SUMTER, S.C. — New artwork in downtown Sumter is part of ongoing revitalization and beautification efforts.
"Anything new and exciting is good for downtown Sumter," visitor Lucy Gordon shares.
Gordon and her friend Arnette Jordan lived in Sumter in the 1960s. While they have since moved away, they came back to visit on Friday.
"For so long, it was run down, and not progress was not being made. And now you can see progress," Gordon said. "It makes you want to visit more."
"I think they're gorgeous, and I love it! They're outstanding," Jordan said. "So glad to see art in Sumter."
Part of that progress comes from beautification efforts like these butterfly installations.
"They're all unique and they're all special," Jenna Binion, president of the Main Street Society, said.
Binion helped organize this effort with the rest of the group.
"I think the great thing about this project is it brings a uniqueness to downtown because these are one-of-a-kind art projects that are completed by local artists, so you're not going to see anything like this anywhere else," Binion said.
Nine newly designed butterflies are hung up throughout town. Seven are entirely new, while two of the previous seven butterflies were redesigned or renewed. In 2020, the original seven were initially installed.
"One way we knew it was popular: with our first round for seven butterflies, I think we got maybe eight proposals," Downtown Development Coordinator Leigh Newman said. "And for this round, we got over 20. So we had a lot more people come out this time because they saw the first round. So the second they're like, 'Oooh, we want to do one of those butterflies too. So we had a lot more artists come forward the second time."
When it comes to the meaning behind the butterflies, Binion says it symbolizes "the revitalization of downtown."
"There's been so much growth and change in this area in the last few years and so we kind of thought butterflies would be a good way to represent that change, that growth," Binion details. "Downtown development over the last couple of years has been amazing. Just to have a part of town where you can go, grab something to eat, enjoy the brewery, and now enjoy all of this local art. It's just really great for our community."
Newman says public art is important for progress.
"If you go into any bustling downtown areas there's always art and we didn't have any so it was important to kind of get that going. You just need it. It kind of adds a personal touch."
The new art is appealing to kids like 6-year-old Addie Morris.
"I think they're really pretty and I think it's really cool that we've started it," Morris shares.
For residents like Trevor Brown, it's stirring up Sumter pride.
"It's a good thing. Draws people to downtown, beautifying the city. I think it's a good idea," Brown says. "Draw residents here and people that's not from here can see that people in Sumter care about their community."
The city is looking for sponsors for four of the butterflies. People can pay $500 to add their name to a plaque beneath the installation. If it's ever taken down, the sponsor can keep the butterfly.