Where Is ‘South Carolina’s City of The Arts’?

Stephen Stinson

Greenville is known for many things – an award-winning downtown, ample opportunities for outdoor recreation, and incredible restaurants. But don’t overlook the impressive and vibrant arts scene in Greenville. In fact, it’s been called “South Carolina’s City of The Arts.” 

From its symphony orchestra, art galleries, theaters and museums to its public art projects and seemingly endless collection of cultural events, Greenville’s relatively small size belies its big-city arts offerings. 

Creating an Amazing Arts Scene in Greenville

Paula Angermeier, head of communications and publications at the Greenville County Museum of Art, says one thing that distinguishes the community’s cultural scene is that it offers “an accessibility point for everyone.”

That’s due in part, she notes, to the fact that its numerous local colleges and universities, along with the Rodeheaver Auditorium on the Bob Jones University campus, the Governor’s School and the Fine Arts Center, all have strong arts programs. The result is a city with a strong artistic core. 

Public-private partnerships are part of what makes Greenville’s arts scene so special. In 1963 the South Carolina General Assembly officially created the Greenville County Museum Commission, the museum’s governing body. 

“It sort of legislated the museum into an official thing,” Angermeier says. “The public-private partnership fosters a strong local arts and artist community. There’s also a real desire to see art from other places and to see historical art and to see cutting-edge contemporary art. And I think that’s the role that the museum plays, so that’s exciting to me that there’s a place everyone can sort of start and learn and see more.” 

Fostering Inclusion in the Community

Famed poet – and the city’s first poet laureate – Greenvillian Glenis Redmond says that the city’s collaborative spirit relative to the arts is a huge asset. She notes that artistic collaboration sparks unique creations that transcend any one community, genre or medium, ultimately creating a sense of inclusion. 

“One of the most powerful collaborations we’ve done is the Greenlink Poetry Project,” Redmond says. “We gathered local poets, and they each interviewed a bus passenger to craft poems that raised awareness about the need for accessible local public transportation. The poems also worked to help debunk stereotypes about who rides the bus.

“And the poems were displayed online, inside buses, on bus shelters and more. They sparked conversations, and that’s so important. That’s part of what makes poetry so powerful.” 

That collaboration exists across generations. While she’s long been a teaching artist, since 2014, she’s also acted as the mentor poet for the National Student Poets Program through Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. 

As the city’s first poet laureate, she says one of her proudest achievements has been helping introduce the city’s first youth poet laureate, Anna Castro Spratt. 

“I’ve been a professional poet for almost 30 years,” she says. “Part of my work is mentoring and teaching, and I love what the young people are doing. They are so much further ahead than we were! I love working with them and helping amplify their voices.” 

Travis Bell

Strong Support for the Arts

David Sims, executive director of Sigal Music Museum, sees community support as a key pillar of arts and culture in Greenville.

“There is a lot of support from the public, and there’s a lot of variety, and I think that’s another huge strength,” he says. “No matter what type of theater you like, there’s a theater that does that; no matter what type of art you like, there’s an artist or a gallery in town. There’s a little bit of something for everybody in our arts scene.” 

He also credits the city itself with effectively marketing itself and making the arts an integral part of the conversation. Plus, Greenville boasts iconic elements that are inseparable from the city.“

Artisphere (an annual fine arts festival) has been huge, because artists put us on the national map in terms of art festivals,” Sims says. “The Peace Center (a performing arts center) put us on the national map in terms of excellent performance facilities.”