Art captures the grand ideas within the small moments, reminding us to appreciate the preciousness of time. Hed Hi Studio on Upper King Street in downtown Charleston is a portal to this everyday magic, a reminder that within the minutiae is beauty.
The outside walls of the space are splashed with bright murals beckoning wandering eyes. For Hed Hi Studio owner Tim McManus, the little spot is a haven where art worlds converge, a manifestation of perseverance and a testament to the wonder of human connections.
Tim McManus in a portrait at his studio space and office on King Street.
“The tagline I came up with for the place is ‘brightest walls in the city,’” McManus told The Post and Courier.
“It’s a nod to the murals but also to the productions that happen in here when it’s ‘lights, camera action,’ whether we are talking about the walls inside or outside the studio,” he said.
The popular reality TV show “Southern Charm” just wrapped up shooting promo ads in the studio space the day before it was transformed into a screening room for the July 22 premiere of a new surf film shot on Folly Beach entitled “Twin Fin Rodeo.”
Art lines the interior walls of Hed Hi Media.
There’s usually a bustle of activity at Hed Hi, because in addition to being a space for exhibitions and events it’s home to Hed Hi Media, McManus’ video production company, which also rents the space to production teams, photographers and video crews.
McManus started renting the spot at 654 King St. in 2012, which previously housed the Charleston Center for Photography. When he installed Hed Hi Media in 2014, he replaced the old dark rooms with digital editing suites for his video production team.
Framed pictures, photos and notes adorn the wall of Tim McManus’ office at Hed Hi Media on July 18 in Charleston.
The 2020 pandemic shutdown downsized his operations and his team went remote, but McManus loved the space so much he was determined to figure out a way to justify keeping it.
“I put my bets on the fact that people would be wanting to gather again,” he said. He invested in the studio to upfit it and make it more public-facing so he could be ready to host events.
“I spent a lot of time staring at the wall during the pandemic thinking ‘What could the space also be used for?’” he said. He thought it would be a fun and unique place to exhibit art that could fill up the blank walls and utilize the production lighting.
“So I was like, ‘I’m going to have a go at doing some art shows,” McManus said.
Where surf and street art converge
The first round of shows in fall 2021 resulted from the convergence of surfer-artists who call Charleston home, including Kate Barattini and Taylor Faulkner who showed pieces as part of the one-night-only installation “Water Show” as well as the subsequent group surf show “Animal Shred.” Faulkner then exhibited “Small Breaks Vol. 2” in January 2022, which featured large-scale versions of surf art.
Tim McManus, the owner of Hed Hi Media, in his studio space and office, Thursday, July 18, 2024, in Charleston.
“There aren’t a lot of places where (both) new and solidified artists show (work) that isn’t just the normal Charleston marsh scenes,” Faulkner told The Post and Courier. “Hed Hi showcases such a range of styles, and I think Tim does a great job keeping with his themes of surf, skate and graffiti-based shows.”
McManus is a self-described surf bro who enjoys working with other surfers, which is why surf art is essential to the culture of Hed Hi Studio. He got into surfing when he transferred to the College of Charleston in 1993, making surf trips to Costa Rica before moving there for a spell while he split his time working at Slightly North of Broad (S.N.O.B.) on East Bay Street downtown.
In fact, Hed Hi is a surfing reference.
“Surfers measure waves in body size: thigh-high, waist-high, chest-high and head-high,” McManus said. “When the waves are head-high — here it’s a very rare occurrence — it’s a very good day for surfers. So I always loved the double meaning of head high, like holding your head high, but also head-high being an indicator of really good surf.” And the Hed Hi logo is designed to call to mind HD or ‘high def’ as a nod to video production.
Another root from which sprouts the culture at Hed Hi is street art. During the pandemic shutdown McManus started what would eventually become a street art corridor that wraps about the buildings at 652 and 654 King St.
“Originally Hed Hi was the intersection of surf and street art,” McManus said. “It evolved from there pretty quickly to be kind of a contemporary art museum for underserved artists. There’s always some sense of discovery to it.”
Hed Hi has been an open door to the Charleston art scene over the last few years, hosting pop-up concepts by Gap Gallery, comedy shows by Rip City CHS and a play produced by The Void Theater Company.
“To put it succinctly, what makes Hed Hi so special is Tim’s generosity and his love for the arts,” said visual artist Julia Deckman, who helped develop the studio’s website and newsletter in addition to exhibiting her work in the space. Deckman will be featured in Hed Hi’s Aug. 17 exhibit entitled “Color Feast” with Savannah-based street artist JULU.
“Hed Hi’s exhibition programming is purely about supporting contemporary working artists and giving the public an opportunity to engage with the creative process,” Deckman said. “He approaches each show however will best support the artists and their vision and helps create the best experience for the community. Most, if not all, events are free and open to the public.”
The making of a Charleston street art corridor
In 2014 the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art at the College of Charleston exhibited works by well known Charleston-born street artist Shephard Fairey, who created murals throughout Charleston while the exhibition displayed. Hed Hi Media produced a short film for the Halsey that captured the installation of the street murals. Fairey painted two murals on the exterior walls of the building at 654 King St. that houses Hed Hi, which read “To the Future” and “Enjoy Power & Glory While They Last.”
The exterior of Hed Hi Media is painted in different patterns and murals.
McManus had been toying with the idea of organizing a street art corridor during his travels for work, pulling inspiration from the street art clumped together in districts such as Wynwood Walls in Miami, Bushwick in New York City and Clarion Alley in San Francisco.
The idea started to become reality circa 2016 when McManus commissioned New York City-based artist Jason Woodside to paint a mural on one of Hed Hi’s outer walls. Subsequently, San Francisco street artist Apexer and Charleston artist Jonathan Rypkema painted murals on the walls around the studio’s entrance.
McManus then coordinated the installation of murals along the back wall of the building at 652 King St. by Belgian street artist Adele Renault and her husband, London-based muralist Pref, and Woodside came back to paint over his previous mural. Those were followed up with murals by Charleston’s Patch Whisky and JULU. Hed Hi produced short films capturing the mural installations.
Tim McManus adjusts his hair on a couch inside Hed Hi Media’s studio space, Thursday, July 18, 2024, in Charleston.
“I think it’s worth noting — Hed Hi is not this state-of-the-art facility,” McManus said. “There’s a homemade bar and a sliding garage door, and it just seemed like we got the vibes right off the rip.”
In September, “something really surfy is coming up,” McManus said of a yet-to-be-announced exhibit at Hed Hi. In October, art maker and Band of Horses drummer Creighton Barrett will be featured with Faulkner for an Oct. 11 show called “Beach Creeps,” for which Barrett will create a surf bar scene populated by Faulkner’s characters.
And more is in the works. McManus plans to keep riding the wave and making waves where he can.
Photos: Tim McManus keeps the legend of Hed Hi Studio alive in downtown Charleston
Charleston’s Hed Hi Studio has been a staple of the arts scene for years. Tim McManus, the surfer behind it, plans to keep that reputation alive and bright.
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