Charleston, South Carolina — The Coastal Community Foundation has named Brittney Washington the 2025 Lowcountry Artist of the Year, and her winning series will be exhibited at the Cannon Street Arts Center.
Washington’s winning painting, “Saltwater Lineage: Portraits of the Tides,” honors Gullah Geechee tradition and the relationship between people and the Lowcountry environment.
“The series is called ‘Saltwater Lineage: Portraits of the Tides’ and essentially it is my love letter to the folks from this area,” according to Washington.
The artist accentuates cultural power and beauty.
The Orangeburg native stated that painting has always been her language of expression. Washington stated that Gullah Geechee culture is inextricably linked to the land and water, and that telling the story of Lowcountry people without discussing the environment in which they live feels inadequate.
“As dark and heavy as the history is here and as traumatic as it is, we also have a lot of stories that really speak to the strength of the people, the beauty of the people,” pointed out Washington. “The beauty of the culture, the perseverance, the enduring nature of the Gullah Geechee culture and it felt important for me to tell those stories through painting.”
The award covers living expenses for artists.
The Griffith-Reyburn Lowcountry Artist of the Year award was established in 2003, according to Victoria Williamson of the Coastal Community Foundation.
“The Griffith-Reyburn Lowcountry Artist of the Year award began in 2003 with thanks to an amazing couple Mike Griffith and Donna Reyburn, who are lovers of Lowcountry-inspired art,” Williamson reported. “And they really just wanted to create an award where an artist can be provided with living expenses as they create a wonderful piece that’s reflective of our Lowcountry home.”
Washington encouraged other artists to believe in their own originality.
“Lean into the practice of being in the moment and trusting that we all have creativity,” the president suggested. “And it’s not just about painting, it’s about the way we live, the way we interact with each other, the way we shape the world around us.”
