20th century storefronts become galleries for ArtFields

Joe McGee used to draw some.

So when it comes time for the Lake City barber to choose the artwork that will hang in his shop during the 10 days of ArtFields, McGee picks drawings.

He allows organizers to hang art in his business because he enjoys the crowds, the festival atmosphere that comes over his hometown. “I get a kick out of people enjoying the art,” McGee said.

ArtFields relies on local merchants like McGee to display much of the art that’s seen by visitors to Lake City during the juried festival that begins April 24.

Turn-of-the-century storefronts along a small-town Main Street provide a backdrop that visitors seem to enjoy, organizers say. It not only shows off the architecture but it attracts customers who might want to spend a little money with local businesses.

Some of ArtField’s venues are a little unexpected, like Joe’s Barber Shop, which will host work by six artists this year, and the Lake City Mattress Outlet, which was the top seller of art the first two years of ArtFields.

Merchants get a 20-percent commission on any artwork that sells at their shops. ArtFields staff members hang the works professionally. A lottery determines the order in which business owners line up to choose the artwork they display.

Larry Hawkins, who owns the mattress store, said he just picks art he likes. “I don’t like some of this wild stuff,” he said, chuckling.

Hawkins is inclined to select local artists. He tries to find out a little bit about their work and their personal stories so he can inform customers who stop in.

During ArtFields, he moves merchandise out of the front of his shop to make way for artwork and offers homemade brownies, punch and coffee. But Hawkins draws the line at covering over the mural of a seascape on one wall that he senses some find distracting.

He drew the attention of a recent visitor to a pinestraw basket, adorned with lacy slices of a walnut, on display behind his desk. The artist, Elaine Tanner, comes from nearby Johnsonville.

“Five hundred dollars,” he said, admiring the work. “And it’s worth that, it’s worth every bit of that.”

During ArtFields, Hawkins routinely works 12-hour days. But he figures lots of people who live within his delivery area (50 miles in any direction) find out about his store during the festival. And it’s not like he doesn’t make any money: He sold two mattresses last year, plus artwork on display.

He brought in some homemade birdhouses that a buddy made, too. Those did well.

Hawkins walked to the plate-glass store window to look out on Main Street, decorated with blooming flowers and flags announcing ArtFields. A passing train – one of 27 that rumbles through Lake City every 24 hours – had stopped traffic in front of his store.

Across the street, a man over from Rock Hill prepared to unload his artwork from a van. A woman got out of her car, leaning on the bed of a pickup truck to visit with a couple stopped in front of her. No one seemed annoyed by the delay.

Hawkins took it all in. “This has been good for Lake City, it really has,” he said, “and I appreciate it.”

This story was originally published April 19, 2015 at 10:30 AM with the headline "20th century storefronts become galleries for ArtFields."