State Museum announces Artist Homecoming 2026: Elements of Craft – Oct. 8-9
September 22, 2026
Two-day event will feature the opening of a new juried exhibition, panel discussions, and opportunities to connect with South Carolina’s craft community.
The South Carolina State Museum will welcome artists, curators, cultural leaders, and arts supporters from across the state for Artist Homecoming 2026: Elements of Craft(opens in new tab), a two-day celebration of South Carolina’s vibrant arts community that begins Thursday, Oct. 8 and concludes Friday, Oct. 9.
“We are very excited to be back for our third year of Artist Homecoming and to have the opportunity to celebrate the incredible artistic talent found throughout South Carolina.” said SCSM Chief Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs Paul Matheny. “We are looking forward to bringing artists and cultural leaders together for a gathering that highlights the rich traditions that make South Carolina’s creative community so unique.
The event will highlight the artists, traditions, and creative practices that continue to shape South Carolina’s cultural landscape through exhibition experiences, panel discussions, and opportunities for collaboration and connection.
The celebration begins Thursday, Oct. 8, from 6 – 8 p.m. with a free opening reception(opens in new tab) for In the Making: Contemporary Craft from South Carolina(opens in new tab), a new juried exhibition featuring the work of 12 South Carolina artists working in fiber, ceramics, wood, metal, glass, mixed media, and other fine craft traditions. Guests will enjoy an early look at the exhibition while celebrating the breadth, innovation, and vitality of contemporary craft practices across the state. The exhibition is part of Handwork 2026: Celebrating American Craft, a nationwide initiative led by Craft in America that recognizes and elevates contemporary craft traditions across the United States.
The event continues Friday, Oct. 9 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. with a full day of ticketed(opens in new tab) programming designed to foster conservation, collaboration, and community among artists and art supporters. Attendees will enjoy panel discussions exploring the state of the arts in South Carolina, the tradition of sweetgrass basket making, and other topics; artist-led walkthroughs of In the Making: Contemporary Craft from South Carolina; and much more.
The reception on Thursday, Oct. 8, is free and open to the public. Tickets for Artist Homecoming(opens in new tab) programming on Fri., Oct. 9, are $10 per person, but free for Museum members and students with an active student I.D. For more information, visit scmuseum.org(opens in new tab) or contact [email protected](opens in new tab).
Artist Homecoming is funded in part by the South Carolina Arts Commission, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts. Event program support also provided by the Columbia Museum of Art and the Columbia Design League.
About the South Carolina State Museum
Since opening in 1988, the South Carolina State Museum has been committed to collecting, preserving and showcasing the rich culture, art, natural history, technology and innovation of the Palmetto State. Through a comprehensive collection of over 1.1 million objects and four floors of stimulating exhibitions and displays housed within the historic Columbia Mills Building, the State Museum provides educational environments that entertain, inspire and enrich the lives of millions of visitors and students from across South Carolina. For more information about the museum, visit scmuseum.org(opens in new tab).
