On the passing of Carrie Burns Brown
Former artist, advocate, and SCAC commissioner
Official Statement from the S.C. Arts Commission
The South Carolina Arts Commission expresses its sadness after learning that Carrie Burns Brown passed away recently at 92.
Though Georgia born in 1932 and educated (Mercer University), Burns Brown was a painter and teacher of the craft who became a pillar of the Greenville arts and creativity scene from the moment she arrived in 1963. She taught at the Greenville County Museum School of Art, Springmaid, Watercolor Media Workshops, Tempo Gallery, and many other locations around the Upstate.
In 2014, Burns Brown and some of her artist contemporaries set out to establish a place in the community where artists could teach, paint, and promote the visual arts. Their efforts resulted in the founding of the Greenville Center for Creative Arts. As GCCA celebrates 10 years in 2024, it announced today that it will honor Burns Brown’s legacy by renaming its art school in her honor: the Carrie Burns Brown Art School at GCCA. She also taught there for many years.
In a statement, CEO Jess Abbott said, “Carrie Burns Brown wasn’t just a visionary; she was the heartbeat of the Greenville arts community, and her legacy will forever ignite the creative spirits of generations to come. Her unwavering dedication, boundless passion, and inspiring leadership have left an indelible mark on us all. It’s with profound gratitude and a deep sense of honor that we name the Carrie Burns Brown Art School at GCCA, ensuring her memory lives on in every stroke of paint created within these walls.”
Burns Brown was appointed to the SCAC board of commissioners for two consecutive three-year terms in the early 2000s.
The SCAC extends warm and sincere condolences to the surviving members of Burns Brown’s family and the GCCA community with gratitude for her advocacy on behalf of arts and creativity in Greenville and throughout South Carolina. A memorial service will be held May 10, 2024, at 11 a.m. at Greenville Center for Creative Arts (101 Abney St., Greenville) followed by a reception to celebrate her life and legacy.
