As the curtain rises on the 49th season of Spoleto Festival USA, I find myself thinking not only about the artists and performances that fill our stages but about the city that makes them possible and the community it reveals.
Charleston has always been more than a host. Like the best works of art, it holds tension and grace in equal measure — and bridges past and present. It is a city shaped by complexity: a place of deep history, layered memory and remarkable reinvention. That complexity gives rise to something rare — a cultural life that is both rich and resilient.
Since Spoleto’s founding in 1977, Charleston’s artistic ecosystem has flourished. What began as a bold experiment has become a shared foundation — one that supports musicians, dancers, composers, playwrights, actors, educators and institutions large and small. That creative network, woven across neighborhoods, generations and disciplines, has helped shape Charleston’s identity on the world stage.
And it has endured. Together, this community has faced hurricanes, recessions, social upheaval and a global pandemic. And yet, season after season, we return to the page, the rehearsal, the stage. Because the arts are not peripheral. They are connective. They remind us that we belong to each other, and that there is still something beautiful, and possible, to build.
Spoleto is more than a celebration. It is an act of public imagination. As Charleston’s formative former mayor Joe Riley once wrote, the arts "can serve as an example and inspiration to a community or an entire society in its search for values — in its search for justice, equality, humanity and excellence.” These are not abstract values. They are civic imperatives woven into the muscle memory of this city and this festival.
In an age of political division and cultural cynicism, the arts remind us how to listen, how to ask questions without rushing to answers and how to sit in dissonance and still find meaning. They give us the tools to be citizens, not just consumers.
So, go. Step inside our theaters. Wander along a cobbled street. Let a story surprise you. Bring a friend — especially someone who’s never been. See how the work on stage speaks to the layered stories all around us. That’s what festivals do at their best: They open up space not just for reflection, but for joy, discovery and togetherness.
This work does not happen in a vacuum. It takes vision, effort and partnership. To our patrons, donors, corporate sponsors and devoted Board of Directors, your unwavering support breathes life into every note, every gesture. To our civic partners — the city and county of Charleston, the state of South Carolina and its Arts Commission, the College of Charleston, the Charleston County School District, the Charleston Gaillard Center and Explore Charleston, among others — your belief in the power of the arts strengthens the very bedrock upon which this festival stands.
This is a moment to link arms. To remember what this community has built — and what it continues to make possible. As Mayor Riley reminded us, Spoleto belongs not only to Charleston, but to the country. It is our offering: a national act of grace and daring.
In the arts, we locate our truth. In the festival, we find one another.
Mena Mark Hanna is the general director and CEO of Spoleto Festival USA. Spoleto runs May 23-June 8. Tickets and information at spoletousa.org.