CHARLESTON GALLERY AS SOCIATION

ART has long been a part of Charleston, ingrained into its fabric like the sunsets over the marshes. It’s a way its people express life and culture, a connection to the city that defies all rules and simply relies on feeling, passion and the urge to create. With many of the art galleries located within a four-block walking radius in historic Downtown Charleston, it’s no wonder the area has been recognized by Artnet as the number one art destination for art lovers in the United States.

Created as the French Quarter Gallery Association (FQGA) approximately 30 years ago to bring the galleries in Charleston’s downtown French Quarter together, the organization was restructured and rebranded in 2015 as Charleston Gallery Association (CGA) by Julie Dunn, former FQGA and CGA president, and her team.

“We had many new galleries outside the French Quarter district, including King Street and greater Charleston. So, we changed the name, invited other art galleries to join, rebranded and brought everyone together as one art group, going from 28 galleries to more than 40,” says Dunn. “This has brought excitement and has created a new brand as ‘Charleston—An Art Destination.’”

The breadth of the CGA’s represented art is vast, offering paintings, sculpture, jewelry, glass works and artwork, from Lowcountry landscapes to realism, abstraction, contemporary, photography, mixed media and more “There’s something for everyone in our galleries; in