Artisphere: Arts. Music. Culture

🎉CALLING ALL ARTISTS🎉 Applications are now open for the 2025 festival! The deadline to apply is Monday, October 7th. Click the link in our bio for details!

Flashback Friday Fun-Parades at Artisphere 2024!

Between the amazing recycled creations of the TL Hanna teachers and students, the incredibly talented performers of The Colorful Hat(also often found at the PNC Bank Pop-Up stages throughout the weekend), Anne Cubberly's otherwordly oversized walking puppets, and Josh from the City of Greenville at the helm, Friday's kick-off parade was a visual and percussive feast for the senses!

💥What do a flash mob, a sculpture install, and a giant squid have in common?
They were all part of Artisphere's 20th anniversary festival, of course!!

"Lotty" the giant squid, was created by Moradavaga-a contraction of the Portuguese words for “vague address”, a collective born from the collaboration of architects Manfred Eccli of Bolzano, Italy, and Pedro Cavaco Leitão of Porto, Portugal(pictured here with Robin and Kelley of Artisphere).

Located on Tate Plaza, this fun, interactive temporary installation delighted patrons of all ages throughout the weekend.

Huge Thanks to the Blumenthal Arts Center in Charlotte, NC for loaning Lotty to us, City of Greenville Parks and Recreation , City of Greenville, South Carolina Government and Trehel for critical assistance during installation, and to Moradavaga for the fun, thoughtful, out-of-the-box art that is Lotty!

People always want to know "what's new this year at Artisphere?"

In addition to installing Tandem Lovers in honor of the 20th anniversary, for the first time ever, we partnered with the Greenville Symphony Orchestra to bring an orchestral Flash Mob to the streets of downtown City of Greenville, South Carolina Government.

Greenville Symphony Assistant Conductor Nse' Ekpo, pictured here, started with one musician, then two, then three, until instrument by instrument, note by note, approximately 60 GSO musicians and 20 local Greenville students played
Bolero, a beloved classical piece of former Artisphere board chair Ben Rook and his wife, Becca. Wearing matching shirts with "Bolero for Becca" on the back, the Symphony performed this piece in honor and memory of Becca.

Tremendous thanks to Ben Rook and Design Strategies, Metropolitan Arts Council, Jessica Satava and the team and orchestra at Greenville Symphony Orchestra What an amazing feat!

📷: Creagh Cross.

💥"Tandem Lovers," by husband and wife couple Gillie and Marc Art, is the newest addition to Greenville's public art landscape.

On Friday, May 10th, the sculpture was lauded, revealed, and toasted in Camperdown Greenville. Mayor Knox White, County Councilman Butch Kirven, TD Bank Market President David Lominack, and Artisphere Chairman of the Board, Ed Stein, all made poignant remarks about Artisphere, the City of Greenville, and the role of public art in a culturally vibrant community.

With fanfare from three members of the Greenville Symphony Orchestra, the sculpture was unveiled to reveal Artisphere's President, Kerry Murphy! Afterwards, Greenville poet Laureate Glenis Redmond delivered a beautiful reflection on art and community.

Want to know more? Check out the reel we just posted about the 5 pieces of public art that Artisphere has gifted to the City of Greenville.

Friends, Artisphere's 20th Anniversary was a HUGE success!

You shopped, you sipped, you listened.
You watched, you smiled, you engaged.
And because of YOU, Artisphere had
*100,000 in attendance
*2.6 million total artist sales
*14.1 million dollars in economic impact +
*$80,000 given back to the community

You showed up with your friends, family, co-workers, tourists, and locals alike to make this year our best one yet, and we're grateful.

This week we're flashing back to some of the highlights of the 2024 festival in preparation for our 2025 VISUAL ARTIST APPLICATIONS GOING LIVE on Monday, July 29th.

We're already planning for next year-May 9-11, 2025-can't wait to see you there!

Please join us in congratulating cultural visionary and economic growth catalyst, Megan Riegel, as she celebrates 30 years with the Peace Center! City of Greenville, South Carolina Mayor, Knox White, has officially declared June 10th as “Megan Riegel Day”—a special day to honor Megan’s commitment to excellence and passion for elevating the arts throughout our region.

💥A TREMENDOUS THANK YOU to and for bringing Artisphere presented by to Main Street this past weekend for the 20th anniversary.

The Parks, Police, Fire, Public Works, and Tourism departments work together to ensure that events large and small are executed safely, seamlessly, and professionally in Greenville, and we’re grateful to them for their partnership.

And of course Artisphere wouldn’t be possible without our amazing volunteers, who provide the hospitality and service for which our city has become known.

Thank you all for making the magic happen!

Fun snaps from the Furman Strategic Design tent and the Fine Arts Center Student & Faculty Exhibition! Stop by if you haven’t already 👩‍🎨🎨🖌️💥

USC Upstate and USC School of Medicine are also on site all day with healthy snacks, shade and all kinds of fun activities for the whole family! 🐓🫶🏼🥼

Make a stop by the Clemson and TD Bank tents today for some fun activities (and shade)!!! 👒🌱🐯

💥We’re open until 6 today! Come on down to Main Street and do some shopping and supporting the arts!

4 more hours of fun left for the day! 🤠🌈👩‍🎨🎭👒🫧☀️🎨🖌️🦄💐🪼🖼️🌱🫶🏼

💥Two days to go and here are some things you need to know!
1. Road closures!
2. Check this slide for information on when and where the roads will close-🚫➡️From Court & Main to Wardlaw & Main
3. Looking for your favorite artist booth?
4. Check out our interactive searchable map here--https://viewer.mapme.com/25adf856-970a-4b30-90bb-f9281fa9ce83
5. We’re hoping for blue skies, and the show goes on rain or shine! We can't wait to see you at Artisphere presented by TD Bank!

So honored to have South Carolina Arts Commission on the festival site this year!

Come say hi! 👋

We are so excited to both support this event via our Festivals Program Grant & Operating Support Grant AND to have a booth at this year's Artisphere: Arts. Music. Culture festival.

SCAC staff will be in attendance on Friday and Saturday to collect survey responses as part of our Canvass of the People. In addition to our survey, we will have handouts about our programs and services, free swag, and arts activities for the whole family.

Come and tell us what you really think!

Artisphere Info | https://artisphere.org/

📷 Image courtesy of Creagh Cross



[Image description: A photo of crowds at Artisphere is in the background behind a black box. The text in the box says, "SCAC Canvass of the People 2025. Art is 20. Artisphere 20th Anniversary. Visit our booth! Arts activities, free swag, informational handouts, and QR codes for easy access to our Canvass Survey!"]

We are thrilled to welcome Clemson University back to Artisphere presented by TD Bank this year!

https://news.clemson.edu/clemson-university-to-feature-prominently-in-artispheres-20th-anniversary/?utm_campaign=our-clemson&utm_medium=email&utm_source=emma&utm_term=2024

Clemson University to feature prominently in Artisphere’s 20th anniversary The 20th anniversary of Artisphere, the Upstate’s premier celebration of art and artists, will once again be tinted orange as artists, professors, staff members, alums and volunteers from Clemson University play a big part in the popular public event Friday-Sunday, May 10-12.

We ARE SO THRILLED with this installation Camperdown Greenville…check it out below and be sure to stop by before it’s gone!!!

Introducing our vibrant new mural at Camperdown, courtesy of the amazing team at ! Celebrating 20 years of creativity, this masterpiece sets the stage for the upcoming Artisphere festival, taking place May 10-12th 🎉

Hop on over and snap a pic before it is too late! 📸🐇

“The Celebration,” a commissioned piece by Washington, DC 2D Mixed Media Artist 🎨

Check out this fantastic feature on one of our upcoming Emerging Festival Artists, David Tillinghast!

Can’t wait to see you all NEXT WEEKEND May 10-12 in downtown Greenville for Artisphere presented by TD bank!

All About Art: David Tillinghast’s dynamic creations ... and a Clemson legend He’s an emerging artist at Artisphere, but his work – if not his name – is well known by decades of Tigers.

At our Metromont Corporation Community Sculpture demo, you can join the Artisphere community in the construction of a large-scale sculptural installation using low-tech PVC pipes and joints. It’s the perfect way to try your hand at creating a piece of temporary public art!

See you so soon at Artisphere's 20th Anniversary Celebration May 10-12, presented by !

10 day Artisphere countdown starts NOW!!!! 💥💥💥

If you’re out and about downtown this week, stop by and take a look at our very special 2024 Anniversary Mural - “The Celebration,” a commission piece by Washington, DC 2D Mixed Media Artist .

Amanda will also be on our Artist Row this year, so make sure to pay her and all of us at Artisphere a visit May 10-12 at our 20th Anniversary celebration presented by !

We can’t wait to see you, Greenville! 🎨✨

Make sure to visit the Artists on the Rise Exhibition and Furman Stage at Artisphere this year!
We are proud to present works by Greenville Fine Arts Center students and faculty every year at the Artists on the Rise exhibition tent and performing stage, sponsored by Furman University.
Keep swiping for our schedule of performances on the Furman Stage!

Squonk is the brainchild of Pittsburgh PA Composer Jackie Dempsey and artist Steve O’Hearn, where the two work with an ensemble of 10-20 artists to create post-industrial performances with original music, design, and staging, outside the rules of mass culture, fashion, or academia.

Brouhaha, Squonk’s newest show, is an immersive outdoor spectacle bursting with rollicking music, dazzling imagery, and the thrill of audience participation. At the center of this riotous romp is the Squonkcordion, an enormous musical instrument powered by behemoth bellows topped with towering tuba bells. At the peak of the performance, Squonk invites the audience to play this foghorn organ, welcoming them to experience the joy of a brass band and the fireworks of community. The show ends with a 30-foot head made of brilliantly colored banners, comically blinking its eyes and shooting smoke out of its ears.

Friday, May 10

4:00 – 4:30 Performance
4:30 – 5:00 Workshop

6:00 – 6:30 Performance
6:30 – 7:00 Workshop

Saturday, May 11

12:00 – 12:30 Performance
12:30 – 1:00 Workshop

3:00 – 3:30 Performance
3:30 – 4:00 Workshop

6:00 – 6:30 Performance
6:30 – 7:00 Workshop

Sunday, May 12

2:00 – 2:30 Performance
2:30 – 3:00 Workshop

4:00 – 4:30 Performance
4:30 – 5:00 Workshop

We can't wait to see you there!

Make sure the young artist in your life makes a stop by Kidsphere at Artisphere this year! At Kidsphere, sponsored by Spinx, budding artists can learn a variety of fine art and craft techniques while weaving their own textiles, making and decorating hats and masks, and using their imaginations to build an upcycled work of art at the Creation Station! Be sure to visit the Straws and Connectors Zone to contribute to the Kidsphere kid-sized sculpture.

Once your craft activities at Kidsphere are complete, visit Artist Row to meet the 140 working artists who create watercolor paintings, sculptures, fiber art and more!

Kidsphere is open 3pm-7pm on Friday, Saturday from 10am-7pm, and on Sunday from 11am-5pm - see you there!

Pages from Clemson University’s magazine, Clemson World, come to life at Clemson’s 11th annual Artisphere exhibit - don't miss it!

Engage and interact with stories from past issues, and prepare to be transported into your role as a University storyteller and creator. New activities for all ages await you, from magazine cover photo-ops and community-created art pieces to interactive story displays and a live podcasting booth.

We’re also bringing back Artisphere community favorites, such as our programmable drawing robots and immersive virtual reality simulations. Experience and celebrate Clemson’s world and write a new story with us at this year’s Artisphere.

💥Last day to enter to win…read below!!

Calling all customers!!!

To help drive traffic into our Upstate Stores – this year we will be celebrating our sponsorship of the Artisphere event with a sweepstakes prize package!!! We will have ballot boxes and entry forms in our Upstate stores.

From April 15-April 24, 2024 customers will be able to enter to win a Prize Package for the Artisphere Event!!!! This prize package has a value of $1000.

Head to your local to enter today!!

New to the festival this year, we are excited to welcome “Lotty”, a large interactive squid sculpture on loan from Blumenthal Arts Foundation in Charlotte, NC. "Lotty" will be installed at the entrance of Falls Park, inviting patrons into Tate Plaza with its tentacles and delighting kids and adults alike!

"Lotty" is the brainchild of Moradavaga, a creative collective born from the collaboration of architects Manfred Eccli (Bolzano, Italy, 1981) and Pedro Cavaco Leitão (Porto, Portugal, 1976). An innovative intersection of architecture, art, and design, the work requires the user’s engagement to activate it.

Come experience "Lotty" and all the other fun things we have in store for Artisphere's 20th Anniversary Celebration, May 10-12 presented by TD Bank!