Senior Citizens Art Show

NJ State Senior Citizen Art Show 2024

NJ State Senior Citizen Art Show Eligibility Guidelines

Drop-offs are accepted at ACCC May 27th-May 30th. Artists may go to Atlantic Cape Community College Art Gallery at 5100 Black Horse Pike, Mays Landing, NJ 08330.

CATEGORIES - County and State Art Shows

1. Acrylic Painting
2. Craft - one-of-a-kind original creations only, no craft kits or molds
3. Digital (Computer) Art - artwork created using computer graphics software (does not include digital photographs)
4. Mixed Media - art that combines one or two more media (often non-traditional), and no one of the media clearly predominates; includes collage and assemblage
5. Oil Painting
6. Pastels - includes chalk (soft) and oil pastel
7. Print - all print forms including -- but not limited to -- etching, linoleum, block, lithograph, woodcut, monoprint, silkscreen, collagraph
8. Photography - includes color, black & white or tinted photographs taken with a film-based or digital camera
9. Sculpture - work designed in 3-dimensions, carved or constructed in any medium, abstract or figurative
10. Watercolor Painting - includes gouache (note: traditional watercolor often includes light pencil work and/or ink. They are still considered "Watercolor" - NOT "mixed media"
11. Works on Paper - includes hand-drawn works in mediums including: charcoal, pencil, colored pencil, graphite, ink, pen, crayon, or stylus of any sort

ARTIST CLASSIFICATION - Professional or Non-Professional?

Professional: any artist who meets 2 or more of the following qualifications:

a. sells or has sold artwork through commercial channels (including galleries, online galleries, craft shows, art shows, etc.);
b. has been exhibiting their work for 2 or more years in professional galleries and/or in professional art exhibits; **
c. has had work selected in 2 or more Juried art or craft shows; **
d. has received 2 or more awards for their artwork; **
e. holds (or has held) professional membership in an artist or craftsperson's guild or association.

Non-Professional: an artist who does not meet 2 or more of the above criteria

** EXCEPTION:  Artists who only enter their County Senior Art Show and NEVER exhibit their work in any other show or venue do not have to identify themselves as a Professional Artist unless they have won First Place in their category 3 or more times -- in that case, they should identify themselves as "Professional". 

ARTWORK / DISPLAY RULES

•  All 2-D artwork with frame included may be no larger than 30" or smaller than 10” in any dimension.

• All 2-D work must be framed and wired for the State Senior Citizen Art Show hanging system (fully wired frames from left to right). Sawtooth hooks or command strips will NOT be accepted.

•  Sculpture or other 3-D crafts may not exceed 20" in width and 36” in height (measurements must include any base for the sculpture), and may not weigh more than 40 pounds.

  •  Any 3-D piece with a base must be securely fastened to that base for artwork to be entered.

• All art must be the original work of art. No reproductions of paintings, drawings, etc., will be accepted (including giclée or other digital print copies*). [* Of course, entries in the Photography or Digital Arts categories may be digital prints.]

•  No work made using kits or direct copies of another person’s artwork can be accepted.

• It’s recommended that artists photograph their 2-D work before it is framed, to avoid a glare. Artists should try to photograph both 2D and 3D work against a neutral background so the work shows up well.

• Every effort should be made to ensure that work is correctly categorized. Work that is incorrectly categorized may be moved to the correct category (or risk being taken out of competition altogether) at the discretion of the NJSAS administrators.

• Participating artists will receive a hard copy invitation to the 2025 Reception and Awards Ceremony. The invitation is for the participating artist and one (1) guest only. The County Coordinators are responsible for sending their artists the web site information to view the gallery and the awards ceremony photographs. They may forward the link to as many people as they wish. Artists may share the website information with friends and family members who wish to view the artwork online.

• All artwork valued at $400 or more MUST be insured by the artist – either as part of their homeowner’s insurance or under a special arts insurance rider.

• Artwork valued at $399 or less is not required to be insured by the artist.

IMPORTANT: Work may be listed for sale. No commission is charged. The NJSAS staff will forward any purchase inquiry directly to the artist. The Artist will assume complete responsibility for sales (including – but not limited to: payment arrangements, plans for shipping/pick-up of purchased artwork and any sales taxes they may incur from sales and/or sale negotiations.)

Jurying/Entry Notes

Notes for your Jurors:

If there are three or more entries in any category (oil, pastel, craft, etc.), a First Place winner must be selected to move on to the State Show in that category.

If a category has only one or two entries, it is the Juror/s’ option to either award First Place to a piece if they believe it should represent the County at the State Show. If not, they should consider awarding an Honorable Mention.