National Sculpture Society is pleased to announce the 91st Annual Awards Exhibition. The show will open at Brookgreen Gardens in Pawleys Island, SC on May 4. The juried show features the figurative works of 37 contemporary sculptors and will be on view through July 21. The show will then travel to Indianapolis, IN and be on exhibit at Indianapolis Art Center from August 19 through December 15. The 16 prize winners from the show will then travel to New York City and the work will be displayed at the NSS Gallery in the 91st Annual Award Winners Exhibition from January 13 to March 21, 2025. An exhibition catalogue is available for purchase.

The Annual Awards Exhibition is National Sculpture Society’s most popular show. Hundreds of artists apply to the juried competition which offers over eighteen-thousand dollars in cash prizes. The variety of subject matter and media exhibited represents the diverse styles, backgrounds, and disciplines of NSS members. Fellows (FNSS), Elected Members (NSS), and Associates make up the levels of sculptor membership in the organization, which is international in scope and appeal. National Sculpture Society is dedicated to promoting excellence in sculpture that is inspired by nature.

Highlights of the 91st Annual Awards Exhibition include an alligator moving stealthily through the water; a marble torso seemingly floating on air; an unfurling fiddlehead fern; sensitive portraits of aging bodies and troubled souls; and an irresistible take on the Hindu God Ganesha. Dozens of figures, busts, and reliefs — encompassing a diversity of topics and material — round out the 91st Annual Awards Exhibition which promises something special for everyone.

Artists participating in the show are Anthony Antonios, FNSS; Maria Battista; Jeremy Bradshaw, NSS; Richard Burke; Tim Cherry, FNSS; Diane Collins; Brent Cooke; Malynda Cooper; Beverly Davis, NSS; Darrell Davis, FNSS; Mick Doellinger, FNSS; Erik Ebeling; Taylor Fawcett; Jacquelyn Giuffré, FNSS; Brendan Johnston; Elizabeth Jordan (juror); Elizabeth Lind; Rett Longmore; Gwen Marcus, FNSS; Deanne McKeown; Marilyn Mazin Miller; Maidy Morhous; Stephen Perkins; Bryce Pettit; Benjamin Phillips; Jim Rennert, FNSS (juror); Diana Reuter-Twining, NSS; Chris Elizabeth Richards; Sherry Rossini; Ken Rowe, FNSS; Wayne Salge, NSS; Stephen Saxenian; Sandy Scott, FNSS; Tom Silveroli, FNSS; Gary Staab, FNSS; Ryoichi Suzuki, FNSS; and Jeremiah D. Welsh, NSS.

The Jury of Selection and Jury of Awards play an important part in the annual exhibition and each jury is comprised of two sculptors and one curator/art historian. This year the Jury of Selection chose the 37 works from the 254 entries received from around the world. The Jury of Selection included Sculptor Elizabeth Jordan; Alex Moore, Exhibitions Program Manager, Indy Art Center (Indianapolis, IN); and NSS Fellow Jim Rennert.

A Jury of Awards — to be determined — will convene after the show is installed at Brookgreen Gardens. The 91st Annual Award winners will be announced at a closing reception on July 20; the Brookgreen Gardens People’s Choice award will be announced at that time as well.

National Sculpture Society was founded in New York City in 1893 by a group of America’s most prominent sculptors. Its members have created much of this country’s public sculpture, coins, and medals since the late 1800s. It is the oldest organization of professional sculptors in the United States and has been hosting exhibitions for over a century.

Brookgreen Gardens was founded by Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington in 1931 and today is a National Historic Landmark and a garden museum with the most extensive collection of figurative sculpture in an outdoor setting by American artists in the world.  In addition to the gardens, Brookgreen offers year-round courses and workshops to sculptors as well as programs and tours for visitors of all ages and interests.