The City of Charleston’s Five-Day Visual Arts Festival Kicks Off April 23 This Year’s Theme: Art and Fashion Collide!
The Gibbes Museum of Art, a beacon in the American South since its establishment in 1858, announces the lineup of events for Art Charleston 2025. The five-day festival runs April 23-27 in downtown Charleston, and this year’s theme is the intersection of art and fashion design.
Hotel reservations fill up quickly during this time of the year, tourists are encouraged to book their hotels early. The city of Charleston is a leading national and international tourist destination for millions of visitors.
Five glorious days and nights of street fairs, art tours, fashion runway shows, artist studio visits, exhibitions, meet-the-artist events, art lectures, and panel discussions.
Proceeds from this fundraiser benefit the Gibbes Museum’s year-round education initiatives, school groups, support for artists, exhibitions and community art programs.
View the full lineup of events at gibbesmuseum.org/art-charleston. Art Charleston has raised $1 million for arts initiatives, and has increased the destination’s tourism tax revenue through visitors staying at hotels and restaurant visits.
National headliners this year include the fashion/design entrepreneur Nell Diamond and culinary superstar Michael Toscano.
This year’s art week celebration centers around the Museum’s nationally acclaimed exhibition Statement Pieces: Contemporary Fashion Design and the Gibbes Collection (on view now through April 27).
The centerpiece exhibition for Art Charleston presents rarely seen fashions by some of the world’s leading designers including Gucci, Alexander McQueen, and Comme des Garcons.
Their designer looks are exhibited alongside art by Joan Mitchell, Romare Bearden, Jasper Johns, Barkley Hendricks, and more.
“What sets Art Charleston apart from other cities is that our art week was nurtured from the ground up, by the city’s main museum and civic leaders who recognize the vital impact of the visual arts on the community,” says Angela Mack, President and CEO of the Gibbes Museum of Art.
“We never lose sight that art is the reason. As Art Charleston evolves and grows, and as we continue to see more collectors, art dealers, and art world leaders participating, we remain anchored in supporting artists and expanding resources for our local art scene. “By keeping our art week accessible, this model strives for long-term sustainability for our cultural ecosystem,” adds Mack.
Highlights During This Year’s Art Charleston
The Art of Design
Wednesday, April 23rd 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
This year, the Gibbes Women’s Council is honored to present Nell Diamond, Founder & CEO of Hill House Home.
Celebrated for its cult-favorite Nap Dress®, Hill House is a fashion and lifestyle brand with a hyper-loyal customer base nationwide – especially at Nell’s new Charleston store, the largest of all Hill House Home locations.
“I am thrilled to be selected as this year’s keynote speaker for The Art of Design, the kickoff event for Art Charleston 2025,” says Nell Diamond. “Charleston is such a dynamic city and is a favorite art destination for many of our customers from around the country. I love the work they are doing at the Gibbes Museum of Art, especially the education initiatives of the Gibbes Women’s Council,” adds Diamond.
Immediately after the luncheon, Diamond will greet fans at her Charleston store to celebrate its one-year anniversary.
Diamond’s honors include: Inc’s “Female Founders 250,” Fast Company’s “Most Innovative,” the Business of Fashion’s “500 List,” and Marie Claire’s “Power List.”
She has appeared on The Today Show, CNN, CBS News, and in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, New York Magazine, and Vogue. Diamond has been invited to speak at WWD Women in Power, AdWeek Challenger Brands, and Fast Company’s Innovation Festival.
More than 350 guests attend the Art of Design seated luncheon event each year, set against the backdrop of the Gibbes’ classical, European-style Lenhardt Garden.
Statement Pieces: Contemporary Fashion Design and the Gibbes Collection
The Museum’s centerpiece exhibition for Art Charleston (on view now, through April 27)
Statement Pieces features designer treasures from the Barrett Barrera Projects acclaimed fashion collection, alongside works of art from the Museum’s permanent collection. Exquisitely designed garments are curated with select artworks spanning 250 years, from the 1770s to the 2020s.
“The Gibbes Museum of Art is thrilled to celebrate the many ways art and fashion are forever intertwined in our culture,” says Angela Mack. “The dialogues between each artwork and garment create a striking visual courtship between the two art forms,” adds Mack.
The exhibition is co-curated by Sara Arnold (Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Gibbes Museum of Art), and Kelly Peck (Chief Curator/Vice President of Barrett Barrera Projects). The gallery settings/staging were designed by Nic Cherry (Director/Barrett Barrera Projects).
Painting by Joan Mitchell titled Series: July 25 I, (oil on canvas, 1966). Right: Molly Goddard, Green Tulle Dress with Embroidered Flowers, Autumn/Winter 2017 Collection. Runway photo by Jonas Gustavsson. The dress is on loan to the Gibbes Museum from the Barrett Barrera Projects fashion collection.
Statement Pieces shines a light on extraordinary fashions by Alexander McQueen, Charlie le Mindu, Comme des Garcons, Dapper Dan, Gucci, Molly Goddard, Pam Hogg, Richard Quinn, and Serena Gili.
Their designer looks are paired with artworks from the Gibbes Museum’s permanent collection, by Joan Mitchell, Romare Bearden, Jasper Johns, Barkley Hendricks, Gilbert Stuart, Sir Martin Archer Shee, and Utagawa Hiroshige – plus nationally renowned Southern artists Merton Daniel Simpson, Donté K. Hayes, and Edward Rice, among other artists.
Sew Surreal Fashion Show
Saturday, April 26th 7:00 – 9:30 p.m.
10 Designers | 10 Masterpieces. Bound to be a showstopper – first of its kind in Charleston. Watch the Sew Surreal video reel at this link. Each local fashion designer from Charleston has selected an artwork from the Gibbes Permanent Collection and will create a series of looks inspired by their chosen work of art.
A runway show with live music, large-scale video wall, and more. Conceived and directed by Jordan Brown, Curator of Programs for the Gibbes Museum. Produced by Catwalk Productions.
By providing a platform for formally trained and self-taught designers, the Sew Surreal Fashion Show embodies the Gibbes’ commitment to community engagement.
Set in the stunning Lenhardt Garden, featuring a live musical performance by artist Mike B curated especially for the event.
The Charleston-based fashion designers are:
Brandon Alston (Fresh Prince Fits); Hunter Hardee (Unsorted); Jared Major (Jared Major-Wearable Art); Janaan Muhammad (Billi Milan); Natalie Sanchez (Made In Heaven); Dev Smalls (RèJuvón); Susu Smythe (Kiku Refashion); Keiko Striplin (Kei.koakutsu.designs); Andrea Tuton (A PLUS); and Shaniequa L. Washington (Zuriel Kingdom Collections).
These emerging local designers close the gap between traditional forms, such as paintings and sculptures, and wearable creations.
