DUE SOUTH2024: STRINGS ATTACHED
Public Art Competition + Exhibition

Spring brings PUBLIC ART in Thomasville, GA; this year is no exception. The public art Strings Attached celebrates string guitars and guitarists influenced by Southern communities. Through a “parade of guitars” along West Jackson Street, our community will listen + learn about iconic musicians who connected neighborhoods with their music.

Thomasville Center for the Arts is seeking artists to create original works of art for DUE SOUTH2024: STRINGS ATTACHED: a public art exhibition during the 14th annual Due South music, food, and art festival. We invite all artists to create a visual artwork representing a SOUTHERN GUITARIST.

The following dates/deadlines are important:

• DEADLINE to apply – December 1, 2023
• ACCEPTANCE by – December 6, 2023
• MATERIALS PICK-UP – December 12 & 13, 9 am – 1 pm
• DEADLINE for artwork – April 3 & 4 (Load-In)

$30 APPLICATION FEE INCLUDES:

• ONE-YEAR THOM Collective membership with opportunities to exhibit, and sell work, and the potential for an artist residency at The Center.
• ONE – 2.5′ x 6.5′ wooden guitar shape for creating your artwork
• THREE – 7oz samples of paint – the Benjamin Moore color of their choosing (provided by Sampson’s Paint & Decorating
• ARTIST BAG full of goodies!
• The chance for BEST OF SHOW – $1000, 1ST PLACE – $750, and HONORABLE MENTION – $250.
• A SPOT in the “parade of guitars” along the W Jackson Street corridor in The Bottom Creative District in Thomasville, Georgia between April 4th and 25th during DUE SOUTH music, food, and art festival
• The OPPORTUNITY to support public art in a small town.
• Artist Reception on Installation Day

A few DETAILS to NOTE:

• Guitars will be individually sponsored as a fundraiser to support public art in Thomasville. Each Sponsor will keep their guitar once the run date ends.
• We will celebrate these iconic Southern guitar musicians during the 14th annual Due South Music, food, and art festival on April 20 between 6-10 PM in the amphitheater.
• You will need a Black/White high-res headshot (from the waist up) – allow room to crop around your image – not too close!
• You will be asked to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for commitment purposes
• You will be required to follow basic guidelines that will include: no offensive images or language
• All artworks must be family-friendly
• All mediums are encouraged to apply
• Once accepted (By December 6), you will receive MOU + guidelines + analogs for inspiration.
  PUBLIC ART strengthens community identity and its appreciation for where we live, work, and play. It engages and connects the youth in our community, sparks conversation across neighborhoods, brings people together around common interests and ideas, and bridges the gap between past, present, future, and diverse groups.

APPLY HERE >>

Every fall Thomasville welcomes the arrival of world-renowned wildlife artists from near and far to Wildlife Arts Festival, embarking on its 29th year in 2024. A true celebration of Thomasville’s sporting culture during a long weekend in November, at the start of Georgia’s Quail season, through a Fine Art Show, experiences that celebrate the land, workshops led by artists and designers and family friendly events.

Artist Application >>

Thomasville Center for the Arts is currently seeking exhibition proposals for the 2023-24 season. We invite curators, artists, collectives, and thinkers of all kinds to submit preliminary ideas for thought-provoking exhibitions to be exhibited in our multi-disciplinary art venue. Please submit letters of inquiry (LOI) by October 31, 2023, and those of interest will be invited to submit a full proposal.

Main Gallery Inquiries

We invite seasoned artists, curators, and collectives to submit proposals for the Center’s Main Gallery. We are seeking artists with thought-provoking and creative exhibitions. Please email our Artists Program Manager, Sam McCoy, for inquiries. smccoy@thomasvillearts.org

Wall Space at Grassroots

We invite emerging artists of any discipline to submit proposals to exhibit our work at our downtown gallery, Wall Space at Grassroots Coffee Co.

The Center seeks:

1. Emerging artists whose body of work includes critical thinking

2. Independent curator projects that provide a conceptual or theory based framework

3. Exhibits that encourage experimentation through creation 

4. Dynamic, interactive projects that challenge the standard exhibition format

5. Public art projects that invoke conversation and creative thinking

APPLY HERE >>