Since the Charleston Renaissance of the early 20th century—a period that revived the city’s art, architecture, and appreciation for its storied past—Charleston and the surrounding region have stood as a bellwether of Southern culture. From preservation to cuisine, the Holy City continues to set the standard for how the South honors its history while shaping its creative future, and its reverence for the arts endures. That legacy lives on in the Spoleto Festival USA, the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, the International African American Museum, and the Gibbes Museum of Art—home to one of the oldest arts organizations in the nation—all of which together affirm the Charleston area’s role as guardian and innovator of Southern artistic expression. Aislyn Greene, host of Afar’s Unpacked podcast, learned this firsthand on a visit to Charleston earlier this year when she interviewed local cultural figures for an episode.
Gibbes Museum and the Charleston Symphony Orchestra
The Gibbes Museum of Art’s miniature portrait collection
Courtesy of Explore Charleston
The best way to understand Charleston’s cultural identity is through the lens of history. At the Gibbes Museum of Art, a landmark institution whose collections highlight centuries of Southern creativity, galleries offer everything from contemporary installations to colonial-era works.
But one room tends to stop visitors in their tracks: the famed miniatures gallery. Housing roughly 600 portraits (some no larger than a locket), this extraordinary collection features the painstaking artistry of the early 1800s, when sitters sought to capture their likeness in exquisite detail. These tiny treasures, painted with single-haired brushes and often carried as tokens of love or remembrance, offer intimate glimpses into the personal histories that shaped the city’s past.
Likewise, the Charleston Museum, the oldest museum in the United States, traces the Lowcountry’s history back to the late Archaic era, with artifacts such as carved bone pins found during archaeological digs near Seabrook Island. From there, revisit the city’s most definitive epochs, the Revolutionary War, Civil War, and Reconstruction to the present day.
Charleston’s artistic story is also about much more than bygone days. Leaders like Spoleto Festival USA’s CEO, Mena Mark Hanna, are part of the reason why the area has such a thriving cultural scene today. The festival’s founder chose Charleston because he wanted a place that “was walkable, that was charming, that felt sort of Italianate, that had all of these sort of unusual venues,” says Hanna.
Since 1977, this one-of-a-kind performing arts event has brought 17 days of internationally acclaimed productions to the Lowcountry, welcoming luminaries such as Yo-Yo Ma, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Philip Glass, Martha Graham, Patti Smith, and Tennessee Williams. As Hanna says, “it’s the arts kind of spilling out into the street that creates … magic. And I think that only exists in Charleston.”
Sweetgrass basket weaver Corey Alston (right) sells his wares on Charleston’s streets.
Courtesy of Explore Charleston
That spirit of innovation reverberates throughout the city—from the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, now on the cusp of its 90th year, blending masterworks and pops with fresh energy, to the craftspeople and artisans who call Charleston home. At the Historic Charleston Market, a new generation of Gullah artisans sell their wares, including fifth-generation weaver Corey Alston, who continues the sweetgrass tradition with remarkable artistry. You can also visit the Four Corners of Law, the historic intersection of Broad and Meeting streets, for more local craftspeople, including sweetgrass weavers.
Go to art galleries and the American College of the Building Arts
If visual art calls you, the Charleston Gallery Association offers a dynamic way to discover local talent. With a collective of more than 35 galleries, the association champions the city’s thriving arts community through monthly Artwalks. Wander from one gallery to the next, meeting artists, exploring new works, and experiencing firsthand the creative pulse that animates the city’s neighborhoods.
Or round out a day with a public lecture at the American College of the Building Arts, a nationally regarded institution that keeps traditional craftsmanship alive. Here, students study blacksmithing, architectural stone carving, plasterwork, timber framing, and other heritage trades—skills that shape Charleston’s iconic architecture and ensure its preservation for generations.
Experience the Charleston region’s arts and culture scene by listening to Afar’s Unpacked podcast episode, “The City Where You’ll Find Ghost Stories, Gullah Rhythms, and the ‘Carnegie Hall of the South.’”
