Danny McBride and Beeple headline Gibbes Museum of Art Distinguished Lecture Series a conversation exploring AI, creativity, and the future of visual media
October 7, 2026
What happens to human creativity in the age of artificial intelligence? The Gibbes Museum of Art will bring together two of Charleston’s most internationally recognized creative voices, filmmaker Danny McBride and digital artist Beeple (Mike Winkelmann), to explore that question during the Gibbes’ annual Distinguished Lecture Series on Wednesday, October 21, from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. at the Charleston Music Hall (37 John Street, Charleston, SC 29403).
The one-night-only conversation between McBride and Beeple will explore the rapidly evolving intersection of humanity, technology, and artistic expression, including how AI and other technological innovations are influencing film, digital art, and the creative process.
“The Distinguished Lecture Series has a long history of bringing influential voices in art and culture to Charleston, and this year’s conversation centered on AI and its impact on the art world is more timely than ever,” said Dr. Alex Rich, Gibbes Museum of Art President and CEO.
Mike Winkelmann (known as “Beeple”) gained global fame in 2021 with his record-shattering $69.3 million sale of his landmark NFT Everydays: The First 5,000 Days. In 2023, he opened the 50,000-square-foot Beeple Studios in Charleston, where he often hosts events to bring people together to connect and celebrate digital art.
When asked if AI marks the end of creativity, Beeple has said, “I see it as completely opposite of that. I see it as a tool for unlocking an insane amount of creativity,” explaining the technology provides a medium for people who may not otherwise have the technical ability to express what is in their mind to be able now to do so.
Actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer Danny McBride is the founder of Charleston-based Rough House Pictures and the creative force behind HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones, Eastbound & Down, and Vice Principals. McBride relocated his family and production company to Charleston in 2016, helping establish the Lowcountry as the production home for Vice Principals and The Righteous Gemstones.
“Danny McBride and Beeple have made Charleston their home bases, establishing our region as a hub for producing work that has had an outsized influence on global popular culture,” said Dr. Rich. “Bringing them together to examine how technology, and particularly AI, is changing the way we create, experience, and define art is exactly the kind of thought-provoking, of-our-moment conversation a storied art institution like the Gibbes should be leading.”
Tickets are on sale now and a limited number of sponsorship opportunities remain.
Sponsorship: Email Becca Hiester at [email protected]
About the Gibbes Museum of Art
The Gibbes Museum of Art, a beacon in the American South for arts and culture since 1858 when the Museum’s art collection was founded, is heralded as one of the earliest and most longstanding arts institutions in the United States. The Museum’s collection spans 350 years and features some of the country’s most celebrated artists, including contemporary, modern, and historical works. With worldclass rotating exhibitions and a dynamic visiting artist residency program, the Gibbes is a Southern museum with a global perspective. The Museum’s mission is to enhance lives through art by engaging people of every background and experience with art and artists of enduring quality, providing opportunities to learn and discover, to enjoy and be inspired by the creative process. Museum hours and visitor info at: www.gibbesmuseum.org/visit.
