ARTS 14C Holds “The Showcase,” an Annual NJ Artist Showcase Featuring 17 Artists, Superseding the Postponed Arts Fair

On April 10th, 2026, Gallery 14C opened their annual NJ artist showcase titled “The Showcase,” featuring 17 artists from across New Jersey. 

Usually, “The Showcase” is a fundamental part of Art Fair 14C itself, where select New Jersey artists would have a chance to present their work in a full-fledged exhibition. This annual showcase is a perfect opportunity for local New Jersey artists to shine. According to the creative team, “The Showcase” was created to uplift local New Jersey artists, convincing them that their art deserves a New Jersey crowd, not a New York or Philadelphia one: “the talent is here, the work is here, and it deserves to be seen here.”

Despite the annual Art Fair 14C being postponed for this year, “The Showcase” still carries the flame forward in highlighting artists from all across New Jersey to Jersey City’s art scene. 

This year, “The Showcase” was juried by Jessica Holmes, a New York-based writer, art critic, and editor of Brooklyn Rail, and Irene Mei Zhi Shum, a curator, architect, and the co-founder of Williamsburg Biannual. Alongside ARTS 14C CEO Robinson Holloway and Gallery 14C director Sophie Couche, the judges chose 17 artists to showcase for this year’s showcase, focusing on a common theme of “talent /creativity, and skill/execution,” according to the ARTS 14C team. 

Many artists are from Jersey City, located in studio complexes such as Mana Contemporary, Newman Leather Factory, and the 14C Residency. These lifelong Jersey City creatives include Sahar Alizadeh, Christine Barney, Nathalie de Zan, Flying Knight, and others. But some artists come from outside Hudson County, bringing unique flair into the exhibition, including Pam Cooper from Upper Saddle River, Alex Garikovich from Livingston, Atsuko Watanabe from Tenafly, Jonathan Yubi from Bergenfield, and more. 

This year, the exhibition seems to be taking new heights, with a focus on elaborate installations and eye-catching pieces such as Jersey City artist Wushuang Tong’s bright blue and orange inflatable at the center of the gallery. Hoboken-based artist Winifred McNeil, for example, showcased more than 10 of her ceramic boxes from her “From Ruin” series. 

What inspired her pieces is a history in itself. “The work is an idea about beauty that is held within a box and protected from disaster.” McNeil explained. “Specifically I was thinking about the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D. because a lot of my work has to do with Italian history.” 

McNeil visited Pompeii to observe and collect samples of the pottery in that area. To mimic the roman pottery after being engulfed in the volcanic soot, McNeil collected the pumice from the site which she collected with a fellow geologist. From there, she imagined what art contained inside of the ash covered ceramic, a delicate watercolor illustration of life, contrasting the ugliness of the exterior. 

“The Vesuvius eruption was the first time that the people realized the romance of sudden death,” McNeil said. 

“Just seeing the history contained in this piece, it’s so artistic, and on the other hand it’s so technical,”Mo Hussaini, an art enthusiast from Jersey City, said. “I’m in the field of material science, so by seeing it you can see the technical aspect of recreating history and the artistic view to make it beautiful. The clay, It’s dead still, but she makes it alive”

Every artist evokes this thread of connectivity, between the viewer, the judges, and the world. Many tie in common themes of war, femininity, and childhood, such as Pam Cooper’s school house paper installations, which address the violence of school shootings. Other artists focus on self-identity and exploration, such as Flying Knight’s bathroom painting with a pair of fuzzy leopard-print sandals sitting right in front of the piece. All in all, the show brings out the big and the bold of New Jersey. 

The exhibition runs until June 5th, 2026. Gallery 14C, located on 157A First St. 2nd floor, is open Saturdays and Sundays from 1pm-4pm, and by appointment.