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| 2024 Poster by Tate Nation |
My life
changed in 1979 as I stood on the empty lot that would become Charleston Place Hotel
and hollered over my shoulder, “OK parade, follow me!” A cheer went up and hundreds
of colorful characters snaked behind me down King Street. I actually don’t know how it happened. Seems like divine providence because I wasn’t
even part of the arts community in those days.
I was an elementary school teacher. Most likely I was not the first person that
the Office of Cultural Affairs had asked to organize the Piccolo Spoleto parade,
just the first one that said yes. I
recruited my eccentric friend Jules Garvin who lived in a jam-packed costume
shop on the corner of King and Calhoun Streets.
Volunteers raided his racks and became an instant circus troupe; art
teachers made two-story tall puppets and a high school band showed up. The jolt of excitement I felt when the parade
started marching super changed me into the rest of my creative life.
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| The Top Notes Piano Ensemble |
When I moved
to Charleston from Ann Arbor I was shocked by the relative lack of cultural
activities. But Spoleto and Piccolo
changed everything. In my subsequent career
as the founder and director of the art center Creative Spark, we had several
roles with Piccolo Spoleto. For many
years, we produced the children’s festival in Marion Square where multiple
stages of local talent delighted crowds of families. In partnership with the Charleston Housing
Authority we ran Storefront School for the Arts in several locations. Kids painted, danced, wrote and sang under
the guidance of local teaching artists.
This year I will perform again with my 8-hand piano ensemble The Top
Notes at the noontime concert series at Circular Church. (May 29 at noon, free.) We look forward to this show all year. And for several years I’ve written about the
festivals for local newspapers. I’ve
also attended countless performances and heard many people tell of how it’s affected
them.
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| The Jewish Choral Society |
Madeline Hershenson talks about her 19 years directing
the Jewish Choral Society as being about more than the music. The choir was comprised of people from
various religions and musical experiences.
The diverse repertoire ranged from sacred hymns to show tunes by Jewish
composers. They sang exotic songs in
Hebrew, English, Aramaic and Ladino. “What is Jewish music anyway?” she asked. The singers became a close knit group and
their joy and enthusiasm radiated to the audiences. Friendships formed across age differences and
backgrounds. “Peace was created,” Madeline said.
Greg Tavares
credits Piccolo Spoleto with changing his life’s trajectory. “I would never have moved to Charleston in
1995 if I had not spent the few summers before working at Store Front School
for the Arts. I was 24 years old when I
first came to town. I knew right away
that I had to move here. I credit
Piccolo Spoleto with why I live and work here today.” Along with Brandy Sullivan and Timmy Finch,
Greg founded Theatre 99 in 2000 which presents imrov comedy all year, five days
a week. His own troupe The Have Nots is
frequently on stage. In 2001 they began producing Piccolo Fringe, a
comedy series for the festival. “Local groups like Mary Kay Has a Posse play on
the same stage as the national acts we bring in,” Greg describes to emphasize
the valuable opportunities for local talent.
Now, Theatre 99 is one of our city’s cultural mainstays.
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| The Have Nots |
Tate Nation,
Piccolo’s only 3-time poster artist, appreciates the advantage that having his
paintings in marketing and on merchandise has had. He says, “My involvement with Piccolo
Spoleto has had, and continues to have, a tremendous impact on my life and
career as an artist. This year’s festival
will
mark my 25th year as an exhibitor in the Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art
Exhibition. Much of my focus throughout the entire year is aimed towards
creating new paintings in preparation for my exhibit. I’ve met and become good
friends with many of the region’s most incredible and prominent creatives, and
a large part of my business throughout the entire year results from customers and
clients who I’ve met while exhibiting there.”
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| Tate Nation's "Back Doors" |
The festivals
run concurrently but unlike Spoleto, all of Piccolo performances are either
free or low cost and the talent is drawn from the Southeastern region. It’s also much bigger with over 700 performances
in 17 days. Like Spoleto though, it’s
highly curated and spans the literary, visual and performing arts. As our city fills with the vibrancy of the
festivals, it’s worth taking a moment to consider how they’ve enriched our
cultural landscape. They’ve brought
entertainment, broadened our horizons and provided opportunities for creativity
to flourish.
If You Go:
Piccolo
Spoleto will be May 23 to June 8, 2025.
For a complete schedule, please see https://www.piccolospoleto.com/
.
