Since its founding in 1991, the Arts Council of Beaufort County, commonly known as the Beaufort Arts Council, has served the artistic communities in the region. In 2016, as the organization moved out of its offices in downtown Beaufort and refocused the organization’s mission of building an arts district and school changed to focus more on education.

The following year, the Arts Council moved into new office space on the campus of the Technical College of the Lowcountry and embarked on what has become a valuable partnership. It provided room for an art gallery and numerous classes and workshops. The new space also became the home of the Mather Interpretive Center in honor of Rachel Crane Mather, who in 1867, created a school to educate the daughters of liberated slaves. Alumni from the Mather School and volunteers operate the museum and give tours.

In 2018, a new board of directors was recruited to lead the Beaufort Arts Council. This board reflects a diversity of experiences in business, marketing, fundraising, education and history, along with a common passion for the arts in the community.

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The board recently completed an assessment of its brand and how the organization could operate to pro- vide an important and unique role in the arts community. Arts encompass multiple disciplines — visual arts, music, dance, theater, literary and culinary artists, and more. They reflect the creative spirit of our community and how people express themselves.

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Now an all-volunteer organization, the Beaufort Arts Council is a resource for artists throughout the county. The organization fosters a creative environment, encouraging residents and visitors alike to share their artistic skills and experiences. A robust schedule of classes and workshops has been created, rang- ing from painting and drawing, to photography and how to build a successful arts business.