Something for everyone
The staff of the South Carolina Artisans Center welcome guests to browse the ever-changing collection at the Walterboro gallery.
Photo by Milton Morris
The next time you’re driving along I-95 to or from the coast and need to make a pit stop, consider pulling off at Exit 57 in Walterboro. Not far from the highway sits the South Carolina Artisans Center. If the small town of Walterboro is the “front porch of the Lowcountry,” it’s fitting that it’s home to the state’s “Official South Carolina Folk Art and Craft Center.”
Visitors can meander through the rooms filled with artworks of more than 300 of South Carolina’s leading artists from 32 counties. These are showcased in what looks and feels like an art gallery but is actually a curated retail shop. Not surprisingly, the majority of its visitors are out-of-state vacationers seeking souvenirs, and interior decorators looking for unique home and office furnishings.
The aim of SCAC is to promote a better understanding of the state’s diverse cultural heritage. Two to three times each year, as artisans retire, new juried artists are selected. Gale Doggette, the nonprofit’s executive director, encourages all South Carolina artists to apply. Mediums include—but are not limited to—pottery, glass, basketry, wood, metal, fiber, oils, watercolors and recycled goods. The prices for artwork average $26, which makes art affordable for everyone. However, works can be found in a variety of price ranges, including a $5,800 James Denmark original painting.
You don’t have to be a connoisseur of the arts to appreciate this gem of a rest stop. You will find cookbooks and other literary works by native authors in genres such as history, memoirs, agriculture, essay collections—even coloring books for all ages. Some of the unusual and most sought-after items for sale are Lowcountry foods, kooky birdhouses, toys, fan pulls, seashell sculptures, soaps, jewelry, and even art made from kudzu. Maybe every visitor should buy a piece of kudzu art in an effort to keep our state parasite at bay.
The works in this gallery-cum-gift shop are moved around to keep it feeling fresh. “Every day working here I still see something new,” said Debby Appleby, marketing specialist and one of the artists with works on display. Ask her for a private tour and you will learn interesting details about the artists and their crafts.
SCAC is a nonprofit that, in addition to the retail outlet, offers live artist demonstrations and educational and informational programs to present South Carolina’s culture to the public. Every third Saturday, artists demonstrate their crafts and answer questions out on the big front porch. A cafe featuring light Lowcountry cuisine is scheduled to open in the back of the building late this fall, just in time to serve holiday shoppers. Walterboro residents will be able to enjoy a bite to eat on their lunch hour while they “shop local.”
You don’t have to be on your way to or from somewhere to stop in. It would take hours to see all the displays and chat with the friendly and knowledgeable staff, so consider making this a day trip. Bring out-of-town guests along and they’re guaranteed to go home with a one-of-a-kind memento from South Carolina.
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Get There
The South Carolina Artisans Center is located at 318 Wichman Street in Walterboro.
Hours: Open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Admission: Free.
Details: For more information call (843) 549-0011 or visit scartisanscenter.com or facebook.com/scartisanscenter.