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Add your art to GCCA Annual Showcase

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Friday, July 22, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. ET The Annual Showcase is GCCA’s premier event for artists and art lovers of all ages, featuring an exhibition highlighting the talent of GCCA’s own member artists alongside a special exhibit from the 2021/2022 Brandon Fellows, a display of youth artwork created during Summer Art Camps, live artist demos, the launch of GCCA's fall schedule of classes, visits with 25 studio artists, a kids’ craft activity provided by ReCraft, and more! Become a member of GCCA for a minimum donation of $50 and you can exhibit your artwork in the Annual Showcase. Your membership donation, due by July 22 at 11:59 p.m., reserves your space for inclusion in the 7th Annual Showcase exhibition opening on Friday, August 5 from 6-9 p.m. Click here to learn more about GCCA's 7th Annual Showcase, the entry requirements, and access the submission webform.

Jason Rapp

S.C. Office of Rural Health opens annual art competition

Winner to be featured prominently in National Rural Health Day celebration

Submission deadline: Tuesday, May 31, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. ET) [caption id="attachment_50167" align="aligncenter" width="951"] Backroad Evening by Spartanburg artist Amy Weaver, the 2021 competition winner. Provided image.[/caption]
The 2022 South Carolina Office of Rural Health Art Competition is open, and wants to hear from #SCartists. Each year, they solicit 2D artwork from artists living in South Carolina for consideration as the official imagery for their celebration of National Rural Health Day in November. The art they want includes all visual art forms and photography, including (but not limited to!) watercolor, digitally altered pieces, paintings, photos, drawings, illustrations ... and even NFT artwork that's printable. Winners will be determined by a panel of local artists and announced in June. This year, they're asking #SCartists: what does rural South Carolina mean to you? Participants must complete the form on their website and submit artwork on or before 11:59 p.m. on May 31.

Prizes

What we haven't mentioned yet are prizes. You'll want to know about the prizes.
  • First Place: $500 and recognition as the artist for the official design of South Carolina Office of Rural Health’s annual National Rural Health Day celebration.
  • Second Place: $300
  • Third Place: $200
Here's one more link to learn more, for good measure.

Jason Rapp

Nine visual artists named 2022 South Arts Fellows

[caption id="attachment_50164" align="alignleft" width="953"] Maladaptation Sits
Brittany M. Watkins
Year: 2021
Medium: Found & altered objects, vinyl & paint.
Size (h x w x d): 144" x 192" 120"
Provided photo. Click image to enlarge.[/caption]

South Arts has named nine visual artists as 2022 State Fellows, part of the Southern Prize and State Fellowships program.

Each fellowship—one per state in the South Arts region—comes with a cash award of $5,000 and inclusion in an exhibition at the Bo Bartlett Center in Columbus, Georgia, from Sept. 2-Dec. 10, 2022, before touring to additional locations across the region. The Southern Prize and State Fellowships are adjudicated awards recognizing artistic excellence that reflects and represents the diversity of the region. The State Fellows are also now in consideration for the two larger Southern Prize awards. One fellowship recipient will be named the Southern Prize winner receiving an additional $25,000 cash award, and another fellow will be named the Southern Prize Finalist receiving an additional $10,000; both Southern Prize recipients also receive a two-week residency at the Hambidge Center for the Creative Arts and Sciences. The two winners will be named at the opening reception for the exhibition this fall. The 2022 State Fellowship recipients are:
  • Jenny Fine. Multidisciplinary. New Brockton, Alabama.
  • GeoVanna Gonzalez. Multidisciplinary. Miami, Florida.
  • Antonio Darden. Sculpture. Atlanta, Georgia.
  • Crystal Gregory. Sculpture. Lexington, Kentucky.
  • Hannah Chalew. Mixed Media. New Orleans, Louisiana.
  • Gloria Gipson Suggs. Painting. Holly Springs, Mississippi.
  • Marcus Dunn. Painting. Fayetteville, North Carolina.
  • Brittany M. Watkins. Mixed Media. Columbia, South Carolina.
  • Sarah Elizabeth Cornejo. Sculpture. Memphis, Tennessee.
“The 2022 State Fellows are a testament to the robust creativity across our region,” said Susie Surkamer, President and CEO of South Arts. “Each State Fellow speaks to what it means to be an artist who lives, works, and creates in the South. Through their work, we are exploring themes vital to our regional understanding, including climate change, cultural assimilation, self-identity, and police violence. South Arts is grateful to celebrate their vision with these awards.”

About the Southern Prize

Launched in 2017, the Southern Prize and State Fellowships acknowledge, support, and celebrate the highest quality art being created in the South. Approximately 600 artists applied for consideration this past fall and winter, and jurors reviewed each application to recommend the State Fellowship recipients. Another national panel of jurors will review the State Fellows to determine the Southern Prize winner and finalist, both of whom will be named at a reception this fall. Visual artists living in South Arts’ nine-state region and producing crafts, drawing, experimental, painting, photography, sculpture, mixed media, and multidisciplinary work were eligible to apply. The Southern Prize and State Fellowships program is made possible through the generous financial support of many donors. To view work by the 2022 State Fellowship recipients, please visit southarts.org/southernprize. To learn more about South Arts’ grants, programs, and conferences, visit www.southarts.org.

About Brittany M. Watkins

Biography

Brittany M. Watkins (b.1989, Carrollton, GA) lives and works in Columbia, South Carolina. She earned her BFA from the University of West Georgia and an MFA from Florida State University (2016). Her work has been exhibited in international art fairs, museums, non-profit, and experimental spaces in North America, Iceland, Germany, Estonia, and the Philippines. Recently, this included Art Fair Philippines, 2022. Her site-specific installation “<Accept [(Self) + Elsewhere]” was awarded the Juried Panel Prize in ArtFields 2017 ($25,000), where she later erected a public art installation at TRAX Visual Art Center. Watkins has participated in residencies such as The Vermont Studio Center, Hambidge Center for Creative Arts & Sciences, and 701 Center for Contemporary Art. She is currently working on a large-scale installation for which she received an individual project grant from the South Carolina Arts Commission; this work will be displayed alongside a new series of paintings at Westobou Gallery in Augusta, Georgia beginning June 2022. Additionally, her work was selected for a public installation inside of a historic guardhouse in the Olympia and Granby Mill District of Columbia (summer 2022).

Artist statement

My art does not fit neatly into a box to be packaged, labeled, and mass-produced; it is something to be experienced and contemplated. I examine contemporary society through a lens of psycho-analysis by deconstructing everyday objects, actions, and experiences. This work often emerges on-site, composed of found items, mined from the surrounding area. I arrive equipped with only a color and the edge of an idea to learn from each place, situated in time, among its history and present day. The result invites viewers to enter the artwork as if stepping into a painting. This reality is separate from ordinary life and traditional art-viewing. Domestic imagery (home) serves as a metaphor for the mind, highlighting the social psyche as it relates place to the formation of identity. Emotional tendencies such as insecurity, dependence, and compulsion are present, as comforts of ordinary life, such as the couch or chair are personified. Object placement is crucial to my process, as this action exerts a need for control much like posturing the self in public space. Color is used to heighten mental awareness by evoking an emotional response. Feelings of nostalgia, flashes of past trauma, or a dreamlike state of déjà vu may occur. These installations are temporary; thus, placing attention on the present moment while confronting consumer culture. I implore viewer investigation and imagination to draw one's own conclusions.

About South Arts

South Arts advances Southern vitality through the arts. The nonprofit regional arts organization was founded in 1975 to build on the South’s unique heritage and enhance the public value of the arts. South Arts’ work responds to the arts environment and cultural trends with a regional perspective. South Arts offers an annual portfolio of activities designed to support the success of artists and arts providers in the South, address the needs of Southern communities through impactful arts-based programs, and celebrate the excellence, innovation, value and power of the arts of the South. For more information, visit www.southarts.org.

Jason Rapp

‘Champion arts and artists’ as next leader of Cincinnati arts org

The Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, Ohio seeks an innovative and strategic leader to serve as their next Alice & Harris Weston Director.

The CAC, with its inspiring vision, educational focus, and mission of opening minds, is the most dynamic and innovative art organization in the city, and a champion for the arts and the artists in Cincinnati and the Midwest, as well as nationally and internationally. This is an opportunity for a leader to shape the next chapter of a vibrant organization which aims to serve as a "catalyst for the freedom of artistic expression and the exploration of the creative process" through "exhibitions, performances, and experiences that open minds." Founded as the Modern Art Society in 1939, the CAC has occupied a signature Zaha Hadid building since 2003, which provides a distinct platform from which to activate conversations within the community and engage a range of audiences in the region. Click here to learn more.  

Submitted material

Enter now! North Charleston Arts Fest Judged Fine Art and Photography competitions

ENTRIES DUE May 2-3, 2022 (details below)

The 2022 North Charleston Arts Fest is just one month away, taking place May 4-8.

The event offers some excellent exhibition opportunities for fine artists and photographers ages 16 and up, including the annual Judged Fine Art and Judged Photography Competitions & Exhibitions. Entries for these judged competitions are eligible for ribbons and cash prizes and will be on display throughout the festival in Exhibit Hall A at the Charleston Area Convention Center Complex, located at 5001 Coliseum Dr. in North Charleston. Complete details and entry instructions for all exhibition opportunities are available for download at NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com/apply. There is no pre-jury process or application to complete.

Judged Fine Art Competition & Exhibition

Fine artists age 18 and up are invited to enter original work into the annual North Charleston Arts Fest Judged Fine Art Competition & Exhibition and compete for cash prizes totaling up to $6,550. There are eight accepted media categories: acrylic, oil, drawing, pastel, watercolor, printmaking, printed new media, and 2-D mixed media. Awards will be at the sole discretion of the judge, Bryan Granger, director of exhibitions and public programs at the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art in Charleston. Granger has helped to organize exhibitions on artists such as Boehler & Orendt, Jennifer Wen Ma, Katrina Andry, Peter Eudenbach, Sara Angelucci, Tom Stanley, Marc Trujillo, Aurora Robson, Chris Jordan, and Colin Quashie. He has helped produce and write for catalogues on artists Marc Trujillo and Fahamu Pecou. He also served as Knight Curatorial Fellow at the Bass Museum of Art in Miami Beach, where he helped to organize exhibitions on artists such as Piotr Uklański, El Anatsui, Eve Sussman + Rufus Corporation, among others. He also has curatorial experience with the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, where he assisted with the organization of Form, Balance, Joy: Alexander Calder and Contemporary Art, for which he also contributed to the catalogue. He also has experience with the organizations Independent Curators International, the Artist’s Institute, and Minus Space, all in New York City. His writings have appeared in Daily Serving and Art Practical.

Judged Photography Competition & Exhibition

Professional and amateur photographers age 16 and up are invited to enter original prints into the annual North Charleston Arts Fest Judged Photography Competition & Exhibition and compete for cash prizes totaling up to $1,450. Submissions will be accepted in the Professional/Advanced division or Amateur division under the categories of color and monochrome. This year, awards will be at the sole discretion of the judge, Kevin Foltz. Foltz has worked for 30 years as a traveling photographer with a large variety of clients ranging from airline magazines, resorts, inns, and restaurants to Western Union and the Sony Corporation. Recently relocated to Charleston from Miami, Kevin continues to work on travel and culinary projects for the custom publishing industry throughout the Americas and the Caribbean. Although still involved in photography works, he now devotes much of his time to making art in many new mediums. Kevin considers himself to be a folk artist, encountering his muse when roaming. In his work he allows imagery recorded on the film plane to become a platform from which he dives into subjective interpretations of moments in time. Foltz says, “As long as the art is made with the intention of honest and unique self-expression it is worthy of reflection.”

Deadlines

Fine art and photography entries will be accepted at the Charleston Area Convention Center at 5001 Coliseum Dr., North Charleston, on Monday and Tuesday, May 2 and 3, from noon to 7 p.m. Entries should be delivered to the Exhibit Hall loading dock at the rear of the Convention Center, which can be accessed from Amsterdam Street via West Montague Avenue. A map and directions are included in the prospectus. Artists may enter any combination of categories with a maximum of four entries total. A non-refundable fee of $10 per fine art entry and $5 per photography entry is due at drop-off. The Judged Fine Art and Photography Exhibitions are free and open to the public throughout the entirety of the North Charleston Arts Fest. Viewing times are Wednesday, May 4, 6-8 p.m, Thursday through Saturday, May 5-7, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sunday, May 8, Noon-5 p.m. Award winners will be acknowledged at Arts Fest Opening Celebration in the Exhibit Hall on Wednesday, May 4, 6-8 p.m. The free public celebration features food, music, a free raffle, live painting demonstration, and more, set among the hundreds of pieces of artwork on display. The Exhibition Encore will be held on Sunday, May 8, from 2-5 p.m. This free event serves as a closing reception and celebration of these exhibitions, allowing patrons to view the artwork in a festive atmosphere and make final decisions on purchases. In addition to the vast array of artwork on display, the event offers musical entertainment, a live art demonstration, and complimentary “bubbles and bites.”
The 2022 North Charleston Arts Fest, set for May 4-8, will mark the event's 39th year. The festival schedule offers something for all to enjoy, including concerts, comedy, dance performances, exhibitions, children’s programs, and more. All festival events and activities are free. For more information about the Arts Fest, to download the prospectus for the Judged Fine Art and Judged Photography Competitions & Exhibitions, or for details on vending opportunities, visit NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com. For more information about other exhibition opportunities offered by the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department, visit the Arts & Culture section of the City’s website, northcharleston.org, or call 843.740.5854.

Jason Rapp

Halsey Institute set for Young Contemporaries 2022

[caption id="attachment_49589" align="aligncenter" width="622"] Installation of Young Contemporaries 2021. Photo by Rick Rhodes Photography & Imaging.[/caption]

Now in its 37th year, the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art and the College of Charleston Studio Art Department are proud to present Young Contemporaries 2022, opening Friday, March 18 and running through April 23.

The annual exhibition is a celebration of talented artists at the College of Charleston. With works selected by a nationally renowned juror, the exhibition reflects the strength and diversity of practice in the School of the Arts’ rigorous programs. Featuring a wide range of media, including paintings, sculpture, photography, and prints, the exhibition showcases the efforts of the student body at the College. Artist Ron Bechet served as the juror and awards judge for Young Contemporaries 2022. Concurrent with Young Contemporaries is the Salon des Refusés, showing in the exhibition space of the Cato Center for the Arts. The works in the Salon are chosen by Studio Art faculty. The origin of the Salon des Refusés dates to Paris in 1863, when artists who had been rejected from the official Salon caused such a protest that Emperor Napoleon III ordered another exhibition held for them. Among the painters in the original Salon des Refusés were Camille Pissaro, Henri Fantin-Latour, James M. Whistler, and Edouard Manet. The Young Contemporaries and Salon des Refusés category awards are funded by the Dean’s Excellence Fund for the College of Charleston School of the Arts. The Norton M. Seltzer Award is funded by Mindelle Seltzer, and the Karin Jurick Award is funded by the Robert Lange Studios community.
The Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art is located at 161 Calhoun St. in Charleston. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Saturday with extended hours on Thursdays until 7 p.m. The museum is closed Sundays. Free.

Jason Rapp

Innovate Grants calls for visual artists, photographers

$550 grants available

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Thursday, March 24, 2022

Innovate Grant awards (2) $550.00 grants each quarter, to one visual artist and one photographer.

In addition, (4) honorable mentions (2 in art and 2 in photo), will be featured and recognized on our website and join a growing community of vibrant and talented artists. Innovate Grant's commitment extends beyond the grant cycle by promoting the work of selected winners and honorable mentions into the future. For more information and to apply visit https://innovateartistgrants.org. Innovate Grant supports artists and photographers through quarterly grants. We've simplified the grant process, so that artists and photographers can focus on making their innovative work. The work should speak for itself and our application reflects that. How to Apply: Visual Artists and Photographers 18 years and older, from all around the world, are eligible to apply. All media and genres are accepted. All applicants retain the right to the work they submit. Apply today at https://innovateartistgrants.org Recent Innovate Grant recipients:
  • Mahsa Merci Toronto, Canada Fall Grant Recipient – Art
  • Arielle Gray New Haven, CT Fall Grant Recipient – Photography
  • Joanna Wierzbicka Switzerland Summer Grant Recipient – Art
  • Joseph Rovegno New York, NY Summer Grant Recipient – Photography
Explore the work of ALL Past Innovate Grant recipients and read their interviews at https://innovateartistgrants.org Category: Multiple disciplines and genres accepted Deadline: March 24, 2022 Region: US & International Awards: $550.00 USD Grants Apply online today: https://innovateartistgrants.org

Submitted material

Tuning Up: Checking in with Sam Wang + visual artists workshop

Good morning! 

"Tuning Up" is a morning post series where The Hub delivers curated, quick-hit arts stories of interest to readers. Sometimes there will be one story, sometimes there will be several. Get in tune now, and have a masterpiece of a day. And now, in no particular order...
Photonola features Sam Wang. It's a shot in the dark to be sure, but if you find yourself in the Big Easy through Dec. 29, there's an #SCartists connection. 2012 Governor's Award for the Arts recipient Sam Wang (individual category) is the subject of a 25-minute film in the Photonola 2021 film festival. Sam Wang: Persistent Discoveries is playing through the 29th. Born in Beijing, Wang has left an indelible mark at Clemson University where he has served on the faculty, teaching photography, for some 40 years. 2D or Not 2D? Next up in the SCAC's Artist Entrepreneur Incubator workshop series is a track for visual artists (though it's open to artists of any medium from across the state!). SCAC Artist Development Director Ce Scott-Fitts welcomes artists Mary Gilkerson and Tiffany Thomas will lead the virtual workshop "2D or Not 2D: Visual Art & Craft" on Jan. 11 from 6-7:30 p.m. Additional information and registration link here. Presented in partnership with One Columbia for Arts & Culture.

Jason Rapp

South Arts opens Southern Prize + State Fellowship apps

$80,000 in cash awards up for grabs

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Monday, January 10, 2022

They're back, y'all! The South Arts Southern Prize and State Fellowships acknowledge, support, and celebrate the highest quality artistic work being created in the American South.

The program is open to individual visual artists living in the South Arts region: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. South Arts is committed to practices and funding that create greater cultural equity, represent the diversity of our region, are inclusive of diverse voices and artistic expression, and are accessible to everyone. First, a group of nine state fellows will be selected through a two-tiered selection process by a national jury. Then, a second national jury will select the Southern Prize winner and finalist. Each state fellow automatically receives $5,000. The finalist receives $10,000 and winner receives $25,000, and both of those receive a two week residency at The Hambidge Center for the Creative Arts and Sciences. Jurors will make their selections based on artistic excellence that reflects and represents the diversity of the region. All nine artists selected as 2022 state fellows will also be featured in a touring exhibition opening next year at the Bo Bartlett Center for the Arts in Columbus, Georgia, and touring for up to 18 months (exact details are TBD). This program is open only to visual artists and will expand to other disciplines in the future. The application deadline is January 10, 2022.  #SCartists who are recent state fellows include Fletcher Williams III (a finalist), Kristi Ryba, Kate Hooray Osmond, and Herb Parker from the Charleston area and Virginia Scotchie from Columbia.

Jason Rapp

SCAC selects five for Emerging Artist grant

Up to $1,500 grant includes mentorship, more

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE COLUMBIA, S.C. – A ceramicist, a dancer, a painter and fiber and installation artists make up the five #SCartists receiving South Carolina Arts Commission Emerging Artist Grants in FY2022. The South Carolina Arts Commission (SCAC) defines emerging artists as being at an early stage in their artistic career development with no basis in age. Five South Carolina artists were selected to each receive an up to $1,500 Emerging Artist grant from the SCAC in the current fiscal year (2022). They are, left to right:
  • Robyn Arnold of Central (dance)
  • Evelyn Beck of Anderson (fiber)
  • Jordan Sheridan of Columbia (installation)
  • Adrian Smith of Darlington (painting)
  • Jordan Winiski of Greenville (ceramics)
In addition to financial support, the artists will benefit from mentorship and professional support facilitated by the SCAC and Artist Development Director Ce Scott-Fitts. The combined benefits are intended to deepen artistic practice and foster artistic excellence; encourage career growth, advancement, and sustainability; and provide professional development and opportunities for collaboration. The SCAC awarded an inaugural class of emerging artists in 2021. Work resulting from their grant can be explored in an online exhibition on SouthCarolinaArts.com. An online exhibition of works by the new class of emerging artists is expected to be available in late summer 2022. “It means a lot to be considered an ‘emerging artist’ in my 60s,” fiber artist Evelyn Beck of Anderson said. “Art is a second career for me, and I’ve devoted myself to it completely. This recognition and support for my project spurs me forward and makes me feel that I’m heading in the right direction.” “Funding for emerging artists is crucial for cultivating a community of young creators who are able to discover their artistic voice. I am so thankful for this opportunity,” ceramicist Jordan Winiski of Greenville said. Beyond funding support, Arnold, Sheridan, and Smith expressed that they anticipate benefit from the mentorship provided by the Emerging Artist program, summed up by Arnold: “I am amazed by how comprehensive and engaging the emerging artist program is. The other grant recipients and I not only receive funding to create, but we also get to meet once a month as a group and meet individually with Ce (Scott-Fitts), the artist development director. That means receiving an incredible support group of other artists as well as personalized insight and direction into our emerging journeys.” The application period for the next round of the Emerging Artist Grant is to begin in Fall 2022. The SCAC will announce it on The Hub (https://www.scartshub.com/), on its social media at @scartscomm (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) and other channels.

About the South Carolina Arts Commission

The mission of the South Carolina Arts Commission (SCAC) is to promote equitable access to the arts and support the cultivation of creativity in South Carolina. We envision a South Carolina where the arts are valued and all people benefit from a variety of creative experiences. A state agency created by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1967, the SCAC works to increase public participation in the arts by providing grants, direct programs, staff assistance and partnerships in three key areas: arts education, community arts development, and artist development. Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., the SCAC is funded by the state of South Carolina, by the federal government through the National Endowment for the Arts, and other sources. Visit SouthCarolinaArts.com or call 803.734.8696, and follow @scartscomm on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for #Arts4SC and #SCartists content.

Jason Rapp

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