I am the editor and publisher of Carolina Arts newspaper, as well as being the paper boy and the guy who takes out the trash. Carolina Arts covers visual art exhibitions taking place in select areas of North and South Carolina. Carolina Arts Online covers exhibitions and other related issues dealing with the visual art community throughout the Carolinas – at least by all who send us materials by our deadlines. I do not have a formal education in the visual arts, but after doing this newspaper for over 20 years I feel I know as much, if not more than most who have several degrees from colleges and universities. My college and university training was in accounting – which over the years has come in handy in dealing with the arts and arts propaganda.
I am not a native Southerner. I was born and raised in Michigan and during the Great War of Northern Aggression (I was taught that it was the Civil War) my relatives were trying to farm land in Canada. So, I have no feelings one way or another about that war except that the people who fought it must have really believed that their side was right and that it was truly the great American tragedy. I am now one of the new Southerners, having lived here longer than my days spent in the snowy wasteland to the north. And, besides I was smart enough to marry a Southerner.
Before doing this newspaper, my wife Linda and I owned and operated a custom black and white photo processing lab in Charleston, SC, for over 15 years – dealing with advertising agencies and many institutions involved in the arts, history, politics, education, real estate, environment, business, and law. We also at one time opened a photography gallery with a few friends and operated a general art gallery out of our first office for our first version of the paper called Charleston Arts.
During the last 30 + years I have also been involved with art organizations, judged art exhibits, sat on boards of art organizations, participated on exhibit selection committees, help load art on and off trucks, spent days sitting in a gallery while no one came in to look at art and have spent hours looking at art trying to figure it out. You might say I’ve been involved in the visual arts, but the arts are not all that I am. I love NFL football (not that kick the ball around stuff), I watch TV, I love going to movies, watching politics, and listening to books on CD when traveling. I love rock and roll (old and new) and talking with people and friends.
If you want to know who I am and what I’m all about – keep reading this blog and check out the two interviews with myself which can be found on this website under Special Features. I guess this blog can be considered the third installment.