Garden State Art Weekend Returns April 17-19, 2026

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The third annual festival spans 18 counties and 100+ venues, proving you don’t have to cross a river for a world-class art experience.

originally published: 03/19/2026

(EAST ORANGE, NJ) — From Sussex County to Cape May, the third annual Garden State Art Weekend (GSAW) returns April 17-19, 2026. This year’s festival is the most expansive yet, featuring 103 venues across 18 of New Jersey’s 21 counties, including 31 new venues and 4 new counties in South Jersey.

For three days, New Jersey transforms into a massive, choose-your-own art adventure. A digital guide and map lets visitors filter by county, venue type, and region to discover world-class museums, contemporary galleries, working artist studios, community art spaces, and more.

“New Jersey is a big, diverse state, and its art scene reflects that,” says Alison Pirie, Co-Director of Garden State Art Weekend. “This weekend is a statewide invitation to stop looking across the river and start exploring the incredible art and institutions right here in our own backyard.”

Kickoff Event: Thursday, April 16, 6:00pm–8:00pm at Lackawanna Station in Montclair. Meet participating venues and get insider tips on navigating Garden State Art Weekend.

Festival Headquarters: Manufacturers Village Artists in East Orange opens 60+ professional artist studios to the public on Saturday and Sunday, 12:00pm–5:00pm.

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South Jersey Expansion: New venues this year in Camden, Cumberland, Burlington, and Cape May counties bring the festival to new communities.

NORTH JERSEY

Bergen: Open Studios at Brownstone Mill Artists (Midland Park); Exhibitions at ACC Gallery (Tenafly), Fort Lee Museum (Fort Lee), Art School at Old Church (Demarest), Twenty Four River Gallery (Bogota), Soosoostudios (Glen Rock), and Midland Park Memorial Library (Midland Park).

Essex: Diverse clusters in Montclair (Lackawanna Arts Initiative, Montclair Art Museum, galleries, and community spaces); Newark (Newark Museum of Art, Halsey Art Center, Project for Empty Space); The Oranges (Manufacturers Village Artists, West Orange Arts Council, West Orange Public Library, East Orange Youth Cultural Complex), and Maplewood (Arties, 1978 Maplewood Arts Center).

Hudson: Open Studios in Hoboken at Neumann Leathers Artists, Project Studios, and Monroe Center; Hoboken exhibitions at Barsky Gallery, Hoboken Historical Museum, Urban Arts, and more; Jersey City galleries and open studios at Pro Arts Jersey City, SMUSH Gallery, and NJCU Visual Arts Gallery.

Morris: Newly opened exhibitions, free family activities, and daily demos at Morris Museum (Morristown); Pop-up exhibition by South Asian Artists Association of America at Mayo Performing Arts Center (Morristown); Clay and ceramics at Mud Clay and Makers: a Ceramics Shop (Madison); Landscape photography at Joshua A. Cuppek Fine Art (Boonton).

Sussex: 350+ surrealist artworks on display at Skylands Museum of Art (Lafayette Township); Gallery featuring ceramics, jewelry, and woodworking at Peters Valley Gallery (Layton); Photography exhibition at Sussex County Arts & Heritage Council (Newton).

Warren: NJ’s first pay-what-you-can art thrift shop, Propagate Studio (Stewartsville); “STRESS CURVES” exhibition at M Galleries (Washington).

CENTRAL JERSEY

Middlesex: 75,000-work collection at Rutgers University’s Zimmerli Art Museum (New Brunswick); Gallery hopping in Metuchen at Friend of Metuchen Arts Gallery (FOMA Gallery), Basecamp Studio & Gallery, and Nails in the Wall Gallery.

Monmouth: Hubs of activity in Red Bank (Galerie Lucida, Art Space – Monmouth Arts, Oyster Point Hotel, Art Pod); Asbury Park (art629, Jersey Shore Arts Center); Plus AH Arts (Atlantic Highlands), Sun Moon Studio (Keyport), and Long Branch Arts & Cultural Center (Long Branch).

Somerset: Two exhibitions at the Watchung Arts Center (Watchung); Three mixed-media solo shows at The Center for Contemporary Art (Bedminster).

Mercer: 300+ contemporary sculptures across a 42-acre sculpture park, Grounds for Sculpture (Hamilton); Exhibits at the newly opened Princeton University Art Museum and the Arts Council of Princeton (Princeton).

Hunterdon: Art Around High Bridge, a townwide arts crawl; Solo show and Semiquincentennial Exhibition at Hunterdon Art Museum (Clinton); Lambertville galleries Wynter Gallery and Artists’ Gallery; Exhibits and pop-ups at Flemington DIY (Flemington); Exhibits at Studio Route 29 and ArtYard (Frenchtown).

Union: Exhibitions on view at the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey and RAM Gallery in Summit; Kean University hosts The Galleries at Kean and Kean University Student Art & Craft Fair; Face(t)s of America exhibition on view at The Gallery Space (Rahway).

SOUTH JERSEY

Ocean: Workshops, artist demos, and live music at Ocean County Artists Guild (Island Heights).

Atlantic: Artist studios, shops, and galleries open all weekend at Noyes Museum of Art at Stockton University (Atlantic City).

Camden: Mending the Seams exhibition on view at Camden FireWorks (Camden); Two new contemporary exhibitions at Schmidt/Dean Gallery (Cherry Hill).

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Burlington: Free gallery tours, live music, and Moorestown Daffodil Day at Perkins Center for the Arts (Moorestown).

Cumberland: Daily demos in glass, pottery, and flameworking at Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center (Millville); Three exhibitions and a Saturday public art project at Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts (Millville).

Cape May: 30 acres, 3 miles of trails, 200 outdoor sculptures, and a gallery at Sperlak Gallery & Sculpture Gardens (Middle Township).

Co-directed by artists Christine Romanell and Alison Pirie, this event was created to elevate New Jersey’s reputation as a premier art destination. As Christine notes, “New Jersey is home to many talented artists and respected arts institutions that are often underrecognized.” Garden State Arts Weekend connects them all on one platform to foster greater awareness, engagement, and support.

Garden State Art Weekend to Take Place April 17-19