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May Issue 2006
Visual Art Offerings at 2006 Piccolo Spoleto Festival
The City of Charleston's Office of Cultural Affairs presents a hearty group of exhibitions and visual art events, located throughout historic Charleston, SC, for this year's Piccolo Spoleto Festival. The following is a description of what is being offered. In some cases you will be directed to more detailed articles. They are listed by the City's main exhibit venues down to alternative exhibition spaces.
William McCullough, Self Portrait
The City Gallery at Waterfront Park, at 34 Prioleau Street, will present the exhibition, William McCullough: Southern Painter, from May 20 through Aug. 12, 2006. This retrospective exhibition of works by realist painter William McCullough takes the viewer from the farms of rural South Carolina to the studio lofts of New York City, and from the mountains of Western North Carolina to the changing urban landscape of Charleston in a visual journey through over 30 years of McCullough's professional career.
Eva
Carter
The City Gallery at the Dock Street Theatre, at 133 Church Street, will present the exhibit, Eva Carter Invitational: Songs of the Earth, on view from May 20 through June 11, 2006.
Celebrating a love of classical music, Carter elaborates on this year's Piccolo Spoleto's Spotlight Concert Series. Her work is a visual interpretation of musical masterworks by Mahler, Debussy, Stravinsky and others and the spiritual connection that can be drawn between her paintings, classical music and the ambience of the Lowcountry sceneries.
Carter works in a studio on the intercoastal waterway in Charleston. Like the mix of fresh and salt waters in Charleston Harbor, Carter's expressionistic paintings commingle diverse life experiences, which include three distinctive stages in her life: her upbringing and education in rural Tennessee, her extensive travels into the desert southwest and her mature life steeped in the tradition of the historic south. The blend of all these external influences is reflected in Carter's emotional juxtapositions of delicate tones and saturated hues, from verdant mountain greens, to marine blues, atmospheric lavenders, arroyo beiges, aspen golds, and chili reds - colors that she illuminates with darts of light or penetrates with gashes of black.
Although inspired by the environment and natural phenomena, Carter observes that it is not the literal world she conveys but rather her internal response to her passage through the world. For her, that passage includes the depths of her subconscious, as well as her dreams. "I paint for me, but the universal emotions translated to viewers are the connections that excite me. I don't have a map when I begin the journey. I just step up to the canvas and let intuition tell me where my brush should travel."
Carter has had solo exhibitions in the Carolinas as well as in New Mexico, California and Colorado. Her works have been included in numerous group, juried and invitational exhibitions at gallery spaces, universities and colleges, as well as museums throughout the Southeast. Carter's works have been purchased for private, institutional and corporate collections throughout the United States and abroad.
Lin Barnhardt
The Charles Wadsworth Room at the Dock Street Theatre, at 135 Church Street, will present the exhibition, Lin Barnhardt Invitational: Homage to Hopper - A Unique Perspective, on view from May 26 through June 27, 2006.
North Carolina artist Lin Barnhardt creates three-dimensional clay models of the buildings featured in many of Edward Hopper's paintings as well as models of Charleston landmarks, such as Middleton Plantation and various churches. As depicted from a "birds-eye view," this unique exhibit allows the artist to explore his fascination with light and to work in collaboration with other artists.
Barnhardt graduated
from Appalachian State University, Boone, NC, in 1974 with a BS
degree in art education with concentrations in painting and printmaking.
He later attended graduate school at Appalachian obtaining an
MA degree. Barnhardt has taught art at the secondary level in
the public schools of North Carolina including ten years at Apex
Senior High, Apex, and two years at A.L. Brown High, Kannapolis.
He has served as a faculty member at Mt. Pleasant Middle School,
Mt. Pleasant from 1988-2006.
In May of 1997, Barnhardt began his current approach of incorporating
his interests in architecture, sculpture and painting into one
art form. Moose Drug Store, a local icon in downtown Mt. Pleasant
(NC), became the subject for his first clay reconstruction. He
received a Regional Project Grant from the NC Arts Council in
1998. The project centered on churches of Charleston with the
series titled Bird Sanctuaries.
After receiving local recognition, Barnhardt began entering competitions at the national level. In 2000, his work was accepted into ten exhibitions including, Feats of Clay, in Lincoln, CA. With the recommendation of Piedmont Craftsmen, the NC Arts Council selected Barnhardt in 2001 along with three other artists from the state to design/create an ornament for the White House. The J.W. Cannon House miniature was chosen by the White House staff to be featured on HGTV's Christmas special hosted by Joy Philbin. The film crew spent eight hours filming Barnhardt in his studio/home for the two-minute segment.
The year 2002 brought
new direction for Barnhardt's work as he partnered with two of
his favorite artists/friends Elsie Popkin and Ginger Spangler
on collaborative pieces. To be included in the show Capehart
and Former Students with retired professor Noyes Long was
another highlight.
Having long admired the work of Edward Hopper, Barnhardt began
to formulate plans for a new series attributed to subjects once
painted by the noted American artist. Numerous letters of inquiry
were sent to chambers of commerce, historical societies, and local
art groups in search of existing structures. "Edward Hopper's
Childhood Home" located in Nyack, NY, was an appropriate
stop during a trip to New England. Homage to Hopper, was
endorsed by the NC Arts Council in 2003 and awarded funding. Four
of the initial tributes included collaborations with Clara Couch,
Debra Fritts, and Chuck and Andrea Kennington.
Barnhardt lives with his wife, Ramona, in Mt. Pleasant. The couple
have two children: Joanna Farmer, a graduate from UNCC with a
degree in social work, and Ken Sipe, a Marine stationed at Okinawa.
The Charleston Visitor Center, 375 Meeting Street @ John & Mary Streets, will again be the location of Piccolo Spoleto's 22nd Annual Juried Art Exhibition, on view from May 25 through June 9, 2006.
Coordinated by the Charleston Artist Guild, this exhibition showcases works of South Carolina artists in painting, photography and sculpture. This year's jurors are: (Painting) Elizabeth Bronson, (Photography) Jack Alterman and (Sculpture) Tom Durham.
Elizabeth Bronson is an accomplished painter who has taught art for 35 years. She founded the Land School of Art in Falls Church, VA. She is represented by galleries in Mystic, CT, and Annapolis, MD. Her professional career has included participating in and receiving awards from national and international art shows, judging art shows and guest lecturing at art guilds and other arts organizations. Bronson is a resident of McClellanville, SC.
Jack Alterman has been photographing professionally for more than 25 years and opened Alterman Studios in 1980 in Charleston. He received his technical training at the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, CA. His expertise includes aerial, industrial, catalogue and environmental photography as well as studio portraiture, travel essays and award winning wildlife photography.
Tom Durham
Tom Durham was born in New London, CT. He received his BA from the College of Charleston and his MFA from the University of Minnesota. His sculptures bring to life his interest in the human figure. They are filled with humor, pathos and introspection. Durham has received numerous prestigious commissions and his work has been displayed in many exhibitions in the United States and Europe.
photo by Ron Rocz ---------------------------------------------------------
2005 Mayor's Purchase Award Winner - Daryl Knox
The Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Juried Art Exhibition 2006 will take place at Marion Square, between Meeting & King and Calhoun Streets in Charleston, from May 26 through June 11, 2006.
Over 100 award-winning South Carolina artists will display their works daily, while some will give free art demonstrations. This is a great opportunity to meet and talk with the artists about their works, art in general and the weather. Coordinators for the event are Billie Sumner and Victoria Platt Ellis. The awards juror for this year is Joe Miller, founder and owner of Cheap Joe's Art Stuff in Boone, NC.
The schedule of artists'
demonstrations by participating artists includes:
Sat., May 27 at 11:30am - "Cheap Joe" Miller watercolor;
Sun., May 28 at 1pm Steven Jordan watercolor;
Mon., May 29 at 11am Hilary Lambert oil and at 2:30pm
Amelia Whaley watercolor;
Tue., May 30 at 11am Ron Rocz photography and at 2:30pm
Madison Latimer mixed media;
Wed., May 31 at 11am Kelli Jacobs pastel and at 2:30pm
Alice Stewart Grimsley watercolor;
Thur., June 1 at 11am Carolyn Epperly watermedia/line
and at 2:30pm Scott Henderson digital photo hand coloring;
Fri., June 2 at 11am Guy Stevens watercolor and at
2:30pm Susan Mayfield pastel;
Sat., June 3 at 11am John Jones acrylic and at 2:30pm
Detta Cutting Zimmerman oil;
Sun., June 4 at 11am Scott Penegar acrylic and at
2:30pm Sherry Browne papercuts;
Mon., June 5 at 11am Michael McNinch oil and at 2:30pm
Richard Johnson acrylic;
Tue., June 6 at 11am Bette Bentley-Layne acrylic and
at 2:30pm Lynne Hardwick mixed media;
Wed., June 7 at 11am Carole Carberry watercolor and
at 2:30pm Kip McCullough acrylic;
Thur., June 8 at 11am Connie Poulnot oil and at 2:30pm
Bob Graham drawing;
and Fri., June 9 at 11am Laurie Meyer oil and
at 2:30pm Stephanie Hamlet mixed media.
The 2006 Piccolo
Spoleto Outdoor Craft Fairs will take place in Wragg Square,
located at Meeting and Charlotte Streets, one block from the Charleston
Visitor Center and across the street from the Outdoor Juried
Art Exhibition in Marion Square. The two fairs will take place
on May 26-28 and June 2-4, 2006.
Editor's Note: This show has an admission, but the
organizers of the two fairs, Charleston Crafts in Charleston,
distributes free passes throughout Charleston and SC at art galleries
and other visual art spaces. So a trip to your local art gallery
could get you a free pass. But the admission is less than a cup
of fancy coffee - so it won't break your budget and you'll be
glad you paid - to get at the goodies offered inside.
Artists and artisans participating in this show represent areas from across the United States. The media presented ranges from traditional to contemporary expressions.
Art demonstrations by the exhibitors are presented throughout the fair. (See a schedule on their ad on Page 4 - the link is on the front page of our website.)
Artwork from the Piccolo
Spoleto Outdoor Craft Fairs and the Outdoor Juried Art
Exhibition will be selected for the Charleston Mayor's Purchase
Award, adding new artworks to the City's growing art collection.
The White Meeting House at the Circular Congregational Church,
at 150 Meeting Street, across from the Gibbes Museum of Art will
be the location for this year's In the Spirit exhibition,
Sages: Wisdom Deepened by Experience, on view from May
26 through June 11, 2006.
Carolyn Terpoorten
The In the Spirit artists of Circular Congregational Church interpret the meaning of aging and how we as a society care for our elders with fine art in a variety of mediums, from sculpture to painting to photography. Participating artists include: N. Lauren Petrovich, Honor Marks, Isabel Forbes, Peggy Howe, Robin Boston, Carolyn TerPoorten, Chaz Walter, Debra Stokes, Gayle B. Newcomb, Michaela McIntosh, Donna Foster Myer and Susan Ferry.
The Circular Congregational Church was founded in 1681, when Charleston's earliest settlers began meeting to worship in the manner of the Reformed Faith. The "White Meeting House", as the church building was called, gave Meeting Street its name. Sages: Wisdom Deepened by Experience takes place in Circular's historic fellowship hall, surrounded by one of Charleston's oldest cemeteries. Called one of Charleston's great new gallery spaces, the building's fourteen-foot high ceilings, large windows and history as a sacred space make it a moving place to witness art.
The Old City Jail, at 21 Magazine Street, will be the site of the installation entitled, Candice Ivy Invitational: Murmur, on view from May 26 through June 11, 2006.
This site-specific art installation by Candice Ivy brings together natural materials with elements of sound, film and drawing. The installation alludes to themes of family, history and cultural memories, accumulated within a sensual framework of interactive images and sound.
Ivy, a native of Hartsville, SC, received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in studio art from Coker College in 1999 and her Master of Fine Arts degree from The School of the Museum of Fine Arts/Tufts University in 2006. Ivy works with a variety of art mediums, including drawing, film, video, sound, and installation. She has recently shown her videos at the Rhode Island International Film Festival in Providence, RI and the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, MA. Last fall, Ivy participated in Sumter, SC's Accessibility project where she exhibited the interactive installation entitled Murmur.
Ivy's drawings and installations have also been exhibited in galleries in New York City, Boston, MA, Berkeley, CA, Hartsville, and Charleston. She is currently teaching Drawing and Art History at Coker College in Hartsville.
The College of Charleston's Addlestone Library, at 205 Calhoun Street, will be the host of the exhibit, A Global Insight: Through the Eyes of Kids, on view from May 26 through June 11, 2006.
A Global Insight is a photo exhibition of black
& white and color prints taken by kids in Calcutta, India,
and Charleston, SC, through the Kids-with-Camera Organization,
the Born into Brothels documentary and the "Viewpoint"
project. Although the children are worlds apart and their situations
greatly different, the children from the Red Light district of
Calcutta and the children from Charleston's lower East Side share
an amazing ability under their individual duress to blossom creatively
through the use of auto focus cameras. Given the possibility in
these separate efforts, together for the first time, a wonderful
exhibit of forty 17" x 22" framed prints has been created.
Kids with Cameras, started by Zana Briski in 2002, is a non-profit
organization that teaches the art of photography to marginalized
children in communities around the world. The Palmetto Project
is a non-profit in South Carolina that has initiated two mentoring
programs for kids using auto focus cameras - "LX Project"
and "Viewpoint Project". Both organizations realize
their limitations and the difficulty to make major social changes
in these kids lives but handing over a camera to them by a caring
mentor is a wonderful moment that opens up a magical window of
self-expression, self-importance and self-empowerment. The results,
sometimes unpredictable and often times humorous, have created
a powerful body of work. This exhibition is funded through the
Palmetto Project underwritten by John Davis and John and Libby
Winthrop.
Marion Square, between Meeting & King and Calhoun Streets in Charleston, will also be the site of, Jenkins Jazz Train Exhibit, on view from May 26 through June 11, 2006.
This exhibit features
a life-size, colorful wooden train housing display panels that
tell the legendary story of Reverend Jenkins and his Orphanage
Band. Founded in 1891 after the Reverend adopted four children
living in a boxcar, the band evolved into a 30-piece touring group
and other ensembles. The children, who were trained to read music
and play instruments by local musicians, helped support the orphanage
through touring.
The extended band performed in the St. Louis World's Fair, the
Hippodrome in London, and by 1905, had developed regular east
coast and European tours that took them to Paris, Berlin and Rome.
In 1905, the Jenkins Orphanage Band played in President Roosevelt's
inaugural parade, and in 1909 they repeated the honor for President
Taft.
In the original version of Gershwin's opera Porgy and Bess,
the Jenkins Orphanage Band played every night on stage in the
opera and was part of the first all black cast on Broadway. Musicians
from the band went on to perform as adults with the Count Basie
Orchestra, Lionel Hampton, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie and
other Jazz luminaries.
The Circular Congregational
Church, at 150 Meeting Street, will also be the site of Wild
Things & Wonder, on May 31, 2006, at 7pm. Naturalist Rudy
Mancke, host of SCETV's public TV program, NatureScene
and Distinguished Lecturer at the University of South Carolina's
School of the Environment reveals the mysteries of native and
endangered species as he takes viewers on a journey through lush
oil paintings of South Carolina's wildflowers by award-winning
artist Honor Marks.
For twenty-three years Rudy Mancke hosted the television series
NatureScene inspiring generations of people to get outdoors
and marvel at the world around them. In his long-running series
Mancke traveled not only through South Carolina, but internationally,
exploring nature and its mysteries for viewers. His entertaining
tales and emphasis on stewardship of the habitats in which these
species live have earned him a reputation as the Southeast's preeminent
naturalist.
Honor Marks grew up in Charleston and remembers slogging through
the marshes of the lowcountry as a child searching for rare wildflowers
with her family. Today, she continues the journey through her
artwork. Honor was awarded Best in Show at the 2003 Piccolo
Spoleto Outdoor Juried Art Exhibition and received the 2005
Griffith Lowcountry Artist Award.
About her work Marks says, "The unfurling of a leaf.... the
majesty of a single fading flower are such amazing and complicated
creations. We truly take for granted the enormity of the miracles
that surround us. My work celebrates those miracles."
The event is sponsored by the Coastal Conservation League, a grassroots non-profit conservation organization, founded in 1989 and backed by over 4,000 members. Its mission is to protect the natural environment of the South Carolina coastal plain and to enhance the quality of life of our communities by working with individuals, businesses and government to ensure balanced solutions.
And finally, the South Carolina Aquarium, at 100 Aquarium Wharf, on the Cooper River, presents, Piccolo Pawcasso - An Animal Art Exhibit at the SC Aquarium, from May 26 through June 11, 2006.
Piccolo Pawcasso is a collection of art created
by Aquarium animals: Maya, a lesser anteater; Joey and Marvin,
two macaws; and Ace, an American river otter. Painting is just
one type of enrichment program zoos and aquariums use to build
trust between keepers and animals.
On May 27 from 11am-2pm, the Aquarium will hold a special "Piccolo
Pawcasso Party" including art-related interactive animal
features, educational activities and special programs. The event
is free with paid admission to the Aquarium.
For further information check our SC Institutional Gallery listings, contact The Office of Cultural Affairs at 843/724-7305, or at (www.ci.charleston.sc.us/oca.html) or (www.piccolospoleto.com). Or - you could pick up one of the official program guides for Piccolo Spoleto - which tells all.
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