Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art at the College of Charleston

A highlight of our Charleston visit. Free to visit and admire the wonders of modern artists with an international and native points of perception. Also, to learn about every aspect of creativity in the dedicated library. Left inspired and grateful to diversity of self-expression. Highly recommend.

Small but mighty exhibits provided for the can't be beaten price of free. This isn't a huge museum, so you won't be spending a whole afternoon here, but it's a great option to stop in, get out of the heat, and see something new. If I lived in the area I would absolutely come back as the exhibits change regularly.

Impressive little gallery where you can browse a variety of student work, read the artist statements, and even purchase works in miniature from an Artomat vending machine. You'll also find a small biblioteca tucked away within the main gallery space; I wish we'd had more time to peruse it. The Namsa Leuba exhibition, Crossed Looks, was an explosion of powerful and vibrant images, and there's a sort of grotto where you can watch a short video about the artist and her work. We'll be back in January for Dyani White Hawk. This place is clearly doing great things in the community .

Such an amazing resource and space for Charleston! I loved the Coulter Fussell and Butch Anthony exhibit, and it was free!

The Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art is the most adventurous art space in Charleston. Any show they have is worth seeing. Make sure to check their website for hours. Be sure to watch the featured short film in the far right corner. It's always free!

Went to the opening day on 8/17 of the new exhibit "The Image Hunter: On the Trail of John James Audubon" at the Halsey, which is wonderful displays of bird art. This show continues at the college of Charleston Art Institute through September 29, 2018.

My only complaint is there isn't more of it! Enjoyed the exhibits and wished there was more space to see them. The art book library is such a gem and my artist husband loved looking through it for ideas of different artists to learn about :)

I've always been a huge fan of the Halsey and think a visit is one of the best ways to spend an afternoon in Charleston! Don't miss their new exhibit "La Vaughn Belle"- it's FANTASTIC!

Part of the College of Charleston, this gallery is free and open to the public. It wasn't any great hassle getting in. The space is only a couple of rooms, and houses a rotating exhibition with no permanent collection. I happened in on a day when the artist du jour was giving a talk and just missed it, which was a shame. The exhibit was a very locally flavored multimedia experience built around the shore, with the signature pieces composed of scraps of more conventional paintings which had been destroyed by a hurricane. One could easily stop for restrooms and water in the building and there was a sort of art vending machine among a small gift selection.

Awesome modern art gallery at the College of Charleston. You can expect the Halsey to always have a main showing that is thought-provoking and against the mainstream. I saw Kirsten Stolle's presentation of "Only You can Prevent a Forest." A scathing indictment of Bayer/Monsanto and how they are slowly poisoning the planet in the name of "killing weeds."

What makes the Halsey stand out is not that it is free. But, it is free. Not that it is part of the College of Charleston system. But, it is part of the College of Charleston System. Not that is has rotating and permanent displays (You know where I am going with this). Not that it has free guest wifi (But it does). Not that is it right on Calhoun Street and convenient from the center of the peninsula (Which it is). What sets the Halsey apart is its daring exposes. From the destruction of the historic foundations of Charleston to racial issues to political causes, the Halsey knows no boundaries. They dare to take art to new limits and force you to think. They take on artistic risks that most galleries will not and for that, it makes this place so very special.

I often visit when I have some spare time hanging around Downtown. I enjoy the ever changing student work in the hallways. There is always something to view even when the main gallery is closed. The prints and sculpture stand out. It is part of the beautiful Charleston College campus that is worth a gander or to take a moment to sit down and admire the landscaping and architecture.

Don't know how I never heard about how cool this place is. I had a meeting with Lily H. who suggested we come here instead of your typical Starbucks meeting spot. I have to praise her for the idea because I never would've thought to do that. Totally stealing it though and setting up meetings here from now on. It's the perfect meeting spot for a few reasons. First, it's FREE... you don't even have to feel guilted into buying a coffee that you didn't want in the first place. Second, you get a chance to walk around for a few minutes and enjoy the exhibit before getting down to business. Third, they have a little library area where you can sit down and talk shop across the table like civilized human beings. I must say I was extra intrigued about meeting there for the sheer fact that the Shepard Fairey exhibit was on it's way out soon. It's been great to see his work emblazoned across the walls of Charleston recently but, it was really unique to see his work done on canvas for gallery purposes. I've always been a fan of street art and graffiti artists and is was great that Charleston welcomed the GIANT into town although he surely didn't OBEY all the rules they had for him. Cheers to Shepard for keeping it real and popping up some unauthorized pieces around town.

Closed with nothing posted on door or website. Seems maybe students just didn't want to work. Students working down the hall said that maybe they are still closed for renovations.

Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art at the College of Charleston is an awesome art venue and gallery that has great displays that run for a limited time. It is always cool to walk through a new display and installation when it is ready and open for the first time. Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art never disappoints as they come through with some art that is worthwhile and challenges you. The Institute is well run and does a good job of bringing art and culture to Charleston.

The Halsey is a fantastic gallery in the School of the Arts building on the College of Charleston campus. The space is great - wide, clean and open - consisting of a few rooms as well as a small film space set up to show a short documentary on whatever exhibit is currently installed. And I really have seen some fantastic exhibits here - Picasso, Jumaadi, Motoi Yamamoto, Shepard Fairey and Jasper Johns, just to name a few. It seems as if they have four or five exhibits a year which will now be on my list not to miss.

Fantastic and FREE art museum on the College of Charleston campus. The exhibits are always changing so be sure to come back every few months to see what is new. Also, check out the art work in the hallway outside the museum!

So many things about this art gallery make it stand out among the other hundreds in Charleston. I will start with the cons because there are relatively so few. Cons: Sometimes I find it difficult to distinguish between the art work and trash people have dropped on the floor...but not always, and this is personal opinion. Pros: -Excellent location right in the middle of CofC campus (which is right in the middle of Charleston). Perfect place for college students to gain some seclusion and quiet, and also for tourists to step out of the searing heat and noise of Charleston. -LOTS of free events, all include food and alcohol. It seems like one of the best-kept secrets around Charleston because the free events are never packed and are filled with free food and drinks. Only a few of the receptions are members-only, but student memberships are only $15 and definitely worth the price for what you get out of the gallery and for supporting the art scene. Many of the events also sport live music. -Huge gallery that never gets crowded and never makes you feel cramped. -Really cool "video cave" made from different types of wood to look like a limestone cave. There are usually videos playing about the particular exhibition. Definitely not the average Charleston art gallery and worth a visit. If you are a student, go ahead and grab that student membership and reap in the rewards.

I was here for a sponsored MUSC event, art and wine, can't go wrong. The gallery was absolutely beautiful with tons of awesome art work covering wall to wall. If you like the arts I think it will be a great stop.

I visited an art gallery here during a school event for MUSC. The institute was great but we didn't get to see much of it. There were only two rooms open with art in them and each art piece had a name but no description along with it. I enjoy reading where the artist was coming from when they were doing their working because some pieces can be hard to understand. The venue was very nice in the small area that we were allowed!

Free! They feature one exhibition at a time in their first floor gallery. Unfortunately, I visited the day before a new show opened. The staff was getting ready for a kick off evening reception. We couldn't see the exhibit. The staff never acknowledged us as we looked lost wandering around their art school. They have other students' work posted and sculptures around the buildings and on the grounds. Parking was a little challenging because it's close to all the King St shopping. It's free so I would absolutely return.