Venue
The Squirrel's Nest
9 North Main Street
Woodstown NJ, 08098
9 North Main Street
Woodstown NJ, 08098
Phone:
856-823-5485
Hours:
Tuesdays 12–4pm
Wednesday–Saturday 10am–5pm
Woodstown is located in rural Salem County, in the south-west side of New Jersey along Route 40, approximately 10 miles from the Delaware Memorial Bridge.
About the Event
Artists, here is an opportunity to stretch your creative capabilities. Twenty jury selected artists will have two weeks in which to use "plein air plus" to create a work. They will begin the artwork en plein air and may add festive seasonal elements and finish the work in their studio. The Squirrel's Nest Art Studio has come up with this artistic project to run concurrent with the Pilesgrove-Woodstown Historical Society's 2026 Candlelight Tour, with a display of the art created to be held at the Squirrel's Nest Art Studio during the tour night and running through December.
This year is the 50th anniversary of the Woodstown Candlelight Tour. Each year several of the beautiful houses in town (Victorian, Colonial, Turn of the Century, etc.) open to the public for access by ticket. The tour occurs the first weekend in December. Our plein air plus event will begin on a Saturday three weeks before the tour with the painting plus period ending on the Saturday before the tour. Giving the artists two full weeks to work. The Candlelight Tour draws thousands of people excited to experience this festive walking tour down the decorated streets, checking out the steam railroad, walking through the town's quaint center shops, touring through the open houses to begin their holiday season, and this year visiting the Squirrel's Nest to see the art on display.
Plein Air Plus we are defining as a work begun by the artist viewing their subject en plein air at which time they might create sketches, draw on their painting support, take multiple photos, even start painting. The plus part is that they can then take their research developed plein air, sketches, photos and painting back to the studio and add touches over the next two weeks. Some suggested elements might be adding snow where there was no snow, adding people, giving the work a historical feel, adding festive elements beyond what was displayed, turning the scene into a nocturne, adding vintage elements such as a horse pulling a sleigh or buggy, children playing, etc.
The event begins with a sign-in and canvas (etc.) stamping at the "Squirrel's Nest Art Studio" in the morning, a day of plein air sketching/painting, the artists end the first day of painting when they want. Then the artists can go home and work for two weeks. If in the course of their work they create a preliminary sketch they would like to frame as well, this can also be entered for sale, but not for judging. After completing and framing their artwork, they return to the Squirrel's Nest the Saturday before the tour. On that Saturday the artwork will be hung for the display, judged, and the awards given out at the Squirrel's Nest.
The event will be held rain or shine, however, note that because of the "plus" nature of the event, we are flexible with artists' start and end dates within the two week painting period. In the event of extreme weather being forecast, such as hurricane, floods, tornados, hail storm, lightning storm, blizzard, or other hazardous weather conditions, the Squirrel's Nest will make every effort to proceed, or announce a rain date for the key dates of the event. Registration fees are non-refundable.
Artworks and sketches painted during the event will be displayed at the Squirrel's Nest on their gallery wall for sale after the event until the end of December. We suggest that oil paintings be finished at the beginning of the second week, rather than near the end. So the oil paint may dry a few days.
This year is the 50th anniversary of the Woodstown Candlelight Tour. Each year several of the beautiful houses in town (Victorian, Colonial, Turn of the Century, etc.) open to the public for access by ticket. The tour occurs the first weekend in December. Our plein air plus event will begin on a Saturday three weeks before the tour with the painting plus period ending on the Saturday before the tour. Giving the artists two full weeks to work. The Candlelight Tour draws thousands of people excited to experience this festive walking tour down the decorated streets, checking out the steam railroad, walking through the town's quaint center shops, touring through the open houses to begin their holiday season, and this year visiting the Squirrel's Nest to see the art on display.
Plein Air Plus we are defining as a work begun by the artist viewing their subject en plein air at which time they might create sketches, draw on their painting support, take multiple photos, even start painting. The plus part is that they can then take their research developed plein air, sketches, photos and painting back to the studio and add touches over the next two weeks. Some suggested elements might be adding snow where there was no snow, adding people, giving the work a historical feel, adding festive elements beyond what was displayed, turning the scene into a nocturne, adding vintage elements such as a horse pulling a sleigh or buggy, children playing, etc.
The event begins with a sign-in and canvas (etc.) stamping at the "Squirrel's Nest Art Studio" in the morning, a day of plein air sketching/painting, the artists end the first day of painting when they want. Then the artists can go home and work for two weeks. If in the course of their work they create a preliminary sketch they would like to frame as well, this can also be entered for sale, but not for judging. After completing and framing their artwork, they return to the Squirrel's Nest the Saturday before the tour. On that Saturday the artwork will be hung for the display, judged, and the awards given out at the Squirrel's Nest.
The event will be held rain or shine, however, note that because of the "plus" nature of the event, we are flexible with artists' start and end dates within the two week painting period. In the event of extreme weather being forecast, such as hurricane, floods, tornados, hail storm, lightning storm, blizzard, or other hazardous weather conditions, the Squirrel's Nest will make every effort to proceed, or announce a rain date for the key dates of the event. Registration fees are non-refundable.
Artworks and sketches painted during the event will be displayed at the Squirrel's Nest on their gallery wall for sale after the event until the end of December. We suggest that oil paintings be finished at the beginning of the second week, rather than near the end. So the oil paint may dry a few days.
- Saturday, November 14, 2026, 10am–12pm: Stamp and plein air start day at Squirrel's Nest, 9 North Main Street, Woodstown, NJ 08098. (Note that if a selected artist cannot begin on that Saturday they can begin later in the week, but not earlier than the start date by going to the Squirrel's Nest during their business hours and getting their substrate stamped.)
- Saturday, November 14 through Saturday, November 28, 2026: painting period for plein air plus.
- Saturday, November 28, 2026, 11am–1pm: deliver completed and framed art to Squirrel's Nest. (Note that if any of the selected artists wants to turn in their artwork early, they can bring it to the Squirrel's Nest during their business hours. Artists do not need to be present to win.)
- Saturday, November 28, 2026, 1:30–2:30pm: judging.
- Saturday, November 28, 2026, 4–6pm: Awards ceremony.
- Friday, December 4, 2026: Woodstown Candlelight Tour. Art will be displayed at the Squirrel's Nest. Artists are encouraged, but not required to attend and promote their artwork with people on tour.
- November 28 – December 22, 2026 for display.
- Artists can pick up their artwork from Squirrel's Nest Sunday, December 20 – Tuesday, December 22, 2026, or Wednesday, January 6 – Thursday, January 7, 2027.
Geographic Area
Borough of Woodstown, Surrounded by Township of Pilesgrove, Salem County, New Jersey. Squirrel's Nest, 9 North Main Street, Woodstown, NJ 08098. Woodstown lies directly on Route 40 (it crosses the main street in the center of the town) between the Delaware Memorial Bridge and Atlantic City, approximately 10 miles from the Delaware Memorial Bridge.
Lodging
Some Motel options are available within approximately 10 miles from town in Pennsville (to the west), or in Beckett in Woolwich Township (to the North). There are camp grounds near Woodstown.
Awards
Named Category awards ("Nocturne", "Festive") will be given at judges' discretion and are offered as suggestions. If there is only one entry, in a category, for instance "Nocturne", that does not guarantee a win to that work. The award is based on that work's merit so even if it is the only work in the category, it may, or may not win. Or if there are no entries in a category, the judge working with the event directors will rename the award category so that the awards can be distributed. Only one award per artist.
- $500 Best in Show
- $250 Best Nocturne (suggested, subject to change)
- $250 Best Festive Painting (suggested, subject to change)
Other awards may be added $ TBD.
Juror of Selection
There will be up to 20 qualifying applicant artists selected to take part in this event. The jurors, through ShowSubmit, will select by jury up to 20 participants.
Judge of Awards
TBD
Artist Eligibility
Artists must be 18 or older to participate.
Artwork Requirements
- Artwork submitted for exhibit and awards must employ some element of en plein air (this would be some element linking the work visually to the town), within the designated Woodstown community sometime within the painting period of Saturday, November 14 – Saturday, November 28, 2026 (note that oil paintings should be completed at the start of the second week to allow drying if possible).
- Substrate may be tinted, with a solid color, no image, prior to stamping.
- All works must have the Squirrel's Nest Logo stamp on the substrate.
- Due to plein air PLUS aspect of this event, use of technology, reference photos, etc., is allowed, such as cell phone photo use as a composition aid, or to capture photos of buildings, fleeting images such as people or automobiles. Common studio methods the artist might use to create their image during the plus working period, such as image projection, grid, tracing are allowed, but artists are encouraged to retain the freshness of the plein air feel in the artwork.
- Mediums of oil, acrylic, watercolor, gouache, ink, and pastel are all acceptable for this event.
- Artists are responsible to provide a frame and if needed frames and mats on all submitted artwork. Framing should be completed before returning to the Squirrel's Nest. Frames must be in good condition, with D-rings and wired in the upper third of the frame and completely ready for hanging. No saw-tooth hangers. All works on paper must be protected. White or off-white mats are recommended if using mats. One exception is gallery wrapped stretched canvas with finished and dry edges painted black or matching the art (Edges may be pre-painted and dry when submitted for stamping at sign-in) and hangable by D-ring and wire.
Artist Guidelines
- Artists may not block sidewalks, driveways, roadways, or use private property (without obtaining permission from owner).
- Artists shall bring water with them if needed for painting use, or water can be obtained at the Squirrel's Nest (sign up location), but artists must supply their own container.
- Artists are responsible for their safety in selecting their painting locations such as, but not limited to, awareness of traffic patterns near them, stable footing, appropriate caution in traveling to and from their painting location.
- Woodstown NJ weather is generally cold in mid-November, artists are recommended to plan accordingly.
- Artists need to bring their own painting supplies, materials, substrates, tools, and equipment.
- Artists need to provide frames and any framing tools, mats, tape, hanging hardware needed. (Some tools and materials will be on hand to assist in display modifying hang wire arrangements if necessary, but works should be framed before arriving for display.)
- Artists need to bring their own trash bags for their use while painting, but there are receptacles throughout the town center.
- Oil and solvent rags are to be disposed of properly.
Acceptance Notifications
The Squirrel's Nest reserves the right to decline artworks that do not fall within the defined scope of this competition or are deemed inappropriate. Entries that do not adhere to all guidelines will not be judged or be eligible for awards.
Entry Fee
- Early Registration: $40 for 3 images. Wednesday, October 7, 2026–Friday, October 30, 2026.
- Standard Registration: $50 for 3 images. Saturday, October 31, 2026–Thursday, November 5, 2026.
- Three original images of art works must be submitted to jury. Jury will select up to 20 artists based on their photo submissions to qualify to compete.
- Registration fees are non-refundable.
Artwork Pickup
All unsold artworks must be retrieved from the reception venue by the artist or representative after the judging on Saturday, November 28, 2026, if not selected for display at the Squirrel's Nest Art Studio through December 2026. Artwork left for display at the Squirrel's Nest Art Studio can be removed after the Sunday, December 20 to Tuesday, December 22, 2026, or Wednesday, January 6 or Thursday, January 7, 2027, but must be removed by no later than Thursday, January 7, 2027. Artists are responsible for the return of their unsold work, including the cost of shipping.
Pick up unsold artwork no later than Thursday, January 7, 2027 or make shipping arrangements with Squirrel's Nest prior to exhibiting.
Sales / Commission
- Artists will be given a multi-page sales slip at sign-in. If the artist is approached during the painting process by a person wanting to buy their work, they are to forward the sale to the Squirrel's Nest with the appropriate pages of the sales slip for processing. The artwork will be available for pickup by the customer following the display on Friday, December 4, 2026 for the Christmas tour.
- Artwork may be for sale through special agreement between the Squirrel's Nest Art Studio and the artist, on display after the event painting delivery day through December of 2026.
- Artists set their own prices.
- All sales transactions are processed by Squirrel's Nest Art Studio.
- A 30% commission on all sales is retained.
- Payments for sales and awards may take up to 6 weeks after date of sale.
- Unsold artwork is the responsibility of the artist.
Insurance and Liability
Artist and Squirrel's Nest Art Studio agree that in the event of loss or damage to Artist's work while it is in Squirrel's Nest Art Studio's possession, Squirrel's Nest Art Studio is liable for such loss or damage if it is caused by Squirrel's Nest Art Studio's failure to use the highest degree of care. In the event of loss or damage for which Squirrel's Nest Art Studio is liable, Squirrel's Nest Art Studio will submit a claim to Squirrel's Nest Art Studio's insurer. Squirrel's Nest Art Studio and Artist agree that in the event of loss or damage to Artist's work due to failure of Squirrel's Nest Art Studio to use highest degree of care, the value of the work is seventy percent (70%) of the fair-market value of the work. Squirrel's Nest Art Studio and Artist further agree it shall be the responsibility of Artist to establish fair market value of the work using prior sales of similar work by Artist, or using other objective criteria, and the retail price for the work listed in the Inventory Record does not establish fair market value.
Artists will be asked to sign an accident waiver and release of liability form at the time of sign in. This also requires they certify that there are no health-related reasons or problems which preclude their participation in this activity.
Use of Images
Submission of work to this event and exhibition constitutes an agreement on the part of the artist to all terms and conditions of this entire prospectus, which includes, but is not limited to, the right of The Squirrel's Nest to use entry images for publicity purposes.
Image and Filename Specifications
- File Format: Submit original, high-quality JPEG image files. Other formats (e.g., PNG, TIFF) are not accepted.
- Crop Your Image: Ensure only the artwork itself is visible in the image. Do not show any visible matting, frames, or background distractions.
- Orientation: Make sure your image is oriented correctly (right side up) so that the artwork appears in its intended viewing direction.
- Image Size: You do not need to resize your image files before uploading. The system will automatically resize them. Smaller images cannot be enlarged to meet the requirements, so ensure your images are high resolution before uploading.
- File Names: You do not need to rename your files before uploading them. The system will handle any file naming requirements.
- File Size: There is a 30MB maximum file size limit. Larger image files will take longer to upload and process.
Additional Entry Information
- You will pay for your entry by credit or debit card using our secure checkout system.
- After your entry is submitted and paid for, you may log back in to review your entry, edit artist and image information, and add or substitute images up until the entry deadline (November 5, 2026.)
- Entry fees are not refundable and must be submitted and paid by the entry deadline.
- Entries cannot be accepted or changed after the deadline. Incomplete entries will be disqualified.
Notifications Are Posted in Your Account
Results will be posted in your ShowSubmit account by the end of the day on November 11, 2026. You will also receive an email.
Log in and check your account. We are unable to answer individual inquiries about results.
Support
Questions about this exhibition?
Contact ([email protected]) for questions about the prospectus, SNPAG, eligibility, artwork requirements, drop-off, pick-up, sales, etc.
Need help with ShowSubmit?
Visit our Help Center or Entry Guide for guidance on image uploads, payments, and managing your entry. If you still need help, email ShowSubmit Support ([email protected]). We respond Monday–Friday, 9am–6pm Eastern.