Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibition 2026 47th Annual, Charleston, SC

The Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibition (PSOAE), voted "Best Art Exhibit" by readers of the Charleston City Paper for the last two years, is the juried 2D visual arts centerpiece of the Piccolo Spoleto Festival. Now in its 47th year, this celebrated 16-day event transforms Marion Square, a historic park in the vibrant heart of downtown Charleston, into a stunning open-air gallery. For the first time in its 47-year history, the exhibition is open to artists nationwide after 46 years as an exhibit only open to South Carolina artists. The exhibition runs concurrently with the world-renowned Spoleto Festival USA, placing artists directly in the path of thousands of dedicated art patrons and collectors who travel from across the country and the globe to attend.

The exhibition requires a $750 application fee and accepts up to 5 images including 4 individual artwork images and 1 mandatory booth shot. Artists may apply in up to three different categories with separate applications required for each. All work must be 2D, original and handcrafted by the artist - no AI or digitally created/generated work will be accepted. Acceptable categories include acrylic, oil, watercolor, photography, printmaking, mixed media (2D), charcoal, graphite, ink and pen, and pastels. The exhibition is juried anonymously with primary considerations being creative vision and quality of work submitted.

Show hours run May 22 - June 6: Sunday-Friday 10am-5pm, Saturday 9am-5pm, with an optional display day June 7 from 10am-3pm. Artists retain all sales proceeds and awards include Best of Show ($1,000), 1st Place ($500), 2nd Place ($250), 3rd Place ($250), five Awards of Merit, and five Honorable Mentions. Artists are required to obtain liability insurance and City of Charleston Business License and SC Retail License to participate.