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Exhibits & Public Art

Park Circle Gallery

Park Circle Gallery is located at 4820 Jenkins Avenue in North Charleston, in what was formerly known as the Olde Village Community Building. Situated in the bustling Park Circle neighborhood of North Charleston, the gallery is just around the corner from a number of restaurants, bars/breweries, shops, parks, and other amenities. Exhibits are rotated on a monthly basis and may feature two or more artists concurrently. In addition to monthly exhibits, the gallery displays prints, notecards, jewelry, and other fine craft items by local artists, which are available for sale.

Gallery hours are Wednesdays-Fridays from 11:00am-6:00pm, and Saturdays from Noon-4:00pm. The gallery is closed Sunday-Tuesday. Admission is free and free street parking is available on Jenkins Avenue in front of the gallery, as well as on the adjacent streets and in parking lots close by. Click “Learn More” below for more information on the gallery, upcoming exhibits, and how to exhibit your work.

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North Charleston City Gallery

Rotating exhibits are no longer being hosted at the North Charleston City Gallery.  Selections from the City of North Charleston’s Permanent Public Art Collection are now being featured in the space, which is situated in two corridors of the northwest corner of the Charleston Area Convention Center.

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National Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition

The National Outdoor Sculpture Competition & Exhibition features up to 14 sculptures by established and emerging artists from across the nation. The 11 month exhibition offers sculptors the opportunity to display their imaginative and thought provoking sculpture throughout the picturesque North Charleston Riverfront Park, as well as compete for honorariums and awards. The annual exhibition is organized and presented by the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department and is a component of the North Charleston Arts Fest.

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SC Palmetto Hands Fine Craft Competition & Exhibition

The South Carolina Palmetto Hands Fine Craft Competition & Exhibition features juried works from the state’s top fine craft artisans. The unique exhibition offers fine craft artists the opportunity to exhibit their inspiring objects in the media of clay, fiber, glass, metal, wood, and three-dimensional mixed media, as well as compete for ribbons and cash prizes.  The annual competition and exhibition is organized and presented by the North Charleston Cultural Arts Department and is on exhibit at the Charleston Area Convention Center Complex during of the North Charleston Arts Fest in May.

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City of North Charleston Public Art Collection

The City’s Public Art Collection is on display along the atrium areas of three floors in North Charleston City Hall, located at 2500 City Hall Lane North Charleston, SC 29406. Visitors can view more than 75 of the pieces the City has collected through Artist Assistance Grants, donations, commissions, and City Purchase Awards since 1989. Works in the collection feature a variety of subjects and themes and include photographs, paintings, drawings, fiber art, mixed media pieces, and fine crafts. Rotating exhibitions are added to supplement the permanent collection during the North Charleston Arts Fest.

For more information, or to find out how to make a donation to the collection, contact the Cultural Arts Department office at 843-740-5854.

Traffic Signal Box Beautification Program

At the end of the 2022/23 school year, the Cultural Arts Department engaged in a public beautification effort that used digital art by North Charleston youth artists to cover traffic signal boxes throughout the city. Middle and high school artists working in digital media were invited to submit their original design(s) for this opportunity. Nine designs were selected in this first round of the program to cover a traffic signal box at 9 different intersections throughout the City.

View SIGNAL BOX Locations

Public Art – Outdoor Mural Procedures for Privately Owned Buildings

The City of North Charleston has a very simple approval process in place for public art on privately owned structures. Those seeking a permit for business or advertising signs should apply for a Sign & Billboard permit. All others should take the following steps:

1. Submit a rendering of the proposed mural to the Cultural Arts Director for approval – Kyle Lahm, [email protected]
2. Provide the building name, address, and area of building to be painted.
3. Provide confirmation (handwritten or electronic) from the property owner that the proposed mural meets their approval and that any tenants have been notified.

Murals must be appropriate for public viewing and may not serve as signage or advertisements for tenant or owner businesses. Cultural Arts will review all information provided, involve other City departments in the review process as needed, and will send a written response in a timely manner.