The winning pieces in this year’s Piccolo Spoleto’s Juried Art Exhibition include an interactive sculpture, a self-portrait and a tribute to rodents — all by South Carolina artists.
The exhibition at City Gallery showcases a range of media, including painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking and photography from more than 80 invited artists.
The free show is open from noon to 5 p.m. weekly Wednesday through Sunday until June 7, with a closing reception scheduled for June 7 from 4 to 6 p.m., when artists will be present.
Nearly 250 artists submitted work, which was reviewed by juror Michael Dickins, an interdisciplinary artist and director and chief curator of the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art at the College of Charleston School of the Arts.
Each year, City Gallery selects a visual arts professional to serve as juror, said coordinator Anne Quattlebaum.
“Each juror is different, giving a different feel to each juried exhibition,” Quattlebaum explained.
Dickins selected three works for top honors: “Sitting with Yourself” by Hirona Matsuda in first place, Alvin Staley’s self-portrait “Born Behind the Eight Ball” in second and “Rats Love” by Tyler Blanton in third.
Selecting the pieces is a demanding task, Dickins said.
“I have to look at conversations between works that weren’t intentionally designed to communicate with each other and find those moments that make sense,” he said.
Dickins said he looked for specific qualities in the winning works.
“I tried to select works from a variety of artists working in a variety of mediums, but was drawn to submissions that felt authentic, thoughtfully executed and capable of sparking conversation or offering a fresh perspective,” he said.
Matsuda’s interactive sculpture “Sitting with Yourself” (2025) is part of a larger body of work titled “Reflections on Coexistence.” The piece invites two participants to sit across from each other in chairs with a two-sided round mirror between them, creating the illusion that each viewer’s head appears on the other’s body.
The piece was created with found and salvaged materials, some local to Charleston. Matsuda made the plexiglass chairs from retail shelving repurposed from the former American Apparel on King Street.
The base was once part of a temporary structure from Charleston’s Wine & Food Festival, and the mirrors were a part of an old bodhran, or Irish drum, that belonged to Matsuda’s family.
“I always try to use repurposed materials for my work,” Matsuda said. “It makes the process of finding the right materials more interesting. Of course, it minimizes my impact on the environment and saves money, but it is also intriguing how each component has its own history and how those histories work conceptually as well as functionally.”
The work was inspired by Matsuda’s challenges communicating with her mother.
“This piece was an exploration of things I had observed during my interactions with people, particularly my mother, in which I became upset when I noticed my worst traits reflected in her and vice versa,” Matsuda said.
“Sitting with Yourself” attracted Dickins’ attention because it speaks to an audience in multiple ways.
“The piece stands on its own aesthetically, but it becomes something more when people choose to engage with it,” Dickins wrote in his citation. “Through participation, the work opens up in unexpected ways, inviting viewers to move beyond observation and into reflection, interaction, and self-awareness.
Matsuda said the piece evokes different emotions depending on the relationship between the participants.
“My work often offers up a fun experience as a lure of sorts to get viewers to think about something on a deeper level,” she said. “This work is about self-reflection and empathy; what that means to each of the people that sit across from each other is unique to them.”
Winning the Juried Art Exhibition gave Matsuda a feeling of validation.
“Sometimes it can be unclear if you are making interesting work or if people are just being kind,” she said. “Winning first place, especially from a juror I so admire and respect, helped assure me that I am on the right track,” she said.
Alvin Satley’s second-place work, “Born Behind the Eight Ball,” explores hardship and disadvantage. The painting was inspired by reflection on his life during his 70th birthday. The phrase “born behind the eight ball” refers to being at a disadvantage in life.
In an artist’s statement about the painting, Satley said he was born into an environment marked by poverty and family dysfunction, but released from this struggle through his faith.
Painter Tyler Blanton’s third-place piece, “Rats Love,” was inspired by a study of Cecily Brown’s artwork depicting rats in the style of Beatrix Potter. The piece was created using charcoal and oil paint.
Blanton encourages viewers to attach their own meanings to the piece, but personally believes that “rats love” is an oxymoron.
“We can all be ‘Ratty,’ and we can also all be capable of love,” she said.
For years, Blanton has shown her work with fellow artists under the summer sun at Marion Square Park.
“We all got to know each other and face the same struggles of the winds, rain, and deep humid heat together. All for the love of art and the strong belief in what we are called to do in this life, sharing our works with others,” she said. “It is now such a blessing that City Gallery at Waterfront Park has opened its doors as a participating venue for artists in affiliation with Piccolo Spoleto, extending the juried exhibition into a luxurious indoor setting.
“This is an honor that leaves a deep imprint in my soul and being as an artist,” said Blanton.
The Juried Art Exhibition highlights the festival’s mission to showcase artistic talent, foster creative exchange and connect the community through the arts.
“It serves as a meaningful point of discovery for audiences and artists alike, celebrating the vibrancy and diversity of the visual arts each year,” Dickins said. “It’s nice to be in a city that celebrates art and artists.”
IF YOU WANT TO GO:
The Juried Art Exhibition is held at City Gallery on 34 Prioleau St. and runs Wednesday to Sunday until June 7 from noon to 5. P.M.
A closing reception will be held on June 7 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., where the artists will be present. Admission is free.
Cristina Reid is an arts journalism and communications graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.
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