This year’s Piccolo Spoleto Festival poster art features a series of faces set against a fragmented Charleston cityscape, with a field of botanicals below.
The artist behind the work, Alice Colin, received $5,000 for “Voices in Bloom.” It was the highest commission ever awarded for a Piccolo poster.
“Alice’s work spoke perfectly to all that is beautiful about Charleston — our music, our nature and our people,” said Rochelle Riley, the new director of Charleston’s Office of Cultural Affairs.
Colin’s work was selected from an April open call. Originally from Bordeaux, France, the artist lived and worked across four continents before settling in Charleston with her husband and sons. She is a self-taught multidisciplinary artist who works across digital, mixed-media and 3D compositions.
Her poster design was unveiled at 3:15 p.m. on May 8 at City Gallery.
Piccolo Spoleto will kick off May 22 alongside Spoleto USA and celebrate local excellence through visual arts, classical music, jazz, dance, theater, choral music, poetry readings, children’s activities and film.
This year’s theme is “from here,” which invites people from across the South to experience the artistry and traditions that are unique to Charleston.
The 2026 season will be the largest since the COVID-19 pandemic, and more than half of its 250 events will be free to the public. The traditions that longtime attendees cherish, such as the Sunset Serenade with the Charleston Symphony at the United States Custom House and the Memorial Day Concert at Hampton Park, will remain part of the festival.
New programming is being introduced as well, including the Piccolo Porch Concerts, a series of intimate neighborhood-based performances modeled after NPR’s Tiny Desk concerts.
The full schedule of Piccolo events can be found online at piccolospoleto.com.
