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Fred Johnston and Carol Gentithes Show Work in Raleigh, NC

Saturday, September 26th, 2009

Those Seagrove, NC, potters – they’re everywhere. Here’s an article about a show in Raleigh which features works by Fred Johnston and Carol Gentithes. There just never seems to be a month where there isn’t a Seagrove potter involved in an exhibit taking place in the Carolinas.

Here’s the article:

NC Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh, NC, Features Works by Fred Johnston and Carol Gentithes

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh, NC, will present the exhibit, To Prey or Not to Prey, featuring works by Fred Johnston and Carol Gentithes, co-owners of Johnston and Gentithes Studios in Seagrove, NC, on view at the Museum’s Nature Art Gallery from Oct. 2 through Nov. 1, 2009.


Fred Johnston (might not be in the exhibit)

When talking to the artists about their work they both describe it in terms of storytelling and refer to a visual “language” that they each employ, albeit with startlingly different results. If they are using the same language it is with different dialects. Growing up in the rural South gave Johnston unfettered access to its rich history and colorful characters. Cross fertilize that with a fascination with Greek, Korean, Chinese and Pre-Columbian cultures and you get a playful mix of motifs and artistic styles. His origins in clay are rooted in the Southern folk pottery tradition and he is always striving to extend that tradition. Johnston’s pots tell stories in his personal language of the forms and motifs he has developed by exploring paintings, architecture, literature and sculpture. “I rely on intuition, spontaneity and what is visceral as a mode of creating, and believe that a pot truly reveals itself over time and use,” says Johnston. “Only through deep investigation can one begin to internalize their ideas into a growing personal vision.”


Carol Gentithes (might not be in the exhibit)

Gentithes is best known for her unique sculptures, which she hand builds using clay coils to make animal forms that she then decorates with image transfers. There is often a narrative thread to her work that can veer into satire about subjects ranging from nature to humankind to politics. “To me art is a visual language. The origins of my artistic language emanate from life’s experiences, readings of literature and mythology, and visual interpretations of art history,” says Gentithes. “I leave it with the viewer to derive their personal interpretations.”

Though their work differs markedly from one another there is considerable overlap in their respective resumes. Both have earned degrees from Alfred University’s prestigious College of Ceramics. Both have exhibited separately or together at the Gregg Museum, (North Carolina State University in Raleigh), Mint Museum Potters Market, (Charlotte, NC), SECCA (Winston-Salem, NC), Blue Spiral 1 (Asheville, NC) and the Smithsonian Craft Exhibition, (Washington, DC). Charlotte Brown featured the duo in her book, The Remarkable Potters of Seagrove and the City of Greensboro commissioned each of them for work to go in the new City Center Park.

For further information check our NC Institutional Gallery listings, call 919/733-7450, ext. 360 or visit (http://www.naturalsciences.org/museum-store/nature-art-gallery).

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Real Estate Studio in Charleston, SC, Offers Women’s Caucus for Art Exhibit

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

Well, there is always so much to publicize and too little space in the printed version of Carolina Arts – so, here’s another bit of visual art news.

The Real Estate Studio, located at 214 King Street in Charleston, SC, is presenting an exhibit for the Women’s Caucus for Art Charleston entitled, Gaea, Goddess of the Earth, on view through Oct. 30, 2009.

Gaea, the Greek goddess of the earth and mother of the Titans, serves as the inspiration for an environmentally themed, juried show sponsored by Women’s Caucus for Art Charleston. The exhibit offers diverse works inspired by planet earth by Sandra Brett, Betsey Carter, Leigh Ann Davis, Stephanie Drawdy, Linda Elksnin, Laura Szweda, and Lillian Trettin. The exhibit was juried by Janice Jones Rossmann.

Rossmann earned a BFA in studio art from the Louisville School of Art in sculpture, photography, and ceramics, and a master’s degree in art history from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Rossmann taught art history and art appreciation at The Citadel and was Curator of Education at the Gibbes Museum of Art. A professional photographer for many years, she taught photography at the Art Institute of Charleston, Trident Technical College , and Ashley Hall. Rossmann currently uses her photographs to create two-dimensional mixed-media works, which incorporate printmaking and pastels. She is also Gallery Director for Coleman Fine Art in Charleston.

The Women’s Caucus for Art, founded in 1972 in connection with the College Art Association (CAA), is a national member organization unique in its multidisciplinary, multicultural membership of arts, art historians, students/educators, and museum professionals. For further info visit (www.nationalwca.org).

The Charleston Chapter is one of 20 chapters, some of which are cities (i.e., Boston, Washington, DC, Chicago) others of which are states or regions within states (i.e., New Hampshire, Connecticut, Northern California; Peninsula, California). This is the third exhibition hosted by WCA Charleston. The chapter hosted two exhibitions at the Saul Alexander Gallery, most recently the 2008 Piccolo Spoleto Intuitive Responses show.

Members of the WCA Charleston are committed to: Providing opportunities for the exhibition of women’s work; Creating a support network for women in the visual arts in the Charleston area and State of South Carolina; Expanding cultural dialogs to encompass all forms of creative expression; Publication of women’s writing about art; Inclusion of women in the history of art; Professional equality for all; Respect for individuals without discrimination; Support for legislation relevant to our goals; and The education about the contributions of women.

For further information check our SC Institutional Gallery listings at Carolina Arts Online, call 843/722-5618 or e-mail to (concierge@dunesproperties.com). Additional information about WCA Charleston can be found at (www.wcacharleston.blogspot.com).

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Hurricane Hugo the Art Critic

Monday, September 21st, 2009

It was 20 years ago today – no this is not the opening to The Beatles song, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, but it was 20 years ago today that Hurricane Hugo struck just north of Charleston, SC, in the middle of the night and then proceeded to rip a path through South Carolina – all the way up through Charlotte, NC, at 100mph. Pictures from space showed the size of Hugo covered the entire state of SC – it was a big mother.

The joke back then was that weather forecasters used to say that when a hurricane hits the mainland its strength tends to fizzle out – not this time. We live in Bonneau, SC, in Berkeley County – about 45 minutes northwest of Charleston – at least 30 feet above sea level – so we had no worries about storm surge that far inland. The only problem was Hurricane Hugo didn’t know about that fizzling out thing. But, we still had an office in downtown Charleston on East Bay Street, a half a block from Charleston harbor – so we had big worries about our office space. We were still running IF Labs, a custom black and white photo processing business and were two years into our new business – Charleston Arts, a newspaper about the arts community in Charleston. That’s right, back then we covered all the arts.

Linda and I had been through some close-call hurricanes when we lived in downtown Charleston. She was from Myrtle Beach, SC, and had been in hurricanes all her life – I was a transplanted Yankee from Michigan and from what I saw of them – they were kinda cool – Mother Nature’s fury and all that. Of course we were renters back then. We used to go down to the Battery in Charleston and watch the waves crash against the wall – during those close-call hurricanes. Hurricane Hugo was directed right at us, a more powerful storm, we now were home owners, had a two-year old son, and with an office almost on the harbor – this was different – not so cool.

We did all the things you are suppose to do in preparation for a hurricane and then waited. We didn’t think about evacuation back then – remember we were 30 ft. above sea level, 45 minutes inland and the fizzle factor, but we learned a lesson that night.

Long nightmare short. During the middle of the storm a very large pine tree in our backyard decided it might be safer to come inside the house – entering through the roof, we ended up huddled in a hallway with a mattress over our heads singing children’s songs to drown out the noise until we all fell asleep. The next morning we could not recognize our neighborhood – couldn’t even find the road in front of our house. Life as we knew it a few days before would be over for years.

You don’t want to hear about dealing with insurance companies, FEMA, and waiting in lines for everything – it’s not a pretty story.

Our office in Charleston? It took a week or so before we could even get into Charleston to check it our, but amazingly enough we learned where we were located in Charleston was one of the highest points in the city. The historic building had walls that were nearly two feet thick and we just suffered a little bit of leaking around a couple of windows – no real damage – except there was no business for our businesses.

Our Oct. 89 issue of Charleston Arts was at our printer – they lost the roof of their building and that copy of the paper. We ended up doing a few 8 1/2″ x 11″ pages, copied at Kinkos, of info about the storm and its impact on the art community which was shut down for almost a year. Our headline was – Hurricane Hugo the Art Critic.

The final word is – we survived, recovered and learned some lessons about insurance, good neighbors, FEMA, and hurricanes that fizzle when they hit mainland. The next hurricane with Charleston’s name on it – we went as far as Alabama to get out of its way. And, a Thank You! shout out to the workers who drove up from Jacksonville, FL, from Florida Power and Light who came and restored power to our community in a few weeks instead of the months it would have taken our local power company to put things back together – and an upgrade on equipment too. They worked long hard hours to give us power.

Hurricane Hugo was no Hurricane Katrina, but when it comes to hurricanes – there are no good ones. I’m glad we have had none come our way this year – knock on wood till November. An experience like that should be good for a hundred years.

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Michigan 38 – Notre Dame 34

Saturday, September 12th, 2009

Way to go

BIG BLUE

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Juried Show Opportunity For NC and SC Visual Artists

Saturday, August 15th, 2009

During the month of October historic Atherton Mill, located in Charlotte, NC’s SouthEnd District, will host a month-long art event named Carolina’s Got Art!. Larry Elder, owner of Elder Gallery in Charlotte, has fashioned the exhibition after a long running annual art exhibit which was at one time sponsored by Springs Mills in SC. The juried show has since been discontinued but exciting memories still exist for those who participated. The eagerly anticipated “Springs Show” provided an opportunity for artists to compete for prize money and prestige. The objective of Carolina’s Got Art! is similar.

“Through Carolina’s Got Art! we hope to see the diversity of artwork being produced throughout the two Carolinas. Both states are rich in visual art history and have produced artists who have achieved national and international acclaim,” says Elder. A South Carolina artist recently reflected that his participation in the “Springs Show” was instrumental in one of his paintings being included in the Guggenheim Museum’s permanent collection. Acceptance into the exhibition will allow artists, both amateur and professional, to offer their work for sale, as well as evaluation by New York art critic, Brice Brown, who will serve as juror. The main goal of the event is to generate a spark of excitement within the visual arts community that has suffered due to the economic downturn.

“Our hope is that Carolina’s Got Art! will be the first of many 21st century visual art exhibitions to showcase the vast amount of talent being created in the two Carolinas. Now is a great time for residents and businesses of the Carolinas to step up and offer a strong show of support for the visual arts,” says Elder. Submissions for the exhibition can be made via (www.carolinasgotart.com). Deadline for entries is September 1, 2009.

The Juror: Brice Brown received his BA from Dartmouth College and his MFA from Pratt Institute. His work has been reviewed in the New York Times, Art in America and The Village Voice, among others, and is in numerous public collections such as Baltimore Museum of Art, The Speed Art museum, and Yale University. As a writer and art critic, he has been a regular contributor to The New York Sun, and The New York Press, and has written numerous exhibition catalogue essays. He also publishes and edits an annual arts journal called The Sienese Shredder.

Carolina’s Got Art! will take place from Oct. 2 – 30, 2009 at Atherton Mills, 2000 South Boulevard in Charlotte.

Round One: All work submitted as per the terms of the Entry Instructions will be viewed by the exhibition juror with assistance from Elder Gallery. All best efforts will be made to keep judging impartial and fair. Our goal is to select an exhibition that is broad in scope and reflects the very best quality of work submitted.

Round Two: New York art critic and writer, Brice Brown, will select prize winners from the exhibition.

Round Three:  Elder Gallery will select up to fifty pieces to be included in its November, 2009 exhibition.

Show awards include:
Best in Show – $2,500; First Place – $2,000; Second Place -$1,500; Third Place – $1,000; and Honorable Mention(s) – $500 gift certificate from Williamsburg Oil Paints and $500 gift certificate from Campania Fine Moulding.

For further info contact Larry Elder at 704/370-6337 or e-mail to (lelder@mindspring.com).

P.S. To read some of the buzz this juried show is generating check out the Charlotte Observer article about Carolina’s Got Art!.

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Small Town Art Shows – Moncks Corner, SC

Monday, August 3rd, 2009

The theme here lately seems to be art in small towns in South Carolina. This time I’m in my own backyard in Berekley County – in Moncks Corner, SC. Moncks Corner and Clinton, SC, might be about the same size. Clinton was the last small town I blogged about. When Linda or I say – “I’m going into town” – we both mean Moncks Corner. Going to Charleston, SC, or North Charleston, SC, is going to the city.

While processing e-mail this week I came across one that offered the award results from the Berkeley Artists Guild’s Annual Member Exhibition, taking place at the Berkeley County Museum located at the Old Santee Canal Park in Moncks Corner. The exhibit was on view from July 3 through Aug. 3, 2009, so this meant that I could still see the show. It’s not often I get to see a visual art exhibit in my own backyard – so why not?

But, from the minute I read through this e-mail my mind was processing info – new and old. We receive a lot of these juried show results and we post them on our website. I’m the one who processes this info for the website, so I have seen a lot of data about these shows and some things in this e-mail were raising flags to get my attention. For one thing, one artists had won five awards including Best of Show. Several other artists had won multiple awards. There were 33 awards all together – that’s a lot of awards for a small town show.

The e-mail didn’t say who the juror of this show was and it also didn’t mention how many entries were made or how many works were on display – all normal info included in the results for most of these kinds of shows. So I sent an e-mail off to see if I could get this info and it was soon sent. It didn’t take long to figure out what I was dealing with and after a few internet searches I found the Guild’s blog and website, and learned some more details. I sent another e-mail hinting at an interest as to how many members this guild had, but I haven’t gotten that info – yet. Perhaps my hint wasn’t that clear.

My experience told me that the Berkeley Artists Guild although celebrating its 35th anniversary was probably a pretty small group of artists, some with talent and some still developing their skills, which is the nature of these small guilds. The juror, although from Charlotte, NC, was a self-taught artist of some talent, but not what I would call a master artist. In fact the juror was judging artists of an equal skill level. And out of 56 entries – 33 awards were made to a small pool of individual artists.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m not making any kind of judgments, but I deal with artists who are at the top of their game and artists who are at the very beginning of their journey in the arts and there are many levels of skill in-between – just like in all professions. And, there are very few times when I see art offered where I would say – “I can do better than that,” so I have a sense of appreciation for all art and all artists, but also know that some art is better. In the end, it’s all in the eyes of the viewer. Each individual makes their own judgement as to what they like and what they appreciate.

Some people think the number of how many college and university degrees an artists has determines how good an artist is, some people judge art by the price tag or the amount of money an artist generates in a year, for some it’s all about skill levels, and some people make judgments by their own likes and dislikes. I have found that none of these methods are that good a measure on their own and that there is an audience for all artists at all levels. The trick is to match them up.

At this point I was wondering if I really wanted to see this exhibit. If I go see it does it mean I have to record my reactions – in public? – no, but what’s wrong with seeing a show that you already think won’t be the best exhibit you’ll see this year? – nothing. I’m game and I think it’s in my best interest to see all – as best I can. Why not? I’m not the troll sitting under the art world bridge. Carolina Arts is about inclusion – it’s others in this state that are all about exclusion by design and policy.

That same day I received this e-mail I had to make a mail and bank run into town so I figured that after I did my duties there I’d stop by the Park and see this exhibit. At the entrance to the Park I learned that the Museum was closed on Mondays. Darn!

Well, no problem, someone is always making a run into town. There is not much in Bonneau Beach, and not much more in Bonneau – so we’re always going into Moncks Corner for something. And, sure enough, the next day called for another run into town.

O.K. right off – there was some good work there, some not so good work and some in-between. The space was not the best to begin with for an art exhibit, but probably typical of what could be found in most small towns. Lighting was a problem – a mix of artificial and daylight – too many things under glass for flash use and too little light without it. The images I took did not show the works at their best so I decided to go without them. This was my problem, I didn’t expect that I would need a tripod and a ladder. It was my photography curse all over again.

I saw a juried show in Charleston, SC, during this last Piccolo Spoleto Festival that had work in it that I was surprised made the cut. This was the big city and they had a very qualified juror – I had no idea what kind of work was submitted for this exhibit, but some was at the mid-level of this show in a small town. So, not so good work gets into all kinds of juried shows – big and small.

The full results of the awards for this exhibit will be posted on our website at Carolina Arts Online under the heading Juried Show Results – 2009. But this is how that went: the Mixed Media category had 6 entries and 3 awards; Drawing, 5 entries – 3 awards; Acrylics, 11 entries – 3 awards; Watercolors, 12 entries – 7 awards; Pastels, 6 entries – 5 awards; and Oils, 12 entries – 9 awards. These included the usual 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Honorable Mention awards and some special awards for (Bird, Human Figure, Aquatic, Floral, and Landscape) as well as awards by a Mayor, the Museum and a couple of Memorial awards.

Making the decisions on these awards had to be a difficult task for the juror – especially when 5 out of 6 entries in a category receive awards. It can’t be a good feeling to be the one left out.

And, that’s about the only problem I had about this exhibit – it wasn’t the quality of the work or the space – it was all the awards. It kind of reminded me of a children’s soccer team who came in ninth place out of nine teams and everyone received a trophy. Maybe that’s good for building up something for children, but I think most of these folks were adults. The purpose of awards are to recognize some things that are better than others – much better, not just a little better.

Of course the nature of juried show is questionable. I hardly ever agree with the juror’s decisions. I tend to pick my own award winners. I have always told artists throughout my years in this biz when it comes to juried shows: if you win a top award the juror was a genius and you should brag about it to everyone who will listen, but if you don’t get selected for an award the juror was a hack and it is meaningless. Sometimes just getting into a juried show is an award in that many others didn’t make the cut – an award is just gravy. Some shows include all entries – I don’t know if that was the case with this show, but it would be my guess that it was.

Enough about the awards. Like I said I liked some of the work I saw. In my opinion the following group were the best of the show: Linda Medders Jackson, Horace Nobles, Gayle Jourdain, LaRon Peace, Trish Emery, and Elliott West. I also like some small works by Ellen Gosnelli, but not the works she did on feathers. I’ve never seen that before.

LaRon Peace would get my vote as the artist working most outside the box – most creative with his imagery.

My favorite – in my opinion – was a three-way toss-up between: Ashe Leigh, a drawing by Linda Medders Jackson; Moon Dancer, a mixed media work by LaRon Peace; and A Splash in the Swamp, an oil by Horace Nobles.

The public viewing this exhibit selected the work, A Splash in the Swamp, an oil by Horace Nobles, as the People’s Choice Award winner. I could agree with that, but could just as easily have voted for my other two favorites.

That’s my report – I’ll stand by it, after all it’s just my opinion – no big deal. I wish the show was going to be up for a longer time or that I had known about it before it was almost over – so people could see it for themselves.

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Carolina Arts Newpaper in Holding Pattern

Wednesday, July 1st, 2009

By now, some of you would be going through your copy of the July 09 issue of Carolina Arts. I wish! Our printing company has us in a holding pattern waiting to have the pages stitched together. The paper has been printed, but not assembled, which means I’m not going to make my usual – delivered by the first Friday of the month for July. You can see July’s info on our website and pages of the paper – later today, while I’m waiting for my traveling orders. So, we hope you all have a great holiday weekend – although without your copy of Carolina Arts.

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Another Pottery Exhibit Not In Seagrove, At Cone 10 Studios In Charleston, SC

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

In what is beginning to look like a continuing series – the “Pottery Exhibits Not in Seagrove, NC, Series”, we have an exhibit in Charleston, SC, called Mentor: Honoring the Historical Relationship Between Master and Apprentice, featuring the works of nine mentors and their students. Unfortunately, this exhibit is only up through June 7, 2009. I should have gotten to this show long before I did, but the good thing is – Cone 10 Studios features the works of the nine artists, who are playing the role of student for this exhibit, on a regular basis. When you do a monthly paper, there is not much time in-between one issue and the next.

I read in some material at the gallery that, “Mentor first appears in Greek mythology as the guardian of Odysseus’ son, Telemachus, during the Trojan War. Athena, Odysseus’ wife, later disguises herself as Mentor to advise and guide Telemachus on how to proceed in life. Thus, began the pairing of an experienced counselor and trusted friend with an unseasoned novice.”

The nine combinations of mentor/student are: Joan Byrd/Susan Gregory; Susan Filley/Pana Wilder; McKenzie Smith/Caroline Cercone; Nina Liu/Arthur McDonald; Robert Westervelt/Betsey Carter; Michael Welliver/Anne John; Juanita May/Chip Burr; Setsuya Kotani/Fiorenzo Berardozzi; and the super mentor/student team – Sid Luck/Jason Luck – father/son.

And, guess what? Sid Luck is from Seagrove, NC. I can’t make this stuff up folks.

The exhibit was co-curated by Fiorenzo Berardozzi and Caroline Cercone.


Caroline Cercone

“The Master/Apprentice or the Mentor/Student relationship has spanned thousands of years, and is a cross-cultural affair,” said Fiorenzo Berardozzi. “These relationships have created a global exchange of philosophical ideas for the world of ceramics, and they are constantly evolving.”

“We wanted to recognize the significance of the mentor in both the continuity of Art History, and the artist’s personal history,” said Caroline Cercone. “Artists emerge and evolve out of cultural and individual circumstances. The link between the history of the larger art community and the individual artist is often the mentor.”


Arthur McDonald

The exhibit features 60 works by the nine mentor/student teams and the works run from traditional pottery objects like tea pots to contemporary wall sculptures made of mixed media. In some cases you might ask yourself if the student ever looked at what the mentor was doing, but imitation is not always the way this relationship develops. While with others you can see the relationship in style and technique. You might find yourself asking – how does a painter mentor a potter? You may even find a new meaning for the word mentor.

If you get a chance to see this show before it is over – that’s great, but if the timing is not on your side, you should visit the gallery and see the works of the nine student/artists, who may already be or will soon be mentors themselves – as the cycle continues.

P.S. When this gallery first opened with the name Cone 10 Studios, for the life of me I had to wonder from where that name came. Did it mean there were 10 artists working in some kind of collective – like bees working in a honeycomb or something, but now that I’ve been following several pottery blogs I’ve learned the the word Cone followed by a number means a certain degree of heat reached in firing pottery in a kiln. I’m still not sure if the number 10 is super hot, but the gallery’s name now makes more sense to me and perhaps to others who may have also wondered.

These blogs – they can be very educational if you keep up with them.

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Charleston County Public Library One of Top US Libraries

Sunday, April 26th, 2009

I love libraries. They have been a useful resource for so many things in my life and work. I don’t know what I’d do without them. The library provides books on CD for my long delivery travels, research info when working on my commentaries and instructional help from technical books – covering all sorts of subjects. Throw in the collections of music, DVD’s, national magazines & newspapers and monthly art exhibits – what more could you ask for – except more funding for the libraries. The library even has free parking too.

Although I’m a card carrier for both Berkeley and Charleston County most of the time I tend to bypass the libraries in Berkeley County to visit Charleston County libraries – they just have more and better selections. My favorite is the Main Branch library in downtown Charleston. It was nice to learn that this library system had just been recognized for its excellence.

Library Journal, the oldest and most respected publication in the field, named the Charleston County Public Library (CCPL) a “star” library, putting it in the top 3 percent of library systems (7,115 libraries included) throughout the country. This first-ever service comparison clusters libraries with similar operating budgets, then rates the libraries in four main categories: number of visitors, circulation, program attendance and public Internet computer use.

“We’re a community resource, not a vault with books that are kept under lock and key. From computer training and entertainment events to homework help and finding the most recent book or DVD, libraries provide residents with essential services and information,” said Cynthia Bledsoe, Acting Director. “Library Journal’s star rating is a reflection of how Charleston County residents have embraced the library and understand its importance as a vital cornerstone in the community. We’re proud of our rating and of the support from our community.”

A 2007 study by the SC State Library found that CCPL was the busiest public library system in South Carolina, ranking first in circulation, patron visits, programs offered, program attendance, reference transactions, public Internet computers and number of branches. The same study showed that Charleston County’s available operating revenues ranked third, behind the library systems in both Richland and Greenville counties.

I like my local library, but I enjoy other libraries too. I’ve spent a lot of time in the SC State Library in Columbia, SC, as well as the Richland County Public Library in downtown Columbia. In fact, the Richland County Public Library was named 2001 Library of the Year – best in the country by Library Journal. So we have some pretty good libraries in SC.

I used to like the Greenville library too, but some years back they said we couldn’t leave our paper, Carolina Arts, there anymore. The problem wasn’t us, it was some other publications they had problems with and the only solution they could come up with was to ban all alternative newspapers. I’ve had no problem like that with any other library – except in Asheville, NC. They really didn’t have any good reason for keeping us from their readers. But, that’s Asheville for you – always different. Sometimes not in a good way.

And, the good news, bad news is, with the downturn in the economy – people are using libraries now more than ever, but funding is probably being cut like all government services. We should let our leaders know that we understand the need for cutting back, but we don’t want to see the libraries’ budgets cut – they should be increased due to the increases in use. Makes sense, doesn’t it?

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Where Has The Mad Blogger Been?

Thursday, March 5th, 2009

I guess it’s starting to be noticeable – I haven’t been adding entries at my normal pace. When you start getting e-mails that are like picadores in a bull fight – drawing blood – you get the impression that some people feel I’m taking too long between entries. There’s a good reason for this delay or pause.

Linda and I have been very busy trying to keep Carolina Arts afloat and part of that process is a refinancing of our home – a process that is much different than the last time we went through this endeavor. Thanks to the wizards of finance who sold mortgages to just about anyone who could sign X on the spot, bringing our economy crashing down around us – mortgage guidelines have now gone to the far extreme. We have a good credit rating and have never missed or been late on a payment, but are now being asked to jump through hoops of fire to take advantage of lower mortgage rates. Besides our regular jobs which don’t leave us with a lot of free time we are now working overtime 24/7 to complete the tasks we have been given to close on this new opportunity at owning a home in America.

So, rest assured – the mad blogger will be back – soon I hope. There is a lot of stuff going on and I’m collecting info as it happens to comment on at an opportune time.

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