Exciting new from our friends at the Arts Center of Kershaw County …
The Arts Center of Kershaw County has hired Chad Henderson as the new Executive Director. Henderson, the former Trustus Theatre Artistic Director and SC Philharmonic Marketing Director, will begin on January 12th , 2026. The Executive Director provides overall artistic and administrative leadership to the Arts Center, achieving the Arts Center’s goals for artistic excellence, audience development, fundraising, sponsorship and business relations development, financial sustainability and community engagement.
Henderson succeeds Dolly Patton, who resigned from the position in summer of 2025.
The Arts Center of Kershaw County serves as the cultural hub for the region, offering visual arts exhibitions, performing arts events, and educational programming that enriches the community and attracts visitors from across South Carolina.
Chad Henderson, a Spartanburg native and current resident of Columbia, SC, has spent more than 18 years in the non-profit arts sector. At Trustus Theatre, Columbia’s professional theatre, Henderson served as the Marketing Director from 2007 to 2015, and the Artistic Director from 2015 to 2021. He has served as the Marketing Director for the SC Philharmonic from 2021 to 2026.
Known in the SC arts community as a visionary theatre director, Henderson has been awarded the 2018 Founders award from the SC Theatre Association for his work as an arts leader, and the 2012 Artist of the Year in Theatre from the Jasper Project. As a filmmaker, his work took top honors at the Jasper Project’s 2nd Act Film Festival in 2017 and 2024.
Henderson is also an accomplished playwright—his play Let It Grow won the 2024 Jasper Project Play Right Series and is available for purchase on Amazon. He has completed three residencies with the Studios of Key West in Key West, Florida.
Visit his website to learn more about previous projects.
“We are excited to welcome Chad Henderson as the new Executive Director of the Arts Center of Kershaw County,” said Board President Lee Inabinet. “Chad brings tremendous enthusiasm along with extensive experience in nonprofit leadership, marketing, and the arts. We are confident his vision and energy will strengthen the Center’s impact and support its continued growth in our community.”
The appointment also represents an important milestone in the ongoing partnership between the City of Camden and the Arts Center of Kershaw County. “Chad brings a wealth of experience from his work with the Columbia Philharmonic (sic), and we are confident his leadership and vision will strengthen the arts within our community and build and even stronger partnership between the City and the Arts Center” said City Manager Matt DeWitt.
Henderson shares the board’s enthusiasm. “The Arts Center of Kershaw County is a truly special organization in this state, and I couldn’t be more honored to become its next leader.” said Henderson. “I look forward to working with the artists and stakeholders of Kershaw County and beyond to deepen the organization’s impact and to grow the Arts Center’s unique capability to serve the community’s cultural appetite.”
