 The school's 8.5 acres overlooking the Reedy River in Greenville's West End were donated in a joint arrangement with both the City of Greenville and Greenville County as negotiated by Greenville developer Bob Hughes and attorney C. Thomas Wyche.Meanwhile, in the two years leading up to construction, a capital campaign co-chaired by Governor's School for the Arts Foundation board members Minor Mickel Shaw and Mary Rainey Belser raised a total of $14.5 million in private sector donations to secure the state's agreement of $12 million in funding.The final necessary component—the school's design—was settled through an architectural competition coordinated by Hughes and state entities, with Greenville-based firm Freeman & Major Architects being awarded the contract for their concept of a Tuscan village.