If you’re planning a spring getaway or looking for an inspiring outing in the coming days, Art Charleston 2025 may be worth adding to your calendar. Running April 23–27 and presented by the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, South Carolina, this five-day festival explores how fashion and visual art continue to shape and influence each other.

Art Charleston 2025 Exhibition: Statement Pieces and Fashion Dialogues

The festival revolves around the exhibition, Statement Pieces: Contemporary Fashion Design and the Gibbes Collection. This show features garments by Alexander McQueen, Gucci, and Comme des Garçons, presented alongside artworks from the museum’s collection. These pairings highlight how texture, structure, and visual storytelling evolve across disciplines and time.

Sew Surreal at Art Charleston 2025: Local Designers Reimagine Art

On April 26, the Sew Surreal fashion show invites Charleston-based designers to interpret a piece of art through clothing. Each look reflects an artistic influence from the Gibbes collection. The show is curated by Jordan Brown and produced by Catwalk Productions. The event blends creativity with community while creating a platform for established and emerging local talent.

The Art of Design Luncheon with Nell Diamond

The week kicks off with The Art of Design luncheon April 23. Nell Diamond, founder of Hill House Home, will speak about fashion entrepreneurship and her path to building a lifestyle brand. After the event, she’ll also make an appearance at the Charleston Hill House Home store—the brand’s largest.

Threads of Change: Conversations on Fashion and Culture

The Threads of Change panel will bring together leading voices in digital fashion media. Speakers include Luke Meagher, Recho Omondi, and Maia Wyman. Together, they’ll discuss how online platforms are reshaping how we think about fashion and their world of critiquing fashion and culture.

Culinary Meets Creative: Gibbes on the Street at Art Charleston 2025

On April 24, Gibbes on the Street turns downtown into an outdoor celebration. Food will be provided by top Charleston restaurants and hosted by Michael Toscano, chef of Le Farfalle. The event raises funds for ongoing education programs at the Gibbes.

Artisan Fair and Final Highlights of Art Charleston 2025

The final day of Art Charleston brings the Artisan Fair to the museum’s grounds—a free, open-air market where regional craftsmen display and sell their handcrafted wares. This event includes complimentary admission to the museum.

Inside, the galleries remain open for exploration of the Gibbes Museum’s permanent collection. Works by Edward Rice, Childe Hassam, Romare Bearden, and Merton D. Simpson are among those on view. These selections echo many of the visual themes found in the fashion-focused Statement Pieces exhibition.

Plan Your Visit to Art Charleston 2025

Whether you’re drawn to fashion, fine art, or the energy of Charleston itself, Art Charleston 2025 may be worth exploring. To learn more, visit the Gibbes Museum’s event page for the full Art Charleston 2025 schedule and ticket details.

Photos: courtesy of the Gibbes Museum of Art. 

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Steven Fleck is a designer, illustrator, and art director with a background in fashion, textile print design, and graphic design. He previously served as art director at Threads magazine and now contributes as the brand’s digital content producer, where he blends editorial storytelling with a strong visual perspective. Learn more at stevenfleck.net.