2023 MOJA Festival

Juried Art Exhibition

Call for Submissions

The City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs is now accepting artwork submissions for consideration for the 2023 MOJA Arts Festival’s Juried Art Exhibition. 

The MOJA Arts Festival is an 11-day multi-disciplinary celebration of African American and Caribbean culture produced by the City of Charleston's Office of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the MOJA Planning Committee. This year’s Festival is September 28 to October 8, 2023. 

The 2023 MOJA Arts Festival Juried Art Exhibition will be held at City Gallery & the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture, on view September 21 through November 5. Artists are encouraged to submit artwork that celebrates African American and Caribbean culture. In addition to our regular awards, a special Juror's Prize will be awarded to the work most emblematic of "Hip Hop at 50." Artists residing in South Carolina, as well as those based in communities proximate to the Gullah Geechee Heritage Corridor in the adjacent states of Georgia and North Carolina, are encouraged to submit work for consideration.

Applications are due by August 21st.

Entry Specifications:

Proposed artwork may not have been previously exhibited in the Charleston region.

Artwork in the following categories may be submitted: oils, acrylics, watercolors, pastels, printmaking, drawing, photography, and graphics. Additional work in fiber, sculpture, metals, ceramics, basketry, and mixed media will also be juried. Wall pieces must be framed or gallery wrapped and ready for hanging. Freestanding pieces must be fully assembled and ready for installation. 

City Gallery reserves the right to exclude work based on the way a piece is framed and mounted to ensure a cohesive look for the exhibition and the right to exhibit sculpture in alternate locations to accommodate work of varied size or scale.

Accepted artwork may not be removed before the assigned time. Early removal or late pick-up will result in disqualification from future participation. An Exhibition program listing participating artists, their contact information, title and value of artwork will be available. The City of Charleston provides damage and theft insurance for artwork while on display. 

Submissions:

Submitted artwork must comply fully with the following requirements for originality and date of completion:

the artwork is an original creation completed within the last two years and is not, in whole or in part, a copy of any person’s work and

the artwork was created solely by the artist and not in a workshop, class, or under supervision of an instructor.

Deadline: August 21, 2023

Application Fee: $20.00 (USD)

Application Link:

https://cgwp.slideroom.com/#/permalink/program/72623

Selections for the exhibition will be made after the application closes, and artists will be notified of their status by email with an anticipated delivery date of September 11, 2023.

For More Information:

Please contact Anne Quattlebaum, City Gallery Manager, at

(843) 958-6484 or [email protected].