Arts Center earns economic development award for City

Simpsonville, S.C. — The Simpsonville Arts Center has been recognized by the Municipal Association of South Carolina for its impact on economic development in South Carolina. 

The City of Simpsonville received the Joseph P. Riley Jr. Award for the Arts Center renovation project as part of the Municipal Association 2023 Achievement Awards. Arts Center Manager Melissa Sturgis said the award is “an honor,” especially since it was earned in the Arts Center’s first year of new life.

“It truly validates our mission of being the source for a vibrant performing and visual arts scene and great venue for art education and exploration - all under one roof," said Sturgis, who was hired in May 2022 to manage the Arts Center and oversee its programming. “I am so grateful I could be part of the fulfillment of that mission.”

After nearly two decades of remaining largely empty and unused, the building on Academy Street in downtown that once housed Simpsonville Elementary School was renovated in 2021. Renovations included an updated auditorium with a new stage and seating; brand new lighting and sound systems, including a state-of-the-art sound board; green room, windows and doors. The project totaled $2.5 million.

City Administrator Dianna Gracely said the statewide recognition of the Arts Center and its economic impact on the city is gratifying.

“We knew that the time, effort and resources that the City invested would be returned tenfold,” Gracely said. “The Joseph P. Riley Jr. Award is a prestigious honor that marks a special chapter in the continuing story of the revitalization of downtown Simpsonville.”

Held annually in late winter, the Achievement Awards program by MASC has three objectives: recognize innovative projects, share innovative projects with other municipalities and demonstrate the value of cities and towns. City staff believed the Arts Center renovation to be innovative and demonstrative of a city’s value. 

The granting of the award followed the submission of an application by the City and presentation by Gracely and Sturgis in Columbia. In their presentation, Gracely and Sturgis focused on the economic impact by the Arts Center plus its programming. Pulling from the duo’s winning presentation, the arts result in an annual economic impact of $9.7 billion and 115,000 jobs in South Carolina, according to the S.C. Arts Commission. Additionally, the expected annual economic impact by the Arts Center on Simpsonville is an estimated $1 million based on projected ticket sales by Mill Town Players, the in-residence theatre group.

On top of high-quality affordable performances by Mill Town Players, the Arts Center boasts art exhibitions and openings, classes for kids and adults, ballet performances, appearances by historical figures from Greenville Chautauqua and six studio artists. 

Simpsonville Community Relations Specialist Justin Campbell said the Arts Center renovation project is representative of the City’s grand vision for Simpsonville.

“The City of Simpsonville is committed to providing public services to residents and visitors that both improve quality of life and drive economic development, and the Arts Center is one of those services,” Campbell said. “Transforming an underutilized but beloved building into a thriving hub for arts and culture in the Upstate is the exact kind of project that local governments should be pursuing to better their cities.”

Upcoming events at the Simpsonville Arts Center include "Always...Patsy Cline" by Mill Town Players running March 3 - March 19, the “X3 Art Exhibition” opening on March 7 and performances of “Coppelia” by Cornerstone Ballet on March 31 and April 1. Visit www.simpsonvilleartscenter.com for more.

For more information, contact Community Relations Specialist Justin Campbell at commrelations@simpsonville.com.