Spartanburg Artists Collective announces 2nd juried show
Call for art from artists in Carolinas, Georgia, and Tennessee
Submission deadline: Saturday, Aug. 1, 2020
Artists Collective Spartanburg will host its second annual juried exhibition Tuesday, Sept. 15, through Saturday, Oct. 17, and invites all established visual artists in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee to apply in competition of winning cash prizes for as much as $2,500 for first place.
All work must be original and created within the past three years. The window of opportunity to enter online is Saturday, July 4, through Saturday, Aug. 1.
“At this time, mid-May, we are still planning to have this exhibition,” Collective Chairwoman Beth Regula said, referring to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We are discussing accommodations that may need to be made for safely accepting and returning artists’ works and deciding what the awards ceremony will look like. What we know is that artists still need to make art and continue to need affirmation of the quality of their work, and most can use the prize money. We also know there will be a new normal for a while and are committed to putting safety first as we begin to reopen our doors. We are hoping for an in-person awards ceremony with a big reception; however we will consider alternate ways to honor our winners even if changes to the ‘old normal’ must be made, perhaps with social distancing. Our first juried show was a huge success. We had nearly 250 artists to apply, and 66 of them were admitted into the show. This year, we hope to attract more artists and once again bring to Spartanburg a quality exhibition by local and regional artists.”
Last year, first place was taken by Cindy Shute of Lockhart, South Carolina, for her oil-on-linen painting Peacemaker: Hrair Balian. Second prize of $1,000 was taken by Gordon Dohm of Greenville, South Carolina, for his photograph Fungi Fantasy. Third-place of $500 was won by Tracey M. Timmons of Spartanburg for Manacle of Justice, a bracelet made of vitreous enamel, copper, silver, brass, and photography. Seven merit awards of $100 and $250 were also given.
The 2020 prize money will total a minimum of $4,500.
Most 2-D and 3-D visual arts are acceptable to this show and include painting, pastels, drawing, sculptures, ceramics, glass, photography, fiber arts, original hand pulled prints, jewelry, weaving, basketry, wood, and mixed media. The $35 entry fee allows the artist to enter up to three pieces of art for consideration. Online registration will take place on the agency’s website: ArtistsCollectiveSpartanburg.org/2020-exhibition through Saturday, Aug. 1. Notification of acceptance will be via email on Saturday, Aug. 15. For complete details and a downloadable prospectus, please visit the website.
This year, the jurors for the show will be Alice Sebrell and Connie Bostic.
Sebrell is the program director for the Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center in Asheville. She is a native of Charlotte and earned her master’s degree in photography from the Savannah College of Art and Design and her bachelor’s degree in fine art from the University of Delaware. Sebrell has written and spoken about Black Mountain College many times and has curated many exhibitions at the museum. She is also a practicing artist whose photography and mixed media work have been exhibited internationally and are in many public and private collections.
Bostic began her art career as an adult in 1970 when she moved to Asheville and enrolled in her first drawing class. Unsure of her abilities, she did not pursue an academic degree until 1989. In 1990 she finished a master’s degree at Western Carolina University. Since then, she has had 28 solo exhibitions and work featured in 44 group shows. Active in the Asheville arts community, she has curated many exhibitions in that community. In 1991 she opened a contemporary gallery in downtown Asheville. Since 2000 she has devoted herself to painting, teaching private students, and maintaining her deep involvement in the Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center.
Artists Collective Spartanburg provides private and affordable studios to local artists. The once-Baptist church has 32 studios, three public galleries, a ceramic studio, a printery, and two performance stages. The collective has more than 50 members and the largest collection of for-sale art in the county. Normally, it hosts three temporary exhibits each month. Slated for this fall, this juried show will take place in the 2000-square-foot Solomon Gallery within the venue.
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