As I write this, I am scrolling through almost 800 entries to the Artfields Jr. competition. Looking at all of the images of student work is incredible. There is such a wide variety of skill levels, media used, and imagery, along with some really promising work from multiple age groups. I am so happy that I was asked to be on the jury panel right after I moved to South Carolina and was pleasantly surprised that such an organization and competition existed.
Artfields is a wonderful program in Lake City, South Carolina, that provides opportunities for students to learn about art, take classes, and provides support for the arts in Lake City. However, Artfields is most known for the Artfields art competition and festival that takes place annually. This year the competition and festival runs April 20th - 28th, 2018. During this competition, $120,000 is awarded to artists from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. The grand prize is $50,000.
Artfields Jr. is the student part of the competition and is open to students from 1st grade - 12th grade. Prizes for this portion of the competition range from honorable mentions to $500, juried in categories determined by grade level. Along with the prize money, a large selection of the student work is displayed during the festival in proximity to the previously mentioned Artfields competition. Again, the work for the Artfields Jr. show is top notch and is worth checking out if you are in the area of Lake City, South Carolina.
I would like to thank Jim Arendt for passing my name along to the people over at Artfields. Jim is a fantastic artist that teaches at Coastal Carolina University, in Conway, South Carolina, as well as the Gallery Director at the Rebecca Randall Bryan Art Gallery. Jim was also the first winner of Artfields grand prize. He is fantastic artist, teacher, and friend.
If you are an artist in the states mentioned above, or an educator in South Carolina, keep an eye out for the call for entry for the annual Artfields and Artfields Jr. art competitions. They are both wonderful opportunities to show work, and compete for large amount of prizes.