Home   :   About Us   :   What's New   :   Arts Calendar   :   Contact Us

Design Arts

Design Arts News

A publication of the South Carolina Design Arts Partnership


October 2006


In this issue: (We have a lot of news this time around!)


AIA Grants $75,000 To Support Community Design And Planning in South Carolina

The SC Design Arts Partnership is pleased to announce that the American Institute of Architects has awarded $10,000 grants to six SC AIA chapters partnering with cities and towns across the state to host a series of community design projects in 2007. Communities were selected to participate through a competitive application process conducted last May. During each charrette, architects will work with citizens to promote quality design and planning. In addition, the statewide chapter of AIA/SC was awarded $15,000 to support the 2006 SC Mayors' Institute for Community Design Colloquium, Nov. 13-15, 2006, and the South Carolina Community Design Summit, April 24-25, 2007 at Clemson University. This total contribution of $75,000 to community design efforts in South Carolina is made possible by the AIA's 150 th anniversary celebration initiative called Blueprint for America: A Gift to the Nation. For more information, visit www.aia150.org.


  • AIA Columbia awarded $10,000 for community design project in Clearwater, SC
  • AIA Spartanburg awarded $10,000 for community design project in Glendale, SC
  • AIA Hilton Head awarded $10,000 for community design project in Summerton, SC
  • AIA Greenville awarded $10,000 for community design project in Greer, SC
  • AIA Charleston awarded $10,000 for community design project in Johnsonville, SC
  • AIA Grand Strand awarded $10,000 for community design project in Chesterfield, SC

Frank Lloyd Wright Exhibit at the Columbia Museum of Art

Columbia, SC — Nov. 10, 2006 through Feb. 4, 2007 ---Frank Lloyd Wright and the House Beautiful is the first exhibition organized in more than 30 years to present Wright's decorative arts and design and is the major exhibition of the museum's season. The exhibition's approximately 130 objects, many of which have never been on view to the public, are representative of Wright's productive 70-year career and show how his concept of the House Beautiful emphasizes harmony between architectural form and interior function. The exhibition presents Wright's passion for creating a new way of life for Americans through design and architecture, focusing on the architect's relationship to the House Beautiful movement of the late 19 th and 20 th centuries. Wright believed that families would “be improved” by living in a tasteful and well-designed house. Presenting sponsors are BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina and Blanchard Machinery. For more information, visit http://www.columbiamuseum.org/


Design School Is The New Business School

 

With innovation and creativity being key words in today's economy, it's not surprising that businesses are turning more and more to design schools to recruit nimble new thinkers. A recent article in BusinessWeek explores this growing trend. The article also provides results from the first-ever survey of design schools and programs in the United States, Europe, and Asia that are graduating the kinds of innovators companies are looking for. As the article puts it, "design has evolved from a narrow discipline dealing with the form and function of products into a major new approach to developing business models." For more information about how Americans for the Arts encourages this growing movement by providing arts-based learning for the private sector, please contact Creativity Connection Coordinator Hannah Kim.


Save the Date for the SC Community Design Summit

Mark your calendars for the SC Community Design Summit! On April 24-25, 2007, architects, landscape architects, urban planners, preservationists, citizens, and elected officials from all walks of life will gather at Clemson University's Madren Center to celebrate the power of design at the South Carolina Community Design Summit. Scheduled Speakers include David Downey (AIA's Center for Communities by Design), Bryan Bell (Design Corps) and more. The Summit will focus on how design, planning, and preservation can be used as tools to address

South Carolina's social, economic, and environmental challenges. A key component of the event will be the presentation of community design visions from several South Carolina communities. For more information, please call (803) 734-8622. Registration information will be available online soon.


SC Arts Awareness License Plate Design Competition

The South Carolina Arts Commission invites interested artists and designers to submit a design proposal for a new Arts Awareness license plate for South Carolina. The creator of the winning design will be recognized at a special Arts Awareness license plate unveiling ceremony and will receive $500 in cash sponsored by the SC Arts Foundation. The deadline is November 30, 2006. Details>>


Hamburger Helper Offers Grants for Community Projects

General Mills Sales, Inc. and Hamburger Helper are offering grants of up to $15,000 to local communities for a wide range of projects such as purchasing playground equipment, restoring a local park, creating a community center, acquiring holiday decorations for Main Street, clean-up projects, lighting, benches, and more. Projects must demonstrate a strong and sustained community need and illustrate a creative and innovative concept for addressing the need. Projects must be sponsored by a municipal or civic organization. Applications will be accepted through May 31, 2007. Submit a request for your community design projects today! Details>>


Clearwater Charrette to Plan New Mixed-use Development for Abandoned Textile Mill Site

On January 22 & 23, 2007, AIA Columbia will host a community design charrette in Clearwater, SC to consider options for the redevelopment of the abandoned Clearwater and Seminole mill properties in Aiken County. The primary goals of this project include converting the sites into a new mixed-use employment center and evaluating the Clearwater mill for National Register eligibility while determining whether or not it is feasible to rehabilitate the historic property. The Clearwater/Seminole site is strategically located on US Hwy 1 between Aiken and North Augusta and well-positioned to take advantage of nearby growth. Citizens will be involved in the visioning process, and the design team is currently seeking volunteers. For more information, contact Marc Warren with AIA Columbia at (803)252-2400.


Glendale Charrette to Consider Future of Historic Village

On January 25 & 26, 2007, AIA Spartanburg will host a design charrette in the historic mill village of Glendale to develop a community master plan. Glendale is considered by some scholars to be one of the most historic textile mill communities in South Carolina, founded as early as 1832. The village has an abundance of natural and cultural resources that need to be protected for the future. The goal of the Glendale master plan will be to develop ideas and design solutions that enhance economic vitality, improve quality of life and encourage active living, while restoring and improving the community's natural and environmental characteristics. For more information or to volunteer, please contact Dean Trakas with AIA Spartanburg at (828) 859-6006.


Summerton Charrette to Plan Future of 301 Corridor

On January 15 & 16, 2007, AIA Hilton Head will host a design charrette in Summerton to plan the future of the historic Hwy 301 corridor and to recommend guidelines for managing growth in and around the town. Located just two miles from beautiful Lake Marion, an attractive location for new retirees, the Summerton area is projected to experience significant increases in population within the next 10-15 years. Large-scale commercial and residential development is sure to follow. The Town of Summerton wants to prepare itself now to manage this expansion while preserving their small-town character and charm. AIA Hilton Head will assist with this effort as part of the AIA150 celebration. For more information or to volunteer, contact Robert Almanza with AIA Hilton Head at (843) 842-6009.


Greer Charrette to Create Better Experience for Downtown Pedestrians

On February 1 & 2, 2007, AIA Greenville will host a community design charrette in Greer. Greer has experienced downtown revitalization success in recent years and is now positioned to develop a 12-acre municipal complex called Greer commons in the heart of downtown. Greer's leadership envisions Greer Commons as being the center of a pedestrian-friendly community with pathways linking to all the surrounding neighborhoods. AIA Greenville will work with residents to develop plans for extending Greer's revitalization success into the Sunnyside, Arlington-Davenport, and Victor Mill communities while planning for citizens to have an active and healthy lifestyle in a walkable community. For more information or to volunteer, contact Todd Reichard with AIA Greenville at (864) 271-7555.


Johnsonville Charrette to Consider Heritage Tourism Opportunities

On January 29 & 30, 2007, AIA Charleston will host a community design charrette in Johnsonville to consider opportunities for developing a Francis Marion Heritage Park on the banks of the Lynches River. The charrette will also consider recommendations for a new downtown master plan to revitalize the central business district by connecting it physically and visually with the proposed park at the edge of town. Johnsonville is considered rural and is in need of an economic and community development approach that respects the town's natural and cultural resources. AIA Charleston is enthusiastic about helping the citizens of Johnsonville create their vision for the future. For more information or to volunteer, contact Kate Campbell with AIA Charleston at (843) 722-2040.


Chesterfield Design Workshop Scheduled for February

On February 8 & 9 Clemson University students under the direction of architecture professor Lynn Craig, will convene in Chesterfield to develop conceptual plans for two new mixed use developments in the central business district. In addition, students will consider opportunities for Chesterfield to capitalize on its new “Heart of the Carolinas” theme through physical and visual design. Topics of discussion will include preserving historic Main Street and the WPA era Courthouse, planning for smart growth and designing compatible infill development, building on community assets, creating vibrant public places, and attracting economic development through cultural tourism. The workshop is sponsored by AIA Grand Strand and will be open to the public. For more information or to volunteer, contact Professor Lynn Craig at (864) 656-3905.


Call for Entries

In an effort to celebrate the positive impact of design on quality of life in South Carolina, the South Carolina Design Arts Partnership and the South Carolina Chapter of the American Institute of Architects request entries for short articles that showcase ways that design improves economic, social, and/or environmental well-being in our state. Articles can feature any design discipline including architecture, landscape architecture, urban and community planning, historic preservation and more. Entries are due January 15, 2007. Details (PDF) >>


Call for Volunteers

The South Carolina Chapter of the American Institute of Architects and the South Carolina Design Arts Partnership are seeking volunteers to participate in a series of community design charrettes and workshops to be held in January and February 2007. Volunteers with experience in architecture, landscape architecture, community and urban planning, historic preservation, or community and economic development are needed. Details (PDF)>>


Thank You Sponsors

The South Carolina Design Arts Partnership would like to send out a special thank-you to our 2006-2007 SC Mayors' Institute sponsors:

The 2006 SC Mayors' Institute Colloquium would not be possible without your generous support! Your contribution is greatly appreciated! Sponsorship opportunities are still available for 2006-2007. Please contact us at (803) 734-8622 if you are interested.


Quotable

“Obviously if people are willing to pile in their Winnebago in Wisconsin and drive 1,500 miles to Disney World just to walk down Main Street again, there is a sense of loneliness in our lives, a feeling that something is missing…Cities must make people feel safe and stable and secure, and they do this by not changing- so that when changes do occur, landmarks remain. At the same time, cities have to promise some excitement and change for the future; they have to promise that things will get better and then live up to that promise.” –Robert Campbell


If you would like to submit an article or announcement for the next issue of Design Arts News, please contact lmoore@arts.sc.gov.


The SC Design Arts Partnership (SCDAP) is a partnership of the South Carolina Arts Commission, Clemson University College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities, Clemson Institute for Economic and Community Development, Clemson Extension, and Main Street South Carolina. Founded in 1994, its mission is to put quality design to work in South Carolina communities through direct action-oriented problem solving. The partnership uses the resources of Clemson University students to provide design assistance for communities statewide and hosts the annual Mayors Institute, South Carolina's premier design leadership training event. In addition, the partnership has the ability to call on the resources of affiliated professionals in architecture, landscape architecture, community and urban planning, historic preservation and economic development to assist communities as needed. For more information, contact Lindsey Moore, SCDAP, Mayors Institute Director, (803) 734-8622.


For comments or to be added to our e-mail list please e-mail lmoore@arts.sc.gov with “Design Arts News” in the subject heading. If you do NOT wish to receive "Design Arts News" in the future, please send an e-mail message to lmoore@arts.sc.gov.


Design Arts

 

For more information, contact Lindsey Moore, SCDAP Executive Director, (803) 734-8622 or Hope Wright, SCDAP Assistant Coordinator, (803) 734-8898.