CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Gibbes Museum of Art has announced the extension of the submission deadline for the Society 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art ‒ the new deadline is Sept. 14 for the $10,000 artist prize competition.
Artists may enter if they are originally from one of these 14 Southern states but live elsewhere (or if they currently reside or work in): Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.
In addition to the $10,000 award, an artwork by the winning artist will be exhibited at the museum for an entire year, and they will be invited to Charleston for events honoring the artist
The Gibbes will also invite the winner to Charleston in February, 2027 for the official unveiling of their artwork. This invitation is part of a three-day celebration honoring the artist ‒ including the annual Society 1858 Winter Party, and the Amy P. Coy Forum, where the artist will be invited to speak at the Gibbes Museum about their work.
The 2025 winner was Kandy G Lopez, an Afro-Caribbean American artist from Florida. The Gibbes Museum recently acquired one of her works for the museum’s permanent collection. The multidisciplinary artist explores cultural identity, representation, and power through fiber, painting, glass, and mixed media.
The Gibbes Museum of Art, a beacon in the American South for arts and culture since 1858 when the Museum’s art collection was founded as the Carolina Art Association, is heralded as one of the earliest and most longstanding arts institutions in the United States.
The museum’s collection spans 350 years, and features some of the country’s most celebrated artists ‒ including contemporary, modern, and historical works. With world-class rotating exhibitions and a dynamic visiting artist residency program, the Gibbes is a Southern museum with a global perspective.
To enter, go to he Museum’s collection spans 350 years, and features some of the country’s most celebrated artists ‒ including contemporary, modern, and historical works. With world-class rotating exhibitions and a dynamic visiting artist residency program, the Gibbes is a Southern museum with a global perspective.
For more information, go here.
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