Carolina Arts Unleashed

Yesterday, after another sweltering trip to Charleston, SC, I returned home to check my e-mail. While sorting through the days’ list of junk, outlandish offers, jokes about our Governor (no name offered) and even a few directed for Carolina Arts - I found myself gazing at a few e-mails I leave on my incoming list as a reminder of things - things to do, people to get back with, e-mails that I shouldn’t forget about, and e-mails kept for legal reasons. That’s right, I have to occasionally deal with some people who are down right nuts, so I keep their e-mails.

Among those e-mails was the last one I received from Judith McGrath down in Kalamunda, Western Australia, near Perth. This one is saved as a good reminder and as I looked at it I wondered about what it would be like to be there right now. You see, while we’ve been going through 90+ temps for several weeks, thunder storms, and near 90 percent humidity, Australia is going through its winter season. I know - the grass is always greener…

McGrath was a contributor to Carolina Arts for almost ten years, until the economy hit the fan and we had to cut back on expenses (even small ones) and space in the paper, but I miss her words about the visual art community in her corner of the world and most of the time about the visual art community in general. Through her writing we learned that it is a small world and things are not that different - no matter where you are.

So, I sent her an e-mail and woke up this morning and found the following response about what has been going on with her. She’s been teaching an Art Appreciation class at the local Learning Centre in her area.

Here’s part of her e-mail:

Talk about great minds thinking alike! I was just on your site the other day and enjoyed reading your blog about the National Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition in North Charleston. Also appreciated viewing the excellent pictures and deciding which ones I’d like to have in my own garden - when I’m rich and famous! I particularly liked the gentle flow of Pattie Firestone’s Thoughts Running Like a River, the contemplative aspect of Corrina Sephora Mensoff’s, Where I have come from, what will I leave behind?, and James Burnes’ Rich Sis which had me thinking of a retired race horse, worn out but still majestic. However, all were excellent presentations.

We have two similar sculptural exhibitions Down Under, both presented on the white sands of the beach, albeit each with a different ocean as a backdrop. One is on Bondi Beach along the Pacific Ocean near Sydney on the Eastern side of the continent, the other is held on Cottesloe Beach by the Indian Ocean near Perth in Western Australia. I always enjoy attending the latter and seeing families lounging on the sand, under the sun and in the company of monumental works of art in all manner of material. It reminds me that art should always be for the general public, not just the literati.

You may have noticed that I’ve been slack about posting reviews on my own site. My only excuse is that I’m finding precious little to write about when meandering through commercial galleries and local public venues. What I have found is how the rhetorical “there’s nothing new in art” has become the reality of “seen it all before”? As such I fear for the future of the visual arts due to the lack of inspirational and/or practical artistic education.

In my capacity as an art reviewer I have no problem with giving polite “corrective” criticism to aspiring artists who are happy to take it on board as they may benefit from it. However, I am not in the habit of writing “negative” reviews because, as an ex-art history lecturer, I am aware that anything written, be it positive or negative, is archived and available to future generations. My logic runs along the lines that if I name a practitioner in an article, whether I condemn or praise their work, it is proof that at one time, he or she existed as an “artist” therefore according them a place in future art history. With that in mind, I have banned myself from writing “bad” reviews, as there is already sufficient “equine manure” in print validating the artistic underachiever.

The ban became a real hurdle for me when viewing the latest exhibition of works by newly graduated art students. While walking through the exhibition the thought that if this is the “best” the schools have to offer had me fighting an urge to sit down and cry. The craft work was excellent while only a few sculptors considered their 3D constructions from all points of view. But it was the painting that brought tears to my eyes as they lacked an understanding of color usage and underlying compositional structure. It was so depressing I was sorely tempted to break my long held “ban on the bad” as I felt something had to be said publicly. And I would have overcome the temptation and ignore the show until I spotted one exhibit that was very familiar. I had seen something very much like it twenty-odd years ago in a different gallery. I knew who the artist was then, and I knew he was now a lecturer in the art school being represented by this student. As I stood in front of the work, I asked the gallery manager if teachers were exhibiting too. He knew what I saw, smiled enigmatically and shook his head.

There’s a saying in the art world in my town that goes; “Them that can, do. Them that can’t, teach.” It’s no wonder there is nothing new for me to say about art in my town. I do hope in your town, each year brings new and exciting aspects in the wonderful world of the visual arts.

Cheers

I’m hoping as the economy recovers and we get through this long summer, I’ll be able to offer McGrath’s writings again in Carolina Arts. You can still find the articles McGrath sent us archived on our website here, dating back to 2000.

Judith McGrath lives in Kalamunda, Western Australia, 25 minutes east of Perth. She received a BA in Fine Art and History from the University of Western Australia. McGrath lectured in Art History and Visual Literacy at various colleges around the Perth area, and was an art reviewer for The Sunday Times and The Western Review both published in the Perth area. McGrath is currently a freelance writer, reviewer for various art magazines in Australia and teaching. She also co-ordinates the web site Art Seen in Western Australia.

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As I mentioned before on June 20, 2009, the weathermen were calling for 100+ degree temps in the Charleston, SC, area so I headed out to take digital images of this year’s crop of sculptures at the Riverfront Park, located at The Navy Yard at Noisette (former Charleston Naval Base) in North Charleston, on the Cooper River. The 4th Annual National Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition will be on view through Mar. 25 - 2010, but no better time than the present to check it out. Really?

I guess by the way some of us talk every year we tend to forget that it gets hot here in South Carolina during the summer and projections of 100+ degrees the day before summer starts is no big deal - life goes on - you just wear less clothes. Besides I was at least smart enough to go in the morning when the temp was just 85 degrees.

Here’s a commercial announcement from the City of North Charleston: Organized and presented by the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department, this unique exhibition offers established and emerging artists the opportunity to display their thought provoking, extraordinary sculptures throughout the stunning, picturesque Riverfront Park. Set on the banks of the gorgeous Cooper River, visitors enjoy ten acres of walking paths, a fishing pier, an oversized sandbox and children’s play fountain and the new Naval Base Memorial. A magnificent contemporary Performance Pavilion and expansive lawn provide a wonderful outdoor setting for small and large-scale events. Future park additions include a pedestrian bridge across Noisette Creek to the Hunley Submarine Museum. The historic site is centered in the Noisette District, the largest urban redevelopment project ever undertaken in the United States.

The 2009 National Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition juror was David Furchgott, President and Founder of International Arts and Artists, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural understanding and exposure to the arts internationally through exhibitions, programs and services to artists, arts institutions, and the public. For over 16 years, he was the Executive Director of the International Sculpture Center, which he developed to become the largest organization for sculpture with 15,000 members in over 70 countries. It was there that he began and published Sculpture magazine. Previously, he was with the South Carolina Arts Commission, the Gibbes Museum of Art and a consultant to the Spoleto Festival USA.

So here are the sculptures in this year’s exhibition:

Big Water Bottle Basket, steel, enamel by Jonathan Brilliant of Charleston, SC

Rich Sis, steel, wood by James Burnes of Santa Fe, NM

Boxes in a Box, aluminum by Samuel Burns of Chattanooga, TN

Orion’s Pyramid, steel by Stephen Chilingirian or Zirconia, NC

Cathedral Arch, steel by Bob Doster of Lancaster, SC

Thoughts Running Like a River, aluminum by Pattie Firestone of Chevy Chase, MD

Suffering Passes, Having Suffered Never Passes; In Living, Loss and Rebirth Enfold One Another, oak by James Fuhrman of Glenmoore, PA

Wave Form #5, reclaimed dock boards by Gary Gresko of Oriental, NC

Ollie’s Buoy, steel and concrete by Roger Halligan of Chattanooga, TN

Personal Space, steel by Hanna Jubran of Grimesland, NC

Where I have come from, what will I leave behind?, steel and cast iron by Corrina Sephora Mensoff of Atlanta, GA

Triangle Tango, steel by Bob Turan of Earlton, NY

Ker-Plunk, steel by Adam Walls of Red Springs, NC

The results of the competition for the 2009 National Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition are as follows:
Best in Show went to James Fuhrman for Suffering Passes, Having Suffered Never Passes; In Living, Loss and Rebirth Enfold One Another; 2nd Place was given to Roger Halligan for Ollie’s Buoy; 3 Honorable Mentions went to Jonathan Brilliant for Water Bottle Basket, Corrina Sephora Mensoff for Where I have come from, What will I leave behind?, and Bob Turan for Triangle Tango.

See images from the 2008 exhibit and 2007 exhibit. There are also a few sculptures still in the park from previous exhibits.

We don’t have many contemporary public sculptures on display in the greater Charleston area, in fact there are next to none on display in the City of Charleston, which is amazing for such an arts city. So, besides this exhibit in North Charleston and the 19 works on display in Azalea Park in Summerville, SC, part of the permanent outdoor collection donated by the Sculpture in the South organization, you won’t find many sculptures here.

This display in Riverfront Park seems a little thin in that it is a large park and most of the sculptures in this year’s exhibit are small or it might be better to say - they are not monumental. I’m not complaining, in fact I’m amazed that the City of North Charleston has mounted their fourth sculpture exhibit. It’s a major effort for the artists, the City, and the Cultural Arts Department. After all, this park is to be used by people - it’s not a museum. And, there were a good number of people using the park the morning I went there - some also taking photos of the sculptures. But, always wanting more of a good thing - I’d like to see bigger sculptures, more of them, and more sculptures by different artists (there is a group of artists who seemed to have had works in all four exhibits).

But here’s the catch - I don’t have any money to give North Charleston to expand their efforts, and arts money is in short supply these days. So, it’s hard to expect more - even when you want it.

In conclusion - the City of North Charleston is doing a great job with this program - better than their so-called artsy cousin Charleston. Hopefully more sculpture lovers from Charleston and elsewhere will go visit this exhibit and park. And, hopefully these  summer temps won’t last forever. But you can take it if I can - I’m a transplanted Yankee.

For further info or details about the next sculpture competition contact the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at 843/745-1087 or at (www.northcharleston.org).

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Even with the best of intentions on my part, once again many of the Piccolo Spoleto Festival visual art offerings have slipped away before I could get by to see them. Even some of the exhibits I did get to see are over before I could post a blog about them. I have always said that the Spoleto and Piccolo Festivals were not designed to fit my schedule. I have to have my June issue turned into the printer before the festivals even start and then once they have started I’m delivering papers and then preparing for the July issue. It’s just not a good time for me to get out and see all that is being offered. This blog helps some, but not enough. But, I did get to see some and a few will still be on display for some time to come.

This year I did not get to visit the Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibit 2009 but once and that was not a long visit at that. I got reports about what was going on from various sources, but that’s not the same as being there and getting a first hand impression from artists and visitors. Sixteen days sounds like a lot of time, but it’s not. I have always said that this show is the marathon of all visual art events and that the artists who go through it in South Carolina’s “what next?” weather challenges are the toughest folks around. Not to mention putting up with the viewing public’s repetitive questions. It can also be a roller-coaster ride of emotions - watching your neighboring artist make sales while you don’t; making sales while others don’t and not being able to feel good about it or at least brag about it; wondering what else you could have done with these 16 days; and promising yourself this is the last year you’ll do this. But, in the end it all turns out all right and most return - year after year. And, they end up meeting some wonderful new customers and a lot of old customers who are now friends - that return year after year.

If you want a little taste of what it’s like being one of the 100 + artists down in Marion Square Park in Charleston, SC, during this exhibition visit Amelia “Mimi” Whaley’s blog. You can review her 16-day journal of being there.

While delivering the June issue I did get by to see the exhibit, From Quilts in the Attic to Quilts on the Wall: Exploring Textile Art by African Americans, on view at 10 Storehouse Row at The Navy Yard at Noisette (on the former Charleston Naval Base) in North Charleston, SC. This exhibit ended on June 7, 2009, like many of the Piccolo Spoleto exhibits. This exhibit was also part of North Charleston Arts Festival which took place early in May. The artists in this exhibit explore and depict their African heritage through quilting - some traditional, some non-traditional. Here’s a few images of some of the quilts.

Sophia Rising by Torreah Washington

Sacred Letters by Dorothy Montgomery

Here’s a little commentary for the folks developing The Navy Yard at Noisette. If they don’t do something about the main roads there - people will never come there and I’m going to stop coming and tell people not to go there. Paving over those roads is long overdue.

I also got to see the exhibit, BREAKING OUT, a Piccolo Spoleto art exhibition for adults with intellectual disabilities, sponsored by the Hulsey Law Group and presented at Charleston City Hall at 80 Broad Street in downtown Charleston. At the four corners of the law to be exact. This show also ended June 7, 2009.

The exhibit was coordinated by: Special Olympics of South Carolina, City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs, VSA Arts of South Carolina and SC Arts Commission. It provided an opportunity for artists with intellectual disabilities to speak using the vocabulary of art. The artists communicate through their paintings and pottery and in so doing break down the walls raised by their disabilities. But the location of this exhibit wasn’t going to break down the walls of competition for viewing exhibits during these busy Festivals. The lobby at City Hall is not made for exhibitions and people don’t expect to find exhibits there and other than the Spoleto Festival’s opening ceremony - nothing else happens in that part of the city - as far as Festival events go. This show could have been placed at the Charleston Visitor Center.

Without knowing the particulars of this exhibition most viewers might not know these people were not your average artist guild novice, folk artists or visionary artists, but considering their disabilities, the works can take on an exceptional quality.

Although there were people (I don’t want to use the word artist) here from Beaufort, SC, and Spartanburg, SC, it would be nice if this was an exhibit which was the result of a statewide competition among adults creating works with intellectual disabilities. That would add an extra level of accomplishment for the participants.

Some might ask why is this work being presented at these major art festivals? Well, creating something is a powerful action. The arts are used by many, other than artists, for expression, therapy (physical and mental), and for relaxation. Why shouldn’t that side of the arts be seen at an arts festival?

It also should be noted that beyond the exhibit’s main sponsor many contributions were made by some of Charleston’s commercial art businesses and commercial art galleries. These people contribute to a lot of non-profit efforts, but when it comes time to think about who should receive public funding or public help in tough times, these same folks are left out of the picture. It’s not all about making money for these folks - it’s about being part of the greater art community and community in general. It’s time they should get some credit for that.

And, Mayor Joseph Riley (Charleston’s Mayor), you better do something about your streets too. Stop saying it’s the SC Highway Department’s duty to keep your city’s streets decent.

Well, although I couldn’t draw any visitors to these exhibits, by reviewing them before they were over, beyond our pre-coverage of these events in Carolina Arts and on our website Carolina Arts Online, we have given them a little recognition and life in cyber space. That’s the best we could do this year.

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