COTTON ALLEY CALL FOR ARTISTS
Cotton Alley serves as a passage from the White Street parking lot behind Wells Fargo and the Center for the Arts to East Main Street.
The Arts Council of York County is proud to announce a call for entries for the third phase of public art in Cotton Alley Gallery, located adjacent to the Center for the Arts at 121 E. Main St., Rock Hill, SC.
The Alleys as Galleries initiative transforms well-traveled alleys and vacant walls into vibrant outdoor art spaces seen by thousands of local residents and visitors. This project provides selected artists with invaluable public exposure, features on the Arts Council website, and recognition within the community. Our overarching goal is to brand York County as a premier regional arts destination while championing the talent of our local artist network.
Eligibility & Guidelines
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Membership Requirement: This opportunity is free to enter, but is open strictly to current Arts Council of York County (ACYC) Artist Members who are 18 years of age or older.
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Mediums: Alleys as Galleries is not just for 2D artists! If you are a 3D, textile, ceramic, or performance artist and can photographically represent your work to high-resolution specifications, you are encouraged to enter.
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Originality: All submissions must be completely original artwork. No derivative works, copies, or plagiarism will be considered.
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No Advertising: Artwork cannot serve as commercial advertising and must not include company logos, brand names, or marketing calls-to-action.
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Content: Submissions must be family-friendly. While works do not need to cater specifically to a young audience, they must be appropriate for a public space accessible to all ages. No nudity, explicit scenes, violence, offensive, or slanderous imagery will be accepted. All art is subject to final approval by the ACYC.
Specifications & Production
Selected original artworks will be reproduced by the Arts Council onto 3’ x 6’ vinyl banners to be securely installed on the Cotton Alley walls.
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Dimensions: Your artwork—or your high-resolution digital crop of it—must perfectly fit the 1:2 aspect ratio (3' x 6' dimensions). Submissions with incorrect proportions will not be considered.
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Credits: To promote our selected artists, the Arts Council will include your social media handle (@username) or a short URL/web link directly on the printed banner.
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Image Manipulation: If a selected work is slightly off-scale, the Arts Council reserves the right to minimally crop or manipulate the image to comply with exact production specifications.
Digital File Requirements
Artists may submit up to 3 pieces for consideration. Digital files must meet the following technical criteria:
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Format: JPEG (.jpg)
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Dimensions: Exactly 900 x 1800 pixels (or scaled higher while maintaining the 1:2 ratio)
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Resolution: Minimum 300 ppi/dpi
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File Size: Maximum 5 MB per image
Important Dates
CALL FOR ARTISTS | July 1 - September 13, 2026
JURYING | September 14 - October 18, 2026
NOTIFICATION | October 19, 2026 - October 23, 2026
ART DEADLINE | October 30, 2026
PRODUCTION | November 2, 2026 - January 4, 2027
INSTALLATION | January 5 - 15, 2027
How to Apply
Incomplete proposals and proposals that do not adhere to the Arts Council’s submission guidelines will not be considered. Ensure your ACYC artist membership is active prior to submitting. All production and printing costs for the vinyl banners are fully covered by the Arts Council of York County.
Submissions are only accepted online at
yorkcountyarts.org/cottonalleyapplication
An online submission form must be completed for each proposal.
Images are to be submitted through the online submission form.
Artist Membership
Artists may become members of the Arts Council of York County to take advantage of our Artist Member Benefits, including the Cotton Alley Call for Artists.
Artists Memberships are valid from July 1 - June 30, and can be renewed annually.
You must be an active Artist Member to apply to the Cotton Alley Call for Artists.