A Sense of Place 2026
On View in the Main Gallery at GHIA Sept. 4 - Oct. 9, M-F 10-5pm
September 4, 5-7pm - Opening Reception & Awards Ceremony, free to the public
The Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art is pleased to announce the 2026 Juried fine art competition, A Sense of Place. Open to participants from throughout the United States, this event, now in its 44th year, seeks to recognize the outstanding quality and diversity of work being generated by contemporary American artists.
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
A Sense of Place is an annual fine art competition hosted by the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art. Each year brings together an exciting assembly of contemporary art from around the nation.
Guests will view pieces by artists working across the current arts landscape, in all mediums. This year's juror is Michael Dickins, the Director of the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art at the College of Charleston School of the Arts. Awards will be presented at 6pm.
Slideshow: Photos from previous years’ A Sense of Place exhibitions at GHIA
2026 Winners
Best in Show
What You’ve Got by Katie Ries, Interactive Multimedia
Juror’s Awards
click on thumbnails for full view and art info
Participating Artists, 2026
A Sense of Place is open to artists from across the US. The pieces chosen for this year’s exhibition represent 16 states, with 50 pieces of art by 50 artists from across the nation. Click on the city markers on the map below to learn more about where the artists are from. Artists are listed alphabetically below.
Artists by last name: Lauren Adams, Michael Anderson, Lucy Leigh Bailey, Annemarie Baldauf, Janet Ballweg, Matt Mahbod Bazrafshan, Steven Bradbury, Anna Brady, Kirstyn Denney, Tracy Finn, Alex Foltz, Gregory Gibson, Brittany Gilbert, Don Gilmer, Grace Halverson, Travis Head, Paige Holzbauer, Melissa Huang, Alyson J Barton, Chase Lanier, Allen Lewis, Michael Lonchar, Sara Mays, Zechariah McGlamory, Amanda McGlamory, TJ McSherry, Angel Moreno, John Morris, Charles Mulford, Lake Newton, Michelle Oconis, Kate Hooray Osmond, Walt Padgett, PQHAÜS, Katie Ries, Craig Rouse, Shelby Scattergood, Egor Shokoladov, Mechele Shoneman, Norman Silva, Asya Dodina Slava Polishchuk, Yvette Kaiser Smith, Tatyana Solntseva, Bethany Springer, Tammy Stewart, Sara Tack, Nathan Taves, Catherine Walker, Mary Windley, Clint Zeagler
About the 2025 Juror - Michael Dickins
Director, Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art at the College of Charleston School of the Arts
via halsey.charleston.edu - “Michael Dickins is an interdisciplinary artist, curator, and gallery director whose work has been exhibited across the Southeastern U.S. as well as in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Denver, Houston, San Diego, Portland, Augusta (Maine), Istanbul, and Berlin. He has twice been a featured artist at {Re}Happening at Black Mountain College and has received commissions from the Pittsburgh Playhouse and the Houston Metropolitan Dance Company for original sound scores and projection designs.”
Learn more about Michael Dickins here
JUROR’S STATEMENT
“Juried exhibitions are always a bit of a crapshoot because they are, by nature, completely subjective. The work selected can only come from what was submitted, and ultimately those decisions are shaped by the perspective, experience, and personality of the juror. Another juror could look at the exact same group of work and make very different choices. That is part of what makes juried exhibitions both challenging and interesting.
In considering the work for Sense of Place, I was particularly interested in artists who demonstrated a strong connection between what they wanted to communicate and how they chose to make the work. Craftsmanship was an important part of that consideration. I don’t think of craftsmanship simply as technical skill or flawless execution. Rather, it is an artist’s understanding of materials, process, composition, and the decisions that make a work feel intentional. Craft can be quiet or highly apparent, but in the strongest work, it contributes to the meaning rather than simply making the work look good.
I was also interested in the different ways artists interpreted the idea of place. Place can be physical, but it can also be psychological, cultural, historical, political, or deeply personal. It can be a place we know intimately, a place we remember, a place we have left behind, or a place we have imagined. The most successful works did more than depict a particular location. They gave me a reason to think differently about what it means to belong to, experience, or remember a place.
Selecting the award winners was an even harder task. Over the course of the jurying process, I developed what I think of as little micro-relationships with many of the works. Some revealed themselves immediately, while others became more interesting the longer I spent with them. Ultimately, I was looking for work that could hold my attention beyond that initial encounter. Work that might first draw me in through its material qualities, visual language, or craftsmanship, but then give me something more to consider.
The selected artists demonstrate that when a compelling concept is matched by thoughtful and intentional making, an artwork can do more than simply occupy a space. It can create an experience, provoke a question, and stay with the viewer long after they leave.”
Artist Info: Applications for A Sense of Place 2026 closed June 30, 2026. Submissions for the 2027 A Sense of Place will open in March. We accept entries through callforentry.org.
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A SENSE OF PLACE - PRIOR EXHIBITIONS
