June Issue 2002
Edisto Island Historic Preservation Society in Edisto Island, SC, Presents Works by John Michiels
The Edisto Island Historic Preservation Society
in Edisto Island, SC, presents Edisto Island: Scene and Unseen,
an exhibit of black and white images by John Michiels, who photographs
Lowcountry architecture with an eye that sees beyond wood, bricks
and stone. The exhibition which will be on view from June 25 through
Aug. 27, 2002, is the first of a series of temporary exhibits
planned by the society to present the island's history.
The society was organized in 1986 to preserve the history of the
island, which has 29 properties listed in the National Register
of Historic Places, and opened the Edisto Island Historic Museum
and gallery in 1991. Karen Nickless, museum director, is the former
director of education and research at Drayton Hall, a 1740s plantation
in Charleston, SC.
"The Society is excited to be working with John Michiels
on this exhibit," said Haig Powers, society board president.
"The museum's permanent gallery installation is a collection
of photos of Edisto from the Civil War years to the mid-20th century
that have been published as a book, Edisto Island: A Family
Affair. John's photos capture historic sites of Edisto as
they appear today."
Michiels is an award-winning participant in Charleston's annual
Piccolo-Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibit, a juried show. His photographs
have been exhibited at other Lowcountry venues, including Kiawah
Island. His portfolio includes: Drayton Hall; the 200-year-old
Charleston Jail; the workshop of Phillip Simmons, Charleston's
nationally-known blacksmith; and other Charleston landmarks.
Michiels began taking photographs with a camera borrowed from
his father, a retired Air Force pilot. While he was in high school,
several of his photographs were selected for a San Bernandino
County (California) Museum art exhibit. He also was head photographer
of his high school yearbook, the year it received a top national
award for photojournalism. These honors confirmed Michiels' decision
to pursue a career in photography.
After graduation, Michiels continued to develop his photographic
technique, while working for a photo-systems corporation in Redlands,
CA. Redlands, where Michiels grew up, was an 1800s destination
for wealthy and ailing New Englanders who recovered and became
wealthier as citrus ranchers. Their preserved Victorian mansions
were Michiels' first introduction to historic structures.
Michiels moved from California to Charleston in 1989 to photograph
its historic sites. Two months later Hurricane Hugo attacked the
city. He was shaken by the destruction, but not deterred from
documenting the city's significant and vulnerable beauty. Instead,
he was motivated by the determination of Lowcountry residents
to rebuild their city.
For further information check our SC Institutional Gallery listings
or call the Museum at 843/869-1954.
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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Carolina Arts
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Copyright© 2002 by PSMG, Inc., which published Charleston
Arts from July 1987 - Dec. 1994 and South Carolina Arts
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