Spring Island is secluded from the sprawl connected to nearby resort areas. One might conjecture that being apart from the action makes us somewhat forlorn. We’re too smart for that. We enjoy the arts but we’re not crazy about fighting traffic on a daily or even occasional basis, so we import our culture. We have a full schedule of cultural events and activities right here on the island.
The credit for much of these activities goes to the Spring Island Trust, which not only works to preserve the island’s pristine environment but also organizes numerous on-island events. These include classical, jazz and other musical performances, workshops for owners contemplating building a home, kids’ camps and visiting artists program. This program entails inviting renowned artists to come here and create for a week or so. We’ll put them up the in grand style and when they leave they are gracious enough to donate a work of art to our collection. This has been going on for over 10 years and our art collection has become quite impressive. Also, many of these visiting artists conduct workshops in which members, from novices to the more accomplished, can participate.
Specialists and professors in a variety of fields from photography and sculpture to native wildlife or regional history speak at weekly lectures that have become a staple of island living. And, of course, may gatherings are just for fun, whether it’s a Lowcountry crab boil, an oyster roast, a family-orientated holiday celebration or simply an evening with friends in the waterfront gazebo to watch the sun throw its last colors across the rivers and marshes.