The City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department is seeking entries from African American textile artists from across the nation for a special exhibition presented as a component of the 2019 North Charleston Arts Fest, taking place May 1-5 in North Charleston, SC. African American artists, ages 18 and up, living in the United States and working in the medium of fiber are invited to participate in the 13th Annual African American Fiber Art Exhibition, titled BLACK GOLD. The exhibition will be on display at North Charleston City Hall from May 1-June 21, 2019. A $30 entry fee applies and allows artists to submit a maximum of four entries for consideration. Up to two entries per artist may be selected by the curator for the exhibition. The application is available online at here. Deadline for entries is Friday, March 1, 2019.
Curated by award winning master art quilter and curator, Torreah “Cookie” Washington, this unique exhibition offers African American fiber artists a showcase to display their original and innovative designs. This year’s theme is directly inspired by the song Black Gold by Esperanza Spalding from her 2012 album Radio Music Society. Washington was particularly moved by the lyrics, “Think of all the strength you have in you / From the blood you carry within you / Ancient ones, powerful ones / Built us a civilization…” The challenge for this year’s exhibit is for artists to review the full lyrics of Spalding’s song, as well as the official music video, then create a fiber art piece that will inspire the next generation.
Following the close of the show, up to twenty works will be selected to tour the state through the South Carolina State Museum’s 2019/2020 Traveling Exhibitions Program. Sites across South Carolina may request the exhibit to tour in their facilities, thus providing additional exposure for the selected artists.
The 13th Annual African American Fiber Art Exhibition: BLACK GOLD will be on display 8:00am-8:00pm daily from May 1-June 21, 2019, on the 1st and 2nd floors of North Charleston City Hall, located at 2500 City Hall Lane in North Charleston. Admission is free. A free public reception in honor of the participating artists will be held at City Hall on Thursday, May 2, 2019, from 6:00-8:00pm. For more information about the North Charleston Arts Fest, the exhibition, or other exhibition opportunities, contact the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at (843)740-5854, email [email protected], or visit NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com.
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