The DownEast National Juried Sculpture Exhibition is located in Pitt County, North Carolina. The exhibition has two components: a month-long indoor exhibition at Emerge Gallery & Art Center and a year-long outdoor exhibition throughout Pitt County.
Outdoor
This exhibition is open to all artists ages 18 and up. All entries must be submitted digitally. Work should be large scale to fit one of the sculpture pads in various locations throughout Pitt County, NC. Sculpture pads range from 4’x5’ to 10’ round in diameter. Artists must be available to install and remove their own work. They may have some help from the entity where the sculpture is placed, but this is not guaranteed. All work must remain on exhibit from the end of February 2026 through the end of February 2027. Work must be able to be exhibited outdoors for the length of the exhibition and utilize materials that are exterior grade.
Entries and Fees
All entries are to be submitted digitally through www.callforentry.org (CaFÉ). If you have not registered previously with CaFÉ, setting up your portfolio is free.
Each artist may submit up to 6 entries. Artists are required to submit 1 entry for a fee of $15, with the option to submit 5 additional entries at $5 each. There is a limit of 6 entries per artist. Entries may be submitted on the CaFÉ website beginning October 1, 2025, and must be completed by 11:59PM MST on November 15, 2025.
Prizes
For those sculptures chosen, there will be honorariums awarded of $1,200 each.
Additional award prizes include:
1st Place: $1,500
2nd Place: $750
3rd Place: $500
Application Submission and Deadline
Deadline: November 15, 2025
Indoor
This exhibition is open to all artists ages 18 and up. Sculpture is the three-dimensional artwork which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. Any three-dimensional media or material is eligible to participate. Indoor submissions must fit through a standard sized door (36”x80”). Work must be ready for display. All entries must be submitted digitally. Work submitted that is above our insurance value may not be accepted into the exhibition. All work must be able to be exhibited for the length of the exhibition, March 6-28, 2026.
Entries and Fees
All entries are to be submitted digitally through www.callforentry.org. If you have not registered previously with CaFÉ (now Creative West), setting up your portfolio is free.
Each artist may submit up to 6 entries. Artists are required to submit 3 entries for a fee of $20, with the option to submit 3 additional entries at $5 each. There is a limit of 6 entries per artist. Entries may be submitted on the CaFÉ website beginning November 20, 2026, and must be completed by 11:59PM MST on January 15, 2027.
Prizes
1st Place: $500
2nd Place: $250
3rd Place: $100
Application Submission and Deadline
Open: November 20, 2026
Deadline: January 15, 2027
Meet the Juror
J Burger is a sculptor and public artist residing in New Bern, North Carolina. He creates gallery and large-scale commissioned works from steel, concrete, wood, and other materials. Much of his work focuses on the human form, and centers on peoples’ relationships with themselves, others, and the world around them.
He received his BFA in Studio Art (Sculpture) and Philosophy in 2012 from East Carolina University and worked as an assistant to several sculptors over the years. He has completed a number of large-scale commissions, and his work can be found up and down the East Coast and has pieces in the Underwater Museum of Art (Gulf of Mexico), the Monarch Art Trail (Santa Rosa Beach, FL), Sallie B. Howard School (Wilson, NC), and more.
Burger is also the Executive Director of Craven Arts Council & Gallery and has worked in arts administration for the past fifteen years in a variety of roles, including at Pitt County Arts Council at Emerge. His professional mission in the role has been expanding public art, arts access, and engagement with the community. He also teaches welding and other courses at Shop Class New Bern, a community maker space, where he creates many of his pieces.
