The 701 CCA Prize 2014

701 Center for Contemporary Art in Columbia, S.C., is excited to announce that the finalists for the 701 CCA Prize 2014 are Andrew Blanchard of Spartanburg, Shannon Rae Lindsey of Columbia and Karen Ann Myers of Charleston. The 701 CCA Prize 2014 is a competition and exhibition for South Carolina artists 40 years and younger. The three finalists’ work will be shown in the 701 CCA Prize 2014 Exhibition, which will open Thursday, October 30, 2014, with an artists’ reception, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m., and run through December 21. The winner of the 701 CCA Prize 2014 will be announced during a 701 CCA Prize 2014 Celebration event on Wednesday, December 3, 7:00 – 10:00 p.m. This year’s Prize is the second installment of the biennial event.

“The jury panel selected three outstanding artists,” 701 CCA board chair Wim Roefs said. “They had to choose from a strong field. While we had hoped for more than the 15 applications we received for the contest, the high percentage of really excellent artists who submitted made the process extraordinarily competitive. With Blanchard and Myers, we have two artists who already have made considerable waves in South Carolina and beyond. Lindsey is a relatively new but exciting arrival on the state’s art scene. And it’s a nice coincidence that we have one artist from the Upstate, one from the Midlands and one from the Lowcountry.”

The three finalists were selected by an independent jury consisting of Barry Gaither, director and curator of the Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists in Boston, Mass.; Brad Thomas, director of residencies and exhibitions at the McColl Center for Art + Innovation in Charlotte, N.C.; and Hannah Davis, gallery and exhibitions manager at Jones-Carter Gallery in Lake City, S.C.

The Prize’s purpose is to identify and recognize young South Carolina artists whose work is exemplary in its originality, shows awareness of artistic developments and is of high artistic merit. “With the 701 CCA Prize, 701 Center for Contemporary Art has added a crucial component to the eco-system for artists and the visual arts in South Carolina,” Roefs said. “Prior to this 701 CCA initiative, the state did not have a prominent event to highlight the best young talent in South Carolina.” The 701 CCA Prize winner will receive a six-week, paid residency at 701 CCA; consultation services from a professional advertising and marketing firm; a solo exhibition at 701 CCA; and an ad in a national publication.

Blanchard (b. 1977) is a Louisiana native raised on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. He is the director of studio art and an associate professor of printmaking and photography at Converse College in Spartanburg. Blanchard holds a BA from the University of Southern Mississippi and an MFA from the University of Mississippi. His mixed-process prints on wood and paper have been included in more than hundred national and international juried print exhibitions. Blanchard’s work was included recently in New American Paintings and the Oxford American magazine, which named him among the New Superstars of Southern Art.

Lindsey (b. 1985) earlier this year received her MFA from the University of South Carolina in Columbia and in 2008 earned a BFA from the University of South Florida. She teaches art as an adjunct professor at the University of South Carolina. Her work has been included in some 20 exhibitions in Florida and South Carolina. Lindsey is an interdisciplinary artist who explores drawing, painting, sculpture and installation with unconventional materials and processes.

Myers (b. 1984) earlier this year had a solo exhibition at the Greenville County (S.C.) Museum Art. Her work has been in 17 solo exhibitions and dozens of group shows in eight states and Greece. She was included in the 701 CCA South Carolina Biennial 2011. Myers earned an MFA from Boston University and a BFA from Michigan State University. She is the associate director at the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art in Charleston and an adjunct professor at the College of Charleston. Myers’ work appeared in New American Paintings and, like Blanchard, the Oxford American magazine in 2012 listed her among the New Superstars of Southern Art.

For further inquiries, contact info@701cca.org or call Sheldon Paschal (803) 319-9949. 701 CCA is a non-profit visual arts center that promotes understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of contemporary art, the creative process and the role of art and artists in the community. The center also encourages interaction between visual and other art forms.