The New Jersey State Museum in Trenton will present a series of seven in-gallery talks with artists featured in the 2022 “New Jersey Arts Annual: Reemergence” exhibition on select Wednesdays through the run of the show. Each event will feature two artists who will discuss their work in the context of the exhibition; programs will run for 45 minutes to one hour. These free lunchtime talks will begin at 12:15 p.m. in the exhibition gallery and will offer attendees a deeper understanding of the featured artists and their practice. The “New Jersey Arts Annual: Reemergence” exhibition is on view through April 30, 2023.

The first talk in the series will take place on September 21 and features Donté Hayes and Donna Conklin King. Hayes’ artwork is informed by research and engagement with traditional African heirlooms and initiation rites, as well as his interest in history, science fiction, and hip-hop culture. King explores the possibilities of concrete as a medium as she creates environments that address the relationship between nature, architecture, and the inevitable ruins of civilization.

The October 19 talk will feature artists José Camacho and Matilda Forsberg. Camacho’s richly layered surfaces combine commercial methods of artistic production with subject matter that explores memory and cultural heritage. In her paintings, Forsberg reflects on migration and multicultural identity, most recently meditating on what it means for her and her family to settle in a foreign country and culture.

Also scheduled for Gallery Talks: November 16 – Sinéad Hornak and ShinYoung An; January 25 – Mashell Black and George Taylor; February 22 — Megan Klim and Katrina Bello; March 22 — Theda Sandiford and Pam Cooper; and Apri1 19 — Mark Ludak and Caroline Burton.

Each year, the “New Jersey Arts Annual” is presented by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, 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.

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, located at 205 West State Street in Trenton, is open Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. For more information, visit statemuseum.nj.gov.