Well, it’s no secret that Carolina Arts has been struggling just like everyone else in the art community during this economic downturn. That’s the pleasant word for what’s been happening. We’ve been cutting back where we can so much so that in our last issue I had only a few inches of space left for my commentary. It’s a good thing I have this blog. We’ve even began selling some of our art works collected throughout the years of doing this paper. We’ve started with the works by artists who are no longer with us and don’t have to share in this current misery.
Our first offering was a small sculpture by Willard Hirsch, a Charleston sculptor from the Charleston Renaissance period. It sold within a few days of our offering it. We’re offering these works through one of the commercial galleries we deal with. We didn’t want to compete with the folks who support our paper. They have enough problems these days as is.
The next work we are offering is a work by Alfred Hutty, another artist credited with the Charleston Renaissance, although he was a transplanted Yankee like me. He also knew when he found a better place to live.
Here’s the work:
You can find it on the wall at Carolina Galleries, 106-A Church Street in downtown Charleston, SC. It’s priced at $3,500.
If you want a piece of Charleston’s history and Carolina Arts‘ history, give Johnson Hagood a call at 843/720-8622, e-mail at (info@carolinagalleries.com) or visit (http://www.carolinagalleries.com/).
We hate to give these works up, but we’ve lived with them for a long time now and we’d like to keep doing Carolina Arts. Like everyone else, we’re making sacrifices for the future. The paper made it possible for us to get these works, now maybe these works can help keep the paper going.
That’s the great thing about art works – they’re not consumed after you purchase them. They can have a long life, appreciate in value and go on to give joy to others – over and over again.
If you’ve got some money to invest, if you don’t buy this work of art, go to a gallery near you and buy something – you’ll make at least three people happy. The gallery owner, the artist and yourself.