Carolina Arts Unleashed

So last Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010, at 10pm, I’m getting in the car loaded up with my last run of papers headed to Rock Hill, SC, Charlotte, NC, Davidson, NC, Asheboro, NC, and eventually Seagrove, NC - all the time knowing I’m racing the clock against another winter storm of sleet and snow. The Weather Channel said that it will be raining in Charlotte until 3am and then changing to sleet as the temps drop down to 32 degrees and below. At that point I’d only be halfway done with the delivery.

We always like to have the paper completely delivered by the first Friday of the month so that all the communities that host art walks will have fresh copies of Carolina Arts. The last three months have been challenging to get that job done. You might say weather challenged.

When I got in the car at 10pm in Bonneau, SC - headquarters of Shoestring Publishing Company - the temp was 45 degrees. It was hard to believe it was going to be below 32 in Charlotte, but as I headed to Columbia, SC, on I-26 and then toward Rock Hill, on I-77 - the further I traveled north the temps just kept dropping one and two degrees at a time. By the time I reached the outskirts of Charlotte it was 34 degrees and it was going to take 3 hours to finish and then I’d be heading more north - eventually east, but the real kicker was I’d have to cross over Hwy. 64 from I-85 in Lexington, NC, to Asheboro. Halfway along Hwy. 64 there are some pretty big hills to cross over and in the past I’ve noticed that the temps really drop in that area. That was my big concern and I was right.

The temps stayed 34 degrees through Charlotte, Davidson, NC, and on I-85 headed towards Lexington - occasionally dropping to 33 degrees at times. At one point on I-85 I saw lots of flashing blue and red lights up ahead and the first thing I thought of was “black ice”. The traffic slowed and sure enough in a stretch of a mile several cars had gone off the road and all sorts of emergency vehicles were giving assistance, but the temp was 34 as I passed by. The temps must have dropped for a while in that stretch of the highway. I must have missed that by 30 minutes or an hour.

I finally make it on to Hwy. 64 and the temp is 33 degrees and it starts to sleet - oh boy. By the time I’m at the top of those hills the sleet is starting to collect on the road by an inch or two and I still expected the temps to drop. What’s a newspaper delivery boy to do?

Well, I did grow up in Michigan and I did my fair share of driving in snow, sleet and ice. I pulled off the road and waited for the next semi to come by and I pulled in behind it. That truck plowed the way over the top of the hills for me and on the other side of the hills it was 34 degrees and just raining. I pulled into Asheboro around 6:30am Friday morning, knowing that the sun would be coming up in 30 minutes - hoping the temps would never go below 34 and in fact be rising, as from then on I would be traveling south all the way to South Carolina where you can pretty much count on a 10 degree difference - warmer.

I really dodged a bullet. In Asheboro, I went to drop off papers at the W.H. Moring Jr. Arts Center on Sunset Avenue and it was sleeting there - back on Hwy. 64 in Asheboro at the McDonalds where I usually have breakfast it was just rain. That’s how close I was to real trouble. Cars were pulling into the McDonalds coming from the North with several inches of snow or sleet on them. Next stop, the NC Pottery Center in Seagrove - heading south.

While eating my breakfast a USPS mailman came in for breakfast too and I had to think - whether rain, sleet, snow, scorching heat, tropical storms - Carolina Arts must be delivered. And, I’m the sucker stuck with that job. Don’t get me wrong, I love my monthly adventures, it’s just that sometimes they’re too much of an adventure and I’m not as young as I was when I first started. So I headed to Seagrove, NC - the Center of Pottery in North Carolina - a new moniker I’m using for Seagrove. You see, Seagrove is also near the geographical center of North Carolina.

After dropping off papers at the NC Pottery Center in Seagrove I’m officially finished - except for the four hour drive back to Bonneau. It’s always a relief and although it was raining cats and dogs and still a nasty 34 degrees I was up for some extra credit - so I drove to one of the newly opened NC Visitor Centers to check it out. I also needed a port in a storm - if you get my meaning.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has opened two new Visitor Centers, located within 5 miles of the geographic center of North Carolina along both sides of the US 220 corridor (the future I-73, I-74) in Randolph County just south of Seagrove.

In North Carolina the visitor centers open at 8am, an hour before they do in South Carolina so I didn’t have to wait at all to see what they had to offer. I was curious as this center is different from other NC Visitor Centers as it was being run by a commercial business.

I had a good look around, talked with the two women working there - they were friendly and informative and on the ball enough to realize after a bit of conversation that I seemed to know more about the area than the average person passing by. I identified myself and told them of my concerns that as a commercial operation that they may operate like a chamber of commerce - only providing info about paid members - not telling the whole story of the area to folks who didn’t know to ask about certain things. I was contacted myself about paying a fee to leave copies of Carolina Arts at the centers, but had to pass as we can’t afford to pay anyone to leave papers for distribution. Why else would I be delivering the papers myself? Ask any newspaper publisher you know if they deliver their paper.

I understand that the State of North Carolina, like every other state in America, is hurting for funding and realize that if it wasn’t for these centers being planned years ago and in the process of being built - might not have been built, but I hope when the economy turns and NC recovers they won’t let private business take over the lead point in telling the state’s tourism story - under a “pay you play” system. At least I hope the taxpayers of North Carolina won’t let that be the case. It’s too important a job to be put in the hands of bottom line business minds - who will soon wonder if they can get away with coin operated toilet paper dispensers.

I don’t know how much if any the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources is involved with NCDOT visitor centers, but I hope they have some say about the materials offered in those centers. I hope they can convince the state legislators that they don’t want that info to be limited to only those who can pay for it. North Carolina has too much to offer to work on that system. I hope they don’t go over to the dark side.

While visiting the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources’ website to get their link I noticed a publication they have available called, Homegrown Handmade, Art Roads & Farm Trails of North Carolina. It looks like it could be a valuable book for discovering arts and good food in NC. And, I’m giving them the plug - at no charge. That’s a hint, NC.

Well I had a nice visit at the Visitor Center, but wished it wasn’t raining so hard - I would have liked to check out the scenic lookout area of the center. I had been getting soaked all night and I didn’t see that getting soaked again would do me any good. I was finally dry after my stay in the VC.

Once back in the car I noticed it was 9:15am. I’m usually heading out of Seagrove by 7:30am - well before any of the potteries are open, but I wondered - Bulldog Pottery is just off the next exit - maybe they’re already knocking around the studio. I called and asked when they opened - the person who answered said 10am. I asked if it was Bruce Gholson and said who I was and it was Ed Henneke - Samantha Henneke’s father and he said come on over. So I headed that way. I’ve talked with Ed several times.

A work by Bruce Gholson

In less than 10 minutes I was there and got to see Bruce Gholson and Samantha Henneke’s new working studio, have a nice cup of hot tea and honey, and some good conversation about the new visitor centers and happenings in Seagrove. They were leasing space with several other potteries at the visitor centers. I noticed a piece of their pottery there but never imagined they had to pay to have it there. Such is the world under the current economy.

By the time I was leaving, their first customer of the day was arriving and I headed off to McCanless Pottery on my way to Whynot Pottery hoping their road was being unfrozen by all this rain. At McCanless I got a tour of his operation, which was impressive. Will Ravenel (my friend in Greensboro, NC, and sometime Seagrove visiting companion) and I had talked with Will McCanless at the last Celebration of Seagrove Potters about the crystalline glaze he does on some of his pottery - it’s a very interesting process and looks great on his pottery. You can see some images of the crystalline glaze effects on his website (www.mccanlesspottery.com).

A work by Will McCanless

Will McCanless is an intense kind of guy and after talking with him that day I wished he was also a blogging potter, but I think his plate is full - no pun intended. He told me he’s about to open a new pottery shop in downtown Seagrove offering works by a variety of Seagrove potters. This should be a wonderful new addition to the Seagrove pottery scene.

Saying downtown Seagrove may seem a stretch to some, but compared to the town I live near - it’s a downtown or if you like - village center.

OK - on to Whynot Pottery to visit Meredith and Mark Heywood. When I got to the driveway, sure enough the rain had done its job - the road was clear of ice and snow, but their was a closed sign up on their main sign. Darn! I figured they might be taking the day off to do something else - what better day to take off, but I’m the curious type so I called and got Mark on the phone and he said come on in. They had placed the closed sign up there so people wouldn’t try and drive down the frozen driveway and end up taking a swim in their pond.

I was greeted with the excuse that I had just missed a pie or something of the sort. I asked if there was any of that pineapple upside down cake I’ve read about on her blog and was told I’d have to give notice for that - so I settled for good conversation instead. You see, sometimes the unplanned adventures just don’t pay off the same as planned visits. Frankly, I don’t need any pie or cake - I wouldn’t turn most offers down - that’s obvious, but good conversation - I’ll drive 12 hours in rain or sleet for that.

Works from Whynot Pottery

We talked about the new visitor centers, they too were leasing space there and the exhibit Meredith is organizing entitled, Clay and Blogs: Telling a Story, which will be presented at the Campbell House Galleries of the Arts Council of Moore County in Southern Pines, NC, from Oct. 1 - 29, 2010.

Meredith and Mark set up shop in Seagrove when there were only 12 potteries operating, so they are a great resource on the history of the area and its development to being one of the largest concentrations of potteries in the country. At one point mostly traditional pottery, but now offering some of the finest contemporary pottery being made in the Carolinas - as you’ll be able to see if you visit the NC Pottery Center’s new exhibit, New Generation of Seagrove Potters, featuring works by fifteen Seagrove area potters all under age 40, from Feb. 12 through Apr. 10, 2010.

But, before long it was getting late - it was still raining cats and dogs and I still had a four hour drive ahead of me and I was beginning to feel the week of driving weighing heavily on me. So, I headed to Seagrove and back on to Hwy. 220 pointed toward South Carolina. But, before I left the area I stopped once more at the new southbound Visitor Center - I mean that’s what they’re for, right? - they want you to visit don’t they?

Four and a half hours later I was pulling into Bonneau just before dark - the rain had finally stopped as I left I-95 in Manning, SC.

If you’ve been keeping track, this 20 hour day was spent on four interstate highways (I-26, I-77, I-85, and I-95) and one future interstate highway - I-73, I-74. I think in my next life I’ll apply to be a truck driver. I hope they make more money.

Home

It was well over 22 years since I last visited the Congaree National Park, in fact, it was still the Congaree Swamp National Monument back then. It didn’t become a National Park until 2003. I know it was over 22 years as there was no Andrew - our son. So it falls into that BA time period - Before Andrew. It was a Sierra Club outing and at the time, Linda and I were producing the Club’s statewide newspaper - the Congaree Chronicle.

I can’t remember all the folks on that trip - excuse my poor memory if you were on that trip, but the group was led by Dick Watkins - the Sierra Club’s man behind making the Park a National Park. Dana and Virginia Beach were there. That was back when Dana was involved with the Sierra Club - before founding the SC Coastal Conservation League. Our friend and nature photographer John Moore was also there.

The things I really remember about the trip is the record trees we saw (some national record trees) and walking or should I say wading in the swamp - at times up to our waist. And, I can tell you - all our eyes, at least mine, were on the look out for snakes in the water, snakes on the ground, and snakes in the trees - snakes on the plane - who cares - we were walking in the swamp. Luckily that trip - most of the ground we covered was above water.

Our son Andrew is hoping to get a job as a geologist or as anything, with one of the National Parks around our country, so after two weeks of freezing winter weather, we decided the next warm day to head for the Congaree National Park which is less than an hour and a half away from our home on Lake Moultrie - down river from the Park. The day we went it was 65 degrees - 67 in the sun.

We traveled the back roads to get there seeing parts of South Carolina I haven’t traveled through in years. The Park entrance is near the town of Gadsden, SC, There are a lot of small towns in SC - mostly farm and timber country. We arrived just before noon and went straight to the Harry Hampton Visitor Center - which wasn’t there when I was there last. There wasn’t much there before, other than a sort of check-in center - to record your entry into the swamp. They wanted to know who didn’t make it back so they could go looking for you.

The Visitor Center is a large facility which offers visitors lots of educational displays explaining features of the Park. We talked some with the rangers and volunteers there - trying to get tips on getting a job with the Parks Service and then we watched a movie about the history of the Park. We picked up some trail guides and headed out. Unfortunately, the folks at the Visitor Center said they had reports that some of the boardwalk was under water - due to recent rains a few days before.

We started out on the Low Boardwalk and after a few hundred yards down it - we saw the boardwalk disappear under the water. I did not come prepared to get wet on this trip. It was a beautiful day, but I bet that water was cold - really cold. And, I remembered that things swim in that water. Although Andrew was gung-ho, I convinced him that I did not want to get wet - end up sick - days before I have to deliver the paper around the Carolinas. So we turned around and picked up the Elevated Boardwalk - which was high and dry.

Before long - I’m sure less than a quarter of a mile on the boardwalk - and we were out there. There weren’t many sounds other than a few squirrels scampering around and the wind blowing through the pines - the old whispering pines - and an occasional bird noise, but before long we were commenting about the lack of bird sounds. I heard more birds getting the car packed for the trip in our own yard. We could have been in the middle of nowhere and there were no sounds of any other people out there either - and we knew people were out there by the cars in the parking lot.

The trees were amazing. By the end of the day my neck was aching from looking up so much. The boardwalk had markers which corresponded with a self-guided boardwalk trail flyer and the first one we came to described the experience we were seeing best.

One of the tall tree’s bottom

The tree’s middle

Looking up toward that tree’s top

“The trees you see here average over 130 feet in height. Here the tops of the trees come together to form the forest canopy. The forest canopy at Congaree has been said to be taller than any other deciduous forest on earth, taller than the hardwood forest of Japan, the Himalayas, southern South America, and Europe.”

It seemed every 100 feet or so there was something more amazing as we walked further into the Park, even though we were only scratching the surface of the Park. I don’t think we walked more that 5 or 6 miles in total and some of that was a trail to a camping site and then around the parking area. The Park has 24,000 acres with miles and miles of trails - unfortunately this day most was under water.

Andrew on the “elevated” boardwalk

We just missed the opportunity to see some of those national trees by a few days. A ranger on the boardwalk told us a few days before most of the area was high and dry. Bummer. In one place we were just a few hundred yards from a national Loblolly Pine which is 167 feet high - the tallest Loblolly Pine in the US.

This was dry land a few days earlier

I remember back on that Sierra Club trip there was a tree where it took six to seven people, hand to hand stretched out to go around the trunk of one tree. I’ve seen the great Redwoods in California when I was much younger - trees you could drive a car through, but to think that some of the tallest trees in America are an hour and a half away - less than 30 minutes from Columbia, SC - it’s astonishing that it took me over 22 years to come back.

These trees are strong - not much stops them

We’ll be back sooner this time - I want to see those big trees, but Mother Nature might not cooperate. On this day - in the middle of our winter - it was 65 degrees - NO bugs - I’m mean not one bug and the humidity was probably below 60%. Oh, and did I say - no snakes. Water levels around SC are high and rain is in the forecast, at least once a week it seems. I hope that return trip isn’t in August when it’s 95/95 (95 degrees and 95% humidity) and I’m covered in bug spray. Or I’m just going to have to go prepared to be wet.

Eventually we heard some - tap, tap, taps - and saw a few Red Headed woodpeckers and then, a TAP, TAP, TAP - it was a Pileated woodpecker. We saw it for a few seconds and then it dove deeper into the forest. Other than those woodpeckers all we saw was one red Cardinal and a few Nuthatches. Where were all the birds?

It was a nice day of being out in nature - away from everything else. The silence was great - when the SC Air National Guard wasn’t flying over head, but all and all - well worth the trip, even though we didn’t get to see any BIG trees, but the ones that were 130 feet up were still okay.

The Congaree National Park is open 24/7 and it’s free admission, no charge for parking and they have very nice rest rooms.

The funny thing, at the Visitor Center the rangers said the Park is better known around the world than to the folks in South Carolina. Which is about par for the course. I still meet folks who have lived in Charleston, SC, all their lives and have never gone to any of the plantation gardens, Ft. Sumter, or the Gibbes Museum of Art.

The Congaree, besides being a National Park is a National Natural Landmark, an International Biosphere Reserve, a Wilderness Area and a Globally Important Bird Area. Cedar Creek, which runs through the Park, is on the list of Outstanding National Resource Waters.

You can learn a lot more about the Park at (www.nps.gov/cong/). You can also become a member of the Friends of the Congaree Swamp by visiting (www.friendsofcongaree.org), and if you want to plan a trip there, you can call the Harry Hampton Visitor Center at 803/776-4396 to check on water levels or temporary closures and other visitor and safety info. They can also tell you what number the bug meter is set on.

Be adventurous - go see some of Mother Nature’s art.

Home

There is some big news for folks traveling on US 220 (the future I-73/74) in North Carolina. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has opened two new Visitor Centers, located within 5 miles of the geographic center of North Carolina along both sides of the US 220 corridor in Randolph County just south of Seagrove and just minutes from the North Carolina Zoo, near Asheboro, NC.

It’s great news for my bladder and I’m sure many others too. Thank you Hardee’s in Seagrove and the old rest stop in Ellerbe, NC, on US 220 Business - you’ve both been good friends in the past but I’ll now give my business to the NCDOT - with some exceptions. I won’t be paying to place copies of Carolina Arts in either of those centers. We don’t and have never paid for placement of our paper and surely couldn’t now - no matter how good a distribution point some places might be. We still feel the various visual art locations we report on - art galleries, art spaces, art museums and even potteries are the best places for people to discover our paper and look for it every month. If people like the info we offer, we want them to return to the places they found it to begin with or places like it.

It is my hope that both of these new Visitor Centers will be great ambassadors for Seagrove area potteries, as well as other area attractions.

The North Carolina Pottery Center (NCPC) in Seagrove, NC, will present the exhibit, New Generation of Seagrove Potters, featuring works by fifteen Seagrove area potters all under age 40, from Feb. 12 through Apr. 10, 2010.

Blaine Avery

The Seagrove area has a long and rich history of pottery and this exhibit highlights some of the younger potters who have made a career working in clay. The participating potters include Blaine Avery, Chad Brown, Jeff Dean, Samantha Henneke, Daniel Johnston, Crystal King, Matthew Luck, Stephanie Martin, Eck McCanless, Will McCanless, Tommy Nichols, Travis Owens, Hitomi Shibata, Takuro Shibata, and Jared Zehmer.

Samantha Henneke

Travis Owens

The NCPC will host a Demonstration Day on Mar. 20, 2010, from 10am-3pm. Plan to visit the NCPC to see featured potters, Samantha Henneke, Crystal King, Travis Owens, Tommy Nichols, and Chad Brown demonstrating at the wheel in NCPC’s education building.

Also, Meredith Heywood - that’s Heywood with an “e” (my mistake several times) of Whynot Pottery in Seagrove, NC, and a fellow blogger is in the process of organizing an exhibit, to be entitled, Clay and Blogs: Telling a Story, which will be presented at the Campbell House Galleries of the Arts Council of Moore County in Southern Pines, NC, from Oct. 1 - 29, 2010.

I think she has nearly 50 potters and bloggers from as far away as Alaska in the US of A, and from Canada, UK, Australia and possibility New Zealand as well. It should be a very interesting exhibition.

Since starting Carolina Arts Unleashed, over a year and a half ago, I have been amazed at the impact of blogs in spreading news about events, information about techniques, marketing practices, travel tips, images of artworks, calls for help - you name it. I look forward to seeing this exhibit of clay works from around the world, plus seeing the impact blogs have had on the potters and their creative process.

Carolina Arts, Carolina Arts Online, and Carolina Arts Unleashed have become a media sponsor of this exhibit and we’ll keep you updated on developments as we get closer to the date of the exhibit’s beginning.

Of course there will be Spring kiln openings in Seagrove and there’s an expanded “Cousins In Clay” event planned for this year, including Bulldog Pottery, Johnston and Gentithes Art Pottery and their special guest potters, but I don’t want to spill all the beans at once. So stay tuned for news from Seagrove.

Home

Here’s a press release we received at Carolina Arts.

Gallery Row on Historic Broad Street in Charleston, SC, will present Blues on Broad in conjunction with its monthly artwalk held the first Friday of each month and the annual Lowcountry Blues Bash, on Feb. 5, 2010, from 5 - 8pm.

Gallery Row on Historic Broad Street is thrilled to become an official venue of the 20th Annual Lowcountry Blues Bash, during the First Friday on Broad artwalk. Four Galleries on Gallery Row will be official hosts for the festival, featuring 3 blues performers and numerous “Soulful Artists” exhibiting their work throughout the galleries.

“We are delighted to become a part of Charleston’s tradition of preserving and perpetuation of the blues as a true American art form”, says Stephanie Hamlet, owner of Hamlet Fine Art Gallery.

The Edward Dare Gallery will feature Blues inspired works by two artists; painter/ musician Jim Darlington and fine art photographer, Ron Anton Rocz.

Local photographer, Rocz, began his “Delta Blues Collection” series of photos in 2000. These photos give glimpses into the life and time of the early 1900’s, when names like Charlie Patton, Robert Johnson, Sonny Boy Williamson, Muddy Waters and B.B. King had their start in the Delta. With their mutual zeal for the blues, Darlington and Rocz have planned for years to collaborate in a joint show of their work. Darlington’s latest series of figurative works, “Muses and Musicians” work in harmony with Rocz’s Delta Blues photos. Together they provide the perfect backdrop for the soul shaking, foot tapping blues that will be provided by the harmonica and guitar duo, Freddie Vanderford and Brandon Turner.

COCO VIVO Fine Art and Design will feature new works by Angela Trotta Thomas. Her works for this show evoke the strong southern character of the blues, but with an underlying, reflective quality. Her show is titled, Midnight Hour Blues. Gallery Director and artist Danny Laran will display a new collection that reflects his life as a young boy growing up on a Carolina tobacco farm. Laran says, “Music is just a part of my soul…my artwork is a direct result of the experiences with my friends that I worked with each summer of my youth…those were days of fun, laughter, and, most of all, music…” The show title is, I Still Sing. Wine portrait artist, Rodney Huckaby, will unveil his new work 57 Strat, a wonderful still life piece. Entertainment will be provided by Juke Joint Johhny, “the harmonica beast of the southeast” and veteran guitarist Drew Baldwin with his 1915-vintage harp-guitar in his arsenal.

Hamlet Fine Art Gallery is delighted to present a new exhibition, titled, Everbody Have the Blues, of jazz and blues singers by Floyd Gordon, a critically acclaimed artist and a South Carolina treasure. Floyd is widely recognized for his vivid, potent acrylics celebrating the daily humanity in life. With brilliant color and layered textures, his canvases are said to dance with captivating vibrant colors of the blues singers. Hamlet Gallery and the Ellis-Nicholson Gallery will have entertainment by bluesman Davis Coen who is currently enjoying heavy airplay on satellite radio.

Mary Martin Gallery and Spencer Fine Art will also have entertainment and a wonderful variety of soulful art for art lovers and collectors.

Participating merchants include: Ellis-Nicholson Gallery, Hamlet Fine Art Gallery, Edward Dare Gallery, COCO VIVO, Mary Martin Fine Art, UTOPIA, Atmah Ja’s, Spencer Galleries, Ella Walton Richardson Fine Art, Martin Gallery, SCOOP Studios, Jake’s, Blind Tiger and the Oak Steak House.

For further information check our SC Commercial Gallery listings, call Stephanie Hamlet at 843/722-1944 or visit (www.charlestongalleryrow.com).

Home

No one should doubt my dislike for the actions of the SC Arts Commission - the SC State Arts Agency. As far as the folks who work there, I don’t harbor any dislike - except for a few individuals who have earned that distinction, but of late I find myself taking a new look at the Commissioners who are supposed to direct the agency - their current leader - Charles T. “Bud” Ferillo, Jr., especially.

If I’m not mistaken, and I’m not saying that’s not possible, it’s been some time since the leader of the Commissioners was someone who actually worked in the arts, was an active business person, and also had experience working in politics. So many of these Commissioners have had questionable ties to the SC art community to be thought of as true leaders or representatives of any part of the arts much less the whole state.

I’m talking about people whose claim to fame is having sat on the board(s) of arts organization or non-profits. People who are the spouse of an important business person, university president or politician. Or in one case, someone from Hollywood who just happened to be married to someone in SC for a period of time. Most of them are just rubber stamps to the staff’s directions.

But Ferillo could be the real deal.

I’ve been reading about Ferillo in local newspapers. He was just awarded the Harvey Gantt Triumph Award during Martin Luther King Jr. Day festivities in Charleston, SC, for the documentary film Ferillo produced called, Corridor of Shame, which highlighted the poor conditions of SC’s public schools located along the I-95 corridor. By the way, Ferillo was the 25th recipient of the award and the first white person to receive this award since its inception in 1983. He’s now working on a second documentary film titled, State of Denial.

You all know who Harvey Gantt is - right? He’s a Charleston native who was the first black student at Clemson University, former Mayor of Charlotte, NC, and he’s the person the new Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts & Culture in Charlotte is named after.

Ferillo also runs a publicity business - which I hope will help the SC Arts Commission in dealing with publicity and the media as well as the general public, much less some parts of the art community they seem to not notice.

Ferillo also served as deputy lieutenant governor and chief of staff to the speaker of the SC House - so he knows politics.

And, in a previous posting I told you of the quick response I got from Ferillo (during the holidays) when I e-mailed him about not getting press releases from the SC Arts Commission. Getting a response from a Commissioner hasn’t happened since Carl R. Blair was head of the Commissioners - a long time ago - at least its seems like a long time ago. Since Ferillo looked into this matter I’ve received two press release from the Arts Commission.

I’m not saying I’m an instant fan of Charles T. “Bud” Ferillo, Jr., but he’s got my attention and respect. His leadership is still new and there are lots of things to improve at the SC Arts Commission, during these challenging times, but so far I’m glad he’s at the top - for all that’s worth.

My biggest concern is that he might be too busy to make the impact needed at the Arts Commission, but I can hope.

We can still do that can’t we?

Home

An article about this exhibit was in our Jan. 2010 issue of Carolina Arts, but when they recently sent some images of the works included in this exhibit - I just had to share this one image with you all.

It’s of former President George W. Bush - the “shoot from the hip” “bring em’ on” “War President” -  George Bush. Who’s the nearsighted sidekick? Who knows, it could be anyone from the former President’s rogues gallery - Karl Rove, Dick Cheney - perhaps Donald Rumsfeld the warrior. Who cares!

Blackwell has had some great satirical imagery in the past - the Piggly Wiggly pig as Pope and himself as a Spanish commodore, but this one really gets to the heart of a real American characteristic. We’re all a bunch of cowboys at some time or another.

The exhibit is up through Feb. 20, 2010, at City Art Gallery. It should be well worth any effort to go see it - no matter what your political persuasion is.

You can read the article about this exhibit at Carolina Arts at this link.

Home

Here’s a press release we received at Carolina Arts about a pottery show in Durham, NC - a city we don’t hear from much. This came from Ronan Peterson, one of the ongoing potters featured at Claymakers. He is another blogging potter with the blog Nine Toes Pottery.

Here’s the press release:

Claymakers Gallery of Fine Handmade Pottery in Durham, NC, is presenting the exhibit, Asheville in the Bull City, featuring works by five Asheville, NC, area potters, Will Baker, Patty Bilbro, Kyle Carpenter, Karen Newgard, and Lindsay Rogers, on view through Mar. 12, 2010.

work by Patty Bilbro

Claymakers invites five Asheville area ceramic artists to exhibit their distinctive functional vessels in the Bull City.  This exhibit includes the work of Will Baker, Patty Bilbro, Kyle Carpenter, Karen Newgard, and Lindsay Rogers. Each of these functional potters have developed a singular interpretation of everyday pottery, from the graphic, black on white porcelain of Karen Newgard to the warm, earthy atmospheric stoneware of Will Baker.

work by Karen Newgard

Each artist employs their own approach to surface and decoration, with Lindsay Roger’s minimal, detailed lines and textures nicely contrasted by the intimate brushwork of Patty Bilbro and Kyle Carpenter’s bold salt fired slip and glaze brushwork.

Don’t miss this special showing near downtown Durham of some of the best ceramics the mountains of western North Carolina have to offer.

For further information check our NC Commercial Gallery listings, call the gallery at 919/530-8355 or visit (www.claymakers.com).

Home

We received a press release from the Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, SC, about a new attendance record set by one of their recent exhibitions - a photography exhibit of the works of Ansel Adams.

There was a time when fine art photographers had to listen to other artists claim that photography wasn’t really an art form. Well, I agree in principle in that no art medium - painting, sculpture, music, dance, etc. is art for art sake on its own. It takes a creative person to make art - no matter what tool or medium they work in. So, not all photography is art.
Here’s the press release:

The Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, SC, set a daily attendance record of 2,006 visitors from noon until 5pm, on Jan. 17, 2010, which was a free admission day courtesy of BlueCross BlueShield of SC. Sunday was the last day for the popular exhibition, Ansel Adams: Masterworks, which opened Oct. 23, 2009 and featured many of Adams’ most famous and best-loved photographs that encompass the full scope of his work.

The exhibition attracted many people from outside the greater Columbia area generating strong economic activity for the city. Ten percent of visitors last Sunday were from outside of South Carolina and 55 percent were from outside Richland County.

“We are so pleased that this exhibition attracted such a large audience from outside the city and county, which has a direct and positive effect on improving the vitality of Main Street,” executive director Karen Brosius said. “Our exhibitions and educational programs bring thousands of people to the city center each year, which has an important economic impact as well.”

The Museum’s previous daily attendance record was 1,590 visitors during the Turner to Cézanne exhibition, which was on view Mar. 6 - June 7, 2009.

For further information visit (www.columbiamuseum.org).

You can read what I had to say about the Ansel Adams exhibit at this link.

I must say this might be a case of comparing apples with oranges unless the record attendance day for the Turner to Cézanne exhibition was on a free admission day also. But, either way it’s nice to know, as a former photographer, that the folks in Columbia and elsewhere liked Adams’ works more. I didn’t get to see the Turner to Cézanne exhibition so I can’t make a judgment myself, but I surely liked the Ansel Adams exhibit.

Home

We have received some updated info on what’s going to be happening this year with the Mint Museums - Mint Museum of Craft + Design and Mint Museum Randolph. We have been talking about the newly opened Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture and the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art - mentioning that the new Mint Museum Uptown will be coming later this year.

Pay close attention to the part about the Mint Museum of Craft + Design Shop staying open a few more months. That’s where you can pick up a copy of Carolina Arts in the heart of Uptown Charlotte - as well as some pretty nifty artworks, art objects and art books.

So here’s some news about the Mint Museums.

The Mint Museum of Craft + Design in Charlotte, NC, will close to the public on Feb. 7, 2010, to prepare to move its collections to the new Mint Museum Uptown. Opening in October 2010, the Mint Museum Uptown will house the Mint Museum of Craft + Design collections, as well as significant collections of American Art, Contemporary Art and a selection of European Art in a new five-story, 145,000-square-foot facility located in the heart of Charlotte’s business district.

The Mint Museum of Craft + Design Shop will remain open for several more months, with a firm closing date to be announced later this spring.

To celebrate the grand opening of the Mint Museum Uptown, the Mint Museum of Craft + Design has launched Project Ten Ten Ten, a series of commissions created especially for the new Mint Uptown galleries by 10 of the world’s most innovative craft and design artists. When the doors open in October, visitors will see spectacular works by glass artist/designer Danny Lane (United Kingdom), conceptual jewelry artist Ted Noten (The Netherlands), furniture maker/designer Joseph Walsh (Ireland) and fiber artist Hildur Bjarnadttir (Iceland). Equally striking commissions by Kawana Tetsunori, Kate Malone, Tom Joyce, Cristina Córdova, Susan Point and Ayala Serfaty are also being planned for the new facility.

The Mint Museum expansion includes the construction of a new building in uptown Charlotte and the reinstallation of the historic US Mint facility on Randolph Road in Charlotte. When the expansion is complete, The Mint Museum’s total combined square footage will grow by more than 60 percent, allowing opportunities to showcase more works from the permanent collection and better accommodate significant traveling exhibitions.

A postcard of the original Mint Museum - former US Mint facility.

You can see photos of the building progress of the new Mint facility at this link.

The Mint Museum Uptown will be part of the new Wells Fargo Cultural Campus. In addition to the Mint, the completed campus will include the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, the Knight Theater (housing the North Carolina Dance Theatre) and the Duke Energy Center. Following the grand opening of the Mint Museum Uptown, collections at the Mint Museum Randolph will be reinstalled with a fresh new vision. Galleries there will feature the Mint’s superb Ceramics, Art of the Ancient Americas, and Historic Costume and Fashionable Dress collections.

The Mint Museum Uptown is scheduled to open just one year prior to the Mint’s 75th anniversary. Designed by Machado and Silvetti Associates of Boston (design architect), Clark Patterson Lee Design Professionals of Charlotte (architect of record), and George Sexton Associates of Washington, D.C. (museum consultant), the new facility will combine inspiring architecture with groundbreaking exhibitions to provide unparalleled art experiences for its visitors. The Museum expansion will provide larger and more flexible space to showcase the permanent collections and Mint-organized special exhibitions, as well as major touring exhibitions organized by other venues. The new facility will also house a Family Gallery to reinforce the Museum’s dual priorities of art and education.

For more information, visit (www.mintmuseum.org).

Home

We have reported in the past on the results of AmericanStyle Magazine’s (www.americanstyle.com) voting results to determine the Top Art Destinations - including cities in North Carolina and South Carolina. It was my understand that the voting was done by readers of the magazine, but I recently received an e-mail from the Arts Council of Beaufort County in Beaufort, SC, asking their supporters to vote for Beaufort to get them further up the list - and, giving them a link to the voting site.

Is this right or fair game for such polls?

In 2008, Beaufort was #14 on a list of 25 Top Art Destinations in the small town category and in 2009 they reached up to #12. Was this a lift by actual readers of the magazine or by supporters in the Beaufort area? Who’s to know now that we know the arts council is asking folks to stuff the ballot. Not much was added to the community during that year to make it a better art community.

In 2009, in the small town category, Asheville, NC, was #2, Beaufort, SC, #12 and Chapel Hill, NC, #13. I’d have some problem comparing Beaufort over Chapel Hill in any arts category. It is a great small art town, but ranking over Chapel Hill - home of the University of North Carolina and all its art offerings - come on.

I don’t hold much stock in these kinds of rankings - mostly because we never know any details about the voting process or the final totals the rankings are based on. Like many of these kind of rankings by publications - for all we know - 10 votes could make you a “Best of” in some town and we never know if you get extra credit for advertising with the publication.

Like most announcements presented these days stating that drinking wine is good for your heart and drinking milk is good for your diet - without knowing who is presenting the report, who paid for it, and seeing the full details of the report - we can’t be sure what to make of the headlines. And, I don’t think a lot of people want you to go beyond the headlines.

I agree that Beaufort, SC, is a great small town arts destination, I have compared it as a mini Charleston at times, but on a national ranking, #12 might be stretching it some - without knowing more facts and who participated in the process.

I guess we’ll see how successful their campaign was when the 2010 rankings come out.

I think these polls are designed more to generate something people can advertise in the publications that host the polls. Why not just sell them to the highest bidders? For all we know - that might be what’s going on now.

Home