History
In 1857, a group of Charleston citizens organized the Carolina Art Association whose primary purpose was to promote fine arts in South Carolina. The Association was awarded its official state charter on December 21, 1858. From the beginning, the Association was committed to collecting historical and contemporary art related to Charleston. Inspired by his lifelong love of the arts, local businessman James Shoolbred Gibbes Sr., left $100,000 in a trust to be used for the