ABOUT THE COMPETITION/EXHIBITION
Sculpture artists from across the nation are invited to participate in the 16th Annual National Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition. Up to 14 sculptures will be selected for the 11 month exhibit and will compete for cash prizes totaling up to $19,750. Honorariums of $1250 are awarded to artists accepted into to assist with transportation, installation, de-installation, and incidental expenses. Once all pieces are installed, the juror will award Best in Show ($1000), Outstanding Merit ($500), and up to three Honorable Mentions ($250 each). Organized by the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department and presented as a component of the annual North Charleston Arts Fest, this unique exhibition has been recognized in local, regional, and national publications. Established and emerging artists are given the opportunity to display their inspiring and extraordinary sculptures throughout the picturesque North Charleston Riverfront Park, set along the banks of the Cooper River. An estimated 50,000 people visit this public park annually to enjoy the amenities located in the heart of the city's arts community.
The competition is open to US residents ages 18 and older. Sculptures are categorized in two divisions:
Division I - Sculpture that can be secured to a concrete pad (smallest sized 52"x49", largest sized 65"x102"), into the ground, or by other pre-approved anchor method
Division II - Sculpture that can be secured on a 3'x3'x3' concrete pedestal
ABOUT THE JUROR
We are pleased to announce the juror for this year's exhibition is Dr. Julie Sasse, Chief Curator at the Tucson Museum of Art (TMA) where she has served since 2000. She has organized more than 100 group and solo exhibitions and has written more than 40 publications about diverse subjects and artists including hybridity, the environment, Indigenous art, Latinx art, and women artists. In 2020, she released Southwest Rising: Contemporary Art and the Legacy of Elaine Horwitch, published by Cattle Track Press and TMA. Sasse received a Clark Art Institute fellowship (2008); a Latino Museum Studies Fellowship in Washington, DC (2007); a Louise Foucar Marshall Foundation Graduate Fellowship (2013); and fellowships in 2016 and 2017 at the Women’s International Study Center in Santa Fe. She recently authored an essay for Daddy-O’s Book of Big-Ass Art, published by Texas A & M University and the feature essay for a recently published monograph on New Mexico artist Patrick Mehaffy, published by Fresco Books.
HOW TO ENTER
Our application process is conducted through an online platform (SlideRoom). A $35 entry fee allows artists to submit up to four entries for consideration. The deadline for submission of entries is Friday, February 25, 2022.
The 2022/23 National Outdoor Sculpture Competition & Exhibition application may be accessed by clicking on the "APPLY NOW" button below, or by visiting the Exhibition's page at NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com.
