ArtFields returns April 10
Whole-city transformation kicks off festival season
ArtFields will transform Lake City, South Carolina into one of the country’s most unique art destinations with the return of the annual ArtFields Festival on April 10.
Anchored by one of the largest art competitions in the region with more than $100,000 in prizes for featured artists, visitors will have the unique opportunity to view hundreds of works by artists from across the Southeast. These fill local boutiques, restaurants, historic buildings, and warehouses.
The Details
When
April 10-May 2
What
Visitors can explore the town on foot, discovering paintings, sculptures, photography, and mixed-media works while helping determine the People’s Choice winners through public voting. Key highlights include:
- April 10 confetti kick-off celebration.
- Competition amongst artists for cash prizes, with 2026’s judge panel including influential figures like chief curators of the New Orleans and San Jose Museums of Art, Anne Collins Smith and Lauren Schell Dickens.
- Artist talks, performances, and community events throughout the festival, including food trucks, a portrait contest, and the selection of grants for 10 public arts projects.
- The statewide ArtFields Jr. student competition, showcasing hundreds of works by emerging young artists grades 3-12.
Why
What began in 2013 as a way to spotlight Southern artists has grown into a major cultural event that revitalized the local economy by drawing thousands of visitors each year and elevating Lake City into a year-round arts hub for the Southeast.
‘Bubble Tree’ by Igor Vavrovsky at ArtFields. Provided photo.