Charleston Artist Guild and Magnolia Gardens announce national art competition

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens and the Charleston Artist Guild announce Garden of Dreams, a nationwide art competition with a top prize of $3,000 to the painting that best embodies the impressionistic style of painters during the Charleston Renaissance. The contest is open to original artwork that depicts a scene at Magnolia Gardens. Artists do not have to be Charleston Artist Guild members nor live in South Carolina to enter the contest.

Sept. 10 is the deadline to enter. Show dates are November 10-21, 2013. Art selected for the judging will be displayed at the Charleston Visitor Center and The Carriage House at Magnolia.

Other cash prizes are $1,000 second place, $500 third place, and five honorable mentions of $100 each. The entry fee is $25 for the first entry and $15 for each additional painting. There is no limit on the number of entries.

The competition is the brainchild of John Drayton Hastie Jr., a member of the Magnolia Plantation and Gardens board. Hastie is supporting the competition to encourage artists to paint scenes of Magnolia’s gardens in the style of Charleston Renaissance artists Elizabeth O’Neill Verner and William Halsey, who in 1953 were among the Guild’s founding members.

According to Ron Gibb, the Guild’s president, “Magnolia Plantation is truly a garden of dreams, and each artist in this competition will bring the romantic Renaissance era to life on their canvas for everyone in the country to enjoy.”

Visit the Charleston Artist Guild’s website or Magnolia Plantation and Gardens’ website for complete details and the entry form.

About the Charleston Artist Guild
This year, the Guild celebrates its 60th anniversary. It has grown from its seven founding members to more than 500 artists. The Guild organizes workshops for its members and lectures for collectors. The Guild’s gallery at 160 East Bay St. exhibits for sale the art of about 70 artists.

Via: Charleston Artist Guild