Clemson returns to Artisphere with “Paw Tunnel” and interactive mural

Clemson University is leaving its pawprint at this year’s Artisphere with fun, hands-on activities for aspiring artists, scientists and Tiger fans of all ages May 12-14, 2023.

Clemson’s Artisphere tent will be located on Greenville’s Main Street (just north of the intersection of S. Main Street and Broad Street), and Experience Clemson, the brick-and-mortar location at ONE Main Street Plaza, will feature work from Clemson artists. The festival, which was founded in 2003 to “enhance the quality of life and economic vitality in South Carolina,” has become one of the nation’s premier fine arts festivals, attracting an average of 70,000 people to downtown Greenville.

The highlight of this year’s tent will be an interactive 8×10-foot “paint-by-numbers” mural, designed by Clemson with a frame constructed by performing arts students. It will allow visitors to contribute to a work of art that captures the spirit of the Clemson Tigers.

In addition to the mural, the tent will feature educational exhibits that allow visitors to:

• Build their own instrument with the Department of Performing Arts.
• Become a sound designer.
• Discover the magic of theatrical lighting
• Learn about color theory and artistic collaboration.
• Enter an immersive virtual reality simulation from the Center for Workforce Development.
• Program robots to create artwork.
• Create ceramic art with Clemson Visual Arts.
• Journey under the sea with a hands-on exhibit about the effects of climate change in our oceans.

At the entrance to the tent, Clemson will display the “Paw Tunnel,” the perfect photo opportunity for Tiger fans of all ages.

Experience Clemson will also display the popular orange Steinway piano in celebration of the “Pathway to Steinway” initiative. The instrument combines artistic craft and scientific innovation, perfectly encapsulating Clemson’s commitment to excellence in “left-brained” and “right-brained” fields of study.

“The mission and purpose of Experience Clemson has always been to bring the University to the heart of downtown Greenville,” said Dave Dryden, associate vice president of  Brand Experience in the Marketing and Communications Division of Clemson. “Artisphere allows us opportunities to expose the public to a part of the University they may not typically see highlighted.”