The 2016 North Charleston Arts Fest is just one month away, taking place April 29-May 7. The event offers some excellent exhibition opportunities for fine artists and photographers ages 18 and up, including the annual North Charleston Arts Fest Art Walk and Judged Fine Art and Photography Competitions & Exhibitions. The Art Walk, set for Wednesday, May 4, in the Olde Village area of North Charleston, provides a fun and casual setting for artists to both display and sell their work. Entries for the judged competitions may compete for ribbons and cash prizes and will be on display throughout the festival at the Charleston Area Convention Center Complex, located at 5001 Coliseum Drive in North Charleston. Complete details and entry instructions for all exhibition opportunities are available for download at NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com/apply.
Local artists and fine craft artisans are invited to exhibit and sell their original works during the Arts Fest Art Walk. From 5:00-8:00pm on Wednesday, May 4, paintings, photography, pottery, jewelry, sculpture, and more in a full range of styles will be displayed along East Montague Avenue in the Olde Village area of North Charleston. Other Art Walk offerings include live music, art demos, and kid’s activities, creating a festive evening of art and culture for the whole family to enjoy.
Artists are selected to participate in the Art Walk through a juried application process. There is no fee to apply. Sales of originals, prints, and other small works are welcome and selected artists may also offer their own original brochures, business cards, and supplemental handouts. Display screens can be furnished by the Cultural Arts Department at no charge to assist the artist in presenting his/her work. Display equipment for 3D artwork is available on a limited basis.
The deadline for submission of applications for the Art Walk is Monday, April 18, 2016. Applications may be emailed to [email protected], mailed to the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at PO Box 190016, North Charleston, SC 29419, or hand-delivered to the Cultural Arts office on the 2nd floor of North Charleston City Hall, located at 2500 City Hall Lane in North Charleston.
Judged Fine Art Competition & Exhibition
Fine artists 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 $4,675. Submissions are accepted in five categories: Acrylic, Oil, Drawing/Pastel, Watercolor, and Mixed Media. This year, awards will be at the sole discretion of the judge, Amiri Gueka Farris. Amiri is a contemporary artist working in painting, drawing, video, performance, and installation. His pieces are inspired by intimate, personal experiences and examine issues surrounding race, culture, memory, and perception. Farris received his MFA in Painting and BFA in Illustration and Graphic Design from the Savannah College of Art and Design. His academic appointments have included Professor of Fine Arts Foundations and Graphic Design for the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art at Georgia Southern University and Professor of Fine Arts at the University of South Carolina-Beaufort. Amiri’s work has been featured in more than 50 solo exhibitions and juried museum exhibitions across the U.S., including the United States Capitol and the Smithsonian in Washington, DC. He currently resides in Bluffton, SC, and teaches Foundation Studies at the Savannah College of Art Design.
Fine art entries will be accepted at the Charleston Area Convention Center on Wednesday and Thursday, April 27 and 28, from noon to 7:00pm. Artists may enter any combination of categories with a maximum of four entries total. A non-refundable fee of $10 per entry is due at drop-off.
Judged Photography Competition and Exhibition
Professional and amateur photographers 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 $2,175. Submissions will be accepted in the Professional/Advanced division or Amateur division under the categories of Color, Monochrome, or Digital Illustration. This year, awards will be at the sole discretion of the judge, Michelle Van Parys. Michelle is a Professor at the College of Charleston in the Studio Art Department. She received her BFA from the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, DC, and her MFA in Photography from Virginia Commonwealth University. Her photographs have been shown internationally in solo and group exhibitions. A monograph of her photographs entitled The Way Out West: Desert Landscapes was published in 2009 by the Center for American Places at Columbia College Chicago. Van Parys has been the recipient of a Virginia Museum Fellowship and a SC Arts Commission Fellowship. Her work is included in several museum collections such as the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, The High Museum, the Virginia Museum of Fine Art and the Portland Art Museum.
Photography entries will be accepted at the Charleston Area Convention Center on Wednesday and Thursday, April 27 and 28, from noon to 7:00pm. Photographers may enter any combination of categories with a maximum of four entries total. A non-refundable fee of $5 per entry is due at drop-off.
The Judged Fine Art and Photography Exhibitions are free and open to the public throughout the North Charleston Arts Fest. Viewing times are Saturday, April 30, 10:00am–4:00pm; Sunday, May 1, 1:00–5:00pm; and Monday through Friday, May 2-6, 9:00am–5:00pm. Awards for 1st place, 2nd place, 3rd place, and Honorable Mentions in each division and category for both the Judged Fine Art and Judged Photography Competitions will be announced at an artist reception on Friday, April 29, from 6:00-7:00pm at the Charleston Area Convention Center. Musical entertainment will be provided by Nikolai Svishev and the public is welcome to attend.
The North Charleston Arts Fest, set for April 29-May 7, is one of the most comprehensive arts festivals in the state, providing thousands of residents and visitors with a fabulous array of more than 100 performances, exhibitions, and activities. The Premiere Weekend, held April 30 and May 1 at the Charleston Area Convention Center, offers free admission and parking to a variety of performances on four stages, exhibitions, a gem and mineral show, an antique show, children’s activities, art and crafts vendors, and a food courtyard. The Arts Fest continues with an array of free and moderately priced ticketed events throughout the week at various locations and concludes with fireworks over the Cooper River at the Grand Finale at North Charleston Riverfront Park.
For more information about the North Charleston Arts Fest, or to download the Art Walk application or entry instructions for the Judged Fine Art and Photography Competitions & Exhibitions, 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, or call 843-740-5854.