Sunset River Gallery Open Submissions Prospectus 2026

Feb 1 – 15, 2026

Sunset River Gallery in Calabash, NC has a limited number of openings for professional caliber artists who reside or have a studio in North or South Carolina. We are looking for the best of the best – accomplished artists with passion, talent, and a body of work to present. From our perspective, your work should both stand out and work well with other pieces in the gallery. Ask yourself: does your art distinguish itself? How do you feel it would fit at Sunset River Gallery? Do you continue to grow as an artist? Can you meet the requirements of an artist in our gallery?

We are a 10,000 square foot gallery with a 20+ year stellar reputation. Our clients are mainly regional but come from all around the country and Europe. Since opening in 2002, we have become a repeat destination for art lovers up and down the east coast. Gallery director Samantha Spalti and our staff nurture relationships with our collectors as well as our artists. We market heavily throughout the year with public relations, social media, a monthly newsletter, digital advertising and print and video ads. Charity events, juried shows, both a summer and holiday art market, and six- to eight-week shows featuring our Sunset River artists bring thousands of visitors to the gallery.

What we are looking for:

• We have a limited number of openings and are looking for just the right people to join the gallery. We are looking for art we do not already have. We pride ourselves on having great art at every price point. Will your art add something special to our gallery?
• We are accepting submissions of all types of art, 2D and 3D.
• Is your art a cut above? We represent some of the best artists in our area and our customers know to expect the best when they visit.
• You must be a NC or SC artist, actively creating art.
• We ask our artists to be involved in the gallery events as well. We don’t expect you to come to every reception or event, but we do ask that we see you more than when you come to bring us new work. In addition, we ask that you share gallery posts to your social media.
• You must be in a position to replenish your art as needed. This is dictated by customer demand, but at the very least work needs to be swapped out every 4 – 6 months.
• Do you think you would be a good fit for the gallery? Not all art fits in every gallery, please feel free to visit SRG and determine for yourself if your work would be a good fit before you submit.
• We are looking for a variety of price points, but all work must be professional in caliber.
• If you’ve applied to be in the gallery in the past, you are welcome to submit again, we just ask that you submit current work. We are open to both wholesale and consignment arrangements for the right artists.

To submit: email info@sunsetrivergallery.com with the following information:

• Write”Artist Submissions 2026″ in the subject line
• Please put all info in the body of your email. Do not put your submission in a separate document that is attached to your email.
• If more than one email is necessary, make sure to let us know how many emails are being sent.
• Name, where you live, phone number, best email to reach you, biography in third person (300 word max) (click here for sample bio), and artist statement in first person (100 word max).
• Work must be current and you must be actively creating art.
• Pics of 3 – 4 pieces total (if 3D, please include more than one angle of each item), with titles, dimensions, date completed, and price. If your email gives you the option to size the files, medium or large is best. These are the pics that determine the interview! Make sure they’re good quality photos.
• The pieces you are submitting need to be available for you to bring in, should you be asked for an interview.

What happens after you submit:

• Every submission will be acknowledged. Not every artist will be invited to complete the next steps.
• The gallery team will review every entry, if they feel you are a good fit for the gallery, they will reach out with next steps.
• Not all artists will be accepted. This is not a commentary on the quality of your work, but rather whether the work complements our existing artists and what we feel we can sell.

Timeframe for submission process:

• February 1 – 15, 2026 – Open Submissions, we will be looking at every artist who submits and will acknowledge each submission. If a week has gone by and you haven’t received an acknowledgement, feel free to email the gallery.
• Beginning February 16, 2026 – Interviews with artists – not every artist will be asked to interview and not all who interview will be asked to join the gallery. The interview is simply an opportunity to see you and your work in person in an effort to determine your fit within our gallery. If you are not asked for an interview appointment, we aren’t pursuing having your art in the gallery at this time.
• If you are asked to come in for an interview, please bring the work you submitted.

Featured image: L-R, Oil painter Debanjana Bhattacharjee, Turned wood by Bob Moffett, Geoffrey Lloyd & his pottery.