AAG 2026 Show

2026 Rules for Entry

Dates to Remember

March 1– Show registration opens
April 15 – Show registration deadline
May 2, 12:00- 5:00 PM – Drop off art (see instructions below)
May 7, 6:00-8:00 PM – ACA Reception
June 11, 10:00 – 4:00 PM – Pick up unsold pieces

All registrations must be completed and paid for online; no walk-in entries or checks will be accepted.

Drop-Off Instructions

Please register online and complete your labels as directed prior to arrival.
Art will be collected on the second floor, Brown Pavillion.

  1. Register online before April 15, 2026.
  2. Complete 3 labels and attach one to the back, one to the front, and have one for check in.
  3. Drop off your art – Saturday May 2, 12:00 – 5:00 PM.
  4. Art dropped off at any other time, or left with employees of the Aiken Center for the Arts, will not be entered in the show.

2026 Rules for Entry

The show is open to all current AAG members. Members must have their
dues paid prior to March 1.

Entries can be registered online between March 1 and April 15. No entries will be accepted after the deadline.

Entry fee is $30 for one piece or $40 for two pieces. Entry fees are nonrefundable, even if a work is juried out or does not meet the requirements for entry specified here.

You may enter 2 original pieces no larger than 48″x48″. No artwork may be labeled NFS. On your entry form, indicated if a work is your “A” piece (each AAG member is guaranteed exhibition of their “A” piece if it meets the entry requirements specified here) or your “B” piece. If there is not gallery space for all “B” pieces to be exhibited, the Show judge will select entries to include and artists will be notified to pick up pieces not selected.

Only original works of art not previously shown at the Aiken Center for the Arts will be accepted. One exception: a piece shown once in the AAG Gallery can be in the Member Show. No prints will be accepted.

Note: Artwork produced in a workshop/class is not considered original and is not to be submitted for the show.

Works may be produced in any medium and be two-dimensional or three-dimensional.

2D pieces must be suitably framed with wire for hanging. Gallery wrapped canvas (1 1/4” minimum depth) will be accepted.

3D pieces must weigh no more than 50 pounds. Entries must be transportable, no larger than 48”x48”, and able to be hung in the Center, if applicable.

Absolutely no exhibited art may be removed prematurely from the show unless approved by ACA.

All artwork selected for the show will be insured by the ACA. The AAG reserves the right to decline any work. The receipt of an entry into the show will constitute an agreement by the artist with the conditions set forth in this prospectus. The Guild and the ACA reserve the right to photograph and reproduce any entry for promotional purposes.

Take an image of your artwork before framing so you have it when you win an award! Members winning awards will be required to supply a JPEG of winning pieces for the website.

The Aiken Center for the Arts will take a 40% commission on all sales.

Judges and Awards Categories

Award categories for this year will include: Abstract, Aiken Scene, Best in Show, Diverse Media/3D, Judge’s Choice, Landscape/Scenic, Photography and Watercolor. If you or your company would like to sponsor an existing or additional category, please contact info@aikenartistguild.org.

The Member Show 2026 judge is Joseph Kameen.

Joseph Kameen is an artist and educator currently living in South Carolina, where he serves as an Assistant Professor of Art at the University of South Carolina Aiken. He received his BFA in painting and sculpture from Boston University, and his MFA in painting from Indiana University Bloomington. Kameen has exhibited his work nationally and internationally at venues such as The Painting Center, Site: Brooklyn, and Torstraße 111. Kameen’s work has been featured in a variety of publications, including PIKCHUR Magazine, Emboss Magazine, and Friend of the Artist. Joseph has instructed courses in drawing, painting, watercolors, color theory, sculpture, digital design and 3D printing at Boston University, Butler University, Indiana University Bloomington, and Indiana University East. Joe currently teaches painting and drawing at the University of South Carolina Aiken.

Past Winners

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🏆 Award Category: Best In Show
🖼️ Title: Spreadin’ the Love
🎨 Artist: Betsy Hughes
🖌️ Medium: Fabric

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🏆 Award Category: Judge’s Choice 1rst Place
🖼️ Title: Secrets
🎨 Artist: Linda Hardy
🖌️ Medium: Acrylic

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🏆 Award Category: Judge’s Choice 2nd Place
🖼️ Title: Morning Training
🎨 Artist: Judy Barker
🖌️ Medium: Acrylic

Judges Choice 3 Beth Everitt Secrets

🏆 Award Category: Judge’s Choice 3rd Place
🖼️ Title: Secrets
🎨 Artist: Beth Everitt
🖌️ Medium: Pastel

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🏆 Award Category: Best Abstract 1rst Place
🖼️ Title: Spirits
🎨 Artist: Cathrine Musham
🖌️ Medium: Oil and cold wax

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🏆 Award Category: Best Abstract 2nd Place
🖼️ Title: What Do You See?
🎨 Artist: Rich Klein
🖌️ Medium: Oil

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🏆 Award Category: Best Abstract 3rd Place
🖼️ Title: Le Silence
🎨 Artist: Del Hickey
🖌️ Medium: Acrylic and paper

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🏆 Award Category: Best Aiken Scene
🖼️ Title: Old Williamsburg Street
🎨 Artist: Linda Purdy
🖌️ Medium: Pastel

Diverse Media 1 Carla Tucker A Tribute to Unknown Slave Pottersville Potters

🏆 Award Category: Best Diverse Media 1rst Place
🖼️ Title: A Tribute to Unknown Slave Pottersville Potters
🎨 Artist: Carla Tucker
🖌️ Medium: Plaster and 200 year old ceramic, pieces on wood

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🏆 Award Category: Best Diverse Media 2nd Place
🖼️ Title: King Ferdinand III of Frog Bottom Pond
🎨 Artist: Marianne Burst
🖌️ Medium: Japanese
paperclay, acrylic paint, fabrics, trims and accessories

Diverse Media 3 Ronnie Sherburne Open Seed Pod

🏆 Award Category: Best Diverse Media 3rd Place
🖼️ Title: Open Seed Pod
🎨 Artist: Linda Purdy
🖌️ Medium: Clay

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🏆 Award Category: Best Photography
🖼️ Title: Coming at Ya
🎨 Artist: Patrick Krohn
🖌️ Medium: Photograph

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🏆 Award Category: Best Scenic Landscape 1rst
🖼️ Title: Carolina Bay Nature Preserve
🎨 Artist: Pat Sewell
🖌️ Medium: Pastel

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🏆 Award Category: Best Scenic Landscape 2nd
🖼️ Title: Pond Reflections
🎨 Artist: Scott Anderson
🖌️ Medium: Oil

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🏆 Award Category: Best Scenic Landscape 3rd
🖼️ Title: Finding Tadpoles
🎨 Artist: Sharon Taylor Padgett
🖌️ Medium: Acrylic

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🏆 Award Category: Best Watercolor
🖼️ Title: Grandma’s Collection
🎨 Artist: Nanette Langner
🖌️ Medium: Watercolor