February Issue 2001
Walter Greer Gallery on Hilton Head Island, SC, Features Exhibits of Fiber and Gullah Arts
The Walter Greer Gallery at the Self Family Arts Center on Hilton Head Island, SC, will present an exhibition by fiber artists from through the country, and De Aarts Ob We People, an exhibit showcasing the work of contemporary Gullah artists. The exhibitions will be on view from Feb. 1 through Feb. 24.
"Both of these exhibits pay tribute to the traditional arts rooted in heritage," said Arts Center President and CEO Kathleen Bateson. "These are beautiful works that most people would not normally have the chance to study and enjoy." The fiber art collection is being presented in collaboration with the Handweavers Guild of America. The show will include the work of nearly two dozen world-class artists from California to Georgia. Among the artwork to be exhibited are tapestries, floor-loom weavings, baskets and pieces created using knotting techniques. "We're not talking medieval tapestries and macramé art," said Sandy Bowles, executive director of the Handweavers Guild of America. "These are incredible works of art that will blow your socks off."
The exhibit will include examples of unique, non-traditional techniques and unusual materials being used by some of today's most innovative fiber artists. Several pieces from each artist will be displayed to show the variety of techniques and styles they work in. "There are artists using natural fibers, pearls, zippers, gourds - all kinds of unexpected materials," said Bowles, who is curating this exhibition. "While the materials may seem strange, the work is beautiful and elegant." Among the artists participating in the show are Jan Hopkins, a basket and vessel forms maker from Washington, NC, basket maker John Skau and tapestry artists Jon Eric Riis of Atlanta, GA, and Helena Hernmarck of CT.
The Gullah exhibit, rooted in the rich culture
of West Africa and the South Carolina sea islands, will be just
as extraordinary.
Presented in partnership with the Native Islander Gullah Celebration
2001, the show will include some 50 paintings, sculptures, sweet
grass baskets, quilts and batik fiber murals. The exhibit, now
in its fourth year sponsored by the Arts Center, has helped expose
many of the participating Gullah artists to new audiences and
markets. Among them are St. Helena batik artist Arianne King Comer,
who uses the deep violet blue dye extracted from the indigo plant,
once grown abundantly in the Lowcountry, to create quilts, paintings
and wall hangings.
"It's a great avenue for the artists," Comer said of
the Gullah exhibit, "and at the same time, it highlights
some of the wonderful things that are going on in the Native Islander
community."
For further information check our SC Institutional
Gallery listings or call the Center at 843/686-3945.
Mailing Address: Carolina Arts, P.O. Drawer
427, Bonneau, SC 29431
Telephone, Answering Machine and FAX: 843/825-3408
E-Mail: carolinart@aol.com
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Carolina Arts
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