Older man in ball cap, white shirt and jeans stands between the split branches of a tree as he shapes them into a topiary. A large brick building with many large windows is visible behind him.
Deeper Dive Series

Remembering Pearl Fryar

Remembering Pearl Fryar: Topiary Artist

Older man in ball cap, white shirt and jeans stands between the split branches of a tree as he shapes them into a topiary. A large brick building with many large windows is visible behind him.
Older man in ball cap in a white bucket lift holds a chainsaw as he trims the branches of a large tree
A variety of sculpted green topiary bushes and a tall, three-tiered topiary tree stand on a hillside in the foreground. In the background, a historic four-story red brick building features a modern glass-enclosed entrance and a white observatory dome on its roof under a clear blue sky.
A group of four men stand with with one using a large camera on a tripod to film an older man in a ball cap. The are all standing on a sidewalk in front of a flower bed with a grassy area to their right.
Three men wearing yellow hard hats stand around looking at a sculpted tree in a dirt area with a large glass structure visible behind them
Tree on large truck with special lift for moving trees parked in an area of dirt in front of a large glass structure
A tall, intricately sculpted evergreen tree with spiraling, layered branches stands prominently in the foreground. Behind the tree, a large, modern building features a reflective glass facade that mirrors a bright blue sky filled with white clouds. To the left, a portion of a historic four-story red brick building with many windows provides a classic architectural contrast to the modern glass structure.
Older man in ball cap, white shirt and jeans stands between the split branches of a tree as he shapes them into a topiary. A large brick building with many large windows is visible behind him.
Older man in ball cap in a white bucket lift holds a chainsaw as he trims the branches of a large tree
A variety of sculpted green topiary bushes and a tall, three-tiered topiary tree stand on a hillside in the foreground. In the background, a historic four-story red brick building features a modern glass-enclosed entrance and a white observatory dome on its roof under a clear blue sky.
A group of four men stand with with one using a large camera on a tripod to film an older man in a ball cap. The are all standing on a sidewalk in front of a flower bed with a grassy area to their right.
Three men wearing yellow hard hats stand around looking at a sculpted tree in a dirt area with a large glass structure visible behind them
Tree on large truck with special lift for moving trees parked in an area of dirt in front of a large glass structure
A tall, intricately sculpted evergreen tree with spiraling, layered branches stands prominently in the foreground. Behind the tree, a large, modern building features a reflective glass facade that mirrors a bright blue sky filled with white clouds. To the left, a portion of a historic four-story red brick building with many windows provides a classic architectural contrast to the modern glass structure.

The South Carolina State Museum family is deeply saddened by the passing of our longtime friend and artist, Pearl Fryar. A self-taught master of topiary art, Fryar’s influence stretched beyond his popular garden in Bishopville, S.C., with his work reaching across the South Carolina – including here at the South Carolina State Museum.

 

The Self-Taught Artist of Bishopville

Fryar began learning his craft in the 1980s in an effort to win a "Yard of the Month" award. His dedication and creative spirit transformed ordinary trees, bushes and hedges into "living sculptures." Fryar’s hard work paid off and he was awarded “Yard of the Month” three times before the City of Bishopville granted his home permanent "Yard of the Month" status. Today, his topiaries are recognized as a folk art environment, drawing visitors from around the state and the country.

 

Pearl Fryar’s Work at the South Carolina State Museum

If you have visited the South Carolina State Museum, you have likely seen Fryar’s work: the large, sprawling topiaries in front of our main entrance and outside the planetarium. These pieces began taking shape in the 1990s as part of the Museum’s exhibition: Still Worth Keeping: Communities, Preservation and Self-Taught Artists.

In the following years, Fryar returned often to trim and shape the existing plants and to train Museum staff to care for his living sculptures. He also participated in a variety of programs, including attending a showing of the documentary A Man Named Pearl at the Museum in 2006. 

When the Museum added its planetarium extension, Fryar donated a new topiary to sit just outside of the space, moving the tree all the way from his Bishopville garden to the museum in April 2014. 

 

A Lasting Inspiration

Pearl Fryar was, and will continue to be, an inspiration to people everywhere. We invite you to take a moment during your next visit to enjoy the living sculptures he left behind. We will greatly miss his friendship, his generosity, and his incomparable creative spirit.