(MIDDLETOWN, NJ) -- Middletown Arts Center presents the Garden State Watercolor Society (GSWS) for the group's 56th Annual Open Juried Exhibition and 8th Annual Art Installation Exhibition. This exhibition is the organization's largest exhibition of the year. Works are on display now through May 30, 2026 as well as online.
The 64 paintings were accepted from a larger pool of 112 paintings submitted and chosen for acceptance by juror Joseph Gyurcsak, resident artist for Blick/Utrecht.
A unique display outside the main art gallery is GSWS’ 8th Annual Art Installation, Revolution as Reinvention: 250 Years of Defying Artists Convention. The installation includes 55 miniature paintings honoring the history of artistic rebellion through bold color and radical reinvention. Paintings are a modern reflection, positioned as powerful mosaic of reimagined, yet familiar historic American art.
Artists accepted into the 2026 Open Juried Exhibition include: Carol Aklonis, Joanne Amantea, Medha Atre-Kulkarni, Hana Aviv, Stephanie Baker, Edward Baumlin, Laura Beard, Myhanh Bosse, Lisa Budd, Sharon Buttress, Lynn Cheng-Varga, yung (Amelia), Denise Croft, Ramani Dahanayake, Gwynn Di Pilla, Doris Ettlinger, Tess Fields, MaryAnn Goodwin, Ann Greene, Lisa Grob, Hema Gupta, Beverly Haber, L. A. Hart, Paulette Hill, Richard Hoffman, Jacklyn Hummer, Judith Hummer, Paul Jablonski, Donna Kaye, Ann Krejsa Fryland, Pamela Leggate, Susan Madden, Makarand Magare, Henrieta Maneva, Stella McCarthy, Phil Meara, Sandy Mezinis, Lisa Milheim, Gail Wood Miller, Elizabeth Oberman, Deborah Paglione, Sandra Peters, Katharine Philip, Jacqueline Pidgeon-Pankuck, Michele Rath Harbor, Karen Repka, Nancy Robinson, Ellen Rothouse, Michael Scherfen, Judith Schimmel, Elizabeth Semple, Mira Septimus, Anna Simmons, Terry Smith, Robert Sussna, Evie Sutkowski, James Toogood, Daniella Toscanini, Zina Umyn, Jill Vondervor, Gloria Wiernik, Jane Wise, Tracey Witter, and John Wolff.
Garden State Watercolor Society has led a community of artists and inspired generations of art enthusiasts. The society’s founding goal is to encourage painting in watermedia and provide educational and exhibition opportunities for artists and residents of NJ, PA, NY or DE. GSWS holds 3-4 exhibitions a year including our largest endeavor, the Annual Open Juried Exhibition; an online Members Exhibition; Small but Mighty Exhibition, and a live Art Sale via pop up gallery.
In 2023, they donated a permanent exhibit of botanical-style watercolors of items grown onsite. The exhibit is inside the Discovery Center at the former estate of Joseph Bonaparte at Point Breeze, Bordentown, NJ. Over its existence, GSWS has been a beacon for award-winning artists to inspire generations. The nonprofit organization’s goal is to encourage painting in water media, provide educational and exhibition opportunities for adult artists of NJ, PA, NY and DE.
The Middletown Arts Center (MAC) is an award-winning, state-of-the-art facility in Middletown, New Jersey that offers performances, exhibits, classes, demonstrations and camps centering on the arts. Its convenient location across from the Middletown train station on Church Street enables easy access and its expanded MAC Annex Education Building is minutes away next to the Middletown Reformed Church. The MAC is operated by a non-profit 501c3, the Middletown Township Cultural and Arts Council dedicated to bringing quality arts programming and events to Middletown and surrounding communities.
