Fuel for Thought

South Carolina Artisans Center

I originally spotted one of their billboards on Interstate 95 about three years ago. Last year I made it as close as the parking lot before I was rolling on a load. After Christmas I finally made it back to Walterboro, SC with time to visit the South Carolina Artisans Center. It’s worth the stop, and it’s worth marking in the atlas for return visits.

The artisans center has the designation of "Official Folk Art and Craft Center" from the state of South Carolina. The nearly three hundred South Carolina artists represented go through a two staged, independent juried selection process. Virtually every art medium can be found in this collection of handcrafted work. Just off the top of my head—cards, prints, photos and paintings, jewelry, pine-needle and grass baskets, carved ducks and birds, glass tree ornaments, pottery, that bank busting, super-sleek canoe, converted farm implements, stained glass, knives, painted gourds and birdhouses, knitted and crocheted scarves and dolls, and other things handmade from natural fibers, fabric, paper, wood, metal, glass, and clay. Even though this isn’t a roadside souvenir shop, handmade knick-knacks and cards are available for around $3. The top of the range might need you to trade in the car for financing, but its here and available. Ever wonder how to buy something from an artist who has work showing at the Smithsonian? You can find some of it here.

Visit their website for directions and background information. The location is a couple miles off the interstate, so it favors those of us who drive cargo vans.

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