When a town or city decides to put some of its focus on art and artists, one of the first orders of business is to form an arts council.

It is a bonus to have a building to house such an entity, and fortunately in Orangeburg, we have that in the Orangeburg County Fine Arts Center located in our beautiful Edisto Memorial Gardens. The director of the center is Beth Thomas, who is a lover and advocate of the arts and artists.

Beth originally hails from Louisiana and is a graduate of Louisiana State University. She lived overseas for seven years before coming to the Garden City in 1987 via Connecticut and Fripp Island.

Beth is a believer in the value of art to a community, and I asked her what she would like to accomplish in this community.

“Art is exciting, stimulating, and encouraging and can be a wonderful family activity,” Beth said. “We have excellent participation by children because of our classes, and many of our seniors attend the performances.”

“But we would really love to see increased participation across the board as art speaks its own language, and it is one that is universally understood. Traditionally, there have been far fewer barriers in the art world than in other segments of society.

“Because it is our mission to bring all art forms to our county we strive to offer a broad variety in our exhibits, performances, and classes. We try to keep all events at very reasonable fees to allow everyone the opportunity to participate.

“Whenever possible we offer receptions with our events to introduce the community to the artists. Speaking with an artist offers an insight into that artist’s work and can lead to a better understanding of that particular art discipline. Art is a means of expression that is not always immediately recognized.”

She said that in the future she would like to see some art galleries promoting our local artists and also studio space where artists can work and sell directly to the public. She added that galleries and studios can be wonderful tourist attractions.

“Another important venue for artists is a setting where artists of all genres gather to collaborate, support, and promote each other,” Beth said. “This is something that could be accomplished at the Fine Arts Center, and we are working toward that goal. In general, I would love to see a greater understanding and appreciation for all the Arts.”

To think she left Fripp Island to come here - she must have seen something she liked!! We are all so glad she did!

The Orangeburg County Fine Arts Center is located at 649 Riverside Drive and is open Monday through Friday. If you are interested in exhibiting your work or would like more information about the programs and classes, call 803-536-4074.

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