... is in Greenville's Far West End art district, also known as The Village.
The distinct neighborhood was once the largest mill village in the area, and I used to troll the place back in the late 80s, where the Salvation Army and several other super-thrifty, extremely-cheap thrift shops occupied an entire block in what appeared to be long-defunct furniture and appliance stores. I loved the environment and felt so sorry that the neighborhood (with its signature, cozy, compact mill-houses) appeared to be going belly-up, as Carolina textile businesses moved out of the county in droves. While the rejuvenation and gentrification of downtown Greenville happened, this area seemed to be left behind.
Lo and behold, the punk rockers, Zen masters and alternative artists have discovered the neighborhood (and inexpensive property), and it is now starting to thrive once again. I attended a craft fair in this delightful village a couple of weeks ago and was stunned to see all the cool peoples. And I was invited to view the work of Syprian Harvey in his very unique Asylum gallery. Totally visionary and exciting, Syprian comes to us by way of New Jersey, Germany, Singapore and Asheville.
I really enjoyed his gallery and his work, so have a look. (as always, you can click to enlarge)
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