New executive director announced for Camden arts center
Cultural hub, S.C. Cultural District anchor welcomes new leader
The city of Camden announced an experienced new executive director for the Arts Center of Kershaw County to start 2026.
Chad Henderson, the former Trustus Theatre artistic director and late of the S.C. Philharmonic, began serving in the role yesterday. The executive director provides overall artistic and administrative leadership to the Arts Center, achieving the Arts Center’s goals for artistic excellence, audience development, fundraising, sponsorship and business relations development, financial sustainability and community engagement.
The Arts Center of Kershaw County serves as a regional cultural hub and helps to anchor the Downtown Camden Cultural District, offering visual arts exhibitions, performing arts events, and educational programming that enriches the community and attracts visitors from across South Carolina.
“We are excited to welcome Chad Henderson as the new Executive Director of the Arts Center of Kershaw County,” said Arts Center Board President Lee Inabinet. “Chad brings tremendous enthusiasm along with extensive experience in nonprofit leadership, marketing, and the arts. We are confident his vision and energy will strengthen the center’s impact and support its continued growth in our community.”
The appointment also represents an important milestone in the ongoing partnership between the city of Camden and the Arts Center of Kershaw County. “Chad brings a wealth of experience from his work with the [S.C.] Philharmonic, and we are confident his leadership and vision will strengthen the arts within our community and build and even stronger partnership between the city and the Arts Center,” City Manager Matt DeWitt said in a news release.
Henderson is a Spartanburg native and current resident of Columbia who has given more than 18 years to the non-profit arts sector. At Trustus Theatre, Henderson served as the marketing director from 2007 to 2015 and then artistic director until 2021. He has served as the marketing director for the S.C. Philharmonic from 2021 to 2026.
Henderson was awarded the 2018 Founders award from the S.C. Theatre Association for his work as an arts leader, and was the 2012 Artist of the Year in Theatre from the Jasper Project. As a filmmaker, his work took top honors at the 2nd Act Film Festival in 2017 and 2024. Henderson is also an accomplished playwright—his play Let It Grow won the 2024 Jasper Project Play Right Series and is available for purchase on Amazon. He has completed three residencies with the Studios of Key West in Florida. More on previous projects can be found on Henderson’s website.
“The Arts Center of Kershaw County is a truly special organization in this state, and I couldn’t be more honored to become its next leader,” Henderson said. “I look forward to working with the artists and stakeholders of Kershaw County and beyond to deepen the organization’s impact and to grow the Arts Center’s unique capability to serve the community’s cultural appetite.”