PALMETTO BLUFF, S.C., June 20, 2025 – The arts are central to Palmetto Bluff, and the 20,000-acre community has long been a magnet for creatives drawn to its welcoming people and unspoiled natural beauty. Launched in 2022, The Arts Initiative at Palmetto Bluff was conceived to inspire and enrich lives through art in all its forms. Through hands-on educational experiences for residents and guests of Palmetto Bluff—and neighbors from the greater Bluffton, Hilton Head Island, and Savannah environs—the innovative programming engages and challenges audiences through shared dialogues and the beauty of the Bluff itself. The Arts Initiative at Palmetto Bluff is thrilled to announce the inaugural winners of the Inspiring the Arts Scholarship, three extraordinary young women pursuing their artistic dreams through higher education. The honorees – Katherine Donahue, Emma Peeples, and Ryleigh Severide – were celebrated at a Rising Artists Celebration on June 20th at FLOW Gallery + Workshop in Palmetto Bluff’s Wilson Village, where residents and guests gathered to honor their achievements and bright futures in the arts. The first scholarship recipient will receive $5,000, with the Honorable Mentions receiving $3,000 each, to be put towards their educational endeavors in the arts.
“The Arts Initiative draws upon Palmetto Bluff’s unique environment and community to guide the artistic experience and foster lasting connections with this place and its people,” said Maggie Hackett, Director of Marketing at Palmetto Bluff. “We are very excited to be able to integrate this unique program into our local community in such a tangible way with the first Inspiring the Arts Scholarship, and especially proud to support and encourage young people as they pursue their creative passions.”
Local student Katherine Donahue has been named the first official scholarship recipient, and Emma Peeples and Ryleigh Severide have been recognized with Honorable Mention awards. Their continued dedication to the arts and inspiring journeys has been made possible in part by the generosity of the Palmetto Bluff and greater Lowcountry community. Katherine, who will major in architecture at Clemson, plans to work as a historic architectural restorationist, guided by the desire to bring rundown, old buildings in towns and cities back to life. In addition to appreciating the art and beauty of the structures themselves, she believes that restoring them allows for communities to see first-hand how far they have come.
Emma, who has been interested in the arts for as long as she can remember, has always been eager to use her knowledge to help those around her experience and express themselves through art. She will study studio art at Western Carolina University's Honors College rather than attend an art school with a specific major, with the goal of getting a well-rounded education which will prepare her to teach students regardless of their struggles, medium, or style. Her goal is to get her master’s degree so she can teach at the college level, to ensure that those she teaches care about the art that they produce and the messages they convey.
Ryleigh has spent most of her life devoted to understanding art, and how it impacts people's everyday lives, even if they don’t notice it. She believes the impact that art has on people’s experiences is substantial and she wants to contribute to that, to be an eye opener for people across the world to show them what art is really about. She would like to focus her studies at Savannah College of Art and Design on Illustration and Cartooning as both mediums were formative as she grew up, helping her navigate difficult personal events. During this time, her interest in art and storytelling evolved and she found comfort in the many panels and pages that make up a comic, eventually drafting her own comics, taking her own stories and making them into something new. This major would maximize her current education and open up many more opportunities in the future.
About Palmetto Bluff
Palmetto Bluff is in Bluffton, situated between Charleston and Savannah, Georgia in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. The largest remaining entitled waterfront property on the East Coast, this extraordinary 20,000-acre community is defined by 32 miles of coastline along three rivers – the May, Cooper, and New. Guided by the Palmetto Bluff Conservancy, protecting the land has been integral to Palmetto Bluff’s modern-day development, and its riverfront, Inland Waterway, and extensive nature trails are enriched by wilderness and wildlife. The community features two vibrant village centers, Wilson and Moreland; the private Palmetto Bluff Club which offers exclusive access to a range of best-in-class amenities including the newly renovated Shooting Club, the expansive Wilson Lawn & Racquet Club, a 12-acre working farm, the full-service Wilson Landing Marina, a 9-hole King-Collins reversible course, an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course and a new Coore & Crenshaw 18-hole course slated to open in Winter 2025 - 2026; and the Forbes’ Five Star Montage Palmetto Bluff resort. The real estate offerings are as diverse as the land itself – the distinctive estates, homes, cottages, and homesites available at the Bluff are matched only by the wealth of activities enjoyed across its storied terrain. PalmettoBluff.com.
