ArtFields: Rural SC town stages 10-day arts fest

LAKE CITY, S.C. (AP) — An old South Carolina tobacco town working to reinvent itself as a cultural destination on Friday welcomed visitors to a 10-day arts festival that has drawn contributors from across the Southeast and is offering $100,000 in prizes.

ArtFields, featuring 400 pieces of art in both public venues and stores throughout Lake City’s quaint business district, is the latest step in efforts to revitalize the town of 6,700 about midway between Columbia and Myrtle Beach. The festival’s name conjures both the art and the area’s fertile fields.