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Nation’s largest free farm + arts crawl announces 2023 event

No bull! Annual event has ... bumper crop of counties

The annual South Carolina Ag + Art Tour is adding Aiken and Sumter counties while returning eight previously participating counties to feature a cornucopia of more than 100 tour sites during the 2023 iteration of the event—the largest such in the U.S.

[caption id="attachment_52401" align="alignright" width="300"] Click to enlarge.[/caption] Will Culler, Clemson Extension agribusiness agent and tour director, bills the free, self-guided farm and art tour as a great way to educate people about where their food and fiber come from while they're introduced to local artisans. Now in its 12th year, it has seen steady growth in length and counties and sites participating. Ag + Art Tour is looking for #SCartists who want to exhibit! Go here for information and to apply. Have a farm? Tour sites are being sough to apply too. “We are proud of the commitment of our farms, artisans, and county teams. Because of that, we can sustain continued growth,” Culler said. “One of our goals has been to give people a better knowledge of what is produced in their backyard and help them to support local businesses while making healthier food choices. This event does that by putting food and product with a face.” The 2023 tour include farms and artisans in Aiken, Chester, Colleton, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lancaster, Lexington, Newberry, Richland, Sumter, and York counties.

2023 schedule

Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1-5 p.m.
  • May 6: Lexington
  • May 13-14: Aiken, Lancaster, Sumter
  • May 20-21: Colleton, Newberry
  • June 3-4: Kershaw
  • June 10-11: Richland, York
  • June 17-18: Fairfield
  • June 24-25: Chester
Tour stops include farms and farmers' markets, with art at each location. Artisans on the tour range from weavers, painters, musicians, storytellers, metalworkers, and craftsmen to poets and live musical performances. Some farms will offer value-added products, such as jarred and canned foods, honey, baked goods, or even farm-fresh meals.  There is no fee to attend; visitors can start and stop their tour at any location.
The tour began in York County in 2012 and has added at least one new county each year since. The interest in the South Carolina Ag + Art Tour continues to be high, and it is the largest free farm tour in the nation. More than 85,000 visitors have enjoyed it since its inception. More information about the participating farms, markets, artisans, and ancillary sites can be found online at www.agandarttour.com and its social media accounts:
  • Facebook: @agandarttour
  • Instagram: @agandarttour
Various counties have accounts too, so do a quick search for yours. And don't forget the hashtag: #agandarttour. Plan your mooooooves now.
About the South Carolina Ag + Art Tour The South Carolina Ag + Art Tour is a free self-guided tour of farms and farmers' markets featuring artisans at every stop occurring every weekend in June.  The first Ag + Art Tour was held in 2012 in York County to blend agriculture and art. The tour began to expand in 2013 and has continued to do so yearly. It is the largest free farm and art tour in the nation. The tour is coordinated by leadership and county-level planning teams led by Clemson University Cooperative Extension. Partner organizations include economic development agencies, chambers of commerce, tourism bureaus, farm and artisan organizations, education and extension offices, arts councils, and community volunteers.
Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/corn-fields-under-white-clouds-with-blue-sky-during-daytime-158827/

Jason Rapp

Art exhibit spreads wings in the Upstate

'Wings of the City' on display in Greenville

[caption id="attachment_46737" align="aligncenter" width="600"]A man in a red shirt poses with giant bronze wings displayed in an outdoor art exhibition 'Wings of the City' on display in San Antonio, Texas.[/caption]

It's no secret that Greenville has really taken off...

As further evidence, the city is first East Coast landing spot of a famed art exhibit called Wings of the City. The traveling exhibition of Mexican sculptor Jorge Marin's work has giant bronze wings outdoors in Falls Park and on the Peace Center campus. His "Alas de Mexico" sculpture, shown above, is part of the fun and obviously 'gram-worthy if you're so inclined. The Hispanic Alliance of Greenville, a partner of the S.C. Arts Commission, helped make the exhibition a reality. Bank of America, a Governor's Award recipient in 2018, is sponsor. Read more about this from Fox Carolina.

Jason Rapp

Record-setting virtual art piece sells for $69 million

And it's from an #SCartists

[caption id="attachment_46605" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Everydays: The First 5,000 Days (2021) |
Beeple | Digital | 2021[/caption]

Not familiar with the name Beeple? You need to be.

Mike Winkelmann is a Charleston artist most commonly referred to as @beeple, his nomme de net.  According to a piece in India's Economic Times, six months ago the 39-year-old had never sold a work. Today he became wealthy and world famous. Screenshot of tweet from ARTnews that says Christie's sold the Beeple digital work for "a staggering $69.3 million at auction this morning" and shows a portion of the work. Ten days ago, Christie's Auction House started the bidding for Everydays: The First 5,000 Days at the meager sum of $100 and did not even estimate a value. Recent fascination in the cryptocurrency market exploded into the crypto art market and drove the price to $4 million six days ago, $14.75 million just this morning (ed. note: not a typo), and in the final moments from $37.5 million to $50 million before the smoke cleared on an unheard of, staggering, mind-blowing, near-incomprehensible $69.3 million price. [caption id="attachment_46607" align="aligncenter" width="450"] We're NOT linking to that.[/caption] From ARTnews:

At the end of February following Christie’s launch of the sale, another work by Beeple sold for $6.6 million through Nifty Gateway, an online cryptocurrency marketplace for digital art, at the time a price record for a Beeple piece and then the most expensive digital work ever auctioned.

Beeple has amassed a cult following in the crypto art market. In December, one of his digital works made $3.5 million in the artist’s second appearance on the market. Within the first few minutes of opening, the auction at Nifty Gateway broke records for digital art sales. Many of the works were resold at inflated values—some at more than 1,000 percent of their original purchase price.

Read more about this jaw-dropping breaking story from these sources: You can also follow @beeple on Twitter. (NSFW language warning)

Jason Rapp

Tuning Up: CAE lands call for art; Carter Boucher, GCCA news

Good morning!  "Tuning Up" is a morning post series where The Hub delivers curated, quick-hit arts stories of interest to readers. Sometimes there will be one story, sometimes there will be several. Get in tune now, and have a masterpiece of a day. And now, in no particular order...

CAE: S.C.'s newest arts hotspot taking off?

(Sorry, we couldn't resist. The pilot has illuminated the fasten seat belts sign, because it gets worse.) Columbia Metropolitan Airport (Lexington County) has been active on the arts scene in the past week. Consider:
  • Midlands artists, please pick up the white courtesy phone. Last week CAE announced a call for Midlands artists to exhibit their artwork at the airport's new rotating exhibition. That is cleared for takeoff October 2020 into 2021. A new program, Art in the Airport is also intended to enhance travelers’ experience while “creating a sense of place” within the airport. Upon landing, travelers will see the art "which showcases the life and culture of the Midlands." Artists accepted may sell their work(s), and CAE will not be taking any commissions. That's more than ... fare; it's an upgrade! This link will route you to your final destination for more information from ColaDaily.com.
  • Yesterday, a partnership with Transitions Homeless Shelter continued as 18 works of art by past and present residents of the shelter were displayed. These works, too, are available for purchase. Residents keep their commissions as well. Read more about the new exhibition from (again) ColaDaily.com.

Carter Boucher news

Works by #SCArtists Carter Boucher is being noticed. To wit:
  • Another of his Enigma series paintings accepted in a juried show. This time, his painting "Pandemic Engulfment" (acrylic on canvas) was accepted in the Mid-Atlantic Juried Art Show in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
  • Further, his poem, "A Love Letter To Covid 19," was accepted for publication in Constellations. Boucher has had four creative pieces, three poems and one creative non-fiction piece, accepted so far this year. He also published his book, How to Be an Artist in Residence (And Excel at It!) on Amazon.

GCCA honors founder

[caption id="attachment_45309" align="aligncenter" width="600"]Linda Furman surrounded by family and friends in front of new building signage bearing her name. GCCA photo.[/caption] Greenville Center for Creative Arts has completed a $1 million fundraising campaign to sustain operations and expand its impact—all in the name of a beloved member of the Greenville arts community. GCCA’s historic Cloth Building at 101 Abney St. will now be named the Linda Quinn Furman Building in honor of one of its founders, a dynamic artist and philanthropist. Family and friends surprised her with the announcement yesterday when they stopped by GCCA to view the newly installed signage (above).

Jason Rapp

These suds are no duds

It's mid-day on a Friday. What's on your mind?

[caption id="attachment_44373" align="aligncenter" width="600"]Creative Impact beer can label Click image to enlarge. Art by Brelyn LeCheminant.[/caption]
The weekend. The weekend is on your mind. We at The Hub are but humble state employees and, as such, are given to bourgeois proclivities as, well, "taking it easy" on a Friday here and there. Thoughts of the weekend can (sometimes) creep in while doing our best to maintain our professional composure—and your trust—on the work week's ultimate day. But still. Weekend. It's, like, here. Or at least tantalizingly close. Weeeeekend. Feel it swirl around in your brain silkily, just so. Ahem. At some point during yours, if—and only if—you're 21 or older, consider checking out a new offering on South Carolina's craft beer scene. Creative Impact is the result of a collaboration between the South Carolina Arts Alliance, our near and dear drinking buddies friends (to the extent a state agency has them), and Frothy Beard Brewing Company in Charleston. (With additional contribution from #SCartists Brelyn LeCheminant who designed the label art.) The new pale ale made its debut last week with Arts Advocacy Week in South Carolina and pays tribute to the 115,000 creative professionals in our state. That describes us and, well, we say cheers to that. You can learn more about Creative Impact here from the alliance's GP McLeer, LeCheminant, and representatives from Frothy Beard in the latest episode of the alliance's podcast, "The Dive."  

Jason Rapp

State Art Collection gets 12-day run at S.C. State Fair

And FOLKfabulous is back for third year

Funnel cake? Check. Corn dog? Check. Cotton candy? Check. Tyrone Geter? Check.  Wait, what? To help celebrate its 150th anniversary, the South Carolina State Fair invited the State Art Collection to show off iconic contemporary works by #SCartists in the shadow of the famed rocket. Artists who have exhibited in the State Fair’s annual exhibition dating back to the early 1960s, works that reflect aspects of fair culture, and some iconic pieces from the State Art Collection are featured in the Rosewoods Building at Pig Tales, Blackberry Winter, & the Cabinet of Curiosities today through Oct. 20. In keeping with the fair theme, fair guests are invited to spin the new S.C. Arts Commission spinning wheel. When the wheel stops on a work of art in the exhibition, search that work out. Snap a selfie with it, and share it with your networks on social media! The artists and works, an event rundown, and more are available at SouthCarolinaArts.com.

McKissick Museum celebrates return of FOLKfabulous

Join the University of South Carolina’s McKissick Museum at the South Carolina State Fair for FOLKFabulous@theFair. This year, the museum's signature folklife festival celebrates South Carolina’s rich textile arts heritage, including Native American, African American and Mennonite quilting traditions in conjunction with the McKissick exhibition, Piece by Piece: Quilts from the Permanent Collection. You’re invited to participate and engage with artists and cultural traditions that make the Palmetto State home! Come to the Rosewoods Building to enjoy arts displays, demonstrations and hands-on craft activities, concerts and hands-on music workshops. You won’t want to miss the chance to try your hand at making a story quilt block or contribute to our yarn-bombing display. You’ll also find music to move your heart and dancing feet at a Harvest Dance featuring old-time music by Andy Brooks, a bluegrass concert by the Carolina Rebels, and Gullah music and storytelling by internationally renowned performers Ron and Natalie Daise. Click here for complete information on FOLKfabulous@theFair.

Tuning Up: Where arts and infrastructure intersect

Good morning!  "Tuning Up" is a morning post series where The Hub delivers curated, quick-hit arts stories of interest to readers. Sometimes there will be one story, sometimes there will be several. Get in tune now, and have a masterpiece of a day. And now, in no particular order...

She thought she had it all figured out. Columbia high school student Hanah Watts thought she was captivated by some new modern art. Oops. You'll enjoy her take on infrastructure through an arts lens in the Columbia Star – it's a nice, light-hearted read for the first Friday of the New Year. (And let's not pile on Columbia. Does anybody like the roads where they live?)

Tuning Up: S.C. Humanities honors Goldstein, others

Good morning!  "Tuning Up" is a morning post series where The Hub delivers curated, quick-hit arts stories of interest to readers. Sometimes there will be one story, sometimes there will be several. Get in tune now, and have a masterpiece of a day. And now, in no particular order...

Governor's Awards in the Humanities. Yesterday, S.C. Humanities held a luncheon in honor of four distinguished new recipients of the Governor's Awards for the Humanities:
  • Anne Cleveland, director of the Charleston Library Society;
  • Bobby Donaldson, historian and educator;
  • Cecil Williams, celebrated South Carolina photographer;
  • and Sara June Goldstein, literary arts advocate and member of our team at the S.C. Arts Commission.
We're so proud of Sara June's exceptional work and that she received this honor. Here she is with Kim Shealy Jeffcoat (left), chairwoman of the S.C. Humanities Council; and Tommy Windsor (right), director of boards and commissions in the governor's office. We're down for this always. Just gonna leave this right here.

Evergreen (for now): Time is running out!

  • Nominations for the Elizabeth O'Neill Verner Governor's Awards for the Arts (right) are due Thursday, Nov. 8. All it takes to start the process of awarding an artist, arts organization, business or foundation, government entity, individual, or arts educator/institution one of these prestigious awards for significant contributions to the arts in South Carolina is one letter. Don't wait. Find out more now! (Noms for the Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Awards are due at the same time. Here's info on those.)
  • Applications for $5,000 individual artist fellowships are also due Thursday, Nov. 8. Unrestricted awards will honor achievement in visual arts, craft, music composition, and music performance. Don't miss out!
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‘Chicken Man’ loves what he does

“You gotta love it, you gotta love what you do.” That from renowned Columbia artist Ernest Lee, known to most as the "Chicken Man" for his iconic artwork featuring ... well, you know. He's going strong 51 years into his art career. “When I was five, I started drawing. And I told my mom if there was anything in the world I wanted to be, I wanted to be an artist,” he said. “I just picked up the pencil and kept playing with it.” When he got older, Lee began painting the interior and exterior of houses, until someone suggested he start doing “something he could call his own.” We posit that he did. Read more on Lee's story on ColaDaily.com.  

Tuning Up: A two-act play about arts funding and bookkeeping

Good morning!  "Tuning Up" is a morning post series where The Hub delivers quick-hit arts stories of interest to readers. Sometimes there will be one story, sometimes there will be several. Get in tune now, and have a masterpiece of a day. And now, in no particular order...

ACT ONE: Arts Funding Update

NEWSREADER (downstage, alone, follow spot only - no stage/house lighting) (serious)

We're getting late word of an arts funding update. (Beat. Touches earpiece as if listening to producer). YES! Yesterday, the South Carolina General Assembly passed a state budget on recommendation from the conference committee. The House voted 84-28 in favor, and the Senate 30-9. The adopted budget includes an additional $350,000 the House included in March and $100,000 the Senate added for arts education. The budget has gone to Governor McMaster to sign, veto, or use his line-item veto power to strike portions he doesn't like.

AUDIENCE, off-stage (gasps)

But his vetoes!

NEWSREADER (reassuring)

Arts leaders are cautiously optimistic that the funding will remain as passed. A decision by the governor is expected next week. He has five business days, excluding Sunday and the July Fourth holiday to respond. (Follow spot fades. Newsreader exits. A spontaneous candlelight vigil begins in audience.)

(Intermission)

ACT TWO: ICYMI: A Stronger Bottom Line.

GP MCLEER (in toga, enthusiastically - a soliloquy)

OYEZ! OYEZ! The S.C. Arts Alliance – with funding help provided by the SCAC and the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation – is announcing a new training program to help organizations and their leadership teams become even stronger in financial management. It is open to all SCAC organizational grantees with budgets between $200,000-$750,000. This program will provide participating organizations with tailored assistance to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of financial operations. And while it's valued at $3,500 per organization, thanks to the funding assistance mentioned above it is available (lean in, with emphasis) for just $200. All training takes place in Charleston. It is an exceptional resource for those who need it, and many do. Find out more now!

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