Completed 2D Artwork from Mercer County Artists: Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Center

The Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Center in Trenton is a newly constructed office building in the State Capital Complex neighborhood. The State is seeking to purchase completed two-dimensional artwork for display in the new building. This call is open only to New Jersey artists who are permanent residents of Mercer County, or maintain a permanent art studio address in Mercer County. Employees of the State of New Jersey are not eligible to submit for this call.

The project seeks to acquire multiple, completed, ready to install two-dimensional artworks priced at or under $1000.

Entry Deadline: January 7, 2027 at 11:59 PM EMT

Zoom Q&A | December 11, 2026 at Noon: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_LZPJU0d9S56l1gIGqTRNyA#/registration

The New Jersey State Council on the Arts is managing this Public Art Inclusion process, serving its mission to facilitate the inclusion of art in every public building in New Jersey.

Entry Deadline: January 7, 2027 at 11:59 PM EMT

The Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Center is a newly constructed building located at 1 Pennington Avenue in Trenton's Capital Complex neighborhood. This modern facility will be the home of the New Jersey Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority - the nation’s first state authority dedicated exclusively to improving maternal and infant health outcomes and addressing racial and ethnic disparities in care. Established in 2023, NJMIHIA connects and aligns healthcare, community, policy, workforce, and innovation systems to strengthen support for mothers, babies, and families across New Jersey.

The Art Selection committee, comprised of community members, State workers, and arts experts, will select a number of already-completed two-dimensional artworks to purchase for display in the completed building’s interior spaces.

This call is open to Mercer County, New Jersey resident artists, as well as artists who maintain a permanent art studio address in Mercer County. Eligible artists are encouraged to submit up to four (4) images of completed, two-dimensional works for consideration by the arts inclusion committee. State of New Jersey employees are excluded from consideration for this call for artists.

The project has a total purchase budget of up to $50,000, and intends to purchase works from multiple artists to display in the building. All artwork purchases will be no higher than $1000. Works submitted that exceed this price point will not be considered. 

Process: Below please find the planned schedule for this project.

This call for artists will accept artist submissions on callforentry.org until midnight on January 7, 2027. No submissions will be accepted after the deadline.

The Art Selection Committee will review all submissions that meet the eligibility criteria, and will vote on a shortlist of potential works for purchase. The artwork submitted will be evaluated for purchase as shown; artists should submit high quality images of previously completed, ready-to-install, two-dimensional artworks. 

Artists will be contacted and informed about the status of their submissions by the end of March 2027. Information about dropping off shortlisted works for in-person viewing by the committee will be provided. Not all shortlisted works will be purchased.

On a to-be-determined date, the Art Selection committee will review, in person, the shortlisted works, and make final selections. All shortlisted artwork must be picked up by the artist after the viewing period. After the in-person viewing, shortlisted artists will be contacted in regards to the final decision of the committee. Final purchase arrangements will be made and then delivery of purchased work will be arranged.

All purchases will be subject to the New Jersey Economic Development Authority’s procurement terms and conditions, which will be provided to shortlisted artists. Compliance documents are not required for purchases less than $1,000.00, but selected artists will be required to provide an invoice, proof of eligibility, and IRS forms.

A virtual project overview and question and answer meeting for interested artists will be held over Zoom on Friday, December 11, 2026 from 12:00 Noon - 1:00 PM. Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_LZPJU0d9S56l1gIGqTRNyA#/registration
 
​For technical assistance with the CaFÉ system and application process, please see CaFÉ help (https://www.callforentry.org/cafehelp.phtml) or contact CaFÉ technical support: cafe@westaf.org

All project-specific questions must be received in writing by December 18, 2026. Please direct questions to:

Christopher Benincasa, Public Art Manager, New Jersey State Council on the Arts: Christopher.Benincasa@sos.nj.gov

Media: Two-dimensional media (e.g., painting, drawings, photography, prints, mixed media), framed, wired, and gallery ready. Fragile materials must be framed behind glass or plexiglas. Stretched canvas or other non-fragile materials must be wired for hanging. Framing strips or frames are preferred, but not required. See size limitations below.

Style: There is no preferred style or technique of artwork. The Committee expects to purchase work with a variety of styles. However, as a State office building, artwork must be appropriate for display in a public setting where people of all ages and backgrounds can and will view the work. Work that is political, violent, or sexual in nature is not appropriate and will not be considered.

A community survey was conducted, with the following preferences expressed:

Paintings, Drawings, Photography, Prints (Printmaking Artworks), Mixed Media

Range between a colorful/bright/bold palette and a muted palette

Range between abstract and representational work

Majority interest in work featuring people and cityscapes, with some interest in landscapes and animals

Majority interest in art that reflects the work done at the Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Center

Acquisition: The State of New Jersey is interested in purchasing completed artwork from adult artists who are Mercer County residents or maintain a permanent art studio address in Mercer County, excluding State employees, for inclusion in the new Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Center in Trenton.

Submission: Artists may submit up to four (4) images of completed art, ready for purchase (see dimension restrictions below). All submissions must be made through the call on www.callforentry.org by the deadline of January 7, 2027. Submissions will not be accepted via email or in hard copy.

Size: Final purchased pieces must be durably framed, behind glass or plexiglas if appropriate, and ready to install. Due to space considerations, work must be no larger than the maximum size of 42 inches in any direction, framed. Single works that consist of several pieces - diptychs or triptychs, for instance - should be noted and submitted as such, and must fit within the 42 inch maximum.

Budget: Due to budget and compliance requirements, pieces submitted for consideration may cost no more than $1000 per piece. The State will not purchase any work that costs more than $1000, all inclusive.

This call is open only to current New Jersey residents, age 18 or older, who are permanent residents of Mercer County, or maintain a permanent art studio address in Mercer County. Under N.J.S.A. 52:13D-19, employees of the State of New Jersey are not eligible to submit work for this procurement.