Tyler proposes Summerton art center

A presentation for a downtown art center was the top topic of the Summerton Town Council meeting Aug. 10.

In a meeting of typical approvals and discussion, this one was different because of a downtown art center proposal orchestrated by the Rev. Charles Tyler of the Manning’s New Covenant Presbyterian Church.

Tyler and Summerton Interim Town AdministratorWilliam Brailsford presented an idea for the arts center with a power point presentation.

“Quite some time ago, about two months now, Mr. Tyler came before the planning commission, along with a couple of members of the art guild and several citizens and presented a vision for downtown Summerton and the Summerton area for a proposed art center,” said Brailsford.

One of the main reasons that Tyler would like to place an arts center in Summerton is that he feels it is a rich environment and that the crafts such as masonry and furniture making could be put on display in the area.

“I think Summerton is unique for the picture that’s in my mind because you offer such an incredible environment and opportunity for it to happen,” said Tyler.

As a pastor, Tyler believes in the “Love thy Neighbor” lesson and he wants to put that to good use in Summerton.

“I firmly believe that we are called among many things to love our neighbor as ourselves,” he said. “I want to be able to offer to best picture for what the neighborhood can be in Summerton.”

One way Tyler got started in this idea was several years ago when he got interested in crafts.

Over time, it grew and expanded and now is a big part of his life. He wants to take that same idea and expand it to a community environment.

“A number of years ago, I began a hobby of a certain craft and that craft has occupied a lot of my attention and my time,” he said. “Right now, it’s nothing more than a hobby or an interest to me. I find myself going to clinics, I find myself on site, I find myself looking at videos on different websites just so they can teach me and I can be trained.”

Tyler said that he traveled to Allendale and was introduced to the Salkehatchie Arts Center.

It is a place where local craftsmen can join with several counties.

There is also a center in Walterboro that he used as an example of what can happen in Summerton.

“It exists to serve the craftsmen in a five county area,” he said. “That’s also a place where local craftsmen through a competition can qualify to have their crafts displayed and sold.”

Despite just having the center, Tyler said his biggest attention was watching crafts being made such as furniture or weapons.

That is one the key things he would like to see in Summerton.

“The other thing I found myself most interested in is going into places where I could watch craft happen,” he said. “There’s something I believe about a craft that’s being done well that draws attention. There’s such an opportunity here. You’re in a situation where obviously there’s need for redevelopment.”

Tyler would like to see Summerton possibly have its own arts center.

But rather than be like Walterboro or Salkehatchie, he would like to see Summerton be one for more woodworking or masonry.

“I began to picture the possibility of the area here in Summerton not becoming just another Walterboro or Salkehatchie where a lot of crafts are gathered, but rather a place where craftsmen are gathered,” he said. “The town begins to invest itself in offering the opportunities for woodworkers, jewelers, potters, iron workers, stone masons, brick layers and different skilled craftsmen. You would recruit them to come to shops that are already prepared for them. You would draw them here with the specific effort to make this area an art and craft hub.

“What I picture is the kind of opportunity where people come here because you have deliberately offered them that kind of place.”