Oct. 29 – End of Year: Small Works 2025
Artist Eligibility: HCAC Artist Members
Exhibit Submission Form Due Date: Monday, October 20 by 5 pm
Drop Off Date & Time: Tuesday, October 28 from 10 am – 5 pm
Exhibit Dates: October 29 – End of Year
Opening Reception & Art After Dark: Friday, November 7 from 6 – 9 pm
Art After Dark: December 5 from 6 – 9 pm
Exhibit Description: It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Our annual exhibit and community-favorite, Small Works! This exhibit showcases artwork, 12×12 inches or smaller, and ornaments perfect for spreading the joy of creativity through gift-giving!
Small Works Submission is Now Closed
Please Note: You will fill out the above form for each piece you’re submitting for the above exhibit. You need to submit a NEW form per piece. As an example, if you’re submitting three pieces, you will fill this form out three times. Artists may submit up to three pieces; however, HCAC cannot guarantee all pieces will be displayed at one time. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the Gallery Protocols at the bottom of THIS WEBPAGE and ensure your artwork meets all of them.
Contract Submission Instructions
- Step One: Familiarize yourself with the Gallery Protocols and ensure your artwork meets all of them.
- Step Two: Open provided link
- Step Three: Fill in the fields with the correct information. For example: Artist Full Name, Artwork Title, Artwork Price, etc.
- Step Four: Upload an image of your work if you’d like you’d like us to use the image to promote the exhibit.
- Then check yes or no to be entered in a drawing to be the demo artist at the opening reception of the exhibit.
- Agree to the terms by selecting “yes”
- Step Five: Click on the “Submit” button
- Please note: Fill out the form for each piece you’re submitting for the above exhibit. You need to submit a NEW form per piece. As an example, if you’re submitting three pieces, you will fill this form out three times.
- Step Six: Drop off and pick up artwork at the allotted date and times.
2026 Gallery Exhibitions
Seven thematic exhibits were selected by the Gallery Committee for 2026. Each exhibit encourages artists working in all media to participate. If you’re an artist and would like to exhibit in our downtown gallery, join the HCAC Artist Membership Program today!
January 30 – March 2: Inspired by a Song
Artist Eligibility: HCAC Artist Members
Exhibit Submission Form Due Date: Monday, January 19 by 5 pm
Drop Off Date & Time: Tuesday, January 27, from 10 am – 5 pm
Exhibit Dates: January 30 – March 2
Opening Reception: Friday, January 30 from 5 – 8 pm
Exhibit Description: HCAC invites artists to submit work for our 2026 inaugural exhibit, Inspired by a Song, presented in conjunction with HCAC’s Cool Jazz concert. This exhibit celebrates the deep connection between music and visual art. Artists are encouraged to create a piece inspired by a specific song — any genre, any style. Whether your muse is jazz, rock, country, classical, or pop, let rhythm, lyrics, and melody guide your creative process. Show us how sound transforms into color, motion, and form as we celebrate the beauty of artistic harmony.
Creative Guidance: We encourage artists to explore the emotions, stories, and imagery that a song inspires rather than literal depictions of instruments or musical notes. Think about how the rhythm, lyrics, or mood of a song can translate into colors, shapes, textures, or abstract forms. Let the music inspire your personal interpretation in a unique and imaginative way.
March 4 – April 13: Little Hands, Big Imagination
Artist Eligibility: Specially Curated, K-5 grade students in participating schools
Exhibit Dates: March 4 – April 13
Opening Reception: Friday, March 6 from 5 – 8 pm
Exhibit Description: Join us for a joyful exhibit of large-scale collaborative artwork created by elementary students across Haywood County. Each school contributes one piece, made with many little hands and big imaginations. All works will be auctioned off to support each school’s art program. In celebration of Dr. Seuss’s birthday, we’re also partnering with the Friends of the Library for a children’s book exchange, so bring a book and take a new story home!
April 17 – June 1: Weird & Wacky
Artist Eligibility: HCAC Artist Members
Exhibit Submission Form Due Date: Monday, April 6, by 5 pm
Drop Off Date & Time: Wednesday, April 15, from 10 am – 5 pm
Exhibit Dates: April 17 – June 1
Opening Reception: Friday, April 17 from 5 – 8 pm
First 2025 Art After Dark: May 1 from 6 – 9 pm
Exhibit Description: Weird & Wacky, an exhibition celebrating the unusual, the quirky, and the delightfully unexpected. We’re looking for pieces that push boundaries, embrace eccentricity, and spark curiosity. Think outside the ordinary—explore strange characters, fantastical scenes, unusual forms, or playful ideas that make viewers do a double-take. All mediums are welcome, as long as your work embodies creativity, imagination, and a touch of the wonderfully weird. Unleash your most unexpected ideas and join us in celebrating the art that surprises, delights, and challenges the everyday!
June 3 – August 3: Threads
Artist Eligibility: HCAC Artist Members
Exhibit Submission Form Due Date: Monday, May 25 by 5 pm
Drop Off Date & Time: Tuesday, June 2, from 10 am – 5 pm
Exhibit Dates: June 3 – August 3
Opening Reception & Art After Dark: Friday, June 5 from 6 – 9 pm
Art After Dark: July 3 from 6 – 9 pm
Exhibit Description: HCAC invites artists to submit work for Threads, an exhibition celebrating the beauty, creativity, and versatility of fiber arts. We welcome traditional fiber art—weaving, embroidery, quilting, knitting, and other textile-based works—as well as art inspired by fiber techniques or textures. Artists are encouraged to explore how threads, fabrics, and fibers influence their creative expression, whether through actual materials or imaginative interpretations. Let texture, pattern, and the spirit of fiber guide your work, and join us in showcasing pieces that weave together craft, creativity, and innovation. All mediums are welcome!
August 5 – 31: Don’t Be Square: Art Beyond Right Angles
Artist Eligibility: HCAC Artist Members
Exhibit Submission Form Due Date: Monday, July 27, by 5 pm
Drop Off Date & Time: Tuesday, August 4, from 10 am – 5 pm
Exhibit Dates: August 5 – 31
Opening Reception & Art After Dark: Friday, August 7 from 6 – 9 pm
Exhibit Description: This exhibition challenges artists to rethink the boundaries of the traditional matrices, like canvases. Participating artists are asked to create works on matrices that exclude right angles, exploring unconventional shapes and dimensions. This exhibit aims to highlight the creativity and innovation that emerge when artists move beyond the standard square or rectangular frame, inviting audiences to experience visual art from new perspectives. No square or rectangular canvases, frames, or artworks will be accepted.
September 2 – November 2: Go with the Flow
Artist Eligibility: HCAC Artist Members
Exhibit Submission Form Due Date: Monday, August 24, by 5 pm
Drop Off Date & Time: Tuesday, September 1, from 10 am – 5 pm
Exhibit Dates: September 2 – November 2
Opening Reception & Art After Dark: Friday, September 4 from 6 – 9 pm
Art After Dark: October 2 from 6 – 9 pm
Exhibit Description: The Haywood County Arts Council, in partnership with Haywood Waterways, invites artists to submit work for Go with the Flow, an exhibition celebrating the beauty, significance, and inspiration of local waterways. Artists are encouraged to explore the Pigeon River Watershed and other waterways of Haywood County through their art, drawing inspiration from the physical presence of water, its movement, and its vital role in the environment. Works may also interpret waterways metaphorically, exploring ideas of flow, change, reflection, and connection. All mediums are welcome, and submissions should reflect creativity, imagination, and an engagement with the theme of waterways. Join us in highlighting the beauty of our rivers and streams while encouraging awareness of their protection and conservation.
November 4 – End of Year: Small Works 2026
Artist Eligibility: HCAC Artist Members
Exhibit Submission Form Due Date: Monday, October 26, by 5 pm
Drop Off Date & Time: Tuesday, November 3, from 10 am – 5 pm
Exhibit Dates: November 4 – End of Year
Opening Reception & Art After Dark: Friday, November 6 from 6 – 9 pm
Art After Dark: December 4 from 6 – 9 pm
Exhibit Description: The Haywood County Arts Council invites artists to submit work for our annual, community-favorite exhibit, Small Works! This holiday-themed show celebrates creativity in miniature, featuring artwork 12×12 inches or smaller, as well as handcrafted ornaments. All mediums welcome. Small Works is the perfect opportunity to share your art in a compact format that’s ideal for gift-giving, seasonal décor, or personal collections. Bring your creativity in small packages and help spread the joy of art this holiday season!
Artists may submit a total of four pieces — either up to four wall pieces or two pedestal pieces (or a combination totaling four). In addition, artists may submit up to twelve ornaments. Extra entries will not be accepted.
PLEASE READ NEW Ornament Submission Process! Please fill out the following for each style of ornament you’re submitting for Small Works. You need to submit a NEW form per ornament style. As an example, if you’re submitting ornaments in the same style AND price, you may submit one form per style and specify the quantity. Artists may submit up to twenty ornaments; however, HCAC cannot guarantee all pieces will be displayed at one time.
Gallery Exhibit Protocols
Please Note: You will fill out the above form for each piece you’re submitting for the above exhibit. You need to submit a NEW form per piece. As an example, if you’re submitting three pieces, you will fill this form out three times. Artists may submit up to three pieces; however, HCAC cannot guarantee all pieces will be displayed at one time. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the Gallery Protocols at the bottom of THIS WEBPAGE and ensure your artwork meets all of them.
The goal of the Haywood County Arts Council Haywood Handmade Gallery is to promote HCAC artist members’ handmade work. Please review carefully!
Eligibility:
- Only artist members may participate in exhibits. This requirement is exempt for specially curated exhibits only. To learn more about Artist Memberships click here.
- All artists must live in the Western North Carolina Mountain Region, which includes the following North Carolina counties highlighted on the map at the bottom of this page
Jury & Fees:
- No jury for exhibits
- No exhibit entry fees
General:
HCAC reserves the right to refuse any work they deem unacceptable.
- Artists must complete the exhibit submission form, before the deadline. Please note: Fill out the form for each piece you’re submitting for the above exhibit. You need to submit a NEW form per piece. As an example, if you’re submitting three pieces, you will fill this form out three times.
- Once the exhibit submission form is completed, no changes may be made to the price, title, etc.
- Please ensure all work is appropriate for all ages.
- Demonstrates creativity, originality, and excellence in design
- Work is saleable and for sale
- Each piece is individually made by the artist – must be original to the artist
- Each piece is capable of maintaining its structural integrity over time
- Art should be family-friendly
- No content that is political, religious, or pornographic in nature
- No group or club affiliations or symbols
- No late entries
- Artwork must be for sale, the typical 30/70 split between HCAC and the artist will apply.
Installation Process & Requirements:
- Artists may submit up to three pieces of wall or pedestal artwork per exhibit with the exception of jewelry, in which the artist can submit up to five pieces. Another exception is ornaments for the Small Works exhibit; up to four exhibit pieces can be submitted. (Tree ornaments, up to twelve for Small Works).
- Due to our limited space, exhibits are hung in the Salon-Style, and artworks will be hung at varying heights.
- The volunteer installation crew considers size, colors, and themes when hanging each exhibit.
- The total number of artworks varies from exhibit to exhibit. The volunteer installation crew tries to install all artworks. If space does not allow everything to be installed, pieces will be stored on-site and displayed as replacement pieces until the exhibit’s close date. With this in mind, we try to hang at least two to three pieces from each artist, unless an artist submits multiple large pieces. In which case, one would be hung.
- If a piece is larger than 36 inches in any direction, the artist must email the Art & Gallery Manager (artist@HaywoodArts.org) for approval.
- Pieces must be “Installation Ready,” see section below.
Installation Ready:
Two Dimensional, Wall Hanging Pieces:
- Frames, mats, acrylic, backing, and writing must be high quality, clean, neat, and secure.
- The ability to hang pieces such as wire, clasp, or for quilts, a bar or rod of some kind that can adhered to the wall is provided.
Three Dimensional, Jewelry, Sculptures and Pottery:
- All work must have a stable, neat, and secure way to stand on its own accord.
- Fragile work and jewelry must come with appropriate packaging materials.
Commercially Printed Items:
Notice: Commercially printed items other than illustrated books from handmade artworks, prints, and cards are not allowed in exhibits.
