May Issue 2000
Charleston Businesses Unite In Support of EarthArt Project at Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston, SC
When North Charleston teachers Christine D'Angelo and Angela Mills gathered their students from The Military Magnet School and embarked on a grant-funded field trip to Dewees Island, they took along 26 cameras - one for each child. They never imagined the resulting black and white pictures would hang in an art museum like the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, SC.
EarthArt is a Gibbes Museum of Art and Dewees Island partnership education effort that combines the disciplines of art and science. The school outing was an aspect of that which resulted in a cooperative effort among local businesses and organizations to exhibit the children's black and white photographs in locations throughout the Lowcountry area. This traveling exhibition, entitled Natural Impressions, was on view at the Gibbes Mar. 30 - Apr. 22 as a complement to its John James Audubon exhibition.
John James Audubon
"Audubon was known for his unique talent of combining art and science in his paintings, so this is an appropriate pairing of exhibitions," explains Susan Earhart, School Programs Coordinator and museum liaison for the EarthArt partnership. "We are very excited to give some of the community's children an opportunity like this."
The EarthArt program, supported for the last two years by the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, awards a team of two teachers the chance to interact with leaders in the fields of environmental stewardship and art education and collecting. Over the summer, the team develops an art/ecology unit to enhance their school's curriculum. Throughout the following year, the teachers and their curriculum are supported by the efforts of the Gibbes and Dewees Island staff. This is the first time, however, that EarthArt has been documented like this.
Through the support of Driftwood Photography and Artizom Frame & Gallery, Natural Impressions was conceived this year. Driftwood Photography donated the students' black and white disposable cameras. After the trip, the cadets visited the Gibbes Museum of Art, where they used their negatives to create contact sheets in the Studio's darkroom. Each student selected one of these photographs to be made into a print, and then Artizom Frame & Gallery donated the matting and framing of each work.
"This collection of photographs is visually fascinating." says John Duckworth, local artist and co-owner with Christopher Moeller of Artizom Frame & Gallery. "It literally offers a view of the world through the eyes of a child."
When the EarthArt exhibition closes at the Gibbes Apr. 22 it will then will be displayed at The Military Magnet School in May and on Dewees Island during the summer. For more information on EarthArt, please call Susan Earhart at the Gibbes Museum of Art 843/722-2706 ext. 28. Persons interested in purchasing prints can contact Artizom Frame & Gallery at 843/723-3726. A percentage of the profit from these sales will be donated to fund an endowment to support The Military Magnet School.
"This exhibition is a synthesis of the interdisciplinary experience between art and science," says Angela Mills. Fellow teacher D'Angelo adds that the teachers' "intention was to immerse the cadets in a real learning adventure."
For further information call the museum at
843/722-2706.
Mailing Address: Carolina Arts, P.O. Drawer
427, Bonneau, SC 29431
Telephone, Answering Machine and FAX: 843/825-3408
E-Mail: carolinart@aol.com
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