Meet the Artist

Dylan Bannister is a visual artist whose interdisciplinary works explore memory, nostalgia, and liminality. Aiming to highlight the beauty in the everyday, Bannister's images often feature utilitarian fixtures such as payphones, sign frames, buildings, and powerlines. Bannister's works have been included in group exhibitions throughout the southeastern U.S., and his 2023 solo-exhibition Dialing Out presented recent works from his Payphones on Film photo series in the Arts Council of York County's Center for the Arts.

Studio & Community

Based in Rock Hill, SC, Bannister and his partner Alexis Howard currently share a creative space with the Tom S. Gettys Center in the heart of downtown - Gentle Reminders Studio. It is here that they further their creative practices individually and together, and they also connect with the city’s vibrant creative community. Studio visits are available by appointment.

Open Studio During First Fridays Rock Hill!
On the first Friday of each month, Gentle Reminders Studios is open from 5:30 - 8:30pm to invite visitors to tour the studio, meet the artists, and see what we’re working on! This is in conjunction with First Fridays Rock Hill - a free, self-guided tour and celebration of the city’s creative culture hosted by the Arts Council of York County.

Arts Advocacy & Community Organizing

Dylan Bannister advocates for the value of Rock Hill’s creative community at the Rock Hill Citizen’s Hearing on March 10th, 2025.

Since January 2025, Bannister has worked alongside fellow artists, art-lovers, and organizations to cultivate Keep Rock Hill Creative - an initiative aimed at preserving and nurturing the city's grassroots arts and cultural scene. While not a formal organization, the Keep Rock Hill Creative cause has been a powerful tool in raising awareness about the value and impact of the arts within the Rock Hill community. A key component of these efforts is advocating to city leaders for their continued support of the arts through partnership, which enables arts programming and spaces dedicated to creative incubation and community connection.

Related Press and Interviews:

CV

Professional Role:

Director of Inspiration Projects
ArtPop Street Gallery in Charlotte, NC
October 2022 - Present

Education:

B.F.A. in Studio Art
Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC
Class of 2016

Table of Contents:

Solo & Duo Exhibitions:

  • Luminous - Works by Alexis Howard & Dylan Bannister (2025), Hodges Taylor, Charlotte, NC

  • Dialing Out (2023), Perimeter Gallery, Rock Hill, SC

  • Gentle Reminders (Duo Exhibition with Alexis Howard), Courtroom Gallery, Rock Hill, SC

  • RECALL (2017), Basic Cable Studio, Charlotte, SC

  • TECH (2014), McLaurin Student Galleries, Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC

    Group Exhibitions:

    • ACYC Members Show - Dalton Gallery - Rock Hill, SC

    • ArtFields Juried Competition, Lake City, SC

    • Technicolor Daydreams, LoSo Studios, Charlotte, NC

    • Something Old Something New, Charlotte Studio Artists, Charlotte, NC

    • EERIE, WONDER Gallery, Columbia, SC

    • Luminous - Recent Works by Alexis Howard & Dylan Bannister, Sprengeri Studio Gallery, Rock Hill, SC

    • Im•Prompt•U, LoSo Studios, Charlotte, NC

    • Friends of Friday Arts Project Exhibit, The Courtroom Gallery, Rock Hill, SC

    • ArtPop Artist Exhibit, Fanjoy Labrenz Studio, Hickory, NC

    • CORPUS, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, OH

    • SPARK Invitational Exhibit, Public Works Art Center, Summerville, SC

    • ACYC 35th Annual Juried Competition Exhibition, Dalton Gallery, Rock Hill, SC (Awarded Honorable Mention)

    • SC Festival of Flowers Juried Art Show, Arts Center of Greenwood, SC

    • Behold: A Photography Exhibition, ONE Columbia, Columbia, SC

    • Yellow: A Community Art Exhibition, WONDER Gallery, Columbia, SC

    • ACYC Members Show - Dalton Gallery - Rock Hill, SC

    • FREE for ALL, Hart Witzen Gallery, Charlotte, NC

    • The Red Show, LoSo Studios, Charlotte, NC

    • Nostalgia, WONDER Gallery, Columbia, SC

    • VIVID - Alumni Exhibition, Winthrop University Galleries, Rock Hill, SC

    • Art Party Juried Exhibition, Rock Hill, SC

    • Private Space, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, OH

    • SC Festival of Flowers Juried Art Show, Arts Center of Greenwood, SC

    • ArtFields Juried Competition, The R.O.B., Lake City, SC

    • ACYC Member’s Show, Perimeter Gallery, Rock Hill, SC

    • Art Party Juried Exhibition, The Hickory Post, Rock Hill, SC

    • UCAC 2022 Art Exhibition, USC Union, Union, SC

    • ACYC 33rd Annual Juried Competition Exhibition, Dalton Gallery, Rock Hill, SC (Awarded Merit Award)

    • SC Festival of Flowers Juried Art Show, Arts Center of Greenwood, SC (Awarded Third Place)

    • ACYC Member’s Show, Dalton Gallery, Rock Hill, SC

    • URBAN, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, OH

    • Art Party Juried Exhibition, Knowledge Perk, Rock Hill, SC

    • ACYC Studio Artists Showcase, Dalton Gallery, Rock Hill, SC

    • ACYC Members Show, Dalton Gallery, Rock Hill, SC

    • ACYC 31st Annual Juried Competition Exhibition, Dalton Gallery, Rock Hill, SC

    • Art Party Exhibition, Slow Play Brewing, Rock Hill, SC

    • OFF-BRAND, Goodyear Arts, Charlotte, NC

    • Depth of Field, VAE Raleigh, United Arts Council, Raleigh, NC

    • MAGNITUDE SEVEN, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, OH

    • SC Festival of Flowers Juried Art Show, The Arts Center of Greenwood, SC

    • ArtFields Juried Competition, TRAX Visual Arts Center, Lake City, SC

    • MAINFRAME, The Mint Museum Uptown, Charlotte, NC

    • ACYC 29th Annual Juried Competition Exhibition, Dalton Gallery, Rock Hill, SC

    • HACKED, Manifest Creative Research Gallery and Drawing Center, Cincinnati, OH

    • SC Festival of Flowers Juried Art Show, The Arts Center of Greenwood, SC

    • ArtFields Juried Competition, TRAX Visual Arts Center, Lake City, SC

    • ACYC Expressions of Portraiture, Dalton Gallery, Rock Hill, SC

    • Art Party Juried Exhibition, Friends Books on Main, Rock Hill, SC

    • Under Pressure: The Print Exhibition (Juror: Bill Fick), VAE Raleigh, Raleigh, NC

    • SC Festival of Flowers Juried Art Show, The Arts Center of Greenwood, SC

Public Artworks:

  • Potions & Pixels Classic ArtCade (2025 - Present) - four of my glitch art designs were printed and wrapped onto a custom-built arcade cabinet that was installed for public use during the Charlotte SHOUT! arts festival

  • RHEDC Electrical Box Project (2024 - Present) - four of my glitch art designs were printed and installed onto a public utility box - Located at 156 E White St, Rock Hill, SC

  • 100 Tiny Things at the Charlotte International Arts Festival (2023) - My diorama artwork Dead Ringer was included in this outdoor gallery of small artworks, which took place in Ballantyne’s Backyard in Charlotte, NC

  • ACYC Cotton Alley Gallery (2021 - Present) - My photo Twins at Southland Supermarket is included in the Cotton Alley Gallery - Located at 121 E. Main St, Rock Hill, SC

  • ArtPop Street Gallery Cities Program (2021) - My photo Left Behind at Value Spot was showcased on billboards and public advertising displays throughout the Charlotte-Metropolitan Region throughout 2021, and in Times Square NYC in 2024

Curated Exhibitions:

  • The Red Show (2024) - invitational group exhibition, The Corridor Gallery at LOSO Studios, Charlotte, NC

  • Soft Gestures (2022) - an invitational group exhibition co-curated with Alexis Howard, The Courtroom Gallery, Rock Hill, SC

  • Sensations (2021) - a juried student exhibition co-curated with Alexis Howard for the Winthrop University Union of Student Artists, McLaurin Student Galleries, Rock Hill, SC

  • Printmaking 2017 - a juried exhibition of print-based works by Winthrop University students & alumni, Lewandowski Student Gallery, Rock Hill, SC

  • OPUS: Revisiting the Printmaking Exchange (2015) - an exhibition of selected prints from the Winthrop University Printmaking program’s exchange archive, co-curated with Meaghan Westfall-Hurtt and Caroline Kalajian, McLaurin Student Galleries, Rock Hill, SC

Publications:

  • Payphones on Film: Fences, Light, Overgrown, and Signs (2023) - four self published photo-booklets

  • Payphones on Film (2019) - self-published photo-booklet

  • W.A.M.A. Apocalypse, Pets, and Dreams (2019) - zines featuring works by W.A.M.A. collective members

  • Graphic Impressions: The Newsletter of SGC International (Fall 2018 and Summer 2015 issues)

  • Winthrop University Undergraduate Scholarship and Creative Activity (2016 and 2015 editions)

  • The Anthology: Winthrop University's Art and Literary Magazine (2016, 2015, and 2014 issues)

Professional Experience:

  • Founding artist of the Keep Rock Hill Creative initiative in Rock Hill, SC (January 2025 - Present)

  • Gallery Committee Member for The Courtroom Gallery in Rock Hill, SC (July 2022 - Present)

  • LoSo Studios Artist Collective Member in Charlotte, NC (October 2022 - Present)

  • W.A.M.A. Artist Collective Member (June 2019 - August 2020)

  • Adjunct Instructor of Fine Arts at Winthrop University (August 2016 - May 2018)

  • Studio Assistant, Web Designer, and Master Printer to artist Tom Stanley (May 2016 - August 2018)

  • Lab Coordinator, Studio Manager, and Web Designer for the Winthrop University Department of Fine Arts (February 2015 - May 2018)

  • Studio Assistant to artist Paul Martyka (December 2015 - January 2016)

  • Winthrop University Union of Student Artists Board Member (May 2015 - May 2016)