Now that Spring is here with its beautiful weather, we can enjoy two of Greenville’s finest attributes; our beautiful outdoor spaces and our thriving art community.  You can take advantage of the comfortable climate by taking the Greenville Public Art Tour.  This self-guided tour will lead you all over downtown Greenville to view brightly colored paintings like Live Big a mural on Stone Ave, the beauty of the wind’s movements on McBee St. with Octo 2, history in sculpture with the images of Dick Riley, Charles Townes, and of course Shoeless Joe Jackson, and follow the butterflies to Butterfly’s Journey to Cancer Survivor’s Park.  If you’re visiting at the beginning of the month, you can enjoy First Fridays, an opportunity to visit roughly 25 art venues open for you to see art in a variety of medias.  As a special treat this summer, we have Wings of The City by artist Jorge Marín.  Created in 2013, these 9 bronze sculptures are traveling across the United States, with Greenville being the first stop on the East Coast.  Marín believes that art is the universal language between countries and should be enjoyed beyond the walls of galleries and museums.

One group in the upstate has made it their goal to bring art to and be created in Greenville.  Founded in 2003, Artisphere has brought in artists from all over the world for it’s annual 3-day festival, featuring unknown local artists and raising money and awareness for arts in our community.  Artisphere is a nationally recognized Fine Arts festival, and it has become one of the top art festivals in the country, recognized by art magazines across the United States, many times landing in the top 10 art festivals.  Artists from near and far, representing as many mediums as you can imagine, flock to downtown Greenville to offer up their amazing creations.  My favorites are some of the unique jewelry artists and I am looking forward to buying a new piece for myself.  This year over 100 incredible artists can be found setting up space on four blocks of South Main Street near Fluor Field.  Click here to see some of the amazing artists that plan to be in attendance this year.

The festival will look a little different this year, as we are still finding our way in this world of Covid-19, but it will be in person, and you will once again have the opportunity to meander from booth to booth, finding just that perfect piece to fall in love with and take home with you.   This year the organizers are asking that you make reservations for you and up to 11 of your friends and family, good for a 2.5-hour window to walk the festival, happening the weekend May 7 – 9, 2021.  There is a $5.00 charge per reservation made, but you will be given a $5.00 coupon that can be used towards the purchase of artwork within the festival site.  (If you think you will need more time, you are free to reserve another 2.5-hour time slot, with another $5.00 deposit.)  Walk ins will be allowed if there is room the day you are there.  After each 2.5-hour time slot, the festival site will be emptied completely, for half an hour for professional cleaners to disinfect the area and bathrooms, before the next group is allowed into the gated area.  Once you have seen all of the artists it’s time to come back to the inn and relax in the garden with snacks and a refreshing beverage (our famous home brewed peach sweet tea is the best!).

I can’t wait to see what you found!

Click   to plan your next trip to Greenville!