Although it's known mainly for its beaches and mountains, South Carolina supports a vibrant arts and entertainment community. Visitors to the state can enjoy a wide variety of arts activities and world class entertainment in this small Southern state.
South Carolina's history, from its Colonial days to antebellum period, bears a large influence on its arts, crafts, and performing arts. The state's large Gullah population, descended from West African slaves, enriches South Carolina with their traditional artistic offerings. In the upcountry, the Cherokees add their own profound mark on local arts and crafts.
One of the most visited areas in South Carolina, Charleston is home to the internationally known Spoleto Festival and Piccolo Spoleto. Held each summer for 17 days, the Spoleto Festival brings renowned performing artists from around the world into one place. Venues across the city present hundreds of performances in opera, music, dance, and theater. Piccolo Spoleto occurs simultaneously, showcasing regional performing artists, fine arts, and crafts.
South Carolina hosts a multitude of other arts and craft festivals across the state. One widely attended arts festival is the MOJA Arts Festival, a Charleston event honoring African-American and Caribbean art. In addition, South Carolina boasts several high-caliber art museums in Columbia, Charleston, and Spartanburg.
Local artists often focus on the landscapes and scenes of South Carolina's coastal areas, marshes, and beaches. Historical themes play a part in local art, with depictions of planter and pastoral scenes, in addition to African-American culture. The Gullah community has had a large impact on the lowcountry area, practicing traditional crafts like sweetgrass basket weaving, spiritual music, and historical artwork. Gullah festivals in Hilton Head and Charleston celebrate these cultural traditions, music, food, and people.
Clemson and Columbia, homes to Clemson University and the University of South Carolina, respectively, both have active arts scenes. Local filmmakers, bands and musicians, theater groups, and artists all prosper in these university towns, as well as in Spartanburg. By checking local listings, visitors can find live music performances, independent film showings, and art shows across these cities at almost any time.
Crafts
The crafting scene in South Carolina primarily features items like sweetgrass baskets. As with many crafts, these baskets were originally created for daily use, gradually evolving into artistry. Woven by hand in the Gullah tradition, this art form has been passed down through generations. While Mount Pleasant is the center of sweetgrass weaving, baskets can be purchased throughout the lowcountry. Other significant crafts include those created by the Cherokees in the mountains of the upcountry. A full calendar of arts and crafts fairs takes place all over South Carolina.
Dance
South Carolina offers a sophisticated and varied dance community. With professional ballet companies such as the Charleston Ballet Theatre, the Carolina Ballet, and Columbia's two professional dance companies, dance lovers are sure to find a performance to attend. Dance companies like the Borenya West African Dance Company and the Palmetto Oasis Middle Eastern Dance Troupe add a dash of international flavor to South Carolina's dance scene.
For locals and visitors who like to cut a rug themselves, plenty of opportunities exist. The shag, South Carolina's official state dance, became popular in the 1940's, danced to R&B and beach music. Across the state, shag clubs still hold shag parties, dance competitions, and other special events. Dancers can also participate in clogging, square dancing, and ballroom dancing at local functions.
Film
Captivating scenery, historic sites, and tax incentives for production companies have encouraged filmmaking in South Carolina. A number of commercial films have been shot here, including GI Jane, The Notebook, Forrest Gump, and Sleeping with the Enemy. Local independent filmmakers receive support from a number of agencies and businesses. In addition, several film festivals are held during the year in Myrtle Beach, Beaufort, and Columbia. Columbia's Nickelodeon Theatre wins the award for most film festivals, hosting six annually.
Literature
South Carolina serves not just as inspiration for many authors of contemporary literature, it's also given them a home. Pat Conroy, John Jakes, Anne River Siddons, and Dorthea Benton Frank are just a few of the state's well-known writers. Many of their stories are historically and geographically accurate, and some of these literary locations can be visited. Organizations have given the state's authors a boost, too. For instance, the Hub City Writers Project, based in Spartanburg, publishes literature evoking life in South Carolina and has been the model for writing projects around the country.
Music
A wide variety of musical styles makes South Carolina's music scene interesting and accessible to everyone. South Carolina originated two local styles of music, beach music and the Spiritual. Beach music evolved from R&B, while slaves created spiritual songs based on Bible stories. Bluegrass, folk, country, classical, and rock'n roll are also popular. Music festivals present an array of performances, with the Charleston and Myrtle Beach areas hosting the most events. Still, numerous venues statewide present live music. From an elegant evening at the symphony to slam dancing to a punk band in a local bar, visitors have plenty to choose from.
Theater
South Carolina has an active theatrical community. Its well-respected professional theater organizations include regional Equity theaters like the Dock Street Theatre in Charleston and the South Carolina Shakespeare Company in Columbia. Many cities throughout the state also cultivate a thriving community theater scene, presenting full seasons each year. In the most heavily visited tourist areas, travelers will find commercial theatrical productions, such as Dolly Parton's Stampede in Myrtle Beach.
Visual Arts
Several high quality museums with extraordinary collections call South Carolina home. Columbia offers the Columbia Museum, which exhibits a variety of works, including Dutch Old Masters, Renaissance art, and contemporary pieces. The McKissick Museum, part of the University of South Carolina campus in Columbia, displays collections including fine and decorative arts.
In Charleston, the Gibbes Museum of Art presents over 10,000 works, ranging from local history to contemporary art. Just outside of Charleston, Summerville proudly exhibits sculpture in public places, as well as hosting the annual Sculpture in the South Festival. Greenville has two museums, the Greenville County Museum of Art and the Bob Jones University Museum and Gallery, home to one of the most spectacular religious collections in the world.
For those wanting to purchase fine art, Charleston's large concentration of artists makes it the place to shop. With many galleries scattered throughout the historic district and the French Quarter, the local Art Walks held each quarter provide the perfect opportunity to browse, buy, and mingle. Of course, fine art can be purchased throughout the state, and a number of arts festivals take place during the year.
Despite its relatively small size, South Carolina has fostered a rich, active arts and entertainment community. Whether you're interested in an international opera or a weekend art fair, South Carolina has the ticket.
