City of Charleston

PARK ART

BEGINNING TO BLOOM IN CHARLESTON

By: Raena Burns, Summer Marketing Assistant, City of Charleston Recreation

When most people think of Charleston they usually don’t think about art; they tend to think of historic monuments, palm trees, and beautiful beaches. But the true beauty of this city is visible through charming local stores, amazing restaurants, and unparalleled local art. There are dozens of art galleries, schools and organizations that work to not only encourage art, but to display and incorporate it into the framework of this growing city. One of these organizations is Enough Pie, a local non-profit organization that works to connect and inspire the community through art and projects. One of the projects Enough Pie is currently working on is called “In Bloom”. This initiative teamed up local artists to help bring life and art to neglected areas in our downtown. The project came about as a response to neighbors who wanted to see more green in the area. The pillars of the I-26 underpass will serve as a way to integrate art into the area by becoming a canvas for artists to paint native pollinators and greenery and highlight South Carolina’s extensive wildlife. Painting the pillars is the first step in giving new life to the area. “It was really a fun and challenging opportunity to work on this project with so many other artists. Although we were working within a framework, it is so cool to see each artist’s style and personality reflected within that framework. There was a spirit of comradery, helping each other, sharing tools (ladders)!” Said Rosemary Dillon, an artist who worked on painting the pillars and who is also an art instructor with the City of Charleston Recreation Department.

Due to the pandemic, the painting of the pillars was halted. As a way of letting the community see the intended project, Enough Pie and the artists created a coloring book with all of their planned designs so kids and families could bring the art to life at home. Now that the project is back up and into the second and final phase, members of the community will be able to go see the art in person. Once the painting is done, the underpass will be converted into a usable space with a playground, basketball court and benches. This will become a space for people to gather and for Enough Pie to host art classes, poetry workshops and clean-up projects. Enough Pie’s project will be a spur of another project called the Lowcountry Lowline that is being conducted by a separate organization called Friends of the Lowcountry Lowline. The goal of the Lowline Project is to take the abandoned railway track and neglected highway corridor and turn it into a usable space for the community. There will be walking and biking paths, parks, and areas for vendors to set up shop. The whole project will be adorned with local art including murals and sculptures and will also include painted underpass pillars. “Public art will be a key feature for the Lowline. It adds enormous value to the cultural, aesthetic and economic vitality of a community. The Lowline won’t just be a place to walk or bike (but that is great too); it will be brought to life by music, art, educational signage, and other activities that will constitute its free programming, which will be offered in partnership with other community organizations.” said Megan Mills, Executive Assistant to the Board of Friends of the Lowcountry Lowline.