Charleston, South Carolina — Est. 2026

The working artists
of the Holy City,
on one wall.

A running directory of Charleston's painters, printmakers, aerialists, jazz players, and dancers — alongside the studios, galleries, and entertainers that keep the city's stages full. No admission fee, no velvet rope.

40+studio artists at Redux alone
1891roots of Charleston jazz, Jenkins Orphanage Band
7disciplines catalogued below
On The Wall

Painters, Printmakers & Studio Artists

Charleston's visual arts scene runs through King Street's Redux Contemporary Art Center and the working studios that surround it.

01R
Nonprofit Gallery & Studios
Redux Contemporary Art Center

A King Street institution since 2002, Redux houses subsidized studios for 40-plus working artists, the city's only public darkroom, and a rotating exhibition calendar including the annual Creative Corridors studio show.

1056 King StVisit →
02H
Multimedia / Photo-based
Kirsten Hoving

A Redux resident artist rendering photographic imagery on silk organza, exhibiting multimedia work exploring myth and the natural world out of her King Street studio.

Redux Studios
03L
Painting
Lauren Ridenour & Katie Libby

Two of Redux's regularly-exhibiting studio painters, with new work shown together in recent gallery rotations alongside the center's spring open-studio events.

Redux Studios
04M
Painting
Hirona Matsuda

Painter behind the "Warm Light" solo exhibition at Redux, working in a color-driven style shown in the center's rotating back gallery.

Redux Studios
05C
Higher Education
College of Charleston — Studio Art Program

CofC's School of the Arts trains the next wave of Lowcountry painters, printmakers, and sculptors, with student and faculty work regularly surfacing in downtown pop-up shows.

Downtown Campus
06S
Festival / Fine Craft
Piccolo Spoleto Craft & Visual Arts

The annual outdoor art exhibition at Marion Square is the city's biggest open call for local painters, potters, and jewelers, running alongside the Spoleto Festival each spring.

Marion Square
"It's really welcoming to newcomers — it might seem intimidating, but people don't walk up expecting perfection." — On Charleston's circus community
In Motion

Circus, Aerial & Dance

From West Ashley rig points to the Music Hall stage — Charleston's acrobats and dancers train year-round.

07O
Circus Arts Collective
Out on a Limb Circus Arts

Led by Dr. Andrew Zutell and Dr. Lauren Hernandez-Rubio, this West Ashley-based troupe performs trapeze, aerial silks, lyra, and fire/LED flow at venues from the Charleston Music Hall to Woodlands Nature Reserve.

West AshleyVisit →
08C
Aerial Studio
Circus Building

A dedicated 2,100-square-foot aerial facility with 25-foot rig points, home to Aerial Fit classes and Circus Building Entertainment's roster of silks, sling, trapeze, and lyra performers.

Charleston, SCVisit →
09C
Concert Dance
Charleston Dance Project

A Lowcountry company fusing jazz technique with contemporary movement, performing on stages throughout the Charleston area.

Charleston, SC
10U
Contemporary Ballet
Unbound Ballet Project

Charleston's premier contemporary ballet company, staging boundary-pushing choreography in non-traditional spaces like the Music Farm alongside classic stage venues.

Charleston, SCVisit →
11D
Dance Training
Dance Conservatory of Charleston

Elite-caliber ballet, jazz, tap, and contemporary training led by former New York City Ballet dancers, feeding local performers into companies and stages citywide.

Charleston, SCVisit →
Cradle Of Jazz

Jazz Musicians & Jazz Dance

The dance called "The Charleston" was born here, at the Jenkins Orphanage Band, before it swept the world.

12F
Jazz Ensemble
Franklin Street Five

Led by drummer Quentin Baxter, this local band carries forward the Jenkins Orphanage jazz lineage that gave the city its name in music history.

Charleston, SC
13R
Jazz / Swing Dance
Roaring Twenties Hot Jazz Dance Club

Founded by Stephen Duane, the club teaches classes, performs, and hosts social swing nights around town — including a line dance choreographed for the 100th anniversary of "The Charleston."

Charleston, SC
14J
Presenting Organization
Charleston Jazz

The nonprofit steward of the city's jazz heritage, documenting the Jenkins Orphanage tradition and presenting live jazz programming year-round.

Charleston, SCVisit →
15C
Big Band
Charleston Jazz Orchestra

The flagship big band under the Charleston Jazz umbrella, performing traditional and contemporary jazz repertoire at venues across the city.

Charleston, SC
After Dark

Nightlife & Private-Event Entertainment

Charleston's stage performers don't all hang in galleries — some come to you.

16M
Private Event Entertainer
Michael At Your Place

A Charleston-based booking service for private-party and bachelorette entertainment, bringing performers directly to your event across the Lowcountry.

Charleston, SCVisit →
About This Directory

A running list, not a finished one.

Charleston Artist is an independent directory tracking the people and organizations behind the city's visual art, circus, dance, and jazz scenes. It's updated as new studios, troupes, and performers surface — if you run a Charleston-area arts organization and want a listing corrected or added, reach out.