HARRISONBURG, VA (Rocktown Now) — The 2026 Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community (VMRC) Juried Art Exhibition is on display in Park Gables Art Gallery at 1501 Virginia Ave., Harrisonburg through June 26. The exhibition features approximately 90 works of painting, photography, and mixed media selected and adjudicated by independent jurors.

The exhibition began in 2004 as part of VMRC’s 50th anniversary celebration.

Today, the exhibition is organized and managed by VMRC residents over the course of six to eight months. David Shombert, VMRC resident and Juried Art Exhibition Director, coordinates every stage of the process from publishing the call for artists in January to receiving artwork in April and serving as a docent during the exhibition.

“The most noticeable difference is that we have several really large paintings and a large wood sculpture this year,” said Shombert in a release. “Art seems to get bigger every year, and 2026 is no exception. Also, we have more than the usual amount of three-dimensional work.”

Submitted works are evaluated based on technique, design, creativity, and conceptual quality. Artists whose work is selected for the exhibition are also eligible to apply for a $1,500 professional development grant funded through resources secured by VMRC’s Foundation.

Shombert encourages visitors to spend time with the Artist’s Statement notebooks available in the gallery.

“They’re a fascinating read of how—and why—our artists make their work,” he said. “I learn new things from them every year.”

The exhibition is free and open to the public. The exhibition is open Monday–Friday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Saturday–Sunday: 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

For mor information, visit Independent Living & Senior Retirement Community in the Shenandoah Valley | VMRC.