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Explore South Carolina

Learn about South Carolina. You may be surprised at what you'll find!  

In addition to the topics below, you can also delve into South Carolina's history by visiting the Social Studies section.

Public schools observe John C. Calhoun's birthday, March 18, as South Carolina Day. 

 

Within this Collection

Content Type
 Spotlight 1

Video

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Spotlight
Episode 1
A typical Phil Greene canoe is a Spotlight of exotic and indigenous woods that were cut, sanded, carved and refined for six months or more. The canoes combine sculptural details with practical design...
 Topiary Garden 103

Video

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Topiary Garden
Episode 103
Hedges and trees in Pearl's garden appear to flow and weave into one another, often making it difficult to see where one plant ends and another begins. The effect is created by tying the tips of...
 Community 106

Video

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Community
Episode 106
Sumter's downtown Mosaic Garden is the result of Pearl Fryar's inspiration and design, the guidance of dedicated teachers, and the imagination of over 400 students. While Pearl arranged garden paths...
 A Natural State 2

Video

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A Natural State
Episode 2
Jimmie’s upbringing fostered creativity and resourcefulness. His joy in his family history is palpable. In his world, nothing is wasted. Every simple thing is treasured for the value of its inherent...
 A Natural State 1

Video

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A Natural State
Episode 1
Jimmie is a self-taught craftsman, who initially picked up the art of fashioning vines and branches into wreaths and baskets while caring for an ailing parent. He honed his art and moved into the...
 A Natural State 3

Video

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A Natural State
Episode 3
Jimmie’s upbringing fostered creativity and resourcefulness. His joy in his family history is palpable. In his world, nothing is wasted. Every simple thing is treasured for the value of its inherent...
 Spotlight 1

Video

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Spotlight
Episode 1
Since the early 1970s, Nils-Udo has reshaped the land to achieve "absolute purity," where, "every non-natural element is ruled out as impure. No other materials are used but those found in each...
 A Natural State 5

Video

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A Natural State
Episode 5
Jimmie’s life is abundant with memories. Weaving the past into the present is a way of solidifying and unifying both. While he is an untrained artist, Jimmie understands and appreciates the very...
 Touch the Earth 5

Video

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Touch the Earth
Episode 5
The nature-based art form blends natural materials, manmade construction and landscape into mysterious expressions of our relationship to the earth. The Serpent Mound in Ohio attributed to the Adena...
 Dedication | A Natural State 3

Video

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Dedication | A Natural State
Episode 3
Nils-Udo’s site-specific sculpture is often described as his "response" to an environment. Forms are inspired by the natural space in which he works. All of the senses drive the artist’s work, a...
 Touch the Earth 4

Video

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Touch the Earth
Episode 4
Ernie Denny's vision of a nature-based sculpture program was inspired by a dream about children playing inside a giant bronze flower. The program's "gallery" would be nestled amid rolling hills of the...
 Spotlight 1

Video

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Spotlight
Episode 1
The city of Sumter invited artists to experiment with nature-based art during its the Art in the Park event. Nature-based art is sculpture that uses natural materials, often materials found on-site...
 Construction of Nest 2

Video

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Construction of Nest
Episode 2
During our visit, Nils-Udo and a team of students and volunteers made final touches to the massive nest constructed of natural materials. Donned in parkas and muddy boots, the crew finished weaving...
 Marcelo Novo 4

Video

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Marcelo Novo
Episode 4
Marcelo Novo, a well-known South Carolina artist and self described "city boy," felt a bit out of his element at the Art in the Park event. Without paintbrush and canvas, Marcelo struggled to apply...
 Collecting Kudzu | A Natural State 8

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Collecting Kudzu | A Natural State
Episode 8
An old saying goes, "If you’re going to plant kudzu, drop it and run." The vine grows up to a foot a day during summer months and chokes the southeastern landscape with a dense, green mat of foliage...
 Kudzu House | A Natural State 9

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Kudzu House | A Natural State
Episode 9
Kudzu's aggressive growth and status as an unwanted plant creates an abundance of materials for resourceful artists and crafters. Nancy uses the vine in baskets, paper, jams, jellies, teas, and most...
 Sandhills State Park | A Natural State 7

Video

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Sandhills State Park | A Natural State
Episode 7
Nancy travels from her home in the Upstate to Sandhills State Park in Patrick to collect needles for her baskets. Dried needles are plentiful due to controlled burning of the park's long leaf pine...
 Landscape Architecture Professor | A Natural State 3

Video

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Landscape Architecture Professor | A Natural State
Episode 3
How do you define nature when its definition has changed through the centuries? The definition and idea of "art," "nature"and "natural" are difficult terms to pin down. Technology and our evolving...
 Showcase 2

Video

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Showcase
Episode 2
The sculptures of Art in the Park ranged from the whimsical to the sublime. Nearly all sculptures involved pine needles, one of the most abundant materials on the landscape. Constructions included a...
 Touch the Earth 7

Video

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Touch the Earth
Episode 7
Artworks in the nature-based sculpture program are categorized as "ephemeral" and "extended ephemeral." Ephemeral work has a relatively short life span. Works like Patrick Daugherty's Sittin' Pretty...
 Leslie Rech 3

Video

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Leslie Rech
Episode 3
Leslie Rech's multimedia installation, "Echo," was based on shapes and forms of the landscape as seen in an aerial photograph. The representation was also a key to materials most abundant in the park...
 Spotlight 1

Video

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Spotlight
Episode 1
Organic materials such as pine needles are considered "free for the taking" and have qualities that can not be reproduced by humans. But collecting natural materials comes at a price for the...
 Spotlight 1

Video

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Spotlight
Episode 1
Clemson's Nature-Based Sculpture Program reinvents the art gallery as an outdoor experience where the sculptor's hand is revealed through exploration and discovery. There are no signs to lead visitors...
 Collaboration 2

Video

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Collaboration
Episode 2
The Nature-based sculpture program is a collaborative project between artists, and students and teachers from a broad range of university studies. Horticulture, landscape architecture, English...