Paint and Passion;

Public art beautifies A city and uplifts its people

A serene stroll through the downtown and South Sumter streets will bring you face to face with the city’s most scenic sites.

Beautiful butterflies and marvelous murals, hand painted by local and regional artists, cover corners and buildings that were once dull and dilapidated.

Karen Watson, executive director of the Sumter County Gallery of Art and a member of several community art boards, shared the artworks, specifically the murals installed in South Sumter, have received great feedback since their installation. The feeling of “working in a work of art” like Lana Odom, director of the South Sumter Resource Center, shared with Watson or having a more scenic route to take to work in the morning, as many South Sumterites have expressed, has allowed for more eyes to be cast and more time to be invested in that portion of the city.

There are numerous talks of ways to bring art back into the community as a whole — from revamping the free Manning Avenue Art Studio to scattering bronze swans throughout downtown for a community-wide scavenger hunt. Though dates have not been set for when these projects can be expected, there is enough paint and passion to go around in the city.

In the meantime, visitors and residents can enjoy the artwork currently installed.

For over 20 years, the City of Sumter has worked to revitalize downtown Sumter, and one key component missing from their efforts was art. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the city and Main Street Society team joined forces to showcase local artists and bring positivity by scattering seven unique 3-foot butterflies through downtown. After countless entries and local art supporters sponsoring several pieces, the installation of the colorful butterflies was complete after two years. The city has plans to expand the fluttering artwork throughout downtown at a later date.

Swallowtail, by Cleo Klopfleisch at 2 N. Main St. Sponsored by Heidi Burkett. Kaleidoscope, by Sumter children, at Cut Rate Drug Store, 32 S. Main St. Sponsored by Main Street Society.

Item. Sponsored by Matthew Morse and Jenna Brown.

Lucidity, by Nurai Tucker, at the Rotary Plaza between the Sumter Opera House and Jin Jin Chinese Restaurant. Sponsored by Jere and Bobbi Pound.

Variegated Flutter, by Erin Duffie, at the Sumter Opera House, 21 N. Main St. Sponsored by Hobby and Greg Williams.

Winged Revival, by Liz Duffy, at the Sumter Opera House, 21 N. Main St. Sponsored by Heart of Sumter.

Sumter

Unnamed, by Connie Brennan, at Old Sumter County Courthouse,141 N. Main St. Sponsored by Barbara and Harry Burchstead. All These Little Creatures, by Matthew Morse, at the lighted walkway between Berenyi Inc. and The Sumter

In 2021, The Historic Preservation Design Review Committee unanimously approved a request for the installation of eight large scale murals throughout the Downtown Design District - later called the “Creative Canvas Project.” Meant to support creativity, preserve landmarks and cultural history and uplift moods throughout Sumter, the project, created by Melanie Colclough, former executive director of the Sumter County Cultural Center, was the city’s first dip into public art.

Artists selected for the mural installations were paid with the $50,000 grant from the Central Carolina Community Foundation’s Connected Communities, applied for by Colclough, as well as private investments from the Bank of Clarendon, Main Street Society, Sumter Community Foundation, which donated murals on Manning Avenue, Sumter County Museum, Sumter Economic Development, Sumter County Gallery of Art and Sumter County Cultural Commission.

The underestimated cost of murals allowed for only five murals to be completed, three less than the approved eight and one less than the project committee’s planned six. Nonetheless, the completed murals hit the mark in revitalizing beloved landmarks throughout Sumter.

Located in Downtown Sumter are three murals: The Old Sumter Postcard by Christopher Johnson outside of the Sumter County Museum, 122 N. Washington St.; Elements of Sumter by Amiri Farris on the F45/Berenyl Inc. building, 24 W. Liberty St.; and Underneath Swan Lake by McClellan Douglas, 9 N. Main St.

Across the Manning Avenue bridge, the outside of the South Sumter Resource Center, 337 Manning Ave., depicts a bright-colored scene of old Manning Avenue, featuring Dr. B.T. Williams’ dentist office, Savage Glover Elementary School, beauty salons, burger joints, the old checkers club and more. A stroll down the block to 363 Manning Ave. are the faces of historic Sumter natives Ernest A. Finney Jr., South Carolina’s first Black Supreme Court chief justice, and Freddie Solomon, two-time Super Bowl winning wide receiver, surrounded by bright yellow jessamine on a backdrop of gradient purples and blues.

Get Involved

Looking to get creative? There are ample opportunities to do so.

The Sumter County Gallery of Art, a non-profit, community-based institution founded in 1969, offers year-round art classes for youth and adults, upstairs at the gallery located at 200 Hasel St. A seven-week Summer Camp is also hosted by the gallery that is offered on- and off-site to youth.

Older citizens can also try their hand at art with the gallery Seniors Making Art classes.

If you’re looking to teach your way around a canvas, you can volunteer to help with a class.

For more information on how to get involved, follow the Sumter County Gallery of Art on Facebook and check out sumtergallery.com.