Local artist Susan Irish has helped bring an international movement to Charleston by participating in the Artist Support Pledge, a social media movement launched by British artist Matthew Burrows during the COVID-19 crisis. The movement is an attempt to support artists who may be out of work or facing financial hardship right now. Participating is simple: Artists list some of their work for no more than $200 each – a significant markdown for many. Every time an artist reaches $1,000 in sales, they pledge to spend $200 of their own money on the work of a fellow artist. The movement has gained a ton of traction worldwide — there are currently 127,000+ uses of the hashtag “#artistsupportpledge” on Instagram, and an account made for the campaign already has over 34,000 followers. Irish was among the first artists in Charleston to join the pledge, creating this page on her website with more information and discounted work available. In order to help connect local artists who are participating (and to help those interested in purchasing the discounted artwork find local artwork), Charleston artists can use the local hashtag #artistsupportpledgechs in addition to the global hashtag #artistsupportpledge when sharing their work on Instagram. Both participating artists and those looking to shop local Artist Support Pledge artwork can join the Facebook group Artist Support Pledge Carolinas. For more information, check out Susan Irish on Instagram, Facebook, and online.
