Did you know that Spartanburg Art Museum has been in existence for over 100 years? Founded in 1907, it is one of the oldest cultural institutions in our community.
It is also one of the most dynamic and innovative organizations contributing to the burgeoning art scene in Spartanburg today. The museum focuses on exhibiting contemporary art, or the art of our time, and is the only dedicated organization in the Upstate to do so.
Over the past five years, Spartanburg Art Museum has brought artists from all over the world into its galleries. In recent years it has worked with artists from Japan, China, Vietnam, Canada, Israel, and Turkey as well as artists from over 27 states. The museum delights in serving the community by exhibiting contemporary artists from further afield that most likely would not find a venue in Spartanburg.
The museum also delights in creating programming and partnerships that include the ideas, artworks, and performances of local and regional artists. HUB-BUB Artist-in-Residence Ambrin Ling just gave a standout Art Squared Performance in April at the museum.
Contemporary artists do not subscribe to certain idioms or ideologies as art movements throughout western history have done. They create their own rules, break others and forge new hybrids that span disciplines and challenge viewers to think and engage with ideas. That’s the cream filling of contemporary art – it’s rootedness in ideas; it speaks to pressing concerns and issues facing humanity, it reflects on the past and presents work that is completely new.
So come visit your local contemporary art museum and engage with its exhibitions, programs, and events. Always free and always inspiring.
Please visit the Spartanburg Art Museum website for additional information.
Prepared by Spartanburg Art Museum / Chapman Cultural Center.