Carolina Arts Unleashed

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).

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The title of this entry could be - Old School Photography at the College of Charleston’s School of the Arts, but I don’t know how to do a subtitle or if you can do a subtitle in Wordpress.

It was a cold day to drive down to Charleston to attend an open house for a new arts center (the high for the day was 36), but after reading a story in The Post & Courier about a reception for the Cato family on Friday - it was the first time I had read details about the center and what we would find there - what I read sealed the deal. So we (Linda and I) went despite the cold. I mean it’s been cold - too cold for sunny South Carolina - even for this old Yankee.

We first had lunch with our goddaughter, Zelda Ravenel, previously known as Emma Ravenel in this blog, but I have granted her an unofficial name change by request - so will from now on refer to her as Zelda. She’s a recent graduate of the Savannah School of Art and Design in Savannah, GA, in Sequential Arts (animation), and much like our son Andrew - a recent graduate of the College of Charleston in Geology, has yet to find a job in her field.. If anyone knows of any opportunities - contact us - please.

Anyway, I was happy to learn that Zelda’s plans had changed and she could go to the art center opening with us after all. It’s always nice to have her young perspective on the arts. Our eyes and minds (Linda and mine) are a little generationally challenged. I’d say more grounded in reality, but young folks would say - so old-school or outdated. Whatever - I think there is room for both views when tackling today’s challenges for the arts world.

So, after a lunch - West of the Ashely - we headed to downtown Charleston. That’s right folks, West Ashley, as some call it, is not another town - it’s a part of the City of Charleston. And, as usual, it took some time driving around the College of Charleston before we found a parking space. As cold as it was there seemed to be a lot of folks walking around Charleston. I hope they were buying something - buying art would’ve been great.

On the first floor of the five story building we revisited the exhibit, Aldwyth: Work V. / Work N. Collage and Assemblage, 1991-2009, on its last day in Charleston. I’ve stated my feeling on this exhibit in previous entries and Zelda gave it a thumbs up. There we ran into Michael Haga, Assistant Dean at the School of the Arts, who teaches there and is a long-time friend. He also taught our son Art History. Haga gave us his must see highlights and as a true supporter of the School of the Arts when asked if he knew when the new science center at the College would open - he said sometime, but today was the real important opening. What a party-line player.

Well, after some hot chocolate and a chocolate-chip cookie on the first floor reception area, we headed up to the third floor - represented by the Theatre and Dance Departments to see if John Olbrych would be there. We found his new office space, but no sign of him. Olbrych was the first person featured on the cover of our July 1987 issue of Charleston Arts - our first arts newspaper. Not our first newspaper as Linda and I did a stint producing the Congaree Chronicle, a monthly newspaper for SC’s Sierra Club - way back when, and I had co-authored the Glass Onion, an underground newspaper, back in high school with longtime and still friend - James M Wichlacz - brother Jim. And, now we both do Carolina Arts.

Volume 1, Issue 1 of Charleston Arts opened with an interview with Olbrych - South Carolina’s Man Behind the Scenes. At that time, Olbrych had been the Resident Designer and Professor at the College since 1979 - that’s 31 years now. How time flies.

We checked everything out on all floors and all was impressive - there’s just something about a brand new facility. Most of the rooms seemed fairly sparse - yet to have that moved in character - which will come much later I’m sure. If anything a few faculty offices looked well moved in. And, we already talked about the new art gallery.

We checked out the views of Charleston’s skyline on the fourth floor in the painting studios, a huge cavernous space - with windows that started five feet up from the floor? I explained to Zelda why the windows had to be placed so high up - unstable artists - some have been known to cut their ears off in frustration. That got me a punch in the arm.

What surprised me the most about The Marion and Wayland H. Cato Jr. Center for the Arts was found on the fifth floor, the home of the new photography facilities at the School of the Arts. Yes, the digital photography room was impressive with wall to wall Apple computers with extremely large monitors, large digital printers and scanners, but it was the “old school” darkroom facilities that got our attention. Zelda’s into old school photography too. This was totally unexpected. It wasn’t just a token darkroom - this was a blast from the past. This could have been a facility at the Eastman School of Photography - back in 1970. The only thing I missed was the smell of an old darkroom - this facility had state-of-the-art ventilation. Be assured moms and dads of photography students at the College of Charleston - your children won’t be losing too many brain cells to toxic chemicals. Well, not as much as it would have been in the old days. But you need to get some of those chemicals in your blood to be a really good photographer.

Standing in these rooms I felt like mixing up some D-76 developer, fixer and stop bath and running a few rolls of black and white film.

Linda and I have quite a photography history in Charleston. When I first came to Charleston in 1974 one of my first jobs was selling 35mm cameras at Sam Solomon’s, then I went to work at Howard R. Jacobs, a full service camera store, photo supply, and photo processing lab - that’s where Linda and I first met. Later, she went to work in the photo lab at the Medical University in Charleston and I went to work for Pro Foto, a custom B&W and color photo lab with photo supplies. We did the first color Cibachromes in Charleston at Pro Foto. After that, Linda and I opened our own custom B&W photo lab called IF Labs which we ran for 16 years. We even opened one of the first fine art photography galleries in Charleston with a few friends - Photogallery. At one time I ran the South Carolina Photographer’s Guild. So, old school photography was in our blood.

Linda was a master custom black and white printer, who could do spotting on prints like a master art restorer, and I was a wizard at B&W film processing. I could process a 5-reel and 4-reel stainless steel tank - both at the same time. Good old days.

I’ve been in the old darkroom, a converted bathroom, at the Simons Center for the Arts and this will be a major step up for students.

We ran into Michelle Van Parys who teaches Photography at the School of the Arts in the darkroom area and I expressed how impressed I was and surprised to see this much emphasis on the old ways of processing prints and film. I told her a story of one day sitting in one of our old galleries, when a graduate from the Savannah School of Art and Design came in to show me her photography portfolio. She had some pretty nice images, but all were printed on Xerox paper. I asked if she ever printed on “real” photographic papers and she explained that her professors were not into the old ways of photo processing. I told her what a shame that was in that some of these images would look so much better on photo paper - not just paper.

Of course today, with new technologies and materials - the quality of digital cameras, inkjet printers, printing papers and inks are so much better - digital photography is great. It’s no longer debatable that the old ways are better - even though some still want to fight that fight. I’ve seen digital prints that could never have looked so good made the old way, but like William Halsey (the man the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art is named after) once told me - in arts education, it’s best to learn the old ways before you start to break away from them - not start out that way. And, I believe that too.

So, its amazing to see the School of the Arts put so much into these new darkroom facilities, but even then there were shortfalls. Some of the accessory equipment is “cheap” - all they could afford or find. Plastic and bamboo where stainless steel and glass was the norm. The good stuff - even if you could find a supplier these days would be cost prohibitive and might soon disappear - for future darkrooms - off campus.  It’s too bad.

Unfortunately our state of the art darkroom equipment was lost in a fire shortly after we retired from photo processing and insurance didn’t cover much of it. We also lost most of our collection of personal photography in that fire too - insurance covered none of it. It’s not a subject I like to talk about - emotions run high when I even think about it.

A few years back I found some of our old equipment that survived and made a donation to the darkroom at the Redux Center for Contemporary Art. If I find any more I might take it over to the new facilities at the College of Charleston.

Here’s a suggestion to any old school photographers (or their spouses who would like to clean up) who no longer use any of their old darkroom equipment - you could get it out of the closet and give it to the College - they don’t need enlargers - they have plenty of new ones, but they could use stainless steel film processing tanks and film reels, stainless steel tonges, film clips and weights, etc. You might want to give them a call (Michelle Van Parys at 843/953-7653 or e-mail at vanparysm@cofc.edu) to see if they need or want anything you have first, but it would be a better use for it than collecting dust - that’s if you’ve gone digital. If you’re still using it - march on, but if not - think about giving a new photographer a chance to hold some of the real stuff - from way back when.

Another observation - the lighting or portrait studio was too small and the backdrops were hung too low and I didn’t see any electronic lighting equipment - just old - very old school, light bulbs and lighting cones. I hope they will eventually have better equipment than that. What they have will teach students about lighting, but that’s a heck of a way to learn - and someone’s gonna get burned eventually - I know I did many a time. They might want to think about moving that studio down to the fourth floor where there are what looks like 20 ft. ceilings.

After all, they are competing with the Art Institute of Charleston and the Charleston Center for Photography for photography education these days.

I also got dripped on from a leak in the ceiling outside that lighting studio on the fifth floor - not good for a brand new building. Hopefully it’s just a small leak in the sprinkler system - not the roof. But I’m sure someone was on that early Monday morning - if not sooner.

It will be interesting to see the next student photography exhibit at the College to see if these new facilities produce improved results - not to say the results haven’t been good, but there won’t be room for excuses about lame facilities anymore.

The new Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art has already seen the rewards of new digs as the Spoleto Festival USA has now taken them under their wing as a visual art venue for the big festival. A step in the right direction, but still short of making the visual arts a full fledged partner in the arts festival. Maybe one day Spoleto will be back in the visual arts biz. Anything’s possible.

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On Jan. 9, 2010, from 1-4pm, the College of Charleston’s School of the Arts will celebrate the grand opening of its new building The Marion and Wayland H. Cato Jr. Center for the Arts, 161 Calhoun Street (Calhoun at St. Philip Street) in Charleston, SC. The School of the Arts will also be celebrating its 20th Anniversary.

The community is invited to explore all five floors of the $27.2 million building while enjoying sweets and mini-presentations of music, theatre, dance and other events. Guests will also enjoy the final day of an exhibition of works by Aldwyth, Aldwyth: Work V. / Work N. Collage and Assemblage, 1991-2009, in the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art. This esteemed artist will give a lecture at 2pm in the Recital Hall of the Simons Center for the Arts, adjacent to the new building.

This will be your last chance to see this exhibit in Charleston, but I’m sure it’s not the last time we’ll see works by Aldwyth in Charleston - at least I hope it’s not the last time. And, I hope we don’t have to wait that long to see more works.

You can read my posting about this exhibit at this link. You can see more images of the exhibit in the gallery space at this link. And, you can read an article presented in Carolina Arts at this link.

So, go see this exhibit again or for the first time and check out The Marion and Wayland H. Cato Jr. Center for the Arts. I’m going, and I’m hoping to run into the first person we featured in our first issue of Charleston Arts back in July 1987 in the Theatre section of the new arts center. Now there’s a trivia question for you - who was that person featured on the cover of the first arts newspaper we produced in Charleston - way back when we covered all the arts in Charleston?

If you know the answer - you’ve been around Charleston a long time, you have a good memory, and you know who’s been in the Theatre Department at the College of Charleston that long - and you may work at a library reference desk in Charleston. Not fair.

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While Linda and I were ending our visit of the exhibit, Brian Rutenberg: Tidesong, (on view in the Gibbes’ Main Gallery through Jan. 10, 2010) last Saturday, just before we left the building I noticed a couple of paintings hanging on the wall across from the recently remodeled Gibbes Museum Store. One painting was by Mary Whyte and the other by Jill Hooper. Both artists have distinctive styles so I didn’t have to look at the tags, but when I did it said that I could make a sealed bid on either of the two works - details were available in the Museum Store.

Since we had other places to go - exhibits to see I decided to find out about this later and after an e-mail to Marla Loftus, Director of Communications, at the Gibbes Museum of Art - I have the details.

Loftus told me that Gibbes, etc. a member auxiliary group (of the Gibbes Museum of Art) based on Kiawah Island, has launched this sealed bid art auction in conjunction with their 10th Annual Kiawah Island Art and House Tour slated for April 9, 2010, from 2-6pm.

Gibbes, etc. has placed on view at the Gibbes, two works of art that will be sold through a closed bid auction to benefit the museum. Charleston artists Mary Whyte and Jill Hooper, both represented in the Gibbes permanent collection, have donated works of art to the auction. Lower Church Street, Morning Light, a watercolor painting by Mary Whyte, has a retail value of $4,500 and a minimum bid of $2,700. Still Life with Bread, an oil painting by Jill Hooper, has a retail value of $4,000 and a minimum bid of $2,400.

Lower Church Street, Morning Light by Mary Whyte

Mary Whyte is represented in Charleston by Coleman Fine Art and Jill Hooper is represented by Ann Long Fine Art.

I also noticed that the Gibbes Museum Store and Coleman Fine Art are exclusively offering holiday cards featuring the watercolor, Paper Angel, by Mary Whyte. The holiday cards sell for $10 for ten cards with all proceeds benefiting art education programs at the Gibbes Museum of Art.

Visitors to the Gibbes can view the paintings through Apr. 8, 2010 and place their sealed bids in a container at the museum.  On Apr. 9, 2010, the paintings will be moved to Kiawah Island where they can be viewed and bid on during the Kiawah Island Art and House Tour. The highest bidders for each painting will be recognized at the conclusion of the tour at 6pm. In the event that more than one person has the same high bid, the painting will go to the earliest high bidder.

Gibbes, etc. is a group of Kiawah Island women dedicated to supporting the Gibbes Museum of Art. Members gather monthly to enjoy a variety of programs and speakers that range from medical research to current artists. The organization hosts an Annual Art and House Tour held in the spring for the benefit of the museum.

Gibbes, etc. was founded in Jan. 2001 by Ellen Walkley, Ruth Baker, Ann Trees and Cathy Marino, all experienced volunteers in the Charleston community. They saw a need for a cohesive volunteer organization to involve the women of Kiawah Island. Ellen Walkley was a board member of the Gibbes Museum of Art and felt that Kiawah women could greatly enhance the museum by forming their own auxiliary and enjoy volunteer work and programs without leaving the island.

You can visit the Gibbes Museum Store Tue. - Sat., 10am - 5pm and Sun., 1-5pm, free. The two works are right outside the store on the opposite wall. The good thing about a sealed bid auction is that you can make a bid (above the minimum) that you want to pay and that’s it. You don’t have to compete with other bidders on a sign-in sheet or in public - you just make the bid that you are willing to pay and you just might be the highest bidder at the end. It’s simple and you don’t have to get caught up in the excitement of the moment. And, it’s all for a good cause - the Gibbes Museum of Art.

Finally, I added a new category to this blog - Commercial Art Community Helping Out. It will help readers see how commercial artists, commercial galleries, and other commercial art related businesses - like Carolina Arts are always helping out the non-profit sector of the arts and the community in general. It’s not always about the bottom line, but we have to be profitable in order to be able to help. A factor some folks in the general art community never seem to understand. The commercial art community just doesn’t get the credit they deserve for their contributions to the over all art community and the general community. We want the public to be more aware of that fact.

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Well, the wintery weather continued on Saturday Dec. 12, 2009, so Linda and I traveled to downtown Charleston, SC, to see some exhibits that she and I did not have a chance to see when they first started. Our son decided to skip this trip - two days away from the XBox 360 and his computer was just too much.

Dec. 12 - that’s deadline day at Carolina Arts. How could we be away from our computers on that day? Well, unlike some of the people who wait until the last minute to send us their info - we had already processed all the info we had received and the 12th for us is usually a day of waiting for the 5pm deadline to come - checking e-mail every other hour. We decided our day would be better spent going to see some exhibits before it was too late. And, unfortunately, our Jan. 2010 issue was going to be smaller than issues in 2009. It woudn’t take that long to put together.

Our first stop was the Gibbes Museum of Art in downtown Charleston - after a few trips around the neighborhood looking for a parking space. We both were dying to see the exhibit, Brian Rutenberg: Tidesong, on view in the Gibbes’ Main Gallery through Jan. 10, 2010. There was no better day to go than one of the free admission Community Days, sponsored by the Junior League of Charleston. (Read an article about this exhibit at Carolina Arts at this link.)

Fading #3

The place was packed with lots of children and parents as there were many school groups performing there that day and many art activities were being offered by the Gibbes - so I guess parents could view the exhibits, but I don’t think the children were letting their parents get too far away from viewing them - either performing or making art. Look mom - look dad - I’m making art! And, who knows, maybe one day that child will become an artist who has their work shown on the walls at the Gibbes. Look at Brian Rutenberg - I’m sure his parents made trips to the Gibbes from Myrtle Beach, SC. And, I’m sure he came to the Gibbes when he was a student at the College of Charleston. He may have wondered if his works would ever be shown there and here they are and man, the walls of the Gibbes come alive with his works - a few were thirteen feet wide. Not many artists can do justice to those walls in the Gibbes’ Main Gallery.

This exhibition was organized by the Jerald Melberg Gallery in Charlotte, NC, where they represent Rutenberg in the Carolinas, if not the Southeast. So, if you’re a fan of Rutenberg’s - that’s where you can see more of his work - that’s where you can buy his work. But, I’m sure if you see something in this exhibit you can’t live without and you’ve been a very good person this year and Santa has you on his A-list - the Gibbes can put you in touch with the gallery or you can just contact them. Here’s a link.

A lot of folks don’t know that works on display by most contemporary artists (meaning a living artist) in Museums can be purchased. As long as they are not already on loan by some owner or in a traveling exhibit, and even then, you can probably buy it - you just may have to wait a year or so before you can take it home.

While we were there gazing at one of the thirteen footers, Pavillion, 2008-09, one of the Gibbes staff members or volunteers came up to us and asked if we liked abstract art. A valid question, but in my mind I’m thinking - do I like abstract art - doesn’t she know who I am? Then when my bubble popped and I came back down to earth - I said yes - we like it a lot. And, of course the next logical question offered is do we know Brian Rutenberg’s work or are we familiar with his work? Again, my mind was spinning like crazy with witty replys, but just answered - yes we are. After a few more questions I introduced ourselves - avoided saying something funny.

A lot of folks don’t like or just don’t get abstract art, so these were questions worth asking to visitors - it gives the staff/volunteer an opportunity to educate the viewer or open them up to looking at the work with a new perspective. She was preachin’ to the choir when it came to us and she soon moved on. But these free Community Days attract a lot of folks who may have never paid to come to the Gibbes or don’t come that often - so it is a teaching opportunity. And, most folks wouldn’t expect that regular members of the Museum or the owners of an arts newspaper would come on a free day, but then they might not realize the poor state of newspaper publishing these days.

By now you might be thinking - when is he going to talk about the art? But again, like with the Ansel Adams’ photographs I talked about in my previous blog entry - I just don’t have the words to describe Rutenberg’s works. All I can say is, if you  have not seen his work before and you like abstract work - go see this exhibit. Even if you’re not a big fan of abstract work - here is an exhibit that could change your mind.

One interesting factor about going to see this exhibit on this particular day was getting to overhear some other people’s comments. One was about the dates on a few of the larger paintings which read (2008-09). They were wondering how long it took Rutenberg to do these works. For one thing Rutenberg works in oils - a slow drying medium. Some of these works had several inches of paint stacked up off the face of the canvas. So I’m sure with works that large and with that much paint on them, they had to be done over a period of time (maybe a year) - giving the layers of colors time to dry. He probably works on several of these large canvases at a time - going back and forth from one to the other. Usually at an exhibit’s reception or opening most of what you hear is about the food and drink and people wondering how much a painting cost and how someone who is listed as having a work on loan could afford it. You can hear conversation about just about anything else but art at a reception. I liked the conversations I was hearing bits and pieces of that day better. It was about the artwork and the artist.

Go see this exhibit, ask questions and listen to what other people are saying - there are no stupid questions in art. Well, sure there are, but we all have to be stupid at some point to learn something. I’m stupid all the time, but I’m getting less stupid all the time too.

If you want to learn more about Brian Rutenberg the Gibbes’ Museum Shop will sell you a copy of, Brian Rutenberg: The Sensation of Place, the first ever major monograph on the artist’s paintings and drawings. A copy was also sitting on a bench in the middle of the Main Gallery for visitors to look through.

The book

OK, our next stop was at Nina Liu and Friends gallery in Charleston’s French Quarter, an area totally made up for marketing an art walk in Charleston. Nina Liu has an exhibit up called, Creatures Large and Small, on view through Jan. 31, 2010. This exhibit features paintings and ceramics by artists from around the country including works by Pat Benard, John Davis, Diane Gilbert, Jeff Kopish, Susie Miller Simon, Cynthia Tollefsrud, and  Aggie Zed.

A work by Aggie Zed which may not be in the exhibit

We did more talking here than looking to write about, but if you’re into creatures, you couldn’t do better than the pieces by Aggie Zed. And, for fans of Cynthia Tollefsrud, there were a couple of small paintings there that won’t be available for long - that is if you’re looking to buy - her works sells fast. Plus there are lots of other interesting works in the exhibit, besides all the usual items carried there.

A work by Cynthis Tollefsrud which may not be in the exhibit

Nina Liu was supposed to be long gone from Charleston by now, she was planning to sell her gallery/home and move down to her new home in Merida, Mexico - of course that was before the real estate market fell apart. She was slowly closing down the gallery operation and then had to start it back up again. If someone wanted to open a gallery in Charleston’s gallery district with a home to live in too - this is a great opportunity. For details by interested parties call 843/722-2724.

A work by Aggie Zed which may not be in the exhibit

So for all the folks who may have heard last year that Nina Liu and Friends was closing - she’s still open and the gallery is full of all the same interesting work you have always come to expect. But, she won’t mind selling tomorrow if a buyer should come forth, but until then - it’s business as usual.

Last stop on our art tour was the new Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, at The Marion and Wayland H. Cato Jr. Center for the Arts, at the College of Charleston. The first exhibit presented is, Aldwyth: work v. / work n. Collage and Assemblage, 1991-2009, on view through Jan. 9, 2010. This is the first of many events celebrating the School of the Arts’ 20th Anniversary, and it’s the inaugural event in the new building. (You can read an article about this exhibit at this link.

The exhibit curated by Mark Sloan is exactly what we have come to expect from him - an exceptional display of unbelievable art created by someone who is driven to an extreme in their creativity - and on the funky side. And, that is exactly how I would describe the work made by the artist Aldwyth, a woman in her 70’s who lives on St. Helena Island, near Beaufort, SC.

Casablanca (classic version), 2003—6, collage on Okarawa paper with silk tissue, 78.5″ x 71″*

Carolina Arts first reported on this exhibit when it was at the Ackland Art Museum at UNC - Chapel Hill, in Chapel Hill, NC.

Again, my words would fail to adequately describe this work, but the title says it all - Aldwyth: work v. / work n. Collage and Assemblage. Aldwyth’s creations are - whether large or small - elaborate collages of items assembled - lots of items - eyes, faces, tiny hands, numbers, you name it. The collages tell stories - some are plain to see and others are very deep - too deep for me to figure out.

It is hard to imagine how much time this artist spends searching through books, magazines, manuals - any printed materials looking for images of faces, eyes, objects, phrases - to cut out and assemble into one of her collages. The word work is definitely a verb to this artist.

The large wall collages are massive - filled with information for the eye and brain - almost information overload.

There were a series of cigar boxes which except for the shape of the box, Aldwyth had transformed into little worlds about a certain subject. Every inch of the box is covered with items from other purposes or functions to create another receptacle for a number of related or unrelated objects - it was hard to tell at times. You could spend hours trying to figure out each box.

Cigar Box Encyclopedia-Letter G, 2000, collage, found objects, various sizes*

One room in the gallery was presented as an installation - a gathering of objects made of numerous other parts and pieces of other objects - all collages and assemblages of more found, cut out, or collected objects. You get the idea that this artist is not satisfied with anything - the way it is.

My overall impression was to just be overwhelmed as to how much time and thought this artist must spend on each of her creations. It’s not hard to believe that this exhibit was being produced over the last 18 years.

A Walk in the Woods, 1990, things picked up while a visiting artist on Spring Island, SC, 8″ x 7″ x 7″*

I’m not usually a fan of assembly art. I tend to think of it as objects or piles of objects - new or found - as something put together by a person with no other real artistic talents, but in this case you just have to appreciate the artist’s efforts to get her message across - whether you get that message or not. I would consider her a master at her craft. I haven’t seen anything like it in my 20 plus years covering the visual art community in the Carolinas. That’s not saying much on a world scale, over the history of art, but I found it impressive and I’m not easily impressed. In bigger cities and other countries - artists like Aldwyth could be a dime a dozen, but I doubt it - or she wouldn’t have impressed Mark Sloan, who I’m sure has seen much more than I have.

View of gallery*

No matter what your tastes in art are I would say this is a must see exhibit. In fact, I would say it’s probably a must see - several times exhibit. I hardly feel the time I spent looking at the works shows enough respect to the artist. It’s not as if I feel a responsibility to see all art artists create, but I hope to see this exhibit again. Like a complex movie - the second and third time you see it you pick up so much more information that you missed in the first viewing.

The new gallery space is larger than the old Halsey Gallery, with many new additions, including a reference library, a video viewing room, and all on one level. The reception hall is expansive and I’m sure it will be filled with each new exhibit. But, even on a dreary Saturday afternoon we had to drive around looking for a parking space and ended up a ways from the gallery, but that’s expected in Charleston. There are parking garages not too far down the street from the gallery in several directions.

View of gallery space*

You can see more images of the gallery space and this exhibit at this link.

The Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art will be closed during the College of Charleston holiday break Dec. 26 - Jan. 2, 2010. If you miss it in Charleston, the exhibit will move on to Jepson Center @ The Telfair Museum of Art in Savannah, GA, on view from Feb. 10 - May 17, 2010.

On Jan. 9, 2010, from 1-4pm, the College of Charleston’s School of the Arts will celebrate the grand opening of its new building the Marion and Wayland H. Cato Jr. Center for the Arts, 161 Calhoun Street (Calhoun at St. Philip Street). The community is invited to explore all five floors of the $27.2 million building while enjoying sweets and mini-presentations of music, theatre, dance and other events. Guests will also enjoy the final day of an exhibition of works by Aldwyth, in the Halsey Institute. This esteemed artist will give a lecture at 2pm in the Recital Hall of the Simons Center for the Arts, adjacent to the new building.

*All photos of Aldwyth’s works were taken by Rick Rhodes and are courtesy of the artist and the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art.

There was another exhibit up in the reception hall entitled, Illuminating Pages, part of a class project I guess, but it’s one of the problems at the College - they have a habit of not putting too much effort into publicizing internal exhibits - like student work. Just being at the Simons Center every month delivering papers I’ve seen many a student show which I’m sure most of the community was never aware of - offering some good work at times. They should put as much effort into letting people know about these shows as they do the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art exhibits. Like I said earlier, a former C of C art student, Brian Rutenberg, is now being featured at the Gibbes Museum of Art and all over this country. So, you never know who the next super stars of the art world will be.

Well, it was quite a couple of days of viewing art - quite a variety too, but it’s always enjoyable when that happens, as it doesn’t happen that often. When you do an arts newspaper it’s kind of like being a shoemaker - you don’t get to walk around so much.

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I received this notice about an unusual fundraising project by West Fraser, an artist working in Charleston, SC. I’ve known Fraser for a long time, love his work, and have known that he sometimes sees things in the art world a little differently - like I do at times. Fraser is also one of the nine Commissioners of the SC Arts Commission - so don’t let it be said that I never have anything good to say about the SC Arts Commission. It’s good that Fraser is a Commissioner. (Is it getting cold - is that ice forming?) Our Dec. editions of Carolina Arts and Carolina Arts Online are already put to bed for 2009, so this blog is the only venue left for me to pass the info on to those who will be looking up in every tree they pass. If you find a West Fraser painting there - you’ll really have a wonderful gift, but a duty to follow through on. So start looking.

Charleston, SC: In the spirit of Christmas, gift giving and trimming the tree, renowned Southern representational painter West Fraser has announced that this December he has placed three paintings in trees. Fraser’s PAINTING IN A TREE project begun earlier in 2009 when he placed his first paintings in trees on Cumberland Island, GA.

Mr. Fraser’s has said of his PAINTING IN A TREE project:

“I give to a finder of a painting hanging in a tree, it though happens to have strings attached, literally. I ask you, the recipient, to give to a favorite charity, perhaps your local high school art program, artist organization, local museum or a talented artist in need. I hope that with my gift found, the discoverer will give as well, and perhaps encourage others to make random acts of giving and kindness. As a catalyst to perpetuate gift giving in the community I hope that my PAINTING IN A TREE project can make a difference.”

The first painting, a 6 x 8 inch oil on panel titled Dungeness Ruins, Cumberland Island, was recovered on Cumberland Island by Canadian sailors Mike and Barb Turney who were heading home to Nova Scotia from their summer sojourn in the Keys. The painting, now mounted on the bulkhead of their 42’ Ketch, Nelleke, prompted the couple to donate to the Cancer Society and the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in their home town Halifax. The couple also passed through Charleston after making contact with the artist and met to share their story.

West Fraser (center) with Barb and Mike Turney

Mr. Fraser has placed these “little jewel” paintings in public locations in three regions that are meaningful to him. Charleston’s French Quarter (Charleston, SC) has been his home for 25 years and is where his wife Helena has her gallery Helena Fox Fine Art. Palmetto Bluff’s Wilson Village (Bluffton, SC) is a new town located on the banks of the May River overlooking the waterways explored in his youth, which remains a place of inspiration for the artist. And lastly Cumberland Island, GA which has been a part of Mr. Fraser’s life since youth and still represents a place of inspiration and personal connection.

Be on the lookout for a PAINTING IN A TREE in these three locations. On the back of the painting there will be a personal message from the artist. Be ready to receive and to give this holiday season!

For further information about West Fraser or the PAINTING IN A TREE project, contact Helena Fox Fine Art in Charleston by calling 843/723-0073, e-mail at ( info@helenafoxfineart.com) or visit (www.helenafoxfineart.com).

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The Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, SC, is pleased to announce a holiday-themed Community Day on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009, with complimentary admission and family activities from 10am – 1pm, sponsored by the Junior League of Charleston. The Junior League of Charleston Community Days are held quarterly to offer visitors the opportunity to experience the Gibbes’ dynamic programming free of charge.

Thank you Junior League of Charleston!

The Celebrations Community Day will include holiday art-making activities for children as well as holiday performances by Mt. Pleasant Presbyterian Church Children’s Choir, Ashley Hall Caroline’s Carolers and Ashley Hall Lower School Strings. Beverages will be provided by Rising High Café.

Visitors to the Gibbes will be able to enjoy the exhibit, Brian Rutenberg: Tidesong, organized by the Jerald Melberg Gallery in Charlotte, NC, which features abstract landscape paintings - two of which are thirteen feet wide - by South Carolina native Brian Rutenberg. Inspired by the landscape and waterways of his home state, Rutenberg’s work combines brilliant color with expressive brushwork to create visually stunning abstract paintings. The exhibit will be on view in the Museum’s Main Gallery, through Jan. 10, 2010. This exhibition accompanies the release of Brian Rutenberg: The Sensation of Place, the first ever major monograph on the artist’s paintings and drawings. (An excellent holiday gift for any art lover or yourself.) The exhibition includes recent paintings on canvas and works on paper that explore the artist’s fascination with the landscape and quality of light along the South Carolina coast. The book will be available in the Gibbes Museum Shop. You can read an article about this exhibit at Carolina Arts at this link. Also see our Oct. 09 cover featuring a work by Rutenberg at this link.

Brian Rutenberg

This exhibit falls into the “Do Not Miss” category. You can read a previous blog entry by me at this link.

On view in the Museum’s Rotunda Galleries, through Jan. 10, 2010, is the exhibit, Daufuskie Island: Photographs by Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe. The artist’s fascination with Daufuskie Island began during visits to the neighboring resort island Hilton Head, SC, with her husband, Arthur Ashe, in the 1970s. Her interest resulted in a compelling group of photographs that document life on Daufuskie through sensitive, intimate portraits of island residents.

Also on view in the Gibbes’ First, Second and Third Floor Galleries, is the ongoing exhibit, The Charleston Story. Drawn from the museum’s permanent collection, this exhibition highlights significant people, places, and periods from Charleston’s beginning as a British colony, through the American Revolution, the later ravages of the Civil War, and culminating today as a culturally diverse and dynamic community.

Established as the Carolina Art Association in 1858, the Gibbes Museum of Art opened its doors to the public in 1905. Located in Charleston’s historic district, the Gibbes houses a premier collection of over 10,000 works, principally American with a Charleston or Southern connection and presents special exhibitions throughout the year. In addition, the museum offers an extensive complement of public programming and educational outreach initiatives that serve the community by stimulating creative expression and improving the region’s superb quality of life.

For further information contact the Gibbes by calling 843/722-2706 or visit (www.gibbesmuseum.org).

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This bi-annual event celebrates the diversity and vitality of the visual arts at Redux (www.reduxstudios.org). Come see 20 artists in their working environment and gain insight about their technique and process.

Redux is home to Charleston’s most creative artists. Each artist at Redux concentrates on developing a personal artistic vision. Redux’s exhibition program and events program makes for a resourceful location that has a supportive atmosphere where studio renters are constantly exposed to visiting artists, artist lectures and most importantly, the ideas of their neighbors. This results in a creative momentum for everyone.

This event offers a unique opportunity to experience artists at work in their own studios. Visitors can look at art, talk with artists, and learn about new techniques, all in an open-house, informal environment. While you enjoy the variety and quality of the artwork, you will be supporting art, artists, and a valuable tradition in the city.

There is, of course, no charge to the public, and aspiring artists of all ages are especially welcome!

Current Redux artists include: Sally Benedict, Tina Christophillis, Shannon Di, Kaminer Haislip, Michael Heagerty, Tim Hussey, Barbara Looney, Karin Olah, Tommy Ozmore, Timothy Pakron, Nate Phelps, Chase Porter, Isa Salazar, Nancy Santos, Kate Long Stevenson, Liz Vaughan, Luke Vehorn, Lesley Wamsley, Ivy Williams and Lindsay Windham.

Redux Contemporary Art Center is a non-profit gallery, studio, and education center. Through diverse programming and a full studio facility, Redux promotes and encourages all forms of artistic creation, while introducing and educating the public to current trends of contemporary visual art. The Redux Studio Program offers emerging and under-represented artists full access to professional artist studios. Individuals work in a productive atmosphere alongside other contemporary artists. The 6000 sq. ft. space is equipped with 15 private artist studios and Charleston’s only public darkroom and print shop.

Redux Contemporary Art Center is located at 136 St. Philip Street, in downtown Charleston, SC.

For further information call the Center at 843/722-0697 or visit (www.reduxstudios.org).

And, I’ll add this as it wasn’t mentioned anywhere in the press release - these artists would also be very pleased if you purchased some of the artworks they have made. Some in the art community don’t like talking about selling art. I’m a pimp for the visual arts - I never mind bringing up prices. It costs money to be an artist, it’s hard work, studio rent is due every month - so it’s a good thing when the public buys art so artists can do what they do best - create art.

So go and revel in the supportive atmosphere at Redux, but it would be really nice if you purchased something to take home - even if it’s just a membership to Redux.

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Once again, an exhibit in the Saul Alexander Foundation Gallery at the Main Branch of the Charleston County Public Library in downtown Charleston, SC, has caught my attention. I was delivering the Nov. 09 issue of Carolina Arts to the Library when I got the chance to see an exhibit of mixed media works by Jerry Comstock - on view through Nov. 30, 2009.

Flowers

Here were works of a type that I have not often seen in Charleston. It seems the Library’s exhibit selection committee has really selected a wide variety of work to be presented this year. And, this time I had my camera with me so I can show more of the work without trying to stretch my limited vocabulary in describing them. I don’t speak “art speak” - good thing - it’s hard enough to read it at times while editing some articles for Carolina Arts.

Comstock did not offer much info about himself as an artist - as far as the kind of info you would find on an resume. He didn’t even offer any info as to where he is from, except that his phone number had an 843 area code - which could be anywhere in lower SC. And, you just can’t assume he’s from the Charleston area as the Library has been presenting exhibits by artists from all over South Carolina. Does it matter where he is from? I don’t think so, but it’s always nice to know. I could call - but he didn’t offer this info and it could have been a deliberate decision on his part for some reason.

Comstock did offer an artist’s statement which told about how he was creative early on as a child. And, it said that he is primarily a carpenter and cabinet builder who doesn’t get much time for his creative endeavors - like those shown in the exhibit, but for most of us - anyone who can do carpentry and make cabinets (with doors that align) - is pretty creative. The works on the wall proved that too.

Like some visionary and outsider artists, Comstock uses leftover materials in making art. In this case, various sheets of wood for his canvases. He also uses other materials found in his work area like Liquid Nail - a bonding glue which Comstock uses to add texture and designs to his works. All the works in this exhibit are on a wood background, except one which is painted on glass. That work is untitled and may have been a late minute addition to fill space in the gallery.

The reason I say that is that Comstock offered some unusual tags to identify each individual work - except the one on glass. He made small glass frames with white lettering printed on the glass. They may have looked good in his studio or work area, but because of the tight lighting in the Saul Alexander Foundation Gallery, a shadow was cast along the top half of most of the frames making them hard to read. A different take on titles, but not the best for this venue.

It’s no big deal - just an observation. You have to give Comstock credit for trying something different and in another venue they may have worked fine. The good thing is - they didn’t distract me from the main attraction, but it’s worth mentioning so that artists don’t go overboard in making fancy titles that could distract the eye from the artworks. It’s like the problem too many artists have with putting artwork in frames that are more interesting than the artwork. And, sometimes two to three times the size of the artwork. I may be getting in trouble with some framers, but come on - it’s just supposed to be a frame - not a statement of one’s wealth.

What about the work?

Devil’s Daydream

The piece, Devil’s Daydream, was the most elaborate work of the exhibit, with many things going on in the image. The work is on fiber board (compressed wood chips) which can still be seen through the layers of paint and textured designs. In some places there are layers of colored cartoons or comic strips embedded behind the designs. The two main images offered tell two different stories - in fact the helter skelter designs may indicate that the devil has dreams like the rest of us - bits and pieces of our life being linked together to tell a tale - out of time and out of place. The close-up photo gives a hint of the what is hidden, but cannot show what the human eye can see when peering close into the images details.

Detail of Devil’s Daydream

Jacob’s Ladder

The work, Jacob’s Ladder is also very detailed but more organized with a lot of wood grain being offered as part of the overall image. This work will keep you busy trying to figure out all the meanings behind the images and symbols offered.

Duet to the right

This wide shot of the gallery space is the only way I could get a decent image of the work entitled, Duet. The overall size, its backwards angle and shiny surface prevented me from getting a good close-up image - believe me I tried. Here again, there are patterns and designs layered behind the surface colors and the Liquid Nail glue. The idea of two together comes across plainly, but are the two - unborn, trapped in time and space, or encased in cocoons? It’s the largest work in the exhibit and you can see how it dominates the space. So, I can only assume this image has greater meaning to Comstock than perhaps the message I was receiving.

There was no price sheet offered, so I assume - like most people will, that the works are not for sale, but that could be wrong. I was there early on in this exhibit’s life - perhaps more materials have shown up to provide more info.

I hope you find enough interest here to spark a trip to the main branch of the Charleston County Public Library. You should be going to a library near you on a regular basis anyway - and not just for DVD’s of Star Trek or Sex in the City.

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Here’s a trick or treat for you.

It seems that Shepard Fairey, the creator of the Barack Obama “Hope” poster, says he was mistaken about which Associated Press photograph he used to create the image in a statement submitted in his “fair use” court case.

Fairey submitted this new statement to the court: “In an attempt to conceal my mistake, I submitted false images and deleted other images,” he said. “I sincerely apologize for my lapse in judgment, and I take full responsibility for my actions, which were mine alone.”

Fairey is being seen in a different light as to how much work he really did to transform the AP photo into his Obama poster.

I just hope we don’t see Fairey glorified in an exhibit anytime soon at the Gibbes Museum of Art or the Halsey Institute at the College of Charleston in Charleston, SC. Wishful thinking on some people’s part, but Fairey’s artwork is headed to much larger venues - as the art world’s current bad boy. But, before that ever happens, if it ever does, I’d like to see the artist clean up Charleston’s graffiti mess - which he is directly and indirectly responsible for.

Fairey placed graphic stickers all over the Charleston area and then he and his followers proceeded to place them everywhere making him a cult figure as a creative artist making a name for himself. He was finally arrested for doing the same thing in Boston, MA, earlier this year.

But the genie is out of the bottle. Young artists unfortunately now see Fairey as a role model - a road map to quick fame and success. Fairey’s past and present is catching up with him and in the future he might not be remembered - the way he had hoped. I’ll always think of him as a vandal first - artist second.

It is said that, “Bad men do what good men dream.” Maybe so, but the good men keep it in their dreams and the bad men take it to the streets. I’m not saying Fairey is a bad man, but in these, “I’m sorry I got caught doing what I knew was wrong” times - I don’t see him as someone Charleston should feel proud of - at least not at this time.

Hey, I’m sure that’s the same thought that Fairey’s fans think about me, as well as many others, but such is life - I’m not waiting for any accolades - those bridges were burned the day I decided to express my opinions in public.

So, do - bad men say what good men think? - maybe so.

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