Eastern Carolina Contemporary Biennial
The Florence County Museum is proud to present the 2025 Eastern Carolina Contemporary Biennial, sponsored by Chick-fil-A of Florence. The objective of this project is to elevate the standard of regional contemporary art exhibitions by offering a professionally juried competition composed of the most competitive contemporary art and artists representing Eastern South Carolina. The competition will occur every two years beginning in 2025, and will culminate in an exhibition to be presented in the FCM Special Exhibits Gallery.
Competition Schedule
Online entries open
Fri, July 12 – Fri, Sept 27, 2024
Jurors’ Selection
Mon, Oct 14 – Fri, Oct 25
Acceptance Notification
Mon, Nov 4 – Fri, Nov 8
Delivery of Works
Mon, Mar 3 – Fri, Mar 7, 2025
Opening Reception
Thurs, Mar 20
Digital and Gallery Exhibition Opening
Fri, Mar 21
Last Day of Exhibition
Sun, Oct 19
Douglas Gray
Cistula Urn (left)
Arca Urn (right)
Stoneware clay with matte wood ash glazes
Florence, SC
Cistula Urn (left)
Arca Urn (right)
Stoneware clay with matte wood ash glazes
Florence, SC
Competition Jurors
Contemporary art is an essential element to our ever-evolving world, as it allows the viewer to pause and to reflect on their lives through the lens of the artist. Art competitions are a marker in the career of the creator, serving as an inflection point for celebration and connection.”
Yu-Kai Lin is the Owner and Director of Kai Lin Art in Atlanta, GA, an art gallery specializing in contemporary artists of the Southeast. His curatorial role is expansive. In addition to managing artists, exhibitions, and events, Lin works with architects, consultants, designers, and collectors to bring art to new and diverse audiences. Since opening his gallery in 2008, Lin has launched over 100 exhibitions including the popular recurring The New South and the Atlanta Print Biennial.
Yu-Kai Lin has been recognized by numerous publications and institutions for his professional and creative contributions to art, including The High Museum of Art, Savannah College of Art and Design, and Wallpaper magazine.
In addition to managing Kai Lin Art, Lin is an accomplished concert pianist, educator, and public speaker. He graduated from Emory University with a Bachelor of Art in Music: piano performance in 2001.
Creating art allows us to tap into a deeper understanding of ourselves and our present moment as we collectively strive to reflect on what it means to be in our bodies and in our world. Museums and galleries that invite contemporary artists to exhibit their work through opportunities like competition are absolutely vital spaces in a thriving community.”
Mills Brown is a native Florence SC artist currently living and working in England. She has been the recipient of numerous grants, awards, and residencies in the US and Europe and has been the subject of multiple group and solo exhibitions, most recently A Place to Hide at Fusion Arts Window Galleries, Oxford.
Her complex and colorful multidisciplinary works investigate Southern Gothic themes, often using recomposed family photographs to explore life, landscape, memory, and decay. Her interest in facilitating creative practice has led to several collaborative arts-integrated community education projects, designing interactive aesthetic environments for children on both sides of the Atlantic.
Brown earned her MFA in Studio Art in 2017 from American University, Washington DC.
Contemporary art challenges us to look through a different lens, to reimagine what art is, what it can be, what it represents. Competition surrounding this art form allows for a sharpening of the craft, and a focus on its inclusion in the canon of the artistic landscape.”
Robin Aiken is the owner of Thornback Contemporary Gallery in Greenville, SC. Since 2016, she has also served as Visual Arts Programs Director for the nationally recognized Artisphere arts festival, where she organizes event programming and manages the jurying process.
In 2022, her passion for contemporary art resulted in a collaboration with artist Sunny Mullarkey to create “Making Space GVL”, a project that paired emerging and mid-career artists with local businesses to create opportunities to engage with potential art buyers in a meaningful way.
Aiken earned her BFA in Illustration from Savannah College of Art and Design.
Entry Requirements
Large scale 3D works will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis with attention to spatial dynamics and other potential limitations within the gallery. Ceiling mounted work is not strictly prohibited, but will be considered at the curator’s discretion in consultation with the Jurors Panel.
