Art in the Barn
Paintings, Photographs, Sculpture, Ceramics and more!
Art in the Barn is recognized as one of the North Shore’s premier art events, showcasing the work of some of the most talented artists in the region.
An annual fundraising event for over 30 years, the show takes place at Greenbelt’s headquarters, Cox Reservation in Essex, an iconic plein air painting location, conserved forever by Greenbelt.
Event Dates
2025 Art in the Barn
Friday, June 13 - Saturday, June 14
Opening reception: Friday, June 13, 5:00-8:30 pm
with Artist Meet & Greet, Live Music, Food Trucks, Beer and More!
Artists contribute 50% or more of proceeds to Greenbelt’s conservation work!
Artists
Art in the Barn regularly features over 120 regional artists! In fact, Allyn Cox Reservation has a long history of association with artists. Its namesake was a large-scale muralist, who was known for painting the rotunda of the Capitol in Washington, D.C. He donated the property in Essex, its farmhouse, and his studio (the Barn) to Greenbelt in 1974. For almost 40 years now, Greenbelt has hosted Art in the Barn as its major annual fundraiser to support our conservation work in Essex County. We hope to continue this tradition of pairing conservation with the arts for many years to come — and we hope you will come join us!
Participating in Art in the Barn
New Artists:
Art in the Barn is a juried show. New artists should submit their application and materials by Sunday, April 6, using the form linked below. We ask for 5 example images of your work for the jury. Please complete separate applications for different mediums (e.g. one for your pastels and one for your pottery).
Deadline for jury submissions is Sunday, April 6. You will receive an email with the jury’s decision by May 2 at the latest. There are a different number of openings for new artists each year. In general, we accept 5-10 new artists whose work will be displayed on the wall (paintings, pastels, photography, etc.) and 2-4 artists whose work will be displayed on tables (pottery, blown glass, workcarving, etc.). We have almost unlmited space for landscape scale outdoor sculpture.
Types of artwork that are considered may include: pottery/ceramics, large-scale sculpture, paintings, pastels, photography*, wood carving, blown glass…
Types of artwork that are excluded include: fiber arts (quilting, silk screening, crochet, etc.), erotic artwork, wet pieces, wall-hung pieces over 2,000 inches square, AI-created or assisted artworks (digital art created entirely by YOU is fine.).
If you are not sure if your medium would be accepted, please email the Art in the Barn staff to inquire. (Note: this email is only checked occasionally from August to December. We start checking it frequently again in January.)
*Note on photography: The jury is looking for fine art photography. While there are many great wildlife photographers in the area, for example, and we respect their talent, patience, and knowledge, the jury is looking for photography that focuses on the fine art genre of the craft. Exceptions may be made for a truly extraordinary body of photographic work.
Returning Artists:
Aritsts who have participated in Art in the Barn before do not have to go through the jury process again unless you are changing or adding a new medium. You will simply get an email in early February asking if you’d like to return this year. We can’t wait to see you again! Thank you!
Volunteers:
Art in the Barn takes over 100 volunteer shifts to host! If you would like to volunteer at Art in the Barn, thank you! Please fill out our volunteer form and a staff member will be in touch!
