Sumter Opera House ..................................................................... 17 Public art on display downtown

BY ALAYSHA MAPLE

"The vibrant colors and intricate shapes on buildings throughout downtown and South Sumter encourage people to experience and explore the history of Sumter.

The Creative Canvas Project works to bring more art to Sumter through murals. The Historic Preservation Design Review Committee approved the installation of eight large-scale murals painted on walls in the downtown design district and various buildings in South Sumter.

Artists selected for mural installations are paid with money from Central Carolina Community Foundation’s Connected Communities grant of $50,000 along with a private investment from Bank of Clarendon and Main Street Society. No tax money is used for the project.

“The purpose of public art, I think, is that it is accessible to everyone,” said Karen Watson, executive director of the Sumter County Gallery of Art and point of contact for the Creative Canvas initiative. “It’s also a springboard for imagination, especially for youth. It’s a new way of looking at urban planning, incorporating public art that is interactive, and murals are defi nitely interactive.”

Watson said the committee and community members experienced “fi rst time jitters” about murals but have done great so far as three of the eight approved murals are completed.

Christopher Johnson, a muralist from Greenville who lives in Georgia, modeled the mural on the Sumter County Museum after an old postcard. Located at 122 N. Washington St., the mural features signifi cant people and places of Sumter County like pioneer Mary McLeod Bethune and Gen. Location of mural: F45/ Berenyi Inc. Artist: Amiri Farris Thomas Sumter, whom the city is named after, on the drive into downtown. The Imports LTD sign above the Sumter water fountain on North Main Street showcases artist McClellan Douglas’ rendition of Swan Lake. Native to Columbia and owner of Interactive Artworks, Douglas wanted to make the entire building feel underwater, unlike common Swan Lake paintings. Wide ranges of blues and use of depth of fi eld entice people to interact with the artwork and surrounding businesses. In the alley between The Sumter Item and Berenyi Inc., on West Liberty Street, is a mural based on elements of Sumter by artist Amiri Farris, of Bluffton. The piece features the South Carolina Gamecock, local fl owers, fi ghter jets, a swan, the Carolina wren and more surrounded by bright colors, bold patterns and Farris’ stylistic paint drippings. According to Watson, the cold, rainy weather along with fi nding the next artist put a temporary halt to the Creative Canvas Project. . The committee hoped to reconvene in January 2022 and discuss how to move forward with the project.

Art takes flight Amid the pandemic, color came to downtown.

Seven 3-foot butterfl ies were installed throughout the area in summer 2020 to provide public art and a pop of color and creativity. "We've been doing revitalization downtown for 20 years, and one thing we really don't have downtown is art," said Leigh Newman, downtown development coordinator for the city. "This was an art installation project that we wanted to do just to have some art downtown and brighten things up."

Six local artists and a group of children painted 3-foot fi berglass butterfl ies, and now, their art is permanently displayed in the downtown area.