The competition and exhibition for artists based in the Southeast will open its artist submission period on September 1, 2020.
ArtFields started in 2013 with a simple goal: honor the artists of the Southeast with a week’s worth of celebration and competition in the heart of a traditional Southern small town. Each year since then, up to 400 works of art are accepted to be displayed in locally-owned venues, from renovated 1920s warehouses and professional art spaces such as Jones-Carter Gallery and TRAX Visual Art Center to the library, the history museum, restaurants and other shops. With 30+ venues to hold the artwork, there is ample amount of space to maintain distance while still enjoying hundreds of artworks. During ArtFields, what was once one of South Carolina’s most prosperous agricultural communities becomes a living art gallery to recognize, celebrate and share the artistic talent of the Southeast.
Over the years, the event format has been met with great delight. Artists and attendees alike are inspired by artwork displayed outside the traditional confines of pristine gallery walls. A jury panel selects two awards, a Grand Prize of $50,000 and a Second Place of $25,000, while visitors vote on their favorite pieces to determine a People’s Choice 2D and 3D who both earn $12,500 each. To date, ArtFields has awarded over $800,000 in prize money, helped launch the careers of countless artists, and ultimately led to Lake City’s transformation into a burgeoning arts mecca. In addition to the competition and exhibition, artists can participate in Makers Market, Portrait Contest, and Lunchtime Crunchtime artist talks. Live music, street performers, muralists and more complete the nine days of celebration.
ArtFields Director Jamison Kerr believes that, ahead of its ninth year, the competition and exhibition is needed now more than ever.
“This past year has been incredibly hard on the arts community. Artists and art institutions are hurting and the future is uncertain. What is certain, however, is that art will always have a place in Lake City and that, through ArtFields, we’ll always find a way to support Southeastern artists,” says Kerr.
Submissions are open from September 1 to November 1 of 2020 for the 2021 event, scheduled from April 23-May 1. Adult artists of all working media who reside in the competition’s 12 participating Southeastern states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia) are encouraged to apply. After November 1, a panel of five arts professionals independently rate each piece of work. The highest rated pieces are then accepted to participate in Lake City for the exhibition and competition.
Forrest Lawson, ArtFields 2019 Grand Prize Winner, can vouch for the importance of this event.
“ArtFields is truly incredible for what [it] represents and what [they] do not only for Lake City, but for all of the artists in the South. [They] have given us a platform and a voice,” he shares.
ArtFields each year aims to showcase art from the entire Southeastern region and celebrate the stories that are unique to the South. In addition to prizes, ArtFields fosters connections and challenges artists to rethink some of the common stereotypes in the art industry.
“Now my vocabulary has reached another level. I’m going to think about art in a different way,” Ric Standridge, ArtFields 2019 Competition Artist says.
And if you’re thinking about submitting, Standridge has this to share, “You will not be disappointed. It may raise your level of excellence of who you are and the way you make art.”
ArtFields is the flagship event of the Lake City ArtFields Collective. This community arts non-profit also maintains three year-round professional galleries, a robust public art program and educational programming for youth.
For further information on the submission process, please visit artfieldssc.org/apply, call 843-374-0180, or email artteam@artfieldssc.org. We cannot wait to see what Kentucky artists have created this year and what stories you have to share. For art enthusiasts, be sure to save the date for ArtFields April 23-May, 2021 and follow us on social media for continued event updates.
-submitted by Lake City ArtFields Collective
