Poster Design Competition Winner

Looking North by Mary Glenn Keadle

The City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department is pleased to announce Mary Glenn Keadle of Charleston, SC, as the winner of the 2026 North Charleston Arts Fest Poster Design Competition.  As the winner of the statewide contest, Keadle’s acrylic painting, titled Looking North, will be used to promote the 2026 North Charleston Arts Fest, taking place April 29-May 3.  In addition, the artist was awarded a $1000 cash prize and the piece has become part of the City of North Charleston’s Public Art Collection.

Thirty-three artists working in 16 cities across South Carolina submitted 87 entries for consideration for the 2026 North Charleston Arts Fest Poster Design Competition. Keadle submitted two entries, each colorfully depicting aerial views of North Charleston Riverfront Park. Her winning painting, Looking North, utilizes layered textures and pops of exposed underpainting to guide the viewer’s eye and evoke movement and depth. “Rather than creating a generic festival poster that could belong to any city, my goal was to paint something unmistakably North Charleston—bold, vibrant, and grounded in its own history and geography,” Keadle explains. “Through this work, I hope to celebrate the city’s unique landscape and artistic spirit.”