Feature Articles

November Issue 2002

Fine Art Collector, Charleston, SC's Newest Gallery

Fine Art Collector, located in the Shoppes at Fountain Walk near the SC Aquarium overlooking the Charleston harbor is Charleston, SC's newest fine art gallery.

The lively tenor of the new gallery is evident to visitors from the moment they enter. The bright, open space creates an ideal showcase for the modern, abstract, and contemporary art in which the gallery specializes. Energy resonates from the bright, gestural abstract paintings by Swiss artist, Andreas Jordi that greet you at the door. Dari Caplan's playful abstractions of shape and color bring to life the bustling sounds of the city and the beauty of the vineyards surrounding her home in Cape Town, South Africa.

Erica Love

The gallery proudly represents local artists Robert Merrill Sweeny, Erica Love, and Preot Buxton who coincidentally, are all graduates of the Rhode Island School of Design. Love has developed a strong, local following in recent months as she gains exposure through her aggressive show schedule. Her distinctive compositions and unexpected color juxtapositions consistently draw positive responses from viewers.

The genius of Robert Sweeny's recent work lies in the simultaneously defined spaces that can be found in a single picture plane. Constructed by Sweeny's skillfully rendered pencil markings, a depiction of a magnified, detail of crumbling plaster slowly takes on the perspective and shape of an aerial view of an urban space. Few works of such complexity have an equally strong presence from across the room.

Fine Art Collector will maintain a busy schedule of rotating monthly exhibitions that highlight fresh approaches to art, including photography and digital art. Additionally, the gallery will host a monthly "salon" to provide artists who are not currently exhibiting their work a chance to do so, or an opportunity for an artist to explore public reaction as they experiment with new styles, media, or scale.

Fine Art Collector is also proud to introduce the launch of a new program, Young Artists, Young Audiences (YAYA) that showcases the work of promising, young artists. Beginning Nov. 24, 2002, every Sun. from 1-5pm, the gallery will host a solo art exhibit of work from a local student that has been selected from submissions from area art teachers.

Gallery owner, Robin Hulsey explains, "My goal is to create a vehicle that encourages and promotes young, artistic talent and cultivates a supportive and responsive young audience at the same time." Each week, a collection of the artist's work will be framed and displayed on easels for public viewing. The artist will be asked to prepare a brief statement explaining their work and to be present to discuss their work with visitors. Participating artists will gain valuable experience learning about the preparations involved in mounting an art exhibit and will hopefully become more comfortable with the sometimes daunting aspect of discussing their work. Comments made by the students' peers in response to the work will be submitted to local press. Audiences of all ages will be invited to leave words of encouragement and praise in a guestbook for the artist to keep.

Selected works from each show will be compiled and reproduced for ntecards and calendars that wil soon be available for purchase. Proceeds from those sales will go towards the purchase of art supplies for local schools and studentscholarships to local art programs.

For more information check our SC Commercial Gallery listings, call the gallery at 843/853-6055 or on the web at (www.fineartcollector.com).

Mailing Address: Carolina Arts, P.O. Drawer 427, Bonneau, SC 29431
Telephone, Answering Machine and FAX: 843/825-3408
E-Mail: info@carolinaarts.com
Subscriptions are available for $18 a year.

Carolina Arts is published monthly by Shoestring Publishing Company, a subsidiary of PSMG, Inc.
Copyright© 2002 by PSMG, Inc., which published Charleston Arts from July 1987 - Dec. 1994 and South Carolina Arts from Jan. 1995 - Dec. 1996. It also publishes Carolina Arts Online, Copyright© 2002 by PSMG, Inc. All rights reserved by PSMG, Inc. or by the authors of articles. Reproduction or use without written permission is strictly prohibited. Carolina Arts is available throughout North & South Carolina.