What is DownEast?
The DownEast National Juried Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition is in Pitt County, North Carolina. The DownEast outdoor sculpture year-long exhibition is a joint exhibition among Pitt County Arts Council at Emerge, ECU Student Galleries, City of Greenville, Town of Winterville, Town of Farmville, Town of Ayden, Wahl-Coates Elementary School for the Arts, and the Greenville Museum of Art. 

Entries and Fees
All entries are to be submitted digitally through www.callforentry.org (CaFÉ). Please retain a copy of the information you provide on the entry form.

If you have not registered previously with CaFÉ, setting up your portfolio is free. CaFÉ requires that all images conform to a specific format. Before you begin the entry process, review CaFÉ’s instructions and tutorials. For technical assistance with your entry, please see https://www.callforentry.org/cafehelp.phtml, or contact cafe@westaf.org.

Each artist may submit up to 6 entries. Artists are required to submit 1 entry for a fee of $15, with the option to submit 5 additional entries at $5 each. There is a limit of 6 entries per artist.

Each entry will receive the jury’s decision in a separate email, via CaFÉ,  during the month of December 2024. It is the artist’s responsibility to monitor their CaFÉ account where all submissions will be listed and marked either invited or not under “My CaFÉ Entries”.

It is the sole responsibility of the applicant to note each artwork's application number, as this identifier will be used to announce the accepted works. Please retain a copy of the information you provide on the entry form.

Entries will be active on the CaFÉ website beginning October 1, 2024, and must be completed by 11:59PM MST on November 15, 2024.

Outdoor Exhibition Information 
This exhibition is open to all artists ages 18 and up. All entries must be submitted digitally. Work should be large scale to fit one of the sculpture pads in various locations throughout Pitt County, NC. Sculpture pads range from 4’x5’ to 10’ round in diameter. Artists must be available to install and remove their own work. Limited assistance may be available, but this must be requested when applying. Liability insurance may be asked for in the City of Greenville’s location. All work must remain on exhibit from February 2025 through February 2026. Work must be able to be exhibited outdoors and utilize materials that are exterior grade.

Notifications 
Work chosen and accepted for this exhibition will be notified during the month of December. Arrangements and contracts will be send from Holly Garriott, Executive Director of Emerge Gallery & Art Center, Home of the Pitt County Arts Council. 

Drop Off and Pick Up
Installation and removal of accepted work will be coordinated by the exhibiting entities. Contracts will be conducted with each entity and the chosen artists for one year (from the last week in February 2025 until the last week in February 2026). Sculptures must be removed before March 1, 2026. Sculptors must submit to Sarah Lazure in writing 14 days prior to their installation date a need for human assistance. Sculptors must deliver and retrieve their sculptures. Arts Council and Town representatives will not coordinate shipping to or from their location. Sculptors must bring their own tools, including generators if necessary or outside of business hours. Sculptors must remove all bolts and hardware associated with their sculptures upon removal. Sculptors may take the plaque only for ceremonial purposes. The steel bracket must remain in place. If damaged, please notify Sarah Lazure immediately at 252-551-6947 or sarah@emergegallery.com.  

Prizes
For those sculptures chosen, there will be honorariums awarded of $1,200 each.
Additional award prizes include:
1st Place: $1,500
2nd Place: $750
3rd Place: $500

Insurance 
Work will be insured by the presenting entities. Liability insurance is required by the City of Greenville’s site; however, the other sites will be covered by the presenting entity. Work will be insured only for 70% of the sales price and only for the exhibition dates (does not include installation and removal). Insurance value must be a realistic value and may be questioned. Proof of similar sales will be asked for if necessary. Consent to reproduce for publicity, catalog, or educational purposes is assumed unless specifically reserved in writing. Submission of entry constitutes agreement to all conditions.

Meet the Juror

Jessica Bradsher is a visual artist specializing in metal sculpture and painting who lives and works in Greenville, North Carolina. She creates with themes ranging from whimsical to contemplative in her outdoor sculptural pieces. Her work has led her to recently install public sculptures across the United States. Jessica earned her MFA in 2018 at East Carolina University and currently teaches visual arts and sculpture at John Paul II Catholic High School in Greenville, NC. She believes it is important to be an example to her students of a productive, working, successful artist to show the next generation the possibilities found within the arts.

Application Requirements

Please submit a minimum of one sculpture, with materials, dimensions, and value. Please note that artworks valued more than the insurance maximum may not be selected. 

Eligibility Criteria

This exhibition is open to all artists ages 18 and up. All entries must be submitted digitally. Work should be large scale to fit one of the sculpture pads in various locations throughout Pitt County, NC. Sculpture pads range from 4’x5’ to 10’ round in diameter. Artists must be available to install and remove their own work. Liability insurance may be asked for in the City of Greenville’s location. All work must remain on exhibit from February 2025 through February 2026. Work must be able to be exhibited outdoors and utilize materials that are exterior grade.