We feature a variety of work from local and regionally known artists at the Wilson Arts Center, rotating work approximately every two months with opening receptions held on Thursday evenings from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Visiting artist lectures take place at 5:30 p.m.  All gallery exhibits and artist receptions are free and open to the public!

Wilson Arts is excited to announce our 5th Annual National Multi-Media Juried Exhibition where we will be showcasing 2D & 3D artwork from all over the country! Last year, we had over 300 entries with a great number representing North Carolina, including Canton artist Leah Smith who took first place, and local artist Tom Braswell who took 2^nd place!

This year's show is being juried by artist and arts advocate Annah Lee, who will be curating the show to select the works for a cohesive exhibition. Judging the awards will take place in person and then the winners will be announced at the opening reception.

Annah Lee has worked in the visual arts field in her hometown of Raleigh, NC for the past 10 years. She has just recently joined the town of Holly Springs as Manager of the Cultural Center. Annah received her master's degree in art history and completed her PhD coursework at UNC-Chapel Hill. Driven by a cultural history approach and a strong knowledge of various materials and artistic processes, Lee applies this experience to her curatorial and management method. Having forged strong interpersonal relationships with artists, institutions, and community members to ensure programming is relevant to our communities, Lee programs art and artists who respond to current cultural issues. Using art as a lens to explore and understand problems, behaviors, and events we collectively face, while placing a strong emphasis on process and technical mastery, Lee continues to expand access for all to engage with art as a vehicle to appreciate and understand human experience.

The show will open on Thursday, August 7 with a reception from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in the Truist Event Gallery.  The opening reception and exhibition are both free and open to the public. Cash prizes of $500 for first place, $250 for second, and $100 for third will be awarded.  The show is sponsored again this year by Farris & Thomas Law.

We hope you can join us for one of our most popular shows of the year!

As we prepare for the exciting renovations planned for the Wilson Arts Center in 2025, we are reworking—and sometimes reimagining—some of our existing spaces. Our beloved gallery gift shop has been relocated closer to the reception desk and reconfigured with a smaller footprint. This change makes the shop easier to maintain and expands our gallery exhibition space, allowing us to showcase art better.

With this update, the gift shop is more flexible to rotate items in sync with each exhibition change, offering fresh inventory throughout the year. While we will continue to feature many of your favorite artists and popular items, this new approach creates opportunities to introduce exciting new pieces with every gallery opening.

We can’t wait to share this new boutique experience with you, along with the same exceptional customer service you’ve come to expect!

August 7 - September 18
5th Annual National Multi-Media Juried Exhibition

October 2 - November 2
NC Watercolor Society Juried Exhibition

November 13 - December 23
Holiday Invitational Gallery Gift Shop
Holiday Invitational Gala - November 13