Greenville, South Carolina
Great American Main Street Award Winner
In 2003, Greenville South Carolina was awarded the Great American Main Street Award by the National First Main Street Center. Reasons for granting the award were a vibrant commercial district, offering residents and visitors ample green space and shopping and arts activities. Since 2003, Greenville has continued to grow and develop its downtown by revitalizing the West End District which now includes green space such as Falls Park and mixed use facilities that provide more shopping, dining, and arts activities such as Art Crossing and Artisphere.
The beauty of the waterfalls and gardens in Falls Park is enhanced by the graceful lines of the Liberty Bridge’s architecture and the appealing stonework throughout the park. A commissioned sculpture by internationally-recognized artist Bryan Hunt is found at the Main Street entrance to Falls Park. This unique sculpture, Falls Lake Falls, is the second in an edition of three (the original is in Tokyo) and the only piece of its kind on this continent.
Development of mixed use facilities, such as Riverplace, located across from Falls Park provide housing, shopping, dining, and arts. Riverplace is working in conjunction with the Metropolitan Arts Council and the city of Greenville to develop and maintain Art Crossing, a collection of artist studios in the Riverplace building on South Main Street.
Another way that Greenville shares art with the public is trough Artisphere – the International Arts Festival of Greenville. This performing and visual arts extravaganza is located in Downtown Greenville’s beautiful West End Historic District on Main Street and into Falls Park on the Reedy, from the Peace Center to the Governor’s School. One of the most popular events at Artisphere is the chalk drawings along the sidewalk created by both local and national artists.