Jersey Collective Sticker Club
Do you remember those sticker vending machines you used to see at your favorite pizza place or grocery store after the checkout? The kind where you stuck a couple of quarters in, and then out came a cardboard folder with a sticker inside?
We have one of those! We keep it stocked with cool stickers created by a rotating group of New Jersey artists and bring it to businesses around the state for limited pop-ups. Jersey Collective Sticker Club promotes local artists and businesses and brings affordable, fun art to unexpected places.
It’s an interactive, off-line experience. All of the machine proceeds go toward keeping the project going. Scroll down to see where the machine is headed next to grab some limited edition stickers, and check out a cool local business in the process!
The machine was brought to life on Kickstarter in October 2022, thanks to 100 backers who liked what we were doing. A million thanks forever to those supporters!
Where to find it
Current & upcoming pop-ups
February 24 & 25, 2024
Old Hights Brewing Co.
123 W Ward St, Hightstown, NJ
March 9, 2024
Bell Works Fresh
101 Crawfords Corner Rd, Holmdel, NJ
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Expand the sidebar by clicking the icon in the top left corner of the map to see all of the machine’s previous locations. Please support our previous hosts by visiting their businesses and following them on Instagram!
How can I buy the stickers?
The artist series stickers are produced in limited editions and are available in the vending machine until they sell out. Be sure to follow us on Instagram and subscribe to our monthly newsletter to hear about upcoming opportunities to visit the machine. We also have stickers available in our webstore.
Do I have to bring quarters?
Please do! When I’m on site, I can make change, and our business partners are usually able to make change, but we appreciate if you’re able to come prepared with quarters.
Is the machine available for custom collaborations or rentals?
Let’s talk! Email me at jerseycollective at gmail.com.
I’m an artist.
How can I participate?
Having your work in the machine is sort of a step up from leaving your business cards at a coffee shop: it’s a fun way to share your work with new audiences. And all featured artists receive an honorarium payment and a couple of their stickers that they can sell if they want.
New Jersey artists can submit their work for consideration when our application form is open. New series are produced when we are low on stickers and ready to make more!
You will be contacted if we are interested in publishing your work as a sticker. Due to the level of interest, we are unfortunately unable to respond to everyone who submits.
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Somewhat loosely, but one of the following must be true:
You currently live in New Jersey
You are from or previously lived in New Jersey
You have some kind of strong connection to the state. Maybe you work here, take annual vacations to the shore, or grew up visiting family here every holiday season. “I went to New Jersey once,” or “I always fly into Newark Airport when I visit NYC,” probably aren’t going to cut it, unless you have a very compelling story for us.
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Pretty much anything goes!
Art can be image or text-based
Black and white, spot color, and full color designs are all acceptable
Your art does not have to be New Jersey-themed
Your work must be original to you (no fan art)
We will not accept anything obscene or objectively offensive.
Your art does not need to be created specifically for this project; it is okay if you previously or currently sell stickers or prints of the design.
Scroll down to see our previous selections!
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Varies by size of the production run. For Series 2, selected artists will be paid an upfront, flat-fee honorarium of $10 plus 10 stickers of their design.
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In order to fit in the machine, the maximum size stickers can be is 3”x4”, and we sometimes print them as small as 2”. Think about how your art will look reproduced to that size.
Stickers can be printed either as die-cuts or in standard shapes.
Feel free to include your name, website, or Instagram handle somewhere on the sticker in an unobtrusive way that does not detract from your work.
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Artwork always remains the copyright of the artist. Jersey Collective reserves the right to print the agreed-upon amount of stickers (typically 50-100), and use images of the artwork for promotion on social media, websites, and advertising. Artists will always be properly credited or tagged in images of their work.
How can my business host the machine?
We are looking to form new partnerships with like-minded, New Jersey-based businesses who are into nostalgia, supporting the arts, weird/scrappy/off-beat ideas, and stickers.
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Sticker Club is an opportunity to offer something different to your customers: a fun experience they can't get anywhere else.
Although we are frequently asked, Jersey Collective does not offer any kind of paid shoutouts, sponsorships, or ads on our Instagram account. Hosting the machine is currently the only way to get any kind of repeated, prime placement on our pages.
Jersey Collective advertises host businesses on our Instagram (over 33.5K, primarily New Jersey-based followers), Facebook page, monthly newsletter, and website in exchange for physical space at your location to host the machine for a limited, agreed-upon timeframe.
The promotion we do on our end will introduce our followers to your business and encourage them to visit during the pop-up to get some limited edition stickers, and to patronize your business at the same time. Our followers will learn about your business through our posts and tell their friends who are located in your area. You might gain a few new followers and see some new faces at your location.
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Any kind! We are excited to partner with everyone from bookstores to breweries, and anything in between: coffee shops, bakeries, comic shops, record stores, boutiques, skate shops, ice cream parlors, and more are all fair game.
You can apply as long as you're located in New Jersey! Areas with the highest likelihood of acceptance and with the most flexibility for dates will be in or near the counties where I live/work/frequently visit: Essex, Somerset, Morris, and Monmouth. I am always up for a day trip, though, so please still apply if you are outside those areas! I want to bring the machine to as many part of the state as I can. Just know that we might have to plan a date further in advance and that I might prefer to do a one-day event at your location rather than have to drive back and get the machine a few days or weeks later.
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The machine is fairly small, and just needs to be in an area where people can see it and use it without being the way of anything. See photos above to get an idea of the scale.
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You can see previous and current sticker series by scrolling down. Adults are definitely our primary audience, but the stickers are more or less appropriate for all ages (the stickers will never be obscene, but some might depict things like monsters).
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The machine is very durable and the chances of a malfunction are very low! The machine will be stocked with a large quantity of stickers, so selling out is unlikely, but if it happens I will either come get it early or restock, depending on availability and the length of the pop-up. If we are doing a one-day pop-up, I’ll be nearby!
Series 2 (Winter 2024)
The Stickers
Vladi Nikolova
Gone Fishin'
“This started as a canvas I painted of 5 or 6 fish and I had no real plans for it. Now it shines as a sticky art piece for the state to see!”
Vladi is an aspiring comic artist from Bulgaria but has lived in New Jersey since 2001. She graduated SVA in 2017 for cartooning and works mundane normal jobs just for the psychological content she gets form interactions at work!
Gwenn Seemel
Nuts"
“I love all the bits of nature that manage to find their way into our everyday, especially my squirrelly friends whose little dramas and playful machinations remind me that I’m an animal too.”
For over 20 years now, Gwenn Seemel has painted in a polka-dot Cubist style that lends her feminist figurative art an aura of joy, even as the artist addresses serious issues. Seemel speaks regularly about creativity and queerness, notably at her TEDx talk in Switzerland and for her film début in the Belgian documentary Queerying Nature. Her art has appeared everywhere from Newsweek and Hyperallergic to the cover of an Oxford University Press book. Seemel is both French and American, and she lives in Lambertville, New Jersey.
Joy Velasco
HONK!
“Well sure, the Eastern Goldfinch is the NJ state bird, but an honorable mention goes out to the Canada Goose--those big, wacky honkers!”
Joy Velasco is a New Jersey based illustrator, designer and all-around fun guy, playing with color and figure to create whimsical narrative pieces. Joy finds the beauty in the everyday with lighthearted and tender subject matter. Hailing from Jersey City, she is proud to tote her Filipino roots and love of life.
Space Bat Killer
NJ Toobies
“All work is hand drawn with a sharpie.”
Sean Bernhardt, born and raised in New Jersey, is a full-time freelancer who specializes in hand drawn illustrations and paper collage graphics. Surfing, skateboarding, animals, nature, dark arts, horror, 70s-90s psychedelia and punk music influence him the most. Medium of choice: sharpies, glue and scissors.
Evan Moore
Party City/Jersey City Mash-up
“I stumbled on this design while working on an Aaron Draplin tutorial. Jersey City in the style of Party City seemed like a fun way to introduce myself to the local sticker scene when I moved to the city.”
Evan Moore is a senior graphic designer and musician based in Jersey City, NJ. A lifelong NJ resident and lover of obscure local ephemera. His work can be found at Kanibal & Co. in downtown Jersey City.
Tendergoose Illustration
NJ Transit Commute
“The NJ Transit commute either feels like a religious experience or absolute hell to you. Either way you're looking for something to do on it, so crosswords have been my go-to.”
Tendergoose Illustration is the freelance studio of Jersey-born artist and librarian Miriam Sokolska. While attending and hosting DIY shows in New Brunswick, Tendergoose has helped to bring to life visuals for many DIY shows, bands, and events, but also projects for large-scale festivals and album releases. Miriam loves to use their library background to incorporate historical inspiration into their work and admires anything with crosshatching.
Nicole Keiser
Shake to Share
“Diners are iconic in Jersey and are some of my favorite spaces to gather with friends, family, and alone amongst strangers. I wanted to pay homage to classic retro diners and one of my favorite treats: the milkshake. (Also, in the words of Daniel Plainview; ‘I drink your milkshake!’)”
Nicole Keiser is an artist, writer and marketing gal. She is a proud north Jersey resident - born in Denville and currently living in Jersey City - and will always rep Jersey. She is a full-time digital marketer in the NYC music industry and is a part-time artist (when she has the time and energy).
Jack Wilcox
Furky
“Furky is an alien that appears in A is for Alien by Jack Wilcox, a children's alphabet book. You can't prove that an alien like Furky does not exist.”
Jack Wilcox is a children's book author and illustrator and linocut artist. He resides in Haddon Township, New Jersey with his wife and 2 young kids and loves birdwatching, stargazing, skywatching, and going to diners.
Art Fair 14C x Jersey Collective (October 2023)
A special collaboration series for Art Fair 14C’s 2023 fair.
BARC the dog
BARC Electric Sticker
"Warning: Engaging with BARC may result in danger of electrocution. DO NOT TOUCH!"
Teena Soni
Mughal Flowers
”Mughal Floral Designs.”
Teena Soni is a New Jersey based artist working within the traditional Indian-Miniature painting in a contemporary art setting. Her training belongs to the artistic region of Udaipur, Rajasthan where she apprenticed with both her grandfather, Badri Lal Chitrakar, the renowned Indian-Miniature painter and National Award /Shilp Guru Award recipient, and her father, artist Shri Sharad Soni. The rigorous training infused her natural abilities with the rich ancestral content of traditional artistry.
Clarence Rich
Maelstrom series
"Signature geometric patterns formed in the ether.”
For over a decade, Clarence Rich has refined his style throughout New Jersey, using murals to create a sense of place and community. He is a classically trained painter, earning a certificate of Fine and Commercial Arts at DuCret School of the Arts.
Kirkland Bray
Optic Sphere
"I have always been intrigued by great op artists like Francis Celetano and Bridget Riley and have been making these op art collages for a while. I love the mix of hand-cut strips of vintage paper arranged in a modern form.”
Kirkland Bray is a painter and mixed-media artist best known for his paintings depicting overwhelming crowds within serene environments. Kirkland identifies Dada art as a direct influence. He is also the co-owner and designer of Billykirk, a leather goods manufacturer.
Melody S. Boone
Two Little Girls
"In this series, I am working from found and family photographs. This image is based on a found image that felt familiar to me. Everyone is anonymous due to their unknown identity.”
Born in Norfolk, VA, Melody S. Boone is a mixed media artist with an interdisciplinary art practice, currently living and working in South Orange, NJ.
Joe Waks
French Fry Boots
"I love the patterns that reside on items we find in the workaday world. One of my favorite patterns is on the "boats" that french fries are served in at ‘mom and pop’ fast food joints. I only wish that I could get a pair of pink, red and purple plaid cowboy boots - in Size 14!”
Self-described “Painter-Provocateur-Bon Vivant” Joe Waks is a multimedia artist whose art “recontextualizes” universal icons and emblems by utilizing text, advertising imagery and events plucked straight from the newspaper. Waks seeks to temper reality - America’s faded grandeur and current standing as a junkie desperately seeking a fix of cheap, throwaway “fast fashion” and shitty flat screen televisions - with a heapin’ helpin’ of humor, a super-sized serving of irony and a just a couple of squirts of hope.
Gail M Boykewich
Clover
”This piece is an acrylic painting on wood. It was created to fit into the theme ‘Good Luck’. It is meant to be both sweet, with its colorful flowers and fruit, but also menacing and slightly strange.”
Gail-Marie Boykewich wants to highlight the beauty of the natural world, the importance of environmental conservation, and the human-animal bond. She studied painting, sculpture, and fiber arts at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Erik's Paper Route
BEAT THEM TO A PULP!
”I was inspired by a lanternfly that landed in front of me when I was reading the paper. An idea sparked to create a graphic boxing-style/recruitment poster that you might see in the newspaper. The line "BEAT THEM TO A PULP!" is also a playful reference to the paper medium I used to create this piece.”
Erik Jacobsen (b. 1987) is a paper artist currently living in Jersey City, NJ. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, his art highlights a loss of innocence with a mischievous tone. Erik loves paper for its tactile quality, and his artwork serves as a therapeutic outlet to help make sense of the world.
Series 1 (Fall 2022)
Kaitlin Brito
Long Dog
"I enjoy drawing my dog Walnut and all his odd behavior, so I made this design to capture his weird vibes!"
Kaitlin Brito is an illustrator/designer with a BFA in illustration from School of Visual Arts. She loves to create charming images with a sparkle, with inked lines at the forefront and a love for vintage-inspired coloring and textures.
Whit Taylor
Swamp Things
"This piece is inspired by the unique flora of New Jersey's vital and abundant swamp lands/salt marshes."
Whit Taylor is an Ignatz Award-winning cartoonist and comics editor. Her work has been published by the New Yorker, Washington Post, The Nib, and others. She is from Madison but now lives in Maplewood with her husband, baby, and two cats.
Rachel Casey
Water Ice
"To me, water ice is peak summer. I created this design as a relief print using four individual stamps carved out of rubber blocks."
Rachel Casey was born and raised in West Allenhurst, NJ and is currently based in Philadelphia, PA. Rachel enjoys printmaking, zines, watercolor painting, geocaching, and ordering breakfast for dinner at Jersey diners.
John Cozz
Shower for Giants
"I thought it would be funny to put the Great Falls in Paterson, an iconic New Jersey scene, into a more mundane context, so I decided to make it a shower for giants."
John Cozz is a skateboarder, musician, and coffee roaster who combines all three of those passions through art with a strong emphasis on New Jersey.
Elise Miguel
Pink Fish
"I used to competitively fish in the rivers and brooks of NJ as a kid and my dad is a fisherman, so this illustration was a way of honoring that!"
Elise Miguel is an illustrator/animator/ creator of many things from northern NJ. She loves plants, cats, and groovy colorways and fonts!
Yardsale Press
The Real NJ Mascot
"The aim of my work is to bring a smile to people faces and to brighten their living spaces with useful and clever artwork."
Yardsale Press is a friendly, bright, screen printed art business.
Suo
Ladyboog
"The lovable character created in resemblance of having imaginary friends as a child. Ladyboog was made as a symbol of love and friendship, creating a feeling of joy every time it is seen."
Suo wishes to show the world the versatility of craft by creating characters, shooting trippy videos, and through photography.
Sam Grinberg
Jersey Devil
"This is what my Jersey Devil does in the woods."
Sam Grinberg was born in NYC but lived most of his life in the woodsy suburbs of New Jersey. He currently works on The Simpsons by day and makes comics, stickers, and band flyers by night.
Other design work
The machine’s marquee and other signage, our pop-up announcement posts, and the quarter logo were all designed by Alex Flannery.
