Sandhills | A Natural State

The Sandhills is a band of 100,000 million year old sand dunes and marine deposits stretching diagonally across the state. A sudden drop in elevation marks another unique landscape feature of the region, the Fall Line. This escarpment was created by erosion along the ancient coastline, and is revealed by rocky whitewater rapids along the area's wide, flat rivers. In the early 18th century, rapids at the Fall Line prevented riverboats from traveling farther inland. Colonial settlements rested at the navigable bounds of area rivers. In 1786, the capital city of Columbia was relocated to the central Sandhills area in order to network economic and political interests of the upcountry and lowcountry. In the early 19th century, canals connected upcountry riverboat traffic to lowcountry seaports and the Sandhills area population grew as trade, state government, and the cotton textile industry took root.

Meet artists from the Sandhills area of South Carolina below. Please note many of the web videos include transcripts.  The artists are trained professionals who often use tools not considered safe for inexperienced users. Please review the safety disclaimer.

 

Within this Series

State of the Arts
Episode 7

Video

The physical qualities of natural materials inform Brian Rust's work. Wood is media that he carves and manipulates to a degree, while still allowing the material to "speak directly" to the viewer...
Tryon Project
Episode 8

Video

“Sacrifice” asks the viewer to reexamine how experience colors our perception of the world. The collection of knives invites one to investigate why a perfectly ordinary group of objects would be part...
Tryon Project
Episode 9

Video

In "High Chair," wisteria vine, the arms and legs of a chair and a seat of chestnuts become a piece of furniture that contemplates its journey from forest to living room.
Tryon Project
Episode 10

Video

From across the room, Sanctuary appears domestic and familiar—a collection of chairs, a birdhouse, a rug and display shelf invite momentary retreat from the gallery. Closer inspection reveals the...
Nature | A Natural State
Episode 11

Video

Janet prefers to use materials that "have lived a life," or show signs of age, use and decay. These elements help achieve a sense of harmony between the manmade and natural objects in her work. An...
Spotlight

Video

As an educator at the Columbia Museum of Art, Leslie uses her knowledge of art history to inform her creative decisions in the studio. She describes herself as "old school" in her appreciation of art...