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Submissions open for $10,000 1858 Prize

Prize honors contemporary Southern art

Submissions open Aug. 1 through Oct. 1, 2019
The Gibbes Museum of Art is pleased to announce the 2019 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art. Each year, the 1858 Prize is presented by Society 1858, a member auxiliary group of the Gibbes Museum of Art comprised of young professionals. The $10,000 cash prize is awarded to one artist whose work demonstrates the highest level of artistic achievement in any media, while contributing to a new understanding of art in the South. Past winners include Leo Twiggs (2018), Bo Bartlett (2017), Alicia Henry (2016), Deborah Luster (2015), Sonya Clark (2014), John Westmark (2012), Patrick Dougherty (2011), and Radcliffe Bailey (2010). Submissions for 2019 will be accepted online at www.1858prize.org from Aug. 1-Oct. 1, 2019. "For more than 10 years, Society 1858 has celebrated a diverse number of southern artists through the 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art,” says Molly Waring, President of Society 1858. “This year, we are pleased to announce the call for submissions to help further our mission of supporting contemporary artists from the south whose works present a new understanding of art in the region." Artists from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia are eligible to apply. All submissions are thoughtfully reviewed by a panel of visual arts professionals, Society 1858 representatives, and Gibbes Museum of Art staff members. Artists must submit:
  • completed registration form
  • brief artist statement (150 words or less)
  • résumé or CV
  • portfolio of work (up to 10 images) including title, date, medium, and dimensions for each work
  • $25 non-refundable entry fee
  • submit at www.1858prize.org
For general questions about the 1858 Prize, please contact the Gibbes Museum of Art at 1858prize@gibbesmuseum.org For technical support while submitting your application, please contact SlideRoom at support@slideroom.com Finalists will be announced in October and the winner will be announced in fall 2019 on the 1858 Prize website and via press release. The winner will be celebrated at the Amy P. Coy Forum and Prize Party hosted by Society 1858 at the Gibbes on February 6 & 7, 2020 in Charleston.

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Leo Twiggs wins prestigious 1858 Prize

Orangeburg artist Leo Twiggs – 2017 recipient of the Elizabeth O'Neill Verner Governor's Award for the Arts for lifetime achievement and "elder statesman of contemporary art in South Carolina" – is the first S.C. artist to win the Society 1858 Prize for Contemporary Art. A native of St. Stephen, Twiggs works in batik, a wax-resist method of dying textiles. Much of his work explores family history, cultural heritage, and how the past is manifest in contemporary life. His series titled Requiem for Mother Emanuel recently traveled throughout the southeast, earning acclaim as a powerful tribute to the nine church members slain during the horrific shooting at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston.

The 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art awards $10,000 to an artist whose work contributes to a new understanding of art in the South. Presented annually, the prize recognizes the highest level of artistic achievement in any media. Artists from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia are eligible to apply. Applications are accepted exclusively from August through September each year.
The prize is presented by Society 1858, a member auxiliary group of the Gibbes Museum of Art where young professionals support the Gibbes Museum with social and educational programs tailored for up-and-coming art patrons. Further reading See the exclusive by Adam Parker in the Post & Courier.

Verner Award recipient Leo Twiggs a finalist for 1858 Prize

The Gibbes Museum of Art and Society 1858 have announced the 2018 short list of finalists for the 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art. The five artists selected for the short list are:

  • María Magdalena Campos-Pons,
  • Stephen Hayes,
  • Birney Imes,
  • Leo Twiggs,
  • and Susan Worsham.
The 1858 Prize, awarded annually with a cash prize of $10,000, acknowledges an artist whose work demonstrates the highest level of artistic achievement in any media, while contributing to a new understanding of art in the South. Nearly 250 artists from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia submitted applications to the 2018 competition. The finalists were selected by a distinguished panel of judges including:
  • Bo Bartlett, artist, 2017 winner of the 1858 Prize;
  • Liza Cleveland, Society 1858 board member;
  • Adam Justice, Assistant Curator of Modern & Contemporary Art, The Mint Museum;
  • Anja Kelley, Society 1858 board member;
  • Marshall Price, Nancy Hanks Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, Nasher Museum of Art;
  • Pam Wall, Curator of Exhibitions, Gibbes Museum of Art;
  • and Caroline Wright, Independent Curator and Co-founder of look-see.co.
The 1858 Prize winner will be announced by the Gibbes Museum in August.

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Calls for art! Calls for art!

We've deployed Ol' Reliable, which can only mean one thing: It's time for some calls for art! 


1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art Deadline: May 31, 2018 We helped spread the message on this earlier this year, but the window that once was open wide is closing fast... The Gibbes Museum of Art is accepting applications for the 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art. Sponsored by our young patrons auxiliary group Society 1858, the prize is awarded annually to an artist whose work demonstrates the highest level of artistic achievement in any media, while contributing to a new understanding of art in the South. Entries for the annual award and $10,000 cash prize can be made exclusively online at 1858prize.org through May 31, 2018. Artists from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia are eligible to apply.
The Doors of Make Room: An RFP Deadline: June 8, 2018 The Hub learned yesterday of  a new RFP for a paid public art commission in Washington that might be especially interesting to emerging artists. The RFP has been issued by Make Room, a D.C.-based nonprofit working to address America's rental housing crisis – and the 11 million families who spend over 50% of their income on rent. In September, Make Room will commission 11 U.S. artists to participate in a public art exhibition called “The Doors of Make Room.”  The 11 selected artists will be commissioned to paint a distinctive fiberglass door that will be exhibited on the streets of the nation's capital from Sept. 14-25, 2018. The painting on the door should comment on, or raise awareness of, the affordable housing crisis. Each artist will receive an honorarium of $1,000, plus up to $450 for supplies, three days of free studio space, travel, accommodations, and meals. An application form can be found here. The Hub thanks The Clyde Fitch Report, which publishes opinion and reporting at the crossroads of arts and politics and is a media partner of Make Room, for bringing this to our attention.

Apply now for the 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art

1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art Call for Entries | January 1 - May 31, 2018 The Gibbes Museum of Art is now accepting applications for the 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art. Sponsored by our young patrons auxiliary group Society 1858, the prize is awarded annually to an artist whose work demonstrates the highest level of artistic achievement in any media, while contributing to a new understanding of art in the South. Entries for the annual award and $10,000 cash prize can be made exclusively online at 1858prize.org through May 31, 2018. Artists from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia are eligible to apply. Unlike any other award of its type, the 1858 Prize is designed to create an online archive of information about southern artists that is available to curators, collectors, academicians, and the public. The 2017 Prize was awarded to painter Bo Bartlett of Columbus, Georgia. Past winners include mixed-media artist Radcliffe Bailey who will be featured in the upcoming Gibbes exhibition Radcliffe Bailey: Pensive and sculptor Patrick Dougherty who is currently featured in a site-specific installation at the Gibbes entitled Betwixt and Between. For more information on the Prize, please visit 1858prize.org.

Call for entries: 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art

Application deadline: May 31 The Gibbes Museum of Art is accepting applications for the 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art. Sponsored by the young patrons auxiliary group Society 1858, the prize is awarded annually to an artist whose work demonstrates the highest level of artistic achievement in any media, while contributing to a new understanding of art in the South. Entries for the annual award and $10,000 cash prize can be made exclusively online at 1858Prize.org through May 31. Artists from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia are eligible to apply. The 1858 Prize is designed to create an online archive of information about Southern artists that is available to curators, collectors, academicians, and the public. The 2016 Prize was awarded to mixed media artist Alicia Henry of Nashville, Tennessee. Past winners include photographers Deborah Luster and Stephen Marc and mixed-media artist Sonya Clark, all of whom were featured in the Gibbes 2016 spring exhibition The Things We Carry: Contemporary Art in the South. 2011 winner Patrick Dougherty will debut a site-specific installation at the Gibbes in March 2017. For more information, visit 1858prize.org. Via: Gibbes Museum of Art

Gibbes Museum of Art accepting artist applications for 1858 Prize

society1858logo300 Application deadline: May 31 The Gibbes Museum of Art is accepting applications for the 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art. Sponsored by the museum's young patrons auxiliary group Society 1858, the prize is awarded annually to an artist whose work demonstrates the highest level of artistic achievement in any media, while contributing to a new understanding of art in the South. Entries for the annual award and $10,000 cash prize can be made exclusively online at 1858prize.org through May 31, 2016. Artists from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia are eligible to apply. The 1858 Prize is designed to create an online archive of information about Southern artists that is available to curators, collectors, academicians, and the public. Past winners include photographers Deborah Luster and Stephen Marc and mixed-media artist Sonya Clark, all of whom will be featured in the upcoming Gibbes exhibition The Things We Carry: Contemporary Art in the South. 2011 winner Patrick Dougherty will debut a site-specific installation at the Gibbes in March 2017. For more information on the Prize, please visit 1858prize.org.

South Carolina artist Aldwyth named a finalist for 1858 Prize

[caption id="attachment_20209" align="alignright" width="285"]Aldwyth Photo of Aldwyth by Jerry Siegel[/caption] Hilton Head Island artist Aldwyth is one of six finalists (and the only South Carolina finalist) for the 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art presented by the Gibbes Museum of Art and Society 1858. Awarded annually with a cash prize of $10,000, the 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art acknowledges an artist whose work demonstrates the highest level of artistic achievement in any media, while contributing to a new understanding of art in the South. More than 275 artists from 11 Southern states submitted applications for the prize. Aldwyth received the 2015 Elizabeth O'Neill Verner Governor's Award for the Arts in the Individual Artist category. The six artists were selected by a distinguished panel of judges including Charles Ailstock, Society 1858 Board member; Jamieson Clair, Society 1858 Board President; Sonya Clark, artist and 2014 Prize winner; Miranda Lash, Curator of Contemporary Art, The Speed Art Museum; Cary Levine, Associate Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Mark Sloan, Director and Chief Curator, Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art;  and Pam Wall, Curator of Exhibition at the Gibbes Museum of Art. “Seeing the prize grow this year—not only in the number of applications, but also in the level of diversity and range of artistic medium—has been like a dream come true for Society 1858,” says Society 1858 President Jamieson Clair. The winner of the 1858 Prize will be announced on Sept. 17 during an event hosted by Society 1858 and the Gibbes Museum of Art. 2015 Short List Bios Aldwyth South Carolina artist Aldwyth has worked in relative seclusion for several decades. She creates intricate collages and assemblages, often monumental in scale, from found objects, appropriated images, text, and other elements. Aldwyth was recently honored with a major one-person traveling exhibition organized by the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art at the College of Charleston. Andrea Keys Connell Sculptor Andrea Keys Connell creates figurative works that challenge conventional notions of monuments, statuary, and figurines. Using clay with other mixed media, her work has a strong narrative and emotive quality. Keys Connell lives in Richmond, Virginia where she serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Craft/Material Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University. Kevin Jerome Everson Kevin Jerome Everson’s films utilize both scripted and documentary footage to examine the everyday lives of working class African Americans and other people of African descent. A prolific filmmaker, Everson has created both feature-length and short films characterized by a subtle, poetic quality. His work is included in the collection of the Whitney Museum of American Art, and is currently on view in the museum’s inaugural exhibition America is Hard to See. George Jenne George Jenne is a video artist who combines moving images with the spoken word to create uniquely narrative films. His work explores the inner psyche of his characters, revealing the complex ideas and emotions underlying each individual. A native of Richmond, Virginia, Jenne currently lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Deborah Luster Luster, who lives and works in New Orleans, Louisiana, turned to photography as a means to cope with the murder of her mother. She has created thousands of powerful, haunting portraits of prisoners housed in Louisiana. Her recent body of work captures desolate landscapes in New Orleans where murders have occurred. Ebony G. Patterson The work of mixed-media artist Ebony G. Patterson investigates the complex relationships between gender, politics, beauty, race, and ritual in contemporary Jamaican culture. Her artistic practice combines painting, textiles, and installation work, often in large scale. A native of Jamaica, Patterson lives and works in Lexington, Kentucky, where she serves as an Associate Professor at the University of Kentucky. Society 1858 Society 1858 is a group of dynamic young professionals who support the Gibbes Museum of Art with social and educational programs tailored for up-and-coming art patrons. Membership to Society 1858 is open to any member of the Gibbes Museum of Art. Society 1858 takes its name from the year that the Carolina Art Association was established. Although the Gibbes Museum of Art opened its doors in 1905, the museum’s art collection began in 1858. Society 1858 aims to continue the strong legacy of art appreciation in Charleston. Members of Society 1858 have access to private exhibition previews and receptions, invitations to social events throughout the year, and free or reduced admission to Society 1858’s programs. Gibbes Museum of Art  Established as the Carolina Art Association in 1858, the Gibbes Museum of Art opened its doors to the public in 1905. In the fall of 2014, the Gibbes temporarily closed for major renovations and will reopen its doors in the spring of 2016. The renovation project is designed to showcase the museum's collection, provide visitors with a history of American art from the early colonial era to the present, and engage the public with a center for education, artist studios, lecture and event space, a museum café, and store. During the renovation the museum will offer programs such as the Insider Art Series, Art With a Twist, Art of Healing, events including the Art of Design and annual Gibbes on the Street Party, and educational offerings such as Art to Go and Eye Spy Art. Highlights of the Gibbes permanent collection can be viewed on Google Art Project at www.googleartproject.com. Via: Gibbes Museum of Art

Gibbes Museum accepting entries for 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art

The Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, S.C., is accepting applications for the 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art. Sponsored by the museum's young patrons auxiliary group Society 1858, the prize is awarded annually to acknowledge an artist whose work demonstrates the highest level of artistic achievement in any media, while contributing to a new understanding of art in the South. The award includes a $10,000 cash prize. Sonya Clark, Rooted and UprootedUnlike any other award of its type, the 1858 Prize is designed to create an online archive of information about Southern artists that can be used by curators, collectors, academicians, and the public. Past winners include photographers Jeff Whetstone and Stephen Marc, mixed-media artist Radcliffe Bailey, sculptor Patrick Dougherty, and mixed-media artist Sonya Clark. Entries for the annual award can be made exclusively online at 1858prize.org through May 29, 2015. Artists from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia are eligible to apply. For more information, visit 1858prize.org. Image: Sonya Clark, Rooted and Uprooted, 2011. Primed canvas and braided thread, 10 x 26 x 10 inches and 10 x 35 x 10 inches, courtesy of the artist. Via: Gibbes Museum of Art

Society 1858 announces the 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art

The Gibbes Museum of Art and Society 1858 are pleased to announce the 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art. The award, which includes a $10,000 cash prize, will be presented annually to acknowledge an artist whose work demonstrates the highest level of artistic achievement in any media while contributing to a new understanding of art in the South. Known for parties that cleverly blend art and entertainment, Society 1858 is furthering its mission through the support of contemporary Southern artists. Founded in 2010, this young patrons group is determined to have a tangible impact on the museum. “We are thrilled that Society 1858 is supporting the contemporary Southern art prize, says Gibbes Museum Executive Director Angela Mack. "Their commitment to advancing Southern artists is commendable." Entries open on January 15, 2014, and can be made exclusively online at 1858prize.org through May 2014. Eligible artists are those who reside, work in, or are from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, or Virginia. The review panel will select the finalists in June 2014, and the Gibbes Museum of Art will announce the winner in September 2014. Unlike any other award of its type, the 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art is designed to create an online archive of information about Southern artists that can be used by curators, collectors, academicians and the public. The FirefliesThis prize was established in 2007 by Elizabeth and Mallory Factor to honor an artist whose work contributes to a new understanding of the South. Artist John Westmark was the 2012 prize winner, and his work will be shown at the Gibbes Museum of Art in the spring of 2014 in the exhibition John Westmark: Narratives. (Pictured right: The Fireflies.) After a one-year hiatus, Society 1858 has rebranded the annual artist award and will focus its fundraising efforts on cultivating the prize. On Feb. 7, Society 1858 will kick off the opening of submissions for the 2014 prize with its annual winter party. Tickets for Studio 58: Your Ticket to the Arts Beyond the Velvet Rope are $50 for 1858 members and $80 for nonmembers. A $110 combo ticket includes Gibbes membership, 1858 dues, and a party ticket ($120 value). About Society 1858 Society 1858 is a group of dynamic young professionals who support the Gibbes Museum of Art with social and educational programs tailored for up-and-coming art patrons. Membership to Society 1858 is open to any member of the Gibbes Museum of Art. Society 1858 takes its name from the year that the Carolina Art Association was established. Although the Gibbes Museum of Art opened its doors in 1905, the museum’s art collection began in 1858. Society 1858 aims to continue the strong legacy of art appreciation in Charleston. Members of Society 1858 have access to private exhibition previews and receptions, invitations to social events throughout the year, and free or reduced admission to Society 1858’s exciting programs. Via: Gibbes Museum