Our Work
We are the primary arts presenting organization in Hampton County, and the surrounding rural lowcountry of South Carolina. In addition to staging exhibits and performances by renowned artists from around the world, we engage in art education, creative placemaking, and other initiatives that make our community a better, more equitable, place to live and work.
Youth Arts Programming
We operate totally free, full day (9am -3pm) summer arts camp for local students each summer in partnership with Hampton County Schools. In addition, we offer free classes and workshops during school breaks and are hoping to expand to offer after school enrichment next year!
Murals & Public Art
We support public art throughout Hampton County through grants awarded to Hampton County by the NEA and administered through partnership with Hampton Friends of the Arts.
Blight Busters
A select group of highly motivated students were offered an opportunity to travel to Walt Disney World Resort for a class in public design at no cost to their families. Each student made a community service commitment to put those design skills to work overhauling blighted areas in the community upon their return. Our first cohort is currently designing a dog park for vacant land in Estill.
The Palmetto Theater
One of our earliest projects was the refurbishment and reopening of the historic Palmetto Theater. This iconic structure opened as a segregated venue for films and vaudeville in 1946. Now it is a mixed purpose theater for the whole community, showing first-run Hollywood films for the first two weekends of each month and hosting a variety of other performances during the rest of the month including documentary films, concerts and plays, as well as hosting youth events like a monthly anime club and first Saturday "Totally Free Movie" which provides free admission, popcorn, and soda for the community as a chemical free night out sponsored by New Life Center.
