Statistically, S.C. not too creative

The Post and Courier

It seems like there's an art gallery on every block in downtown Charleston, but relatively few South Carolina residents make a living from being creative.

Slightly less than 1 percent of the state's workers are artists, 19,118 in all, according to 2005 U.S. Census data released this week by the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington.

The Palmetto State finished No. 41 in a rank of creative classes, making it about as artistic South Dakota, based on those figures.

Georgia and North Carolina boast a greater percentage of artists. And the average state supports almost 50 percent more actors, painters, architects and performers.

"We're doing some catch-up here," said Ken May, deputy director of the South Carolina Arts Commission. "But in looking at the statistics, the story is not all negative."

May noted that more artists are moving into the state.

And his organization just won a $100,000 grant from a coalition of big charitable foundations to help artists hone their business acumen, find funding and market their products and skills.

"I think there are some things that can be done to at least move the needle a little," May said.

The survey did not account for the hundreds and thousands of people who make some, but not most, of their income from art.

Charleston is relatively fertile ground for the creative process. Some 3,115 Holy City residents, or 1.2 percent of the workforce, make a living creatively. Their ranks are bolstered by 1,090 designers and almost 500 architects.

There are more artists in Charleston than in Asheville, Columbia, Myrtle Beach or Savannah, though on a per-capita basis Asheville and Wilmington are two of the country's most creative cities.

Ben Ingram, executive director of the Charleston Artists Guild, said he thought the statewide number would be higher.

Membership in his guild has soared to 725 in recent years, and local artists have pushed for Charleston to be considered a hotbed for the arts.

"I really think the galleries and the art organizations are making an effort to do that," Ingram said. "And I fully believe that people view it in that aspect."

Ingram noted that Charleston's art industry is buttressed by a growing number of venues, in addition to the rash of traditional retail galleries.

His members recently garnered requests to display their works at a golf tournament and a downtown hotel, to name a few.

Angela Mack, executive director and former curator of the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, said South Carolina residents seem to have grown more interested in the arts in recent years.

"This is just my own observation," she said. "Certainly there seem to be more galleries."

Mack noted that the National Endowment numbers should be taken with a dose of skepticism, as they are based on survey responses.

"My definition of an artist might be a whole lot different from yours," she explained. "And there's no regulatory body for the arts. You don't have to have a license."

Reach Kyle Stock at 937-5763 or kstock@postandcourier.com.