All The Small Things: A Small Works Exhibition

All The Small Things: A Small Works Exhibition invites South Jersey artists to create new work that brings the viewer in for a closer look! South Jersey artists 18 years and older may submit up to three images of past work that can be translated onto a 10 inch x 10 inch cradled panel. Eligible media includes drawing, painting, collage, photography, watercolor, pastel, hand-pulled prints, textiles, mosaic, glass, ceramics, metal, jewelry, and wood.

South NJ counties are Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean, and Salem counties.

The juror is Jeremiah William McCarthy who is the chief curator and curator of American art at the Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers. Cash awards for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners!

APPLICATION DEADLINE: December 31, 2025
EXHIBITION DATES: Saturday, March 7 - Sunday, April 11, 2026

FEE: $20.00 for up to 3 entries (non-refundable)

All work must be for sale, and the retail price should not exceed $500.

The Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts & Sciences, located in Loveladies on LBI, is pleased to announce a new juried exhibition opportunity aimed to showcase the talents and diversity of artists who work and reside in South Jersey. This multi-media exhibition will bring together the unique vision and energy of South Jersey artists.  

Eligible media includes drawing, painting, collage, photography, watercolor, pastel, hand-pulled prints, textiles, mosaic, glass, ceramics, metal, jewelry, and wood. 

South Jersey artists 18 and older may submit three past work samples to demonstrate their skill in their chosen medium(s) for the jury. Accepted artists will have mid-January through February to create their new 10x10 piece(s) for the March exhibition.

Artists can also submit finished artwork created within the past two years that comply with this 10 inch x10 inch x ⅞" inch cradled panel specified for use in this exhibition.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Extended to Wednesday, December 31, 2025.

FEE: $20.00 for up to 3 entries (non-refundable) 
EXHIBITION DATES: Saturday, March 7 - Sunday, April 11, 2026

JUROR: The juror is Jeremiah William McCarthy who is the chief curator and curator of American art at the Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers.  Previously, he was chief curator at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art and consulting curator for The Pocantico Center of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, where he co-organized "Inspired Encounters: Women Artists and the Legacies of Modern Art," the inaugural exhibition of the campus’s new David Rockefeller Creative Arts Center in Tarrytown, NY. Before his work for The Fund, he served as curator at the National Academy of Design and associate curator at the American Federation of Arts. Additionally, he has worked in the curatorial and education departments of The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and he was an inaugural teaching fellow at The Frick Collection.

CASH AWARDS for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners!
1st Place Award: $500
2nd Place Award: $250
3rd Place Award: $100

ACCEPTED ARTISTS: If selected by the juror, artists will have from January 10 through February 28, 2026 to complete their new work for this exhibition. All final work must be "contained" within a 10" x 10", ⅞" inch cradled panel. We suggest using this wooden one made by Blick. Submitted finished work must be ready to hang on the wall. Any artwork that is 3D must not extend beyond 10 inches in depth from the wall and be firmly secured within the 10 x 10 panel.

ALL ARTWORKS MUST BE FOR SALE. Submitted work must be available for the duration of the exhibition. Retail prices cannot be changed once the intake/inventory forms are submitted for the work selected for the exhibition. The Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts & Sciences will retain a 40% commission of the purchase price on all works sold during the exhibition. If any artwork is commissioned from this exhibition, the LBIF will retain 40% of the commissioned price. The retail price should not exceed $500. 

EXHIBITION SPECIFICATIONS
● Open to South Jersey based artists, makers, and residents 18 and older. Qualified NJ counties include: Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean, and Salem counties. 

● One application per person. 

● Applicants need to submit 3 sample images of past work for the jury process. These samples should be in the medium(s) they intend to use for their final exhibiting works. The new work created once accepted into the exhibition should reflect the style and medium(s) from the application, as either a new subject matter, or a recreation or “zoomed in” area of what was submitted. 

● Accepted artists will have January 10 through February 28 to create 1-3 new works for the exhibition, and will receive a link to purchase the suggested 10 x 10 cradled wooden panel to create/adhere their work upon. LBIF will have a limited number of wooden panels available for purchase & pickup for those who live locally. Artists are also welcome to find alternatives that work best for their medium, so long as it fits the same 10" x 10" x 7/8" cradle measurements. 

● Accepted artists must submit their final 1-3 exhibition work(s) by March 2, "contained" within 10" x 10", ⅞" inch cradled panel(s). Any artwork that is 3D must not extend beyond 10 inches in depth from the wall and be firmly secured within the 10 x 10 panel(s). 

● All work must be dry and ready to hang on the wall; wire-backed recommended; NO sawtooth hangers will be accepted. NO frames, unless they are fitted inside the 10 x 10 dimensions.

Our suggested panel for the exhibition: 

Blick Premier Wood Panel - 10" x 10", 7/8" Traditional Profile, Cradled | BLICK Art Materials Item #:13690-1010. Artists are welcome to find alternatives that work best for their medium, so long as it fits the same 10" x 10" x 7/8" cradle measurements. Works may also be mounted to the panel.

IMAGE SIZE FOR CAFE:

File format: JPEG or JPG only

• File dimensions: 1200 pixels or greater on the longest side. Anything larger than 1200 px will be resized to fit the limitations.
• File size: under 5 MB

If you are having difficulty resizing your images to fit this format, go to http://bulkresizephotos.com/
Drag and Drop your images in the space on the site. Click longest side from the left-hand menu. Enter 1920 in the box next to pixels. Hit the Start Resizing. You should see it says completed. Note that depending on your browser settings, the image may go directly to your “Downloads” folder.
(For questions you can also send an email to exhibitions@lbifoundation.org)

SPECIAL INSTRUCTION about submitted images:

Please rename your sample image files with your last name and medium used. Example:

Thompson_charcoal_1.jpg
Thompson_chalkpastel_2.jpg
Thompson_graphite_3.jpg

• Because of the wide range of materials that are allowed, this information will quickly inform the Juror when viewing each of the submitted images. 
   
  ARTIST STATEMENT, BIO, and/or RESUME: Please include in your application a brief artist bio and/or Artist Statement. You may also include in your statement "What does the phrase “all the small things” mean to you? Please upload as one document for ease of submission. 
  
  NOTIFICATION: Accepted entries will be notified by email and posted on the LBIF website.
  If you do not receive your notification by the notification date, please contact LBIF: exhibitions@lbifoundation.org

EXHIBITION TIMELINE

Wednesday, December 31, 2025:  Application deadline

January 9, 2026:  Notifications for accepted artists are sent out

January 10 - February 28, 2026:  Artists create work on a 10" x 10", ⅞" cradled panel

March 2, 2026:  Drop off deadline for Artwork to arrive at LBIF along with artwork inventory form (artists may drop off work sooner) 

March 3 - 6, 2026:  Installation dates

March 7 -  April 11:  Exhibition Dates

April 12 - 14:  Artists pick up/ship artwork

ABOUT THE LBIF

The Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts + Sciences (LBIF) was established in 1948 as a non-profit institution by artist Boris Blai to provide arts and educational opportunities to the surrounding communities. Blai, a sculptor and founding Dean of Tyler School of Art, Temple University, had a vision that through exceptional art exhibitions, classes, and cultural activities, the LBIF could provide visitors an opportunity to experience and share quality arts and cultural programming. For more than seventy-seven years, the LBIF has delivered this mission through its Exhibition Programs, Art Classes, Visiting Artists Programs, Artist Residency, and Retreat Program.

1_To be considered all applications must submitted on CAFE. 

2_FEE: $20.00 for up to 3 entries (non-refundable)

3_Submit up to three images of your artwork that if selected by the juror you will adapt to fit and/or be represented within the 10 inch by 10 inch panel specified.

4_ in addition to your images, upload a resume and include in it:

● First Name
● Last Name
● Address including the County where you live
● Email
● Phone Number

● If selected for the exhibition, would you purchase your wooden panel online OR purchase and pickup the panel from the LBIF?
● 10x10 chosen medium to work in (ceramic, pastel, oil paint, etc.)
● Short artist bio (no more than 250 words)

Artists must be 18 years or older, and must live or be based in one of the eight South Jersey counties: Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean, and Salem counties.

Eligible media includes drawing, painting, collage, photography, watercolor, pastel, hand-pulled prints, mosaic, glass, ceramics, metal, jewelry, and wood.