July 8, 2026

YORK COUNTY ARTS NEWS

Featured News

Cotton Alley Gallery | Call for Artists

Cotton Alley Gallery

121 E. Main Street. Rock Hill, SC

The Arts Council of York County is proud to announce a call for entries for the third phase of public art in Cotton Alley Gallery, located adjacent to the Center for the Arts at 121 E. Main St., Rock Hill, SC.

The Alleys as Galleries initiative transforms well-traveled alleys and vacant walls into vibrant outdoor art spaces seen by thousands of local residents and visitors. This project provides selected artists with invaluable public exposure, features on the Arts Council website, and recognition within the community. Our overarching goal is to brand York County as a premier regional arts destination while championing the talent of our local artist network.

You must be an active Artist Member to apply to the

Cotton Alley Call for Artists.

CALL FOR ARTISTS | July 1 - September 13, 2026

JURYING | September 14 - October 18, 2026

NOTIFICATION | October 19, 2026 - October 23, 2026

ART DEADLINE | October 30, 2026

PRODUCTION | November 2, 2026 - January 4, 2027

INSTALLATION | January 5 - 15, 2027

SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

ARTIST MEMBERSHIP INFO

37th Juried Competition Exhibition

Center for the Arts | Dalton Gallery

121 E. Main Street. Rock Hill, SC

The Arts Council of York County presents the 37th Annual Juried Competition at the Center for the Arts. Each year, the Juried Competition is open nationally to artists 18 and older. Only original work, created in the last two (2) years, and not previously shown at the Center for the Arts, Dalton Gallery is accepted.

This year's juror, Michaela Pilar Brown, is an image and object maker. She studied sculpture and art history at Howard University, though she has always been a maker of things. Born in Bangor, Maine and raised in Denver, Colorado, she cut her teeth in the halls of a museum where her mother worked as a security guard, and has been immersed in the culture of objects, their making and interpretation ever since.

Kathy and Larry Wilson sponsor the Juried Competition in honor of Elizabeth Louise Dunlap Patrick.

EXHIBITION DATES

June 22 - July 25, 2026

RECEPTION

Thursday, July 16, 2026 | 5:30 PM

ALSO ON DISPLAY

MUGSHOT

June 22 - July 25, 2026

Perimeter Gallery

Southern Shrike, works by

Mars Simpson and Samuel Pach

June 22 - July 25, 2026

Classroom Gallery

MORE INFO

Fields of Mind | One Night Open-Air Art Exhibition

Fountain Park

300 E. Main Street. Rock Hill, SC

"Fields of Mind" is Rock Hill's first ever one night, open-air art exhibition taking place at Fountain

Park in Rock Hill, SC.

Celebrate the connectivity of Rock Hill arts and local business on July 11th, 2026 from 5pm-8pm.

The free experience will host food trucks and entertainment for the public to enjoy alongside

fine arts.

The exhibition will feature 2D and 3D work from various artists.

Curated by Mars Simpson (@4thplanet7000)

and Rylie Funke (@byfunk.e).

If you are interested in submitting to the show, send an email to

redeyeartcollective@gmail.com by July 7th with a photo of the artwork and its information. (Title, Artist Name, Size, Medium, Year, Price).

Submission is free, all mediums encouraged, no theme, and no entry limit. You will receive an

email confirmation acknowledging receipt of your submission.

Decisions will be announced by July 8th, 2026.

MORE INFO

The Arts Council offers private artist studios in the Center for the Arts located on East Main Street in the Downtown Rock Hill Cultural District. Rates are below market value and vary depending on square footage, access, and amenities.

To schedule an appointment to view available artist studios, please call

(803) 328-2787.

MORE INFO

ARTS NEWS

REGIONAL

Winthrop professor releases poetry collection inspired by diabetes diagnosis

by Blake Alsup

Image Credit | Ephraim Scott Sommers/Provided

ROCK HILL — A few months after he was diagnosed with diabetes in 2024, Rock Hill poet Ephraim Scott Sommers traded despair for praise.

His medical and personal experiences resulted in a new book of poetry, “Diabetic Gumdrops,” set to publish in...

REGIONAL

Across SC, African drumming beats in hearts across South Carolina

by Lamaur Stancil

Image Credit | Lamaur Stancil/Staff

ROCK HILL — For many, beating on the drums is just a good time.

Others say there are health benefits, such as reducing high blood pressure and stress...

SUPPORT US

Donate to the ACYC

Dry Goods Shop

Volunteering & Internships

QUICK LINKS

ACYC Website

Underexposed Film Festival yc

Arts Calendar

ACYC Events, Creative Partners, and Artist & Affiliate Members

CALLS FOR ARTISTS

July 1 - September 13 | Call for Artists: Cotton Alley Gallery | Center for the Arts | more info
July 1 - July 31 | Call for Artists: The 8th Annual Juried Exhibition | Artists Collective, Spartanburg | more info
October 1 | Call for Vendors: ChristmasVille 2026 Vendor Village | ChristmasVille, Rock Hill, SC | more info

EXHIBITS, CLASSES, RECEPTIONS, & EVENTS

June 22 - July 25 | 37th Juried Competition Exhibition | Center for the Arts | more info
June 22 - July 25 | MUGSHOT | Center for the Arts | more info
June 22 - July 25 | Southern Shrike, works by Mars Simpson & Samuel Pach | Center for the Arts | more info
July 11 | Fields of Mind: An Open-Air Art Exhibit | Fountain Park | more info
July 16 | Gallery Reception | 37th Juried, MUGSHOT, & Southern Shrike | Center for the Arts | more info
July 31 - September 5 | Make No Bones, works by Maggie Genoble | Center for the Arts | more info

For more arts events in York County, visit the online arts calendar

Arts Council of York County

(803) 328-2787

arts@yorkcountyarts.org

yorkcountyarts.org

Connect with us

Headquartered in the Downtown Rock Hill, SC Cultural District.

Support for this project is provided by the SC Arts Commission (which receives funding from the National Endowment for the Arts), Rock Hill Accommodations Tax Grant Fund and the ACYC Annual Fund. For visitors information including lodging, contact Visit York County at visityorkcounty.com.