Spartanburg, South Carolina, continues to thrive as a vibrant arts hub in 2025, thanks to its diverse creative community and cultural landmarks like the Artists Collective, Spartanburg Art Museum, and Chapman Cultural Center. Several emerging and established artists are drawing attention locally and regionally this year.
Molly Sawyer
Currently headlining at the Spartanburg Art Museum with her solo exhibition Through the Light (October 16–December 2025), Molly Sawyer is a multidisciplinary sculptor from the Appalachian region who works with natural and found materials to create immersive, emotional installations. Her blend of organic textures and environmental storytelling has made her one of the most talked-about contemporary artists in the Upstate.​
Heather Green
Featured as an instructor and exhibiting artist at the Spartanburg Art Museum, Heather Green specializes in clay and oil-based works that explore portraiture and texture. Her expressive approach to form and color has gained her recognition within art walks and educational programs throughout Spartanburg’s creative district.​
Isabel Forbes
A cornerstone of Spartanburg’s Fine Arts scene, Isabel Forbes operates out of her S. Pine Street studio and gallery, where she exhibits deeply atmospheric oil paintings inspired by southern light and landscape. Forbes’s work merges realism with emotional resonance, and her studio has become a favorite stop on the Open Doors Studio Tour.​
Louise Plonowski
Winner of the 2025 Annual Juried Exhibition at the Artists Collective Spartanburg, Louise Plonowski has earned acclaim for her evocative abstract works that explore emotion through layered color and dynamic texture. Her pieces are regularly featured in the collective’s member shows and holiday artisan market, where collectors seek one-of-a-kind local pieces.​
Emerging Artists from the Artists’ Guild Spartanburg
The Artists’ Guild of Spartanburg continues to uplift regional talent through curated exhibitions like Proximity (August–October 2025) and Island State of Mind (July 2025). Names to watch from these shows include Danielle Woodson, a mixed-media artist curating tropical-themed works at the Chapman Cultural Center, and several young talents showcased through the Mildred Harrison Dent Fine Arts Gallery.​
These artists represent a cross-section of Spartanburg’s artistic momentum—mixing tradition with experimentation, and local identity with global perspective—all driving the city’s reputation as South Carolina’s most dynamic arts town.
SOURCES
[1](https://spartanburgartmuseum.org/front-page/)
[2](https://opendoorstudios.art/2026-open-doors-apply/)
[3](https://greenvillejournal.com/artsupstate/artsupstate-spartanburg-spring-summer-2025-directory-and-events/)
[4](https://artistscollectivespartanburg.org)
[5](https://www.artistsguildspartanburg.org/call-for-artists)
