Greenville, SC – Today, many aspects of our communities reflect a history built and created by men. The names of cities, streets, bridges, and buildings; the statues in our parks, the holidays we celebrate. Now, thanks to City of Women Greenville, we can help our community rethink what they know about history and advance the role of women today and in the future.

To launch this initiative, Greenville Center for Creative Arts (GCCA) and City of Women Greenville are partnering to invite Upstate artists to submit work that highlights historical and contemporary women who have made a significant impact in the Greenville community. Areas of recognition include healthcare and well-being, education, economic opportunity, science and technology, civic engagement, and arts and culture.

Submissions are open from November 1, 2021, to January 6, 2022, and must be made via GCCA’s website at https://www.artcentergreenville.org/city-of-women-submissions.

This effort will culminate in a free public exhibition that will be featured through a virtual gallery on GCCA’s website and in a special juried exhibition opening on First Friday, March 4, from 6-9 p.m. and on display through April 27. All appropriate entries will be included in the virtual gallery. Juror selections will be exhibited in GCCA’s Community Gallery and be eligible for $2,000 in prizes.

“There is great power in sharing the untold and forgotten stories of the women who helped to build Greenville. It deepens our collective understanding of history, brings to light many unknown contributions, and builds a more inclusive future for all,” explains Elizabeth Davis, President of Furman University, a partner institution of City of Women. “This is why we at Furman University are proud to be a part of City of Women and honor the mission to celebrate, recognize and inspire the women and men of our community. We are especially excited to see this come to life through the expression of our robust artist community at GCCA this March.”

“We can think of no better way to kick off this important initiative than through the visual arts, such a pivotal part of our Greenville culture,” adds Kim Fabian, GCCA’s Executive Director.

The call for submission is open to all artists 18 years of age or older living in Upstate South Carolina (Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, Pickens, Oconee, Greenwood, Laurens, Cherokee, Union, and Abbeville Counties). This is a juried exhibition for artists working in all traditional and non-traditional 2D and 3D media, including painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, fiber arts, mixed media, and sculpture. All artwork must be original in concept, design and execution. Film, video, computer art, reproductions (such as giclee, prints), crafts or jewelry are not acceptable unless used as part of a mixed media artwork or collage. Installation art or performance art are not accepted.

The juror for the exhibition is Jonell Logan, Creative Director of the McColl Center for Art + Innovation in Charlotte, NC. This exhibition is sponsored by the Wyche, P.A.

About GCCA

Greenville Center for Creative Arts is a non-profit organization that aims to enrich the cultural fabric of the community through visual arts promotion, education, and inspiration. For more information, visit www.artcentergreenville.org, call 864-735-3948, or check out GCCA on Facebook (Greenville Center for Creative Arts) & Instagram (@artcentergvl).

About City of Women

City of Women is a community-based initiative with a mission to celebrate the legacy of impactful women who have played a significant role in making Greenville the vibrant community it is today. The initiative also aims to advance the role of women in our community and businesses today and in the future.