Founded in 2003, Artisphere’s mission is to create a nationally recognized Fine Arts festival that enhances the quality of life and economic vitality in South Carolina. The 15th Anniversary of Artisphere in 2019 was a huge success. Applications reached 952, average artists’ sales were over $9,730, attendance neared 70,000 and economic impact grossed an astounding $9.1 million.
This year, we are thrilled to bring the 17th annual Artisphere festival back to Main Street the weekend of May 7-9th. The festival will be held on the four blocks between the intersection of River and Main St and Markley and Main at Fluor Field. Unlike years past, Artisphere will be gated, with timed and ticketed entry in order to regulate crowd size; masks are required; and sanitizing and hand-washing stations will be placed frequently throughout the festival grounds. Social distancing will be encouraged via prominently placed signage throughout Main street. With safety protocols in place, we are thrilled to host Artisphere 2021 on the street, and our artists and community are grateful for the opportunity to be together safely to celebrate and uphold our thriving Greenville arts culture.
Partnerships are a core element of Artisphere’s success, and the festival has a history of collaborating with a host of Greenville’s performance groups and venues. In 2009, we inaugurated special performance awards, underwritten by the Fred Collins Foundation, and have since distributed $130,000 to arts groups participating in our Local Performing Arts Showcase. Artisphere recruits local non-profit arts organizations to volunteer during the festival weekend and provides them with a portion of festival proceeds. Since 2005, Artisphere has donated over $275,000 to local groups like SCCT, Greenville Chorale, SCGSA&H and more.