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May 6, 2026
YORK COUNTY ARTS NEWS
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37th Annual Juried Competition | Call for Artists
Center for the Arts
121 E. Main Street, Rock Hill
The Arts Council of York County presents the 37th Annual Juried Competition at the Center for the Arts. 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. All forms of media are eligible, including video. Limit four (4) pieces per artist.
SUBMISSION DEADLINE
Sunday, May 17, 2026
ARTIST NOTIFICATION
Friday, May 29, 2026
EXHIBIT DATES
June 22 - July 25, 2026 | Dalton Gallery
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Summer Art Camps
Center for the Arts | Edmund D. Lewandowski Classroom Gallery
121 E. Main Street. Rock Hill, SC
SCHEDULE
JUNE 2026 | Monday - Wednesday
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CLASS TIMES
MORNINGS | 9 AM - 12 PM
AFTERNOONS | 1 - 4 PM
The Arts Council of York County is proud to welcome back our Summer Art Camps as part of our ongoing art education initiatives. Designed for children 6 - 12 years old, Summer Art Camps introduce students to artistic mediums and methods that they may not experience during their school year.
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Students enrolled in Summer Art Camps not only engage with fascinating and unique art mediums, but also learn how to analyze work, think critically, and expand their creative minds through experimentation.
To view class offerings and to sign up, please visit our website.
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Signs of Life, works curated by Dylan Bannister & Alexis Howard
Center for the Arts | Dalton Gallery
121 E. Main Street. Rock Hill, SC
​EXHIBITION DATES
May 8 - June 13, 2026
RECEPTION
May 21, 2026 | 5:30 PM
The world is filled with artifacts - the transient spaces, fixtures, nature, and light that we pass but don’t acknowledge as we move through the world. These are the signs which indicate human life, and they’re rarely seen or valued for any reason other than their utilitarian purposes.
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Signs of Life lifts the veil obscuring appreciation of the commonplace, and highlights the serendipitous beauty of everyday life. This exhibit challenges viewers to consider ordinary things - such as discarded furniture and parking lots - as spectacles, if one’s imagination is open to such an epiphany.
ALSO ON DISPLAY
Catawba River Art Guild Show
May 8 - June 13, 2026
Perimeter Gallery
St. John's Afterschool Show
May 8 - May 23, 2026
Classroom Gallery
Compass Prep Photography Showcase
May 25 - June 16, 2026
Classroom Gallery
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MUGSHOT Exhibition Application is Now LIVE!
It’s that time of year again for MUGSHOT, an annual show displaying your handcrafted mugs in the Perimeter Gallery at the Center for the Arts. Viewers can buy the mugs directly from the wall and take them home the same day!
This year, the Arts Council of York County is partnering with Rock Hill Coffee to display even more criminally good mugs! The Center for the Arts can accommodate 15 artists and Rock Hill Coffee can host 5 artists. Spots will be reserved on a first come basis and will only be reserved upon delivery of a signed contract.
Please complete the form at the link below to participate in the 2026 MUGSHOT Exhibit. You must upload a completed loan agreement, at least one image of your mug, and one headshot. Spots are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Any artist submitting beyond the number of slots available will be placed on an alternates list should a space become available.
Exhibit Dates
June 22, 2026 – July 25, 2026
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Southside Music and Cultural Trail |
Stories Sung, Spoken, & Shared
Sunday, May 17 from 12:30 - 5 PM
McGirt Auditorium at Emmett Scott Center
The Trail includes 20 initial honorees which will memorialize the contributions of African American musical innovators and the historical places and moments that shaped the rich culture of southside neighborhoods.
Join The Southside Music and Cultural Trail for a City-Wide Celebration of Music, Art and Storytelling!

- Rock Hill Symphony Orchestra Concert Featuring Works by Black Composers
- Free Admission and Local Entertainment
- Poets, Dramatists, Storytellers, Musicians & More
- Food Truck - Variety of Food for Purchase
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Rock Hill Named an Innovation Hub by South Carolina Research Authority
by SCRA
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Columbia, S.C. – The South Carolina Research Authority today announced the launch of a statewide network of Innovation Hubs designed to accelerate investment and strengthen South Carolina’s emerging technology ecosystems in key regions across the state.
The new initiative will establish innovation hubs in Columbia, Charleston, Greenville, Aiken, Rock Hill, and Florence. These hubs will be central regions for...
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Rock Hill art teacher named one of 10 national Art Education Leadership Award winners
by Julia Swygert
| Image Credit | Artsonia/Provided | |
ROCK HILL — A Rock Hill art teacher was one of 10 educators across the United States to receive the 2025-26 Artsonia Art Education Leadership Award.
Stacey Walden, an art teacher at India Hook Elementary School, was selected from thousands of teachers nationwide who...
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Arts Calendar
ACYC Events, Creative Partners, and Artist & Affiliate Members
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CALLS FOR ARTISTS
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April 1 - June 30 | Call for Entry: OPA National Juried Salon | Oil Painters of America | more info
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April 23 - May 24 | Call for Teachers: Youth & Adult Art Classes | Center for the Arts | more info
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May 17 | Call for Artists: 37th Annual Juried Competition | Center for the Arts | more info
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May 29 - May 30 | Call for Volunteers: One Word Poetry Festival | more info
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May 31 | Call for Nominations: Ben Ardrey Volunteer Award | Center for the Arts | more info
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May 31 | Call for Nominations: Business & The Arts Award | Center for the Arts | more info
EXHIBITS, CLASSES, RECEPTIONS, & EVENTS
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May 8 - June 13 | Signs of Life, works curated by Dylan Bannister & Alexis Howard | Center for the Arts | more info
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May 8 - June 13 | Catawba River Art Guild Show | Center for the Arts | more info
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May 8 - May 23 | St. John's Afterschool Show, works curated by Katrin Breitkreutz | Center for the Arts | more info
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May 9 | Adult Art Class | Paint Like Rembrandt | Center for the Arts | more info
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May 17 | Stories Sung, Spoken & Shared | The Southside Music & Cultural Trail | more info
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May 18 | ACYC Lunch Date | Center for the Arts | more info
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May 25 - June 16 | Compass Prep Photography Showcase, works curated by Aaron Aldridge | Center for the Arts | more info
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June 1 | ACYC Lunch Date | Center for the Arts | more info
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June 8 - 10 | Summer Art Camp | Let's Get Messy - Paper Mache Sculpting | Center for the Arts | more info
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June 15 - 17 | Summer Art Camp | Let's Create Cakes | Center for the Arts | more info
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June 15 - 17 | Summer Art Camp | Magical Forests & Woodland Creatures | Center for the Arts | more info
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June 22 - 24 | Summer Art Camp | France & The Arts | Center for the Arts | more info
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June 22 - 24 | Summer Art Camp | Printmaking for Children | Center for the Arts | more info
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June 25 | Annual Celebration | Center for the Arts | more info
For more arts events in York County, visit the online arts calendar
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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.
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