South Carolina Arts Foundation

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The SC Arts Foundation is dedicated to recognizing, encouraging and supporting the art and artists of South Carolina. What do the arts mean to you?

When was the last time a work of art left you nearly breathless? Or brought back a fond memory? Or inspired you to take action? Was it a piece of symphonic music or a painting by a South Carolina artist? Was it a piece of public art that enhances your walk to lunch, or a singer's thrilling ending to a song? We want to know: what's your arts story this year? In the past, we've told you about 1536 great reasons to lend your support to the arts in South Carolina. Your generous donations have helped artists, arts organizations and schools to do what they do best: make art while also making our state a more vibrant and liveable place. For more than four decades, the South Carolina Arts Commission has developed the arts, making them accessible to South Carolina citizens through consulting, training, grants and statewide leadership for the arts community. This investment has increased arts activities, awareness and participation in every part of this state, and there's a good chance it's benefited you and your family. Tell us your story, and make sure others can be enriched with their own stories by donating to the Arts Growth Fund and by attending the South Carolina Arts Gala in May.

10/08/2026

Art belongs in the streets.

The 7th Annual ArtLinc Chalk Arts Festival is bringing artists, students, families, and the Columbia community together for an afternoon of creativity along the Vista Greenway.

Participants can create their own chalk artwork in designated spaces, with chalk provided. Whether you're an experienced artist or simply want to try something new, the festival offers a fun, accessible way to make art together.

📍: Vista Greenway Trail Entrance, Columbia
📅: Saturday, October 10, 2026
⏰: 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Free and open to the public

A great reminder that art doesn't always have to live inside a gallery. Sometimes, it belongs right in the middle of the community.

Learn more through the City of Columbia's official event information.

09/28/2026

The South Carolina Arts Foundation Stands with Every Artist in South Carolina

COLUMBIA, S.C. (September 28, 2026) — The Board of Directors of the South Carolina Arts Foundation affirms its steadfast support for the arts in South Carolina and for every artist who calls our state home.

Art belongs to all of us. It fills our concert halls and community theaters, our classrooms and main streets, from the Upstate to the Lowcountry. South Carolina's artists tell the story of who we are, and each of them deserves a state that welcomes them — every artist, every community, every voice.

Art thrives when artists can create freely. South Carolina has long honored that freedom, and generations of South Carolinians have benefited from a public commitment to the arts that reaches every corner of our state. We believe that commitment should continue to embrace every artist and every audience.

Our Board is paying close attention to recent developments affecting the arts in South Carolina. We will continue to follow them carefully, and we will continue to speak up for the artists and arts organizations who enrich our state.

“South Carolina's artists make our communities stronger, more joyful, and more connected,” said Elizabeth Franklin-Best, President of the South Carolina Arts Foundation Board of Directors. “Every artist in our state deserves the chance to create, to share their work, and to be welcomed by the communities they serve. Our Board stands firmly behind them.”

09/24/2026

Who is keeping South Carolina’s traditions alive?

Nominations are open for the 2027 Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Awards, a statewide honor presented by the South Carolina General Assembly to recognize practitioners and advocates of traditional arts that are significant to communities across South Carolina.

Traditional arts are creative practices passed down through communities and generations, often connected to family, place, occupation, religion, ethnicity, or other shared identities. The award recognizes artists, arts organizations, and advocates who help sustain these living traditions and pass them on to others.

Jean Laney Harris, a former South Carolina state representative, was a longtime advocate for the arts and the state’s cultural resources. The award was named in her honor following her death in 1997.

Do you know someone whose work helps keep a South Carolina tradition alive? Consider nominating them.

Nominations for the 2027 awards must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. ET on September 30, 2026.

Visit the Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Award page at USC Lancaster for eligibility requirements, nomination instructions, and supporting-material requirements.

09/17/2026

A 1972 artwork made with Polaroids and television? Yes, really. 📺

This is "Conversation" by James Howard, made using polacolor reproductions of transparencies, airbrushed ink, and layered Plexiglas. At the time, Howard was experimenting with something brand new: Polaroid film that let him control reproduction quality and create multiple images instantly, years before that kind of instant, layered image-making became second nature to any of us.

In his own words: "I have always attempted to incorporate in my work contemporary materials, techniques and tools." He later moved into imaging through color television systems, always chasing whatever tool let him see and reproduce images differently.

"Conversation" was purchased for the South Carolina Arts Commission's State Art Collection in 1973, over 50 years ago, and still feels ahead of its time.

Would you have guessed this was made in 1972? 👇 Let us know in the comments.

09/10/2026

Call for Artists: 2027 Exhibition Proposals

Francis Marion University’s Steven F. Gately Gallery in Florence, South Carolina, is accepting exhibition proposals for its 2027 academic-year exhibition calendar.

Artists and groups are invited to submit proposals for solo, two-person, group, or other exhibition formats. The gallery welcomes work including painting, sculpture, drawing, mixed media, printmaking, and other media.

Selected exhibitions typically run 7–8 weeks, offering artists an opportunity to present their work in a 3,000+ square-foot institutional gallery with more than 200 feet of exhibition wall space.

Application deadline: September 30, 2026

Applicants should be prepared to submit:
• CV
• Artist bio
• Artist statement
• Exhibition proposal
• Portfolio of 10 artwork images

📍: Florence, SC

For full submission requirements and to apply, visit the Steven F. Gately Gallery exhibition proposal page at Francis Marion University.

09/03/2026

South Carolina artists: applications are open for the 2026 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art.

Presented by Society 1858 and the Gibbes Museum of Art, the annual prize awards $10,000 to an artist whose work contributes to a new understanding of art in the South.

Artists working in any medium are eligible, including artists who reside, work in, or are from South Carolina.
The selected artist will also have artwork chosen for a year-long exhibition at the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston.

📅Deadline: September 14, 2026
💵Entry fee: $35
📍Charleston, SC

This is an opportunity to gain financial support, museum exposure, and recognition within the contemporary Southern art community.

If you’re a South Carolina artist, or know an artist who should apply, share this with them.

Applications are now open. Visit the official 1858 Prize website to apply. The application link is also included in the graphic.

08/19/2026

South Carolina Artists, are you looking to Grow Your Creative Business?

The South Carolina Arts Commission’s Artist Entrepreneur Incubator kicks off its 2026/27 series this Saturday with a free, full-day session focused on grants and artistic growth.

The program is designed for South Carolina artists who want to build or grow their arts-based businesses. During Saturday’s session, artists will:

• Work through grant writing and budgeting activities
• Explore ways to diversify income and plan for growth
• Connect with other South Carolina artists and SCAC staff
• Get practical resources for developing their businesses and brands
• Have the opportunity to receive a free professional headshot

📍: Greenville Center for Creative Arts
📅: Saturday, August 22
⏰: 10 AM–4 PM
💰: Free

The program is open to South Carolina residents who are at least 18 and are not currently enrolled in a degree-granting program.

Know an artist who could use this? Send this their way.

07/28/2026

We’ve received so many questions about how to apply for the 2026 MOJA Juried Art Exhibition, so we put together this simple step-by-step guide to help make the process a little easier.

Whether you’re applying for the first time or you’ve submitted work before, we hope this guide answers some of your questions and helps you navigate the application with confidence.

📅 Application Deadline: August 11, 2026

If you have any additional questions, leave them in the comments, and we’ll do our best to help.

If you know an artist who might be interested, feel free to share this post with them!

07/21/2026

South Carolina artists, here's an opportunity to showcase your work.

Submissions are now open for the 2026 MOJA Arts Festival Juried Art Exhibition at Charleston's City Gallery.

Artists from South Carolina, along with eligible artists from select areas of Georgia and North Carolina, are invited to submit original work in:
• Painting
• Sculpture
• Drawing
• Printmaking
• Photography

Selected works will be featured during the 2026 MOJA Arts Festival, taking place September 24 through October 25 at Joe Riley Waterfront Park in Charleston.

This year's exhibition will be juried by artist and gallerist Arun Drummond.

🗓 Submission deadline: August 11, 2026

Opportunities like this help artists gain visibility while celebrating the rich artistic and cultural heritage that makes South Carolina's creative community so vibrant.

Learn more and submit your work through the City Gallery of Charleston.

07/13/2026

At first glance, you see texture. Look closer, and you'll find history.

This week's featured artwork is Collage Construction (1964) by Robert Courtright.

Drawing inspiration from Mediterranean Romanesque architecture, Courtright explores space, texture, natural light, and the idea of reuse. He was particularly inspired by the way older buildings often incorporated salvaged Roman stones and materials, originally intended for a different purpose, into entirely new structures.

He approached collage in much the same way. Papers and materials with their own histories, each once serving a different purpose, are brought together to create a new visual language. As Courtright described it, collage is "a very definite reuse of the past," even if that past is only as recent as yesterday's newspaper.

He believed that little in a work of art is ever completely new. Instead, ideas and materials are passed on, rediscovered, rescued, and reimagined, with traces of their earlier existence contributing to the meaning of the finished piece.

Artwork Details
Collage Construction (1964)
Mixed media collage
36 × 36 in.

What details or stories do you notice when you look a little closer?

Address

1026 Sumter Street, Ste 200
Columbia, SC
29201

Telephone

+18037348696

Website

http://www.southcarolinaarts.com/Foundation/index.shtml

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