The award-winning journalist is reigniting community arts access
City of Charleston’s Office of Cultural Affairs director Rochelle Riley jokes that when she took over the role in late February, no one told her she’d have just two and a half months to oversee production of the 17-day, 250-event Piccolo Spoleto festival, which kicked off Memorial Day weekend. But Riley’s superpower seems to be getting things done. Her personal motto is “writer by trade, warrior by necessity.”
As an award-winning journalist who worked at The Washington Post, The Dallas Morning News, the (Louisville) Courier Journal, and the Detroit Free Press, as well as the director of arts and culture for the City of Detroit, Riley earned a reputation for identifying areas that needed improvement and serving as a determined catalyst for change. In Detroit, she led an Arts Alleys initiative that transformed neglected alleyways in nine neighborhoods into permanent art installations to help uplift community spirit and highlight local talent.
In Charleston, Riley’s focus is ensuring that Piccolo Spoleto, which launched in 1979, offers an excellent local alternative its high-profile big sister Spoleto Festival USA by showcasing the talent of local artists and performers and deepening community engagement with the art and culture that defines the city. In addition, the office partners with the MOJA Arts Festival to help produce that 11-day event held in September and October that celebrates the city’s African American and Caribbean cultures. Here, Riley shares what drew her to the Lowcountry and the opportunities she sees for change.
CM: What attracted you to the director of Cultural Affairs position?
RR: Five years ago, I was doing some consulting for the International African American Museum, and it brought me to Charleston. I was coming back and forth, and rather than stay in hotels, I bought a little condo in West Ashley. One of the people I met was [Spoleto director] Mena Mark Hanna, who was talking to me about Spoleto, and he said, “You know, we have something called Piccolo Spoleto.” He explained that it’s a separate festival, but it could really use some vitality and somebody to make it special. I said that I work for the mayor in Detroit, I’m in the middle of all these projects, and the biggest one was turning nine dilapidated alleys into outdoor art museums. But I told him, “Whenever this mayor’s done, we’ll see.” My mayor, Mike Duggan, stepped down to run for governor of Michigan. So in December, I was done, and I took the month of January to decide, “OK, what do you want to do?” I thought, I have a place in Charleston, it’s only 12 miles from the beach. Maybe I should go and write books because I was still trying to finish a novel. And I sent Mena a text saying, “I‘m finished in Detroit, so I may come to Charleston.” I’m sure he mentioned it to somebody who mentioned it to somebody. I got a call from the mayor’s chief of staff who said, “I understand that you might be somebody who would be great for this job. Would you talk with us?” So I interviewed and got hired.
CM: Tell us about the responsibilities of your office and where you want to focus your attention?
RR: The Office of Cultural Affairs guides the city’s investment in and curation of visual and performing arts, culture, and history in one of America’s greatest cultural hubs. The bottom line is, I am here to make people understand the importance of art and to make it easier for people to not only experience it, but to work in it. That’s the simple answer. Here, there is such an amazing excellence of art, such an amazing appreciation of art, and the museums, and the festivals. I was telling somebody, we should become “Festival City.” We have all of these events that are global and national in stature and excitement. I want to make sure that we have that same excitement for our local artists, our local performers.
CM: Do you see any opportunities for transformative change here?
RR: The biggest thing is to make sure that Piccolo Spoleto works well. Piccolo Spoleto celebrates the excellence of Charlestonians, so people can see who we are and what we have that’s unique. The other thing is the City has worked with MOJA as a partner for a long time. We worked with them to guide them to becoming a 501(c)(3). And we’re working with them to name a board so that they will become their own entity that can plan this huge festival. Everybody loves MOJA. It’s going to be fantastic this year.
CM: Is there anything else that you want to share with readers?
RR: I want to make sure that people know how grateful we are for folks to be excited about the Office of Cultural Affairs. People have been stopping me on the street; I’m getting hugs from strangers. They’re excited.
