Rock Hill is known for having a vibrant art scene – from the numerous murals dedicated to illustrator Vernon Grant in downtown to the Civitas statues off Dave Lyle Blvd.
However, there is one place that is essentially the heart of the art community – and it may close its doors soon.
A building in the Rock Hill Cultural District downtown at first glance looks like a relic of the past, from its fallout shelter sign and an engraving above reading, “Post Office and Courthouse.” That’s history, as a small sign standing on the side of the building now reads, “Tom S. Gettys Center.”
The Tom S. Gettys Center was built between 1931-1932 with the goal of being a federal building for the growing city of Rock Hill, as well as a part of the 1926 Federal Buildings Act. The building was originally the city’s first and only functioning Post Office and Courthouse.
The building was named after Tom S. Gettys, who was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1964-1974.
The Post Office and Courthouse were both functioning businesses for years, until the building was sold to Rock Hill in 1986. In 1987, the building was given to the arts – which is what it’s been used for the past 38 years.
Now, the city is putting the historic building up for public sale, which will take away studios for many artists and an overall home for the Rock Hill art community.
Dylan Bannister, a former Winthrop alumni who also has a studio in the building, said, “There is no alternative if this building is lost. It removes a heavily loved art experience from the community. Some people aren’t even lovers of just pottery, we have diversity.”
Within the one building there are 15 studio spaces, 3 gallery spaces, an event space (the Courtroom itself), Rock Hill Pottery Center that offers ceramic classes for the public, public drawing nights and the city’s solicitors office on the top floor.
Not only do the artists favor the public, but they are also all connected to Winthrop – with a mix of alumni and current students.
“The Gettys Center is like a pipeline for Winthrop students to find a place of belonging past college,” said Bannister.
The city has been rumored of selling the Tom S. Gettys Center for around 14 months due to financial drainage of keeping up with the historic building. In February, it was revealed that the building was put up for public sale online – and is currently listed for $2.26 million dollars.
If someone buys the building, the artists and vendors only get around six months to move out – there is no other space for them in Rock Hill.
“We want to work with the city, and we want to work with the arts council to form a solution. We don’t think it’s necessarily malicious, but we feel as if it’s an indifference with the art community,” Bannister said.
The many artistic groups that call the building home include: the Rock Hill Pottery Center, Art on Main, Friday Arts Project, Don’t Sweat It Inc., and the previously mentioned studio owned by Bannister and his partner, Alexis Howard.
The Rock Hill Pottery Center would be particularly impacted by the sale, as it’s the only vendor store in the building and is one of the only spaces in Rock Hill with the proper elements needed for pottery to happen.
“Truly, they have very specific, unique spatial needs [for] of the kilns to fire their pottery, and if the building is lost they are up a creek without a paddle,” said Bannister.
Bannister continued as to its impact on the business that resides in the pottery center.
“That’s one of the things that we’re really protesting about the decision to sell this building. It’s creating displacement, it’s creating unemployment, and it’s ruining at least one small business.”
Don’t Sweat it Inc. is a space for local and regional artists to come together and provide shows, concerts or general events in what is still the near-perfectly intact original first courtroom in Rock Hill.
Bannister expressed a deep passion for the courtroom and also highlighted the gravity behind the situation.
“I really want to get across that if the building is lost, if the courtroom is lost, there is no alternative for something like this.”
The Courtroom is run by Mike Gentry, a Director for Winthrop’s galleries. He originally had a shared studio in the Gettys Center since 2012, and had worked for the Arts Council of York County.
Gentry began Don’t Sweat it Inc in 2010 – which was originally named “Concerts at the Courtroom” – as a hosting space for locals. Over time it became Don’t Sweat it Inc, a nonprofit which fostered free and low cost local music to the Rock Hill community.
Since Covid-19, he is only able to do about one event per month, due to capacity and the art council’s initiative to host more events in the space for a discounted price.
Gentry was not afraid to state his emotions about the current situation.
“I am disappointed. The Arts Council of York County was formerly the Rock Hill Arts Council. The nonprofit was started as an initiative by City Leaders almost 50 years ago. The relationship of Art and Rock Hill was tight and I’m wondering what happened.”
He continued, “Last year I was asked what a successful arts community needs and my response was five things: central space, leadership, merit, money and youth. The Gettys Center as a cultural arts hub offers these things. Graduates and local artists alike see this space as a place to be part of a welcoming community, and to strip that away without a conversation with the creative leaders and arts programmers of this community just seems very disrespectful.”
At this moment in time, the building is still up for sale.
Gentry made it clear though that the artists couldn’t care less about money for the building, but just want a place to call home.
“The engaged arts community aren’t asking for millions of dollars to be spent today, we’re asking to be allowed to continue use this space to foster Rock Hill’s own unique creative community,” said Gentry.
For more information surrounding the Tom S. Gettys Center, “Keeping Rock Hill Creative” is an initiative to preserve and foster Rock Hill, SC’s arts & cultural community and also promote events and news surrounding the building. Dylan Bannister runs the Keeping Rock Hill Creative page on Facebook and Instagram.
