World Class Art to Rain Down on Lake City as ArtFields Brings Original Art, Economic Vitality to Former Agricultural Boomtown

The fields that once produced enough beans, tobacco and cotton to fuel an entire community have given way to fast food restaurants and storefront churches.

Once a thriving farm town and transportation crossroads, Lake City, SC has struggled – like so many small towns – in recent decades. Its nearly 7,000 residents earn just over half that of their South Carolina neighbors. Sporadic industrial development has helped, but demand exceeds opportunity.

When the trains stopped pausing and the bean trucks no longer brimmed over, the young people started to leave. Along with them went investment dollars, tax revenues, and energy.

But that’s not the end of the story. It’s the beginning.

That’s because Darla Moore, famed for her financial acumen and the new green jacket she’ll wear as one of the first two female members at Augusta National Golf Club, has a plan.

Moore is the catalyst behind the Lake City Partnership Council, an economic development group that has invested generously in the rehabilitation of Lake City.

Their energy has converted crumbling public spaces into iconic spaces and fostered a sense of hope in revitalization.  Through Moore’s leadership, the local booster groups have rescued and rehabbed storefronts. They’ve bolstered the Boys and Girls Club and inspired a new Young Professionals organization. They’ve even expanded public parking in a “build it, and they will come” strategy.

Calling all SC Artists!
ArtFields is a competition open to Southeastern artists, aged 18 and over. Whether you’re work has been collected for decades, or you’re a new talent, ArtFields wants you.
Deadline to submit is April 7 at 5 p.m.; visit www.artfieldssc.org and follow the directions for artists. For a minimal processing fee ($25) you’ll have a chance to compete for the South’s largest art prizes – a total of $100,000.
Selections will be made in February and artists will have time to mobilize their fans to head to Lake City and vote.

Their most public investment will be realized April 19-28, when 400-plus works of art will rain down on Lake City, vying for $100,000 in total prize money that makes ArtFields (www.artfieldssc.org) the South’s largest art contest. The art – destined for display in more than 40 downtown businesses like barbershops, grocery stores and restaurants – will come from professional artists residing in 12 Southeastern states. The 10-day festival will include art events and workshops, live music, a farmers’ market, artists and craftspeople and more.

But success will rely on other things coming to Lake City, too: tourists viewing the art and falling for the town’s quiet charms; young families attracted to affordable land and housing; and locals, who might just see Lake City in a new way.

Sound like a risky gamble? Well, consider the National Governors’ Association estimate that the non-profit arts industry spins off $36.8 billion annually and has already changed the course of cities as varied as Austin, TX and Newark, NJ.

Organizers promise that no matter the immediate impact on the economy, the immediate impact on guests will be positive. For 10 days, Lake City will be the place to be in SC, and the city’s future looks brighter than ever.

PHOTO CREDITS: ArtFields SC