August Issue 2007
Commentary
by Tom Starland
Dog Dazes of Summer
Sure it's hot and muggy, but what better time to get out and see some art - in a nice cool art museum or art gallery. Why not make a day trip of it? There's probably plenty of available parking and your car doesn't mind taking the heat for you.
All you have to do is pick a section of our North and South Carolina gallery listings, take an hour or so on your computer and let MapQuest chart you a course - and you're off on an art adventure. Go see some of those places you've been reading about in Carolina Arts. We even offer you several maps that can help you get around the gallery district of a city or two. They work for me every month when I'm delivering papers.
How Attentive is Your Local Gallery?
Judith McGrath offers us a look inside some local galleries - down under. I think I've been in some like that - where if you don't look like you can purchase their most expensive work - you're not worth the effort to say - "hello - may I help you?"
I can remember a gallery owner once saying in a newspaper article that he didn't want browsers in the gallery - only people ready to buy need come through his gallery door. He treats you like a king if you're spending your money with him - but don't come a lookin' if you're not buyin' is his motto. He's a high end wheeler dealer - it's all about money to him. Good thing there are only a few of his kind in the Carolinas.
Don't get me wrong - the artists and the gallery owners all hope you'll find something you can't live without, but looking is the first step. And, the summertime is the best time to get some one-on-one attention.
Our Australian correspondent is planning a visit to the States - the East Coast - in fact, the Carolinas. Perhaps she'll be dropping in on a gallery or two and I hope she finds friendly, attentive gallery owners and staff.
Check out the Web Version of this Paper
As is usually the case, we didn't have enough room to fit every article we received (by deadline) in this issue, so we have many more items on our web version of Carolina Arts found at (www.carolinaarts.com). Remember, we also include many articles about exhibitions which take place in areas of the Carolinas which we don't cover in the printed paper. One of those articles was brought to us by an old friend from Charleston, SC, who now lives in Upstate New York - Pernille Ægidius Dake. She heard about an exhibit which was on view at the Green Hill Center for North Carolina Art in Greensboro, NC, and soon found herself driving from New York to North Carolina. The Green Hill is presenting the exhibit, Toshiko Takaezu: The Art of Clay, featuring works by internationally acclaimed ceramic artist Toshiko Takaezu. The exhibit will be on view through Aug. 25, 2007.
Dake has written a piece about this exhibit which you'll be able to find in our Feature Articles section Aug. 07. I soon found myself in Greensboro at the Green Hill - after reading her article and seeing some photos of the works - you might too.
Sculpture Exhibits on the Web
We have always used our website to feature sculpture exhibits taking place around the Carolinas - from Greensboro, NC, to North Charleston, SC.
We've been working on a new entry from last year's Accessibility - Sumter, which took place in Sumter, SC, featuring seven internationally recognized sculptors. You'll find the pages on the website in the Special Features category. Just click and behold!
Carolina Arts
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Copyright© 2007 by PSMG, Inc., which published Charleston
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