National Association of Women Artists South Carolina Chapter Presents Brookgreen Inspires—Women Create 

May 3 – July 20, 2025 

Preview Reception: May 2, 2025 

Brookgreen Gardens

1931 Brookgreen Drive

Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

Eligibility: 

This NAWA exhibit is only for current NAWA SC members. You MUST be a member in good standing during the entire date range of the exhibit, May 2-July 20, 2025. If you are a National NAWA  member and would like to participate, you can join the SC Chapter today. Contact  Membership Chair Susan Irish at: art.nawasc@gmail.com.

Art submissions: 

Submissions are handled through https://client.smarterentry.com/nawasc. This is a juried exhibit. Please read the prospectus thoroughly. You may submit up to two artworks. Submission does not guarantee acceptance. Entry fee: Two works of art $35.

Theme: Brookgreen Inspires

Brookgreen Gardens is a renowned sculpture garden located south of Murrell's Inlet, SC, covering over 9,000 acres. Originally a rice plantation, it was later transformed into an award-winning sculpture garden. Brookgreen Gardens boasts an extensive collection of sculptures, flowers, plants, and animals. The visionary behind Brookgreen Gardens was Anna Hyatt Huntington, a member of NAWA, and it is now considered one of the top sculpture gardens in the US.

According to their mission statement, Brookgreen Gardens aims to:

• Collect, preserve, and exhibit figurative sculpture by American artists;
• Cultivate a display garden and exhibit sculptures therein;
• Collect, preserve, and exhibit the plants, animals, and cultural materials of the South Carolina Lowcountry;
• Educate a diverse audience about sculpture, horticulture, and the ecology and history of the Lowcountry;
• Provide additional artistic and cultural opportunities for members, guests, and the community;
• Sustain the institution and all of its assets with visionary leadership, sound management, and prudent fiscal policies.

For the 2025 annual exhibit, you are required to create artwork that is directly influenced by Brookgreen Gardens and reflects their passion for sculpture, plants, zoo animals, and the history of this magnificent property. Given the nature of this venue, sculpture pieces are highly encouraged, and are essential to highlight the continuity between Anna Hyatt Huntington and NAWA. As always, all forms of art will be considered for this juried exhibit.

To learn more please visit Brookgreen.org.

Awards: 

Liz Miller, curator of Burroughs Chapin Museum of Art, Murrells Inlet, SC will be our juror.

BEST IN SHOW      $500

Contact:  Exhibition Chair Staci Swider  staciswider@gmail.com

Calendar:  

February 3 – March 28, 2025: Submission timeframe.  Submit entries at: https://client.smarterentry.com/nawasc. Entry opens Feb 3, 2025 and entry deadline is Mar 28, 2025. When the deadline is reached, the SmarterEntry program is automatically closed to submissions.

April 7, 2025: Notification of acceptance. 

Notification will be through email from SmarterEntry and posted on NAWA SC  FaceBook pages.

April 18, 2025: Hand delivered artwork due at Brookgreen Garden. 

We will make every effort to help you deliver your artwork. Once we know who is participating we will try to arrange for transportation where possible.

• Hand delivered artwork: If hand delivering, art must arrive at BG Friday, April 18, 2025. Please arrive 10am-noon or 1:30-4pm.
• *Installation pieces, if hand delivered, must be delivered on April 18 with thorough instructions and photographs to assist the staff. You may visit and review the installation May 1, 2025, 10am-4pm. If you need special accommodations, please email StaciSwider@gmail.com

Shipped Artwork: Please read!

Work is to be shipped to the following:

Coastal Transfer and Storage

3295 S. Frazer St

Georgetown, SC 29440

Attn: Susan McClary

843-546-4563

Arrival April 14-18, 2025

• Do NOT ship your artwork to Brookgreen Garden directly.
• All shipped artwork must have prepaid barcoded UPS or FedEx return shipping label included in shipped work.  Shipping box must be sturdy enough to handle return shipping. (No counter labels  or US Postal Service labels or stamps). No packing peanuts; please advise shipper of this or work will be returned. Please use sturdy, reusable cartons with  adequate packing materials to withstand return shipping. Please use bubble  wrap as opposed to airbags, which tend to deflate before the end of the  exhibition. Please do not use oversized packaging. Tape return shipping label to  back of artwork along with the art exhibit artwork ID label. 
• The space allows for installation work and large pieces. If your piece has special installation needs, upon acceptance we will set up a time for you to discuss your work with the curator. Installation entries should be accompanied by work in progress photos, full installation photos if available, and/or sketches.
• The museum has pedestals available for sculpture.
• Please direct questions about large work or installations to art.nawasc@gmail.com.
• Installations may be reviewed May 1, 2025, 10am-4pm.
• Mark the outside of the box “Brookgreen Inspires—Women Create”

May 2, 2025: Exhibit Preview Reception

• 4:30-5:30pm Artists meet with Curator’s Circle. Name tags will be provided. BG will need a list of who is in attendance. Please respond to StaciSwider@gmail.com to let her know if you plan to attend.
• 5:30-7:00pm Reception

May 3, 2025 : Exhibit Opens 

• 9:00am Exhibit opens. No fanfare.
• 2:00pm Curator talk in galleries. Artists in attendance are then asked to station at their artworks to engage with visitors as they tour the exhibit.

July 20, 2025: Exhibit Closes and Return of Artwork

• Hand delivered art should be picked up at the gallery on July 21, 2025 before 4pm.  Art is to be signed out with the NAWASC coordinator.  Please avoid 12:15-1:30 while staff is at lunch.
• Shipped artwork will be returned ASAP.

Entry Guidelines and Specifications: 

• Work exhibited in any previous "NAWASC Exhibit" is not eligible
• This is a juried exhibit. Acceptance is at the discretion of NAWASC board.
• Finished size: Brookgreen Garden has not put a size limit on art. Work may not be suspended from the ceiling. There is a 20lb limit for wall relief work.
• Pedestal display is accepted and encouraged.
• Museum presentation is important! Professional presentation is required:
  • All two-dimensional framed art must be securely fitted with wire and ready to hand. All wire must be strung tightly and securely straight across the back.  No saw tooth hangers.
  • Any other hanging material must be approved by the chairman prior to the hanging date.
  • Mats of any color may be used. All mats must be clean and professionally presented
  • Unframed oils and acrylics must have gallery-wrap and neatly finished on all edges. No staples showing. Canvas should be at least 1" but preferably 1.5 "
  •  Paintings or frames with wet paint will not be accepted.  Watercolors must be matted and framed or on appropriate watercolor canvas with finished edges. 
• Work does not need to be for sale. Price, title, dimensions of entered work cannot be changed. 
• Accepted work cannot be substituted and must be available for the duration of the exhibit.
• Art must be original - no reproductions or Giclee prints 
• When submitting your work on SmarterEntry, do not photograph your work in frames.
• Graphic violence and/or lewd sexual content is prohibited. Nudes are acceptable  at the discretion of the committee.
• All work is to be original and completed by the NAWA artist alone or NAWA collaborative partners. Original art must comply with all national and international copyright laws as applicable. The artist must own the right to their art solely. No AI generated art.
• Work will not be hung if it is damaged in transit. You will be notified immediately if your work arrives damaged.
• NAWA and Brookgreen reserve the right to refuse work not professionally presented.

Entering Your Images 

• All entries are submitted at https://client.smarterentry.com/nawasc.
• Entry form must be filled out in its entirety.
• Submit art size up to nearest inch; if art is framed, submit framed size.
• Do not include frame or mat when submitting photos of your art. Crop the photo  to include only the artwork; be sure your image is right side up.
• Images should be of good quality and no larger than 5MB, 1200 - 1500 pixels on the longest side at 300 dpi.
• Images should be in JPEG format
• If you need help entering your images, email to: terry@smarterentry.com.

Please be sure to add terry@smarterentry.com and art.nawasc@gmail.com to your safe senders list to ensure you receive notifications about this exhibit. 

Artist Bio and Statement of Inspiration: 

A binder of Artist Bios and Statements of Inspiration on exhibited art will be available to gallery visitors who may desire more information on artists and their work. If you wish your information included in the binder, please email your statement to StaciSwider@gmail.com, subject line NAWASC INSPIRATION or NAWASC BIO. We have many bios on file so you do not need to email your bio unless you are updating. If you wish, you may also add your business card or rack card to the back of your work and it will also be added to the binder.

Sales: 

Brookgreen Garden will retain 25% sales commission; NAWA SC Chapter will retain 10% of sales; and artists will receive 65% of their art sales. All sales will be handled by Brookgreen Garden. The artist is responsible for forwarding 10% of the sale price to NAWASC on or before midnight August 15, 2025. Please contact Melinda Welker at mswelker@hotmail.com to complete this transaction.