The City of North Charleston is calling upon South Carolina visual artists to participate in the 43rd Annual North Charleston Arts Fest Poster Design Competition.
The winning piece will become the official poster design of the 2026 North Charleston Arts Fest, taking place April 29-May 3, and will be featured on all promotional materials and merchandise, including posters, billboards, print and digital advertisements, television commercials, program booklets, apparel, online, and more. The winning artist will receive a $1000 purchase award and a solo exhibition at Park Circle Gallery during May 2026. In addition, the winning piece will become part of the City of North Charleston’s Public Art Collection, which is displayed throughout City Hall. The deadline to submit works for the competition is Monday, December 15, 2025.
There is NO entry fee to participate in the North Charleston Arts Fest Poster Design Competition. The competition is open to South Carolina residents ages 18 and older. Categories of work accepted include acrylic, oil, drawing, pastel, watercolor, fiber, printmaking, and 2-D mixed media. Entries must be submitted online at http://
The North Charleston Arts Fest is organized and presented by the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department. The annual five-day celebration of arts and culture highlights regional and local artists and performers in the areas of Dance, Music, Theatre, Visual Art, Media Art, and Literature. For more than 42 years the festival has made quality arts programming affordable and accessible to the widest spectrum of the public, attracting thousands of residents and visitors from throughout the Southeast and beyond to experience free and modestly priced performances, workshops, exhibitions, and activities in a variety of venues, including libraries, community centers, schools, businesses, and parks. The event has matured into one of the most comprehensive arts festivals in the state of South Carolina. Previous Arts Fest Design Competition winners include Amy Stewart of North Charleston, SC (2025), Jirah Perkins of Charleston, SC (2024), Christopher Dotson of Charleston, SC (2023), Deborah Kinard of Kiawah Island, SC (2022), Christine Bush Roman of Johns Island, SC (2020/2021), Joseph Kameen of Graniteville, SC (2019), Hamed Mahmoodi of Greenville, SC (2018), Judy McSween of Charleston, SC (2017), Lisa Shimko of Charleston, SC (2016), and Karole Turner Campbell (KTC) of North Charleston, SC (2015).
For more information about the 2026 North Charleston Arts Fest and other participation opportunities visit NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com, or contact the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department office at 843-740-5854 or culturalarts@northcharleston.