Dollars to doughnuts you didn’t know the S.C. Arts Commission has been collecting works from state artists since 1967.

Merton Simpson, Confrontation

Don’t feel badly if you didn’t — the huge collection, which numbers approximately 448 pieces and counting, hasn’t been exhibited publicly since a 2006 showing in Sumter that focused only on art collected since 1987. In charge of that installation was Wim Roefs, owner of if ART Gallery and board chair of the 701 Center for Contemporary Art. Already familiar with the collection from the Sumter show, Roefs says it was a no-brainer to solicit an exhibition for 701.

“It’s a very substantial collection the state has despite its local angle,” Roefs says. “And while the Sumter show was a retrospective, the whole collection really hasn’t had a big selection taken for an exhibition since an overview in 1988 [for the grand opening of the State Museum], so it’s great that we’re able to draw from such a large body of work.”

For the first time in the collection’s history, a curator was hired to specifically select the best pieces to fit the theme Contemporary Conversations.

“We were able to get Eleanor Heartney, who wrote the standard textbook for contemporary art, to come take a look at it with fresh eyes and look at it with a sense of the history of contemporary art, for as funny as that sounds,” Roefs says. “She really brought that context to the exhibition.”

Jocelyn Chateauvert, Eve, Clothes Optional

The state’s collection began as a way to collect and document the best work of practicing South Carolina artists, says Harriett Green, director of visual arts for the arts commission. It is now the most comprehensive collection of works by South Carolina artists in existence.

“[The collection] was among the first programs of the arts commission when it was established in 1967,” Green says. “We wanted to support visual and craft artists by purchasing their work and have a visual document, a historical record of art production in the state that would then be used for the public benefit.

“It isn’t often we’re able to have an exhibition like this, which is what makes it so exciting.”

The exhibition at 701 CCA will consist of two parts — one that runs Oct. 1 through Nov. 1 and a second that runs Nov. 5 through Dec. 6. In its entirety, the exhibition features 118 pieces from 95 South Carolina artists.

“The division is thematic,” Green says. “You’ll see some of the same themes — social commentary, aesthetic theories, narrative traditions — that run through them, but they’re organized to put them into specific thematic contexts for people to appreciate.”

Both Roefs and Green welcome lofty expectations and are confident there’s something for everyone in the installations.

“I hope people come with high expectations and that we meet and exceed them,” Roefs says. “There’s everything from sculpture, oil, acrylics, mixed media, metalwork, ceramics, just a wide range of work in the 2-D and 3-D mediums.

“It’s such a substantial collection to choose from, and we knew we could really do a service to the state by bringing it out like this, so in that sense it’s huge for [701 CCA],” he continues. “It’s a part of the historical record of contemporary artists in South Carolina, and it really is a state treasure.”

For Green, the appeal is broad-based.

“I honestly think every person will find something they connect with no matter their age or background,” Green says. “That’s what we’ve really tried to achieve, something that’s stylistically and culturally diverse. It’s a great chance to see the history of art produced in our state.” 

There is an opening reception from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday at the 701 Center for Contemporary Art on Whaley Street in Olympia. For more information about the state collection or events related to this exhibition, visit southcarolinaarts.com.