in._$250.jpg

The vertical dimension is first: V X H in.

If unframed or irregular shaped item, measure to broadest sides.

The exhibition welcomes a wide range of creative perspectives while maintaining a respectful and welcoming environment for everyone. Artwork may not contain:

• Nudity or sexually explicit imagery
• Graphic violence or gore
• Racist or hateful imagery
• Content promoting discrimination or harassment
• Religious figures, religious iconography or devotional imagery
• Political campaign materials, partisan messaging or political advocacy
• AI-generated artwork
• Content that is threatening, excessively graphic or otherwise inappropriate for a public civic setting

Work not conforming to the submission requirements will be rejected.

LIABILITY (DELIVERY, CONDITION & INSURANCE): 

Artists are responsible for delivering their artwork to the exhibition staff on the date/time specified IN PERSON. SELECTED ARTWORK MAY NOT BE SHIPPED TO THE VENUE – SHIPPED WORK WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Artists delivering their artwork are responsible for unpacking and inspecting their work at the time of drop-off. By leaving artwork with the exhibition staff, the artist acknowledges that it has been delivered in acceptable condition. Any existing damage must be identified before the artwork is accepted. 

Morris Arts & Morris County Art Association do not provide insurance for theft, loss or damage of artwork while the artwork is in transit or while it is on display at its venues. All artists should have their work insured if they feel it necessary. The exhibition organizers and their agents will make every possible effort to handle all artwork with care and respect.

PLEASE NOTE Late pick-up policy – All non-sold artwork must be picked up on March 22nd, 23rd and 24th (schedule to be provided). A $10 a day late fee will apply beginning March 25th. The Exhibition organizers are not responsible for artwork left after the scheduled pick-up date. Artwork not retrieved within one month of pick-up date will be considered abandoned and become property of Exhibit organizations. 

PACKING MATERIALS: Artists are responsible for unpacking their artwork at drop-off and repacking it at pick up. Due to limited storage space, Atrium Gallery cannot store boxes, crates, bubble wrap or other packing materials during the exhibition. Please remove all packing materials after delivery and bring appropriate materials when retrieving artwork. 

SALES: 30% donation will be retained by Morris Arts & Morris County Art Association on all sales. Works available for sale will be sold at the price indicated on the entry form. No changes in price will be permitted after drop-off of work. Payment will be issued to the artist within two weeks of end of exhibition. Works not for sale should be listed NFS. (NOTE- Participating artists are responsible for paying their own sales tax.)

USAGE OF IMAGES: Morris Arts & Morris County Art Association reserve the right to photograph and use accepted work for documentation, website, publicity, social media, or catalog purposes.

NO AI TRAINING: Without in any way limiting the artist’s [and exhibitor’s] rights under copyright, any use of artwork presented in this exhibition “We Are Here: The Human Revolution” to “train” generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to generate text and/or images is expressly prohibited. The artists reserve all rights to license uses of this work for generative AI training and development of machine learning language models.

AGREEMENT: Entering your work in this exhibition constitutes an acceptance of all the requirements set forth in this prospectus.

IMPORTANT DATES

Exhibition Dates: January 28th – March 19th, 2027

Entry Submission Deadline: November 29th, 2026, 11:59pm

Acceptance Notification Date: December 13th, 2026

Acceptance Response Deadline: December 18th, 2026

Drop off of Artwork: January 12th, 13th and 14th, 2027 (schedule to be provided) 

Opening Reception: February 4th, 2027, 5pm – 8pm

Closing Reception: March 17th, 2027, 5pm – 8pm

Pickup of Unsold Artwork: March 22nd, 23rd and 24th, 2027 (schedule to be provided)

Please contact Cyndall Brice at cbrice@morrisarts.org for any questions.

The Blackwell Street High School Student Show is on display at the Atrium Gallery in Morristown. This annual show features four floors of the best student works in the county.

Participating high schools include Boonton, Butler, Chatham, Delbarton, Dover, Hanover Park, Jefferson Township, Kinnelon, Madison, Montville Township, Morris County School of Technology, Mount Olive, Parsippany Hills, Randolph, Roxbury, Villa Walsh Academy, and Whippany.

Evolving from the 1988 exhibit that featured approximately 90 pieces of art, the show now boasts approximately 273 wall-hung artworks and 47 sculptures/ceramic works from area students. The High School Student Show is unique in its democratic approach: there are no restrictions on the number of pieces a school can submit, and submissions are open to public, private, parochial, and home-schooled high school student artists from throughout Morris County.  Each year, hundreds of students, parents, teachers, and friends visit the gallery in support of these exceptional young artists.

This year’s awards reception will take place at the Atrium Gallery, located in the Morris County Administration and Records Building. Since 2008, Morris Arts has overseen the planning of exhibitions on floors 2 through 5 of the building and looks forward to the student show each spring.

Stop by the gallery to see the Blackwell Street High School Student Show. The Atrium Gallery is located in the Morris County Administration and Records Building on 10 Court Street, Morristown, NJ 07960. The exhibit is free and open to the public during the below hours:

Monday: 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Tuesday: 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Wednesday: 8:30 AM – 7:30 PM
Thursday: 8:30 AM – 7:00 PM
Friday: 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed