“Lady Liberty” by Linda Asbury
Press Release
The City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department is seeking entries from African American textile artists from across the nation for a special exhibition presented as a component of the 2022 North Charleston Arts Fest, set to take place May 4-8 in North Charleston. African American artists, ages 18 and up, living in the United States and working in the medium of fiber are invited to participate in the 15th Annual African American Fiber Art Exhibition, titled From Chaos to Beloved Community: Envisioning Social Justice.
The exhibition will be on display at North Charleston City Hall, opening on the first day of the Arts Fest, May 4, 2022, and remaining on view until June 17, 2022. A $30 entry fee allows artists to submit a maximum of four entries for consideration. Up to two entries per artist may be selected by the curator of the exhibition. Artwork submitted for consideration does not have to be complete at time of entry. Artists may enter works in progress. The application is available at http://NorthCharlestonCulturalArtsDepartment.SlideRoom.com. Deadline for entries is Tuesday, March 1, 2022.
Curated by award winning master art quilter and curator, Torreah “Cookie” Washington, this unique exhibition offers African American fiber artists a showcase to display their original and innovative designs. Artists are asked to create a fiber art piece that envisions a society free from the bondage of oppression – both physical and social. True Social Justice imagines a future void of racist and bigoted thought and the structures that violently oppress minorities and marginalized communities. Visualize a future where better conditions exist for all generations of people through the use of technology, art, music, and literature. The challenge for this year's exhibit is for artists to create art that shows what an inclusive future looks like. Some questions to consider are: What does safe housing, transportation equality, accessibility to healthy food, clean water, and the dismantling of systemic racism look like? When a narrative is embedded with those visuals it takes on a more powerful connective tissue. THAT is full social justice. Let your art reflect a future where radicalism is viewed, not as something to be fought, but as a societal good. Read the exhibition parameters carefully. Terms and regulations must be followed exactly or entries will not be accepted.
Following the close of the exhibition, up to twenty works will be selected to tour the state through the South Carolina State Museum's 2022/2023 Traveling Exhibitions Program. Sites across South Carolina may request the exhibit to tour in their facilities, thus providing additional exposure for the selected artists.
The 15th Annual African American Fiber Art Exhibition – From Chaos to Beloved Community: Envisioning Social Justice will be on display 8:00am-8:00pm daily from May 4-June 17, 2022, on the 1st and 2nd floors of North Charleston City Hall, located at 2500 City Hall Lane in North Charleston. Admission is free. A free public reception in honor of the participating artists will be held at City Hall on Thursday, May 5, 2022, from 6:00-8:00pm. For more information about the North Charleston Arts Fest, the annual African American Fiber Art Exhibition, or other exhibition opportunities, contact the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at (843)740-5854, email culturalarts@northcharleston.org, or visit NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com.
