Past Comments

April Issue 2005
Commentary
by Tom Starland

Word to the Wise

Yes, our stated deadline "was" the 15th of the month (now 12th) prior to the next issue being published, but that doesn't mean that if you send us an e-mail at 11:59pm on the 15th that your article is going to make the printed version of the paper. It never did!

Each month we receive for publication many more articles than we could ever fit into the printed version of the paper - based on the number of ads we receive which determines the size of the paper. That means advertising sets how many pages will be available for articles. Lot of ads = a lot of articles. Not so many ads = not so many articles. It's the simple math of publishing.

Also, our deadline to turn the paper into the printer is right after the 15th - so we are working on making the paper - way before your deadline gets here. We're working on fitting in the articles we got early. So, if you send an article in at the last minute - there may be no room left for it. So don't wait for the last minute - plan ahead.

And, in an effort to be as fair and balanced between the non-profit and commercial sectors and including articles from all areas we cover - not every article you send into us will make the printed version of the paper - even if you sent it in early - even if you are a regular advertiser. Otherwise we'd be like all the other publications where if you buy an ad you get an article. That would make Carolina Arts rather boring and one sided. Sort of like the old SC Arts Commission's Artifacts - artifacts as they see them. Where is the Artifacts publication today? On the cutting room floor - a victim of too many costs and too little purpose.

So get your articles in early - before the 12th.

Artista Vista

At the end of the month, Columbia, SC's Congaree Vista area, otherwise known as the "Vista" presents its annual Artista Vista, a tour of art galleries and art spaces - "Art Night" on Apr. 29, from 5-9pm, and "Art Day" on Apr. 30, from 11am-3pm.


Intermingling Convergence, a.k.a. "Flo" by One Eared Cow Glass

Our cover image this month is, Intermingling Convergence, a.k.a. "Flo". It was created by Tom Lockart and Mark Woodham of One Eared Cow Glass, one of the Artista Vista stops. Only this year, people will be watching the two glass makers working in their new location at 1001 Huger Street, just down the street from their old location. One Eared Cow is one of the most popular stops during Artista Vista as visitors are able to see the two artisans working with raw, molten glass - which is then transformed into works of art before their eyes.

Flo is one of the works of art purchased for the new Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center - in the Vista. The piece hangs 15' above ground level and is 20' x 10' x 3'. It has over 300 pieces of blown glass and took over six months from concept to installation to complete. We hope to have more about the art at the convention center in an upcoming issue.

No Room at the Inn

This year, the South Carolina Watercolor Society's 28th Annual Exhibition will take place in Newberry, SC - at the restored Newberry Opera House. And, it seems the 29th Annual Exhibition won't be taking place in Charleston, SC.

In 1996, the 19th Annual Exhibition took place at the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston. The 20th Annual Exhibition was held at the South Carolina State Museum, in Columbia, SC, and the 25th took place at the Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia.

During the last year, the Watercolor Society has been negotiating with the City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs to have their 29th exhibition at the new (mostly unused) City Gallery at Waterfront Park. But the Society was told that "their kind of art" is not suitable for the Waterfront Park gallery. You see the OCA says that the City galleries - at the Dock Street Theatre and Waterfront Park are for "serious contemporary and experimental work". At least that's what they say the mission is and you can see it in the article on this page about the exhibit of wildlife art - done in the style of John James Audubon (Charleston City Gallery in Charleston, SC, Offers Works by Thomas A. Bennett). The artist is also not from the Tri-County area, which is also a part of the Dock Street gallery's mission. So much for being consistent. But, that's nothing new at the OCA.

It seems "contemporary" and "experimental" can mean whatever they want it to whenever they want it to.

Of course the Office of Cultural Affairs, like the SC Arts Commission, never turns anyone or any type of art down themselves - it's the exhibit selection panel that does it and the OCA says they have one, but I wonder if they ever meet. I can't imagine the people who they say are on it slipped up and selected the Audubon art to represent contemporary and experimental art. Some exhibitions just seem to be selected out of thin air.

But, the SC Watercolor Society exhibition - good enough for major art museums in SC is not good enough for the Waterfront Gallery.

I can see why they might not want it there. It would be highly publicized, well attended and could generate lots of funding for other exhibits at the gallery. Funding is one of the big problems keeping the Waterfront Park gallery in the dark. It's no wonder you wouldn't want an exhibit like that.

The problem in SC is that there are too many art spaces under the control of so-called friends of art that are using the phrase, "their kind of art" to prevent the public from seeing certain kinds of art being done in SC.

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