I was delivering papers – a little early last month – so I got a chance to see the 31st SC Watermedia Society Traveling Exhibition at the North Charleston City Gallery, located at the Charleston Area Convention Center Complex in North Charleston, SC. This exhibit features the top 30 award winning entries from the Society’s annual member exhibition, which was held in Myrtle Beach, SC, back in 2008 at the Franklin G. Burroughs – Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum.
It was nice to see the works up close. I’ve seen digital images and our beautiful Dec. 08 cover with some of the images from that exhibition, but this was the first opportunity I had to see the actual works – one of the great things about this traveling exhibit – it brings some of the artworks to your area, if you didn’t get to go see the exhibit in Myrtle Beach – with help from the SC State Museum and their Traveling Art Program.
I’m a big fan of the SC Watermedia Society – formerly the SC Watercolor Society. They are the largest visual arts organizations in SC and one of the best run non-profits in SC. And, a good supporter of Carolina Arts. But…. Hold on, it’s not one of those earth shattering buts – just a little wishful thinking on my part. So I hope the members of the organization take this knowing I think they’re great. And, that’s part of the problem – they’re so great I want them to take on more visual artists. I wish they would become the SC Visual Art Society.
South Carolina needs a good professional visual arts organization and the SC Watermedia Society would be the excellent foundation for such an organization. At this point in time I don’t envision any development of other “media” forming such a solid organization. Think about it – SC Sculpture Society, SC Oil Painters Society, SC Printmakers Society, SC Crafts Society, etc., etc. How about one really good Visual Art Society – which presents one, maybe two, good annual visual art exhibitions and a traveling exhibition of some of the top works from those shows? Wouldn’t that be a good idea?
It might be a nightmare of a thought to the SC Watermedia Society, but with the increased membership it should bring in the kind of money to really form an important organization – one that is really needed in SC.
This thought came to me as I viewed this traveling exhibit of the top 30 entries because a lot of the names of the artists being represented are the same names I see – year after year. That may not be statistically true over time, but the impression is there. There may be new members who get work into the exhibit every year, but there is a core group of artists who are there all the time or at least most of the time. I’ve seen a lot of these shows over the years.
Don’t get me wrong – except for a few works that make me wonder what was the juror thinking – most of these exhibitions are as strong as can be – within the medium and I’d be happy to own most of them. I can only think that some of these jurors are selecting a few folks to be in these exhibits with more consideration than the work they are looking at – perhaps with tradition or service to the organization in mind – like they are perennial favorites or something. Otherwise I don’t see how they made the cut.
Anyway, it would be nice if some of these regulars would just bow out and let some of the other members have a chance at glory. I’m not saying lower the quality or standards of the show – no one wants that. But maybe there could be a rule that if you’re in the top 30 awards in any two consecutive years, you should have to wait a couple of years to enter again. Do something to let younger members have a chance at some exposure. Opening up the exhibit to all visual art mediums would surely open up the exhibition.
There may have been lots of new works in the main exhibit, but the fact that the same group of people seem to be included in the traveling exhibit which goes around the state for a year – the impressions is – same old, same old. All good work, but a little too familiar to those who follow the exhibit on a regular basis.
The next annual exhibition – the 32nd – will take place at the Florence Museum of Art, Science and History in Florence, SC, from Oct. 17 through Nov. 30, 2009. Will that exhibit look a lot this last exhibit? Who knows what the next juror will select – it’s really in that juror’s hands. The only way to truly make a difference at this point is if some members just decide on their own that being in this annual show – let’s say more than ten times, is enough – twenty times – maybe too much. It’s just a suggestion.
You can still get a look at this exhibit yourself. During May it is showing at the Colleton Museum in Walterboro, SC, in June at The Springs House Gallery in Lancaster, SC, in July at the Belton Center for the Arts in Belton, SC, in August at the Aiken Center for the Arts in Aiken, SC, and in September at the Barnwell County Museum in Barnwell, SC. It’s an excellent show of diverse works showing many creative uses of the prescribed media, with a variety of subjects.
You can see the 2008 Traveling Exhibition by clicking this link.
PS: I just finished processing the awards announced for the Anderson Arts Center in Anderson, SC, 34th Annual Juried Art Show – a lot of the names of winners there were a bunch of the usual names for this competition. Maybe this is a symptom of these regional shows. The same people keep entering and the same people keep winning the awards – no matter who the juror is. That doesn’t give much hope for young, emerging artists.
