December Issue 1999
Commentary
by Tom Starland
Annual Holiday Reminder
Each year during the holiday season, no matter
what holiday you celebrate, I try to remind our readers that one
of the best gifts you can give someone or yourself is the gift
of art. Most art will not need batteries. Most art will not wear
out from over viewing. The recipient will get to enjoy your gift
year after year, and year after year they will think about how
wonderful a gift you have given them. And, best of all, most art
comes with no assembly necessary.
OK, art can be a little pricy as a gift, but just like the economic
status of our readers, good art comes in all sizes. For the price
conscious, fine art crafts can offer the most bang for the buck.
Reproduction prints of original works of art also come in a wide
range of prices, but don't forget that fine art prints that have
been hand-pulled by the artist and come in smaller editions can
be had for about the same price as some reproduction prints. Myself,
I'd always rather have an image that only a handful of people
share with me vs. thousands, and having an original is even better.
Now, if you're in the category of having to find that special gift for a special person - maybe even yourself, I've got a secret I'm willing to let out of the bag. Some artists and galleries will let you make payments on artworks with a weightier price tag. If you're the kind of person who does your holiday shopping in July - there is also something called layaway. It doesn't hurt to ask.
For those of you who fit into the category of, price is no consideration, what better way to make an incredible impression than with a monster piece of art - something that can give the folks at DeBeers a run for their money. Believe me, you will make an impression on the recipient and the artist. You could become a patron overnight.
No matter what your price range, there is art
out there which can fit any taste and any price range. And, you're
lucky to be in the Carolinas, as there are plenty of talented
artists out there working for you.
And, one last thought - if you can make your special purchase
from one of the advertisers found in this paper - it would be
a lot better for me and you. After all, they have been paying
for this paper for years. Show them your appreciation.
Required Reading
Attention Artists, Art Galleries, and Institutional Gallery Spaces in North and South Carolina: If you read anything at all in this issue, read the article, "How to write a press release about an exhibit and turn it into an article in Carolina Arts". I hope this will be helpful to people who haven't sent us a press release before, for those who have problems writing them, and for those who don't think they have problems writing them. It might even provide a few chuckles to those who have to read press releases on a regular basis and those who haven't been subjected to this - finest of all art mediums.
I also want to emphasize, as best I can, that
Carolina Arts only covers the visual arts in North and
South Carolina. Our focus is on exhibits vs. individual artists,
and we try to include as much and as diverse a mix as we can.
That means: advertisers and non-advertisers; commercial and non-profit,
including different areas of the two states we cover, and all
we can fit in before we run out of space. Space is limited by
the total amount of advertising support we receive each month.
The other thing to keep in mind is that we can't and don't cover
every area of North and South Carolina. So, if you don't see your
city's name on the front of our paper - we probably don't cover
that area. Believe it or not, it is physically impossible for
us to cover everywhere and some areas can't muster the needed
support or just don't care about our paper.
Not Taking the Bait 
Unfortunately for the organizers and defenders of the current exhibit at the SC State Museum, 100 Years /100 Artists: Views of the 20th Century in South Carolina Art, which I have dubbed as the "Lucky 100 Exhibit," no one has taken them up on their request or should I say desperate plea to have the public come up with alternative lists of 100 deserving artists whose work should have been placed in the show. In press releases and newspaper articles, statements have been made that selecting 100 artists to be included in this show was difficult and that it is hoped that this exhibit will foster debate on who should, and who shouldn't have been included. Which is about the only purpose this exhibit seems to serve. Even Jeffrey Day, arts reporter for The State newspaper has been wondering why no one has responded to his request for people to submit their list of artists who should have been included in the exhibit.
Guess what? We're not taking the bait! These
people would love nothing better than to have the reaction to
this exhibit be nothing more than a debate on who should and who
shouldn't have been included. But, the problem with this exhibit
isn't the work or the artists whose work is included - it's the
exhibit itself. This exhibit, more than any other policy or event
taking place in SC's art community, is an example of what's wrong
with SC's state agencies vested with the responsibility of showcasing
and fostering SC's art and artists. Notice I used the words "SC's"
art and artists - I'm not talking about WPA artists who spent
at couple of weeks in the State or here today gone tomorrow part-time
university professors. Creating alternative lists would be an
insult to those selected and those not, but perhaps could have
been.
I'm not surprised by any action taken at the SC Arts Commission,
but this exhibit makes me ask why is the SC State Museum even
involved in presenting fine art exhibits. They don't have the
budget, focus, knowledge, resources, or staff to present exhibitions
that truly represent the state of South Carolina - so why are
they allowed to continue to stumble through the process? And,
I might add, at the expense of the rest of the art community in
SC. Why not let SC look like SC really is? Why not represent the
majority and not a 10 percent minority? They don't get to chose
the history that represents SC, why do they get to select the
art that represents SC?
Now it should be pointed out that the State
Museum's partner in crime here is the SC Arts Commission who has
and continues to assert control over the Museum's Lipscomb Gallery
by dangling money, like a carrot, to lead the Museum down the
path of the Commission's own selective vision. The Arts Commission
and the Museum have become kissing cousins.
To give just one example of what's wrong here, the exhibition's
catalog(ue), isn't scheduled to be printed until months after
the exhibit is over due to a lack of funding. If the catalog can't
be there during the run of the exhibit, why print it? What purpose
will it serve except to be a great PR piece for the organizers
and the artists involved. Save the money for other exhibits. Or
save the money to repair some of the exhibits the children have
worn out on the other floors of the Museum.
In the next couple of months we'll have more about this short-sighted
effort to celebrate the millennium and take a look at art in SC
during the 20th century.
Unfortunately after the above was written, it was reported that on Sun., Nov. 21, one piece from this exhibit turned up missing after a routine gallery inspection. The missing piece is a small work by Lee Malerich of Orangeburg measuring approximately 5" x 5" unframed and 10" x 10" framed. For those who are not familiar with Malerich's art - she works in a colorful embroidered style. In a news release put out by the SC State Museum it stated, "The Museum staff is reviewing security arrangements for the exhibition."
It just leaves me with more questions.
Vista Lights
I made it to Vista Lights in Columbia, SC, held the Thursday before Thanksgiving - remember that for next year. The guy who does their PR needs to read the article about press releases - especially the part about sending one. It was a last minute dash - I almost forget the event takes place on a Thursday evening. But, it was nothing, really nothing to hop in the old van and take a two hour drive up I-26. No hurricane - no problem.
Vista Lights
is a celebration of a special district in Columbia nestled along
the Congaree River, affectionately known as the Vista.
During Vista Lights all the businesses in the area stay
open, put out luminaries, serve up food and beverages, and sometimes
provide live music - it's a real good time. Can you believe the
City of Columbia lets them block off Gervais Street for several
hours to provide a performance space? That's like closing down
a major interstate highway.
I go for the galleries. During Vista Lights the seven or
eight galleries in the area host new exhibits. I say seven or
eight depending on how you classify a gallery. For some reason
the person putting the PR together didn't consider One Eared Cow
Glass a gallery - even though it has the second largest exhibit
space in the Vista. But, then again I've thought for quite
a while that the PR guy for Vista Lights should have been
fired long ago. Did I mention he gets paid for what he does or
doesn't do. At least this year someone figured out that Gallery
701 isn't in the Vista and isn't in the same class as the
other "real" galleries. Their dungeon-like space isn't
what I consider a gallery - no matter how desperate you are for
exhibit space. Also, for some reason this guy thinks Vista
Lights should just be for local Columbia residents. That was
too bad, there were some really good exhibits. In fact, they were
all very good exhibits. And, the folks doing Vista Lights
were having a very, very good time. I was having a good time even
before I made an art purchase, and then my time even got better.
Now, I didn't go intending to purchase any art - I have an arts
newspaper and believe me or not - it costs enough to keep me from
purchasing much art. But, when the opportunity came to purchase
an Ethel Brody etching for $5 presented itself - I'm no fool.
I still don't understand why she was selling the etching for so
low a price. Perhaps she was tired of seeing hundreds of people
just looking at art instead of looking and buying art, or maybe
she was testing the public to see it they would respond to an
offer too good to refuse. Brody is one of the artists who rents
studio space at Vista Studios. She's what I call a master printmaker.
A visit to her studio is like a lesson in fine art printmaking.
The point of all this is that next year remember
- it's the Thursday before Thanksgiving, it's a really good time,
and take change for a ten dollar bill. All this and I was home
before the 11 o'clock news.
For those folks who live in the Columbia area - don't wait for
the next party to go back to the Vista. Those galleries
offer good art and good exhibits all the time.
First Charleston Fine Arts Annual
Last month we reported on the efforts of a group of Charleston Galleries who were trying to offer something different to the visual art lover vs. the standard art walk - it was called the Charleston Fine Arts Annual. By most reports the event was a success and should be an even bigger success in its second year. The galleries involved provided invited guests with a weekend of fine art indulgence. If anything, the event showed that there is a growing hunger for more high-end educational events dealing with the visual arts. I'm still getting calls from people who missed the event or heard about it late and wished they could have participated.
The highlight of the weekend was a lecture
by Hilton Kramer on how he became an art critic, about the media's
and major museum's obsession with worthless art, and the conflicts
of interest involved with the Brooklyn Museum exhibition Sensations.
Kramer was an entertaining speaker if not passionately opinionated.
I only wish the staff of the SC Arts Commission was there to hear
him.
The stated purpose of the event was to attract serious collectors
to Charleston's growing visual art market and hopefully see those
collectors go home with some art from Charleston's galleries.
If you consider yourself a serious collector and didn't receive
an invitation to this event, but would have liked to, you can
contact us and we'll make sure you get on a mailing list for next
year.
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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Copyright© 1999 by PSMG, Inc., which published Charleston
Arts from July 1987 - Dec. 1994 and South Carolina Arts
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