From staff reports
The Coastal Discovery Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate, is presenting “Four Sketchbooks a Year: Celebrating 25 Years of the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities,” a showcase of visual arts by Beaufort County alumni, on view through Jan. 4, 2026.
Founded in 1980 by music teacher Virginia Uldrick as a five-week summer program in Greenville, the Governor’s School opened its full-time residential high school in 1999 with 126 students and celebrated its 25th graduating class in 2025.
“As a curator and parent of a Govie, it’s been a joy to see such consistently strong work from students in the visual arts program,” said Elizabeth Greenberg, Director of Exhibitions at the Coastal Discovery Museum. “And it’s so rewarding to see how the artists continue to grow in college and beyond.”
Participating artists in “Four Sketchbooks” — from the Governor’s School first class through the class of 2026 — include: Emma Barnes (class of 2010), Alex Coley (class of 2024), Amelie Davis (class of 2025), Evan Ford (class of 2024), Alex Gentemann (class of 2021), Colleen Gleason (class of 2001), Nathaniel Greenberg (class of 2025), Kevin Hopkins (class of 2018), Tori Lusik (class of 2014), Luis Paredes (class of 2026), Jack Perry (class of 2007), Olivia Ruxton (class of 2005), Jessie Peterson Tarazi (class of 2002), and Wylder Voegele (class of 2020).
“We are excited about this opportunity to showcase our program and the work of these talented Beaufort County students,” said David Gerhard, Visual Arts Department Chair at the Governor’s School. “These artists embody our department’s mission of giving South Carolina’s young creatives the tools and resources to flourish as artists in an environment centered around respect, hard work, creativity, and connection.”
