S.C. State Museum announces homecoming for #SCArtists
Craft artists the focus of third ‘Artist Homecoming’
A previous Artist Homecoming event.
Next month, the State Museum will welcome artists, curators, cultural leaders, and arts supporters from across the state for a two-day celebration of South Carolina’s vibrant arts community from Oct. 8-9.
“We are very excited to be back for our third year of Artist Homecoming and to have the opportunity to celebrate the incredible artistic talent found throughout South Carolina,” said SCSM Chief Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs Paul Matheny. “We are looking forward to bringing artists and cultural leaders together for a gathering that highlights the rich traditions that make South Carolina’s creative community so unique.
“Artist Homecoming 2026: Elements of Craft” will highlight the artists, traditions, and creative practices that continue to shape South Carolina’s cultural landscape through exhibition experiences, panel discussions, and opportunities for collaboration and connection.
The celebration begins Thursday, Oct. 8, from 6-8 p.m. with a free opening reception for In the Making: Contemporary Craft from South Carolina, a new juried exhibition featuring the work of 12 South Carolina artists working in fiber, ceramics, wood, metal, glass, mixed media, and other fine craft traditions. Guests will enjoy an early look at the exhibition while celebrating the breadth, innovation, and vitality of contemporary craft practices across the state. The exhibition is part of Handwork 2026: Celebrating American Craft, a nationwide initiative led by Craft in America that recognizes and elevates contemporary craft traditions across the U.S.
Work by Jessica Downs, an artist featured in the upcoming exhibition In the Making: Contemporary Craft from South Carolina. Click image to enlarge.
The event continues Friday, Oct. 9 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a full day of ticketed programming designed to foster conservation, collaboration, and community among artists and art supporters. Attendees will enjoy panel discussions exploring the state of the arts in South Carolina, the tradition of sweetgrass basket making, and other topics; artist-led walkthroughs of In the Making: Contemporary Craft from South Carolina; and much more.
Artist Homecoming is funded in part by the South Carolina Arts Commission, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts. Event program support also provided by the Columbia Museum of Art and the Columbia Design League.
Admission Details
- The reception on Thursday, Oct. 8 is free and open to the public, but you may RSVP online.
- Tickets for Artist Homecoming programming on Fri., Oct. 9 are $10 per person, but free for SCSM members and students with an active student I.D.
- For more information, visit SCMuseum.org or contact artisthomecoming@scmuseum.org.
All photos courtesy of the South Carolina State Museum.
Since opening in 1988, the South Carolina State Museum has been committed to collecting, preserving and showcasing the rich culture, art, natural history, technology and innovation of the Palmetto State. Through a comprehensive collection of over 1.1 million objects and four floors of stimulating exhibitions and displays housed within the historic Columbia Mills Building, the State Museum provides educational environments that entertain, inspire and enrich the lives of millions of visitors and students from across South Carolina. For more information about the museum, visit SCMuseum.org.