A & E

‘American Salute!’ To Finish Out Beaufort Symphony Season

April 28, 2011

The Beaufort Symphony will round out its 25th season on Thursday, May 5 and Sunday, May 8 with Maestro Frederick Devyatkin directing a program of all American composers. Sousa marches, Gershwin and Ellington tunes and the familiar strains of folk songs in music of Aaron the Copland await audiences at the USCB Performing Arts Center on Carteret Street.

If you are new to Beaufort and have not yet heard this wonderful local orchestra, ‘American Salute!’ would be the perfect opportunity for a first sampling. The Beaufort Symphony has been hailed as one of America’s best small orchestras. Concertgoers who move here from large urban areas are excited to find such a high level of musicianship here in Beaufort. Maestro Devyatkin is equally at home conducting the majestic strains of Beethoven or the up-tempo riffs of jazz. His leadership is largely responsible for the orchestra’s remarkable growth over the past decade.

The Beaufort Symphony is set to launch its 2011-2012 season. Subscription forms for the coming year will be available at the concert and at http://www.beaufortorchstra.org. Together we will continue to keep the music alive in Beaufort for many years to come.

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Lowcountry Chorale finale is tribute to Walt Disney

April 28, 2011

The Lowcountry Chorale will expand to two dessert concerts this spring to finish off the group’s 16th season with a flourish.

The chorale, under the direction of Cliff Kosier, will offer a tribute to Walt Disney called “When You Wish Upon a Star.” Songs including “Whistle While You Work,” “Colors of The Wind,” “It’s a Small World” and “Be Our Guest” will appeal to fans of all ages.

Gloria Bockelman will accompany the chorale again this year with her wonderful piano technique. Carol Lucas will provide the narration and various members will entertain our guests in surprising ways.

The performances will be Friday, May 20 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, May 21 at 3 p.m. at St. John’s Lutheran Church on Lady’s Island. Tickets will be $10 for adults and $7 for those 12 and under. Tickets may be purchased in advance from chorale members or at the door. For more information, visit http://www.lowcountrychorale.com or email lowcountrychorale@gmail.com.

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ArtLofts offers Classes

April 28, 2011

ArtLofts is the newest addition to Beaufort’s vibrant art scene. Located in one of Beaufort’s historic buildings, ArtLofts houses working artist studios of 6 local artists and a gallery.

Artists Laura Bricker, Mary Grayson Segars, Pam Hagan, Shelly Kohli, Linda Sheppard and Susan Stone are thrilled that they have a space where they can share with one another and the public their passion for art, each in their own unique way. Visitors are welcome to drop in and watch while the artists create their works of art and view the gallery with art, available for purchase.

ArtLofts also has classroom space where various classes and workshops are offered. Private lessons are also available upon request.

Current classes include:

• Linda Sheppard’s Understanding Shadows: May 8 – 9, Sun. 7- 9:30 p.m., Mon. 7:30 – 9:30 a.m. & 12:30 – 4:00 p.m.. $90. Contact: 843 379-4633 or shepstudio@yahoo.com.

• Linda Sheppard’s Drawing Live Oaks and Palms: May 21, Sat., 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., $80. Contact 843 379-4633 or shepstudio@yahoo.com.

ArtLofts is at 208B Carteret St. down the alley next to Wren, upstairs over Smart Girls Consignment. The studio is open Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Come take a tour and watch live artists at work. You may catch a glimpse of an art class in session and sign up. For more information, visit http://www.artloftsbeaufort.com.

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Oh, the Places You will Go on Stage

April 21, 2011

Citizens of Whoville, The Fish and Mr.Mayor

The Bird Girls with Thing 1 and Thing 2

The Beaufort Children’s Theatre recently performed Seussical, Jr., written by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty and based on the works of Dr. Seuss. The musical consisted of almost eighty children and was presented at the University of South Carolina Beaufort Center for the Arts.

Seussical, Jr. was produced and directed by Bonnie Hargrove and choreographed by Jennifer Shand. Holly Parker was the assistant director of Seussical, Jr., her last show with the Beaufort Children’s Theatre.

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Summertime arts for kids @ ARTworks: ARTblast & TheaterArt Camp

April 21, 2011

ARTblast is June 20-July 22 for children 6-14, and provides an opportunity for children from ages 6-14 to experience art in many different mediums. Our goal is to help children establish a creative outlook on life and art while having fun. ARTblast director CJ Norwood, holds her degree in arts education and is the art teacher at Robert Smalls Middle School. Class fees are $110 per week (scholarships available) and include instruction, studio use, materials and a small snack everyday. Choose any and all of these themed weeks: Acrylic Paint and all its Wonder; Make an Impression; Collage Playground; The Masters.

For more information about ARTblast, call Artworks at 843-379-2787 or email ARTblast director CJ Norwood at cjane8163@yahoo.com.

TheaterART Camp is June 13-August 5 for children 5-16 to explore the wonderful world of theater and all it has to offer. The students will, as a group, discover the delights of the theatrical world both onstage and off, as well as develop their own personal potential and confidence. TheaterART director Heather Denardo, holds her degree in theater education. Class fees are $110 per week (scholarships available) and include instruction, theater space, materials and a small snack every day. The classes are: two in Performance Skills; Our Coastal World; Writing for the Stage, and Theatrical Design.

For more information about TheaterART camp, contact ARTworks at 843-379-2787 or email TheaterART director, Heather Denardo, at heather.denardo@yahoo.com.

More details about both programs, like class descriptions, daily schedule and registration forms, are online at www.ArtWorksInBeaufort.org.

ARTworks is the home of the arts council of Beaufort, Port Royal and the Sea Islands, and applies the many creative tools of The Arts to strengthen artists and to enrich audiences, collectors, and visitors through high quality arts experiences and arts education programs 365 days a year: www.ArtWorksInBeaufort.org in Beaufort Town Center, Tuesdays through Saturdays.

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Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD Three Legendary Opera’s in April

Capriccio (April 23), Il Trovatore (April 30)

The final two legendary operas of The University of South Carolina’s new music series, The Met: Live in HD at the Center for the Arts will be presented later this month on the Historic Beaufort campus.

Straus’s “Capriccio”, Saturday April 23 at 1 PM – On Opening Night of the 2008–09 season, Renée Fleming dazzled audiences when she sang the final scene of Strauss’s wise and worldly meditation on art and life. Now she performs the entire work, in which the composer explores the essence of opera itself. Joseph Kaiser and Sarah Connolly also star, and Andrew Davis conducts

Verdi’s “Il Trovatore”, April 30 at 1 PM – David McVicar’s stirring production of Verdi’s intense drama premiered in the 2008–09 season. James Levine leads this revival, starring four extraordinary singers—Sondra Radvanovsky, Dolora Zajick, Marcelo Álvarez, and Dmitri Hvorostovsky—in what might be the composer’s most melodically rich score.

Global corporate sponsorship of The Met: Live in HD is provided by the Neubauer Family Foundation. The HD Broadcasts are supported by Toll Brothers, America’s Luxury Home Building.

Tickets are available at the door on the day of the broadcast, or in advance at the Center for the Arts box office (843) 521-4145. Ticket prices are: Adult/Seniors $20, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Members $16, USCB students/and youth under 18 $10.

For additional information contact USCB Center for the Arts director Bonnie Hargrove at 843-521-4145 or bhargrov@uscb.edu. .

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The Celadon Fine Arts Festival is proud to present the 28 juried artists, representing 5 states, who will participate in this inaugural event May 20-22 in Beaufort SC.

The artists were chosen from 38 applicants by renowned artist Jonathan Green, ARTworks board president Deanna Bowdish, USCB professor Jon Goebel, and Dennis O. Green, the director of the Celadon Community Arts Trust Association. The artists range from fiber artist Danielle Schaefer of Hatfield, Pennsylvania to Kevin Ritter, a clay/mixed media artist from St. Petersburg, Florida.

The Beaufort County based artists are well-known and innovative:

potters Scott Brister and Steve White; glass artist Julia Smoak; silversmith Jo Ann Graham, fiber artist Kim Keats, painters Mary Jane Martin, James St. Clair, and Kathy Crowther, photographers Joshua Ferguson, Howard Ramey, sculptor Stephen Kishel, and book artist Pat Schad. They all compete for cash prizes totaling $3,000, presenting skilled works in many media and hues.

The inaugural Celadon Fine Arts Festival presents the highest caliber of fine art and crafts, for the knowledgeable and discriminating audience that resides, visits, and revels in the Lowcountry creative experience. Entry is $5 per car, and Saturday the 21st is Family Day, complete with entertainment and food.

The festival is located in the beautiful Celadon Community on Lady’s Island, across the bridge from historic Beaufort, SC. Artists, collectors, and visitors will be surrounded by oak trees, ponds, and the distinguished architecture that is Celadon, while enjoying concerts and other delights during the three-day event, May 20-22. Visit www.ArtWorksInBeaufort.org and www.CeladonFineArtsFestival.org for details and updates.

The Celadon Fine Arts Festival is produced by the Celadon Community Arts Trust Association and ARTworks, the Arts Council of Beaufort, Port Royal & the Sea Islands of South Carolina. 843-379-2787.

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Summertime arts for kids @ ARTworks: ARTblast & TheaterArt Camp

For more information about ARTblast, call Artworks at 843-379-2787 or email ARTblast director CJ Norwood at cjane8163@yahoo.com.

For more information about TheaterART camp, contact ARTworks at 843-379-2787 or email TheaterART director, Heather Denardo, at heather.denardo@yahoo.com.

More details about both programs, like class descriptions, daily schedule and registration forms, are online at www.ArtWorksInBeaufort.org.

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A.R. Gurney’s “The Dining Room” at the Black Box Theater at ARTworks in Beaufort in March

March 17, 2011

Six gifted local actors – Carrie Freeman, Joellen Hirschey, Benji Morgan, Tracy Smith, Rob Spencer, and Mike Young – play 57 different characters in the mosaic of vignettes that is A.R. Gurney’s Pulitzer Prize-nominated classic, “The Dining Room.”

“The Dining Room” is produced by Misspent Youth Productions and directed by Gail Westerfield. The comedy has plenty of hilarious and touching moments and recognizable characters as it looks at the WASP-y inhabitants of a dining room over the course of eight decades.

Performances are at ARTworks’ Black Box Theater March 24 – 26th at 8 pm; March 27th at 3 pm; March 31 – April 2 at 8 pm; and April 3 at 3 pm.

The public is invited to a special pre-show party before the March 26performance.

Tickets are $15, $10 for students, and $10 each for groups of 10 or more. The March 24 and March 31 performances are “Pay What You Can.”

Seating is reserved, so get tickets early. Tickets can be purchased at ARTworks Tuesday – Friday 11 am – 6 pm and Saturday from 12 pm – 4 pm, by calling 843.379.2787, or online at www.beaufortcountyarts.com/theater

ARTworks is located in the K-Mart / Bi-Lo shopping center on Boundary Street, next to OMNI Gym.

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The Red Piano Too Art Gallery presents:

March 17, 2011

Asher Robinsons Big Fish

Pawleys Island Native and Fine Artist, Asher Robinson and His Sea Creatures

Author, Lucille Tyler Baldwin

“Sick and Tired of Being Broke”

“Meet the Artist & Greet the Author” Reception

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Noon – 5:00 PM

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V-Day University of South Carolina Beaufort 2011

Presents a Benefit Production of

THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES

Join us as we raise funds and awareness to end violence against women and girls

Who: University of South Carolina Beaufort Student Life Office

What: V-Day University of South Carolina Beaufort 2011, a benefit production of Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues, raising funds for Hope Haven of the Lowcountry and Citizens Opposed to Domestic Abuse

Where: Center for the Arts, Beaufort, SC

When: March 25, 2011 at 7pm and March 26, 2011 at 2pm and 7pm

Admission: $6 for Students, $10 for Seniors and $12 for General Admission

Contact: Megan Shreve 843-441-7436 or tvmbeaufort@gmail.com

Goal: To raise awareness to stop violence against women and girls and funds for our beneficiaries – Hope Haven of the Lowcountry and Citizens Opposed to Domestic Abuse

Tickets available at: USCB Bluffton Campus at the Hargray Lobby Desk, Thursdays and Fridays 10-5. Center for the Arts Box Office, Tuesday through Friday 10-2. Hope Haven of the Lowcountry, Monday through Friday 8:30-5.

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About V-Day V-Day is a global activist movement to end violence against women and girls that raises funds and awareness through benefit productions of Playwright/Founder Eve Ensler’s award winning play The Vagina Monologues and other artistic works. In 2010, over 5400 V-Day benefit events took place produced by volunteer activists in the U.S. and around the world, educating millions of people about the reality of violence against women and girls. To date, the V-Day movement has raised over $75 million and educated millions about the issue of violence against women and the efforts to end it, crafted international educational, media and PSA campaigns, launched the Karama program in the Middle East, reopened shelters, and funded over 12,000 community-based anti-violence programs and safe houses in Democratic Republic Of Congo, Haiti, Kenya, South Dakota, Egypt and Iraq. In 2001, V-Day was named one of Worth Magazine’s “100 Best Charities,” in 2006 one of Marie Claire Magazine‘s Top Ten Charities, and in 2010 was named as one of the Top-Rated organizations on GreatNonprofits. In twelve years, the V-Day movement has reached over 300 million people.

What is a V-Day Campaign?

A V-Day Campaign is a catalyst for mobilizing women and men to heighten awareness about violence against women and girls. By creating this global community, V-Day strives to empower women to find their collective voices and demand an end to the violence that affects one in three women in the U.S and around the world.

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Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD March 19 with “Lucia di Lammermoor”

March 17, 2011

The University of South Carolina Beaufort new music series The Met: Live in HD at the Center for the Arts on the Historic Beaufort campus continues Saturday. March 19 at 1 PM with “Lucia di Lammermoor.” Natalie Dessay triumphed as the fragile heroine of Donizetti’s masterpiece on Opening Night of the 2007–08 Season in Mary Zimmerman’s hit production. Now she returns to the role of the innocent young woman driven to madness, opposite Joseph Calleja, who sings her lover Edgardo.

The 2010-11 season features 12 live transmissions of the New York Metropolitan Opera via high definition streaming. The season continues with: Le Comte Ory (April 9), Capriccio (April 23), Il Trovatore (April 30), and Die Walküre (May 14). Global corporate sponsorship of The Met: Live in HD is provided by the Neubauer Family Foundation. The HD Broadcasts are supported by Toll Brothers, America’s Luxury Home Building.

Tickets are available at the door on the day of the broadcast, or the Center for the Arts box office (843) 521-4145. Ticket prices are: Adult/Seniors $20, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute members $16, USCB students/and youth under 18 $10. For additional information contact USCB Center for the Arts director Bonnie Hargrove at 843-521-3145 or bhargrov@uscb.edu.

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Children’s Chorus to Perform

March 17, 2011

LowCountry Children’s Chorus will be performing with three other youth choruses and the Hilton Head Choral Society and Orchestra in their Spring Concert on Friday, March 25, at 8 pm. This concert which will take place at First Presbyterian Church on Hilton Head, highlights choral works of British composers under the collective theme of “Pomp and Circumstance” and features John Rutter’s Mass of the Children. Tickets are $25 and may be purchased in advance through Hilton Head Choral Society.

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ArtWalk in the Spring

March 17, 2011

Aezaleas and Wisteria by Sandra Baggette at Indigo Gallery

Spring is returning to the Low Country and what better way to welcome her than by coming out for ArtWalk, March 26th, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Historic Beaufort’s twelve galleries will offer beautiful, distinctive works of art for collectors and art lovers alike. Beaufort has been voted on of the best small art towns in America with our wide range of art and charming backdrop.

The Beaufort Art association is excited to showcase it’s newest members in the featured Artist’s room. Tammy Mohn Brister’s high-fire and food-safe earthenware is also dishwasher and microwave safe. Jo Ann Graham, a former dance instructor, takes inspiration from nature for her handmade and unique silver pieces. Mary Lee Grove primarily paints portraits of children and animals. Bruce Hawkins is a digital photographer who captures scenes indigenous to the Low Country. Carol Kamm draws on her extensive art education and background to work in many mediums and styles. Ron Mabey is able, by virtue of his experiences working and teaching, to capture beauty most fail to appreciate. Joann Madison is an avid quilter and offers classes in both quilting and sewing. Lynne Darling Morgan has worked in watercolors and acrylics but most recently paints seascapes in oil. Marian Sanders finds inspiration for her paintings of animals and scenic beauty in the surrounding Low Country.

At the Indigo Gallery, Gloria Dalvini finds an endless supply of images for her plein air painting of the lowcountry, especially the historic homes which are one of her favorite subjects.Also at the Indigo Gallery, Sandra Baggette will welcome springtime in the Lowcountry with paintings of azaleas and wisteria form her garden.

Check out “The Right to Shooz”, a feminist fundraiser at the Charles Street Gallery, for collectors who like shooz and lots of choice! This special exhibit includes work by Lowcountry luminaries such as Alexandra Sharma, Deanna Bowdish, Nancy Pollock, Olga Stamatiou, Lesley Hendricks, and many more, in many media. Tickets at the door are $20, and includes beer, wine, two bands, food, and plenty of progressive camaraderie from 5 to 9pm at 914 Charles Street.

Bay Street Gallery will be introducing the exquisite work of the accomplished fiber artist, Barbara James. Her silk hand bags are created through a fascinating process involving silk screen and extensive hand embellishment. They literally transform the wearer into a walking work of art. They gallery will also show new works by 12 Southeaster painters, sculpture, and mosaic artists, and will present new additions to its fine basket collection.    Claire Farrell, a new artist exhibiting in the I. Pinckney Simons Gallery will be featured for the Spring ArtWalk. Farrell is a native Charlestonian that has traveled extensively. Her earliest art encounters were private lessons in Japan, and many classes at the Gibbes Museum in Charleston. She graduated from Duke University and holds two master’s degrees from the University of South Carolina, one of which is art studio. Additionally she has studied printmaking in Santa Fe, Penland School, and at Santa Rapartata Art School in Florence, Italy. She prefers to paint in oil and has appreciation for fine texture in her paintings. Her love of the Low Country is greatly expressed in her Spring collection of marsh views and wildlife. Softly lit, her paintings have the warm glow and palette of the coming summer. Farrell is an accomplished portrait artist as well, painting both the younger and older subjects. Her award winning work has been accepted in national and regional shows. She is a past president of the South Carolina Watercolor Society and a signature member. The I. Pinckney Simons Gallery will feature Claire Farrell for the month of March, please join us for her reception on Saturday, March the 26^th, 5:00 until 8:00.

ArtLofts, the new kid in historic Beaufort’s art scene, will be celebrating their grand opening during ArtWalk. ArtLofts is now seven ladies strong with the addition of Linda Sheppard and her luminous portraits and landscapes. Laura Bricker will be on hand with her brilliant and beautiful low country vistas. Pam Hagan’s eclectic and whimsical work will please the eye. Lana Hefner will display her haunting and expansive landscapes. Shelly Kohli’s intricate mandalas will resonate for the viewer and Mary Grayson Segars will be there with her beautiful, evocative, low country inspired oil paintings. Rounding out the seven is artist and author Susan Stone who will be signing copies of her new book, “We Heard You.” In addition to being a working studio/gallery ArtLofts offers classes by veteran artists for students of all ages and interests so be sure to check out our teaching room. ArtLofts is located at 208-B Carteret st. over Smart Girl’s consignment and down the alley next to Wren’s restaurant.S

The Gallery is pleased to present “Fire in the Water”, works on paper by painter Tim Carr. Join us for a visual journey of where water meets sky. Tim’s work has the ability to transport us right to the scene of the action, filling our view with the great expanse of the Lowcountry seascape and beyond. This series celebrates the beauty of light dancing across the water, the intensity of the colors of the sun and the space in between where these two worlds meet. Fresh and exciting, these works are not to be missed.

New work by Amiri and Kathy Crowther are featured at The Four Winds Collection. Amiri’s work captures the very soul of Gullah culture. His powerful paintings combine an alluring blend of vivid colors and layered textures that evoke images of Sea Island Gullah culture. He quintessentially captures the essence of a people who have preserved their African traditions of net making, basket weaving, quilting and bateaux building. Using Adinkra symbols subtly stamped into his canvas, Amiri brings forth the spirit of the West African ancestors who are known as the Gullah today. Empowering images and colors dance across his paintings in an energetic display of color while telling the on-going story of the Gullah people. Amiri has been exhibited in major museums and is displayed in permanent collections nationally and internationally. He received his Masters of Fine Arts from the Savannah College of Art and Design and is currently a Professor of Fine Arts at The University of South Carolina Beaufort. Other new work on display for The Spring Art Walk are new pieces by Kathy Crowther. Collectors and followers of this well-known Lowcountry artist will be happy to be reacquainted with her distinctive style that includes vibrant colors and use of detailed ink pen. Some of the artist’s latest work contains the same subject matter of Lowcountry nature but with the subtle use of metallic paints and interesting stamping.

Below are the galleries represented by the guild along with their locations:

Charles Street Gallery – 914 Charles St.

LyBensons Gallery and Studio – 211 Charles St.

Beaufort Art association Gallery – 1001 Bay St.

Rhett Gallery – 901 Bay St.

Four Winds Collection – 216 West St.

The Craftseller – 818 Bay St.

Indigo Gallery – 809 Bay St.

The Gallery – 802 Bay St.

Bay Street Gallery – 719 Bay St.

I. Pinckney Simons Gallery – 711 Bay St.

USCB Center for the Arts – 801 Carteret St.

ArtLofts – 208-B Carteret St.

The Guild of Beaufort Galleries invites you to celebrate Spring in style with Spring ArtWalk, March 26th from 5:00 to 8:00 pm.

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ARTworks Classes Offered

March 17, 2011

Six after school @ ARTworks classes registering now: the art of paper, 3D art, creative writing with Unchained Pencils, bold watercolors, photography, and clay techniques, April 5-May 26, for 6 to 16 year-olds. $45 per seven-class session, family discounts & scholarships available, supported by a private family foundation, just ask while registering, no extra paperwork: 843-379-2787 or in person @ ARTworks in Beaufort Town Center, Tuesdays through Saturdays. www.ArtWorksInBeaufort.org.

Registering now @ ARTWorks:

The Art of Paper with Deanna Bowdish @ ARTworks after school, for ages 6-9.

Paper is an expressive medium for creative artworks. Methods of using paper to create will include folding, cutting, weaving, pasting, scultping and layering. Tuesdays, April 5- May 24, 2011, no classes on April 19, 4-5:30pm; $45 per seven-class session, family discounts & scholarships available, just ask while registering, no extra paperwork: 843-379-2787 or in person @ ARTworks in Beaufort Town Center, www.ArtWorksInBeaufort.org.

3-D Art ~ Visual Arts with Kami Kinard @ ARTworks after school, for ages 10 -14. Using collage and patterning, students will create a fish sculpture, their own personal hula-hoop sized to their bodies, and a mixed media collage with a cigar box as the base. Tuesdays, April 5- May 24, 2011, no classes on April 19, 4-5:30pm; $45 per seven-class session, family discounts & scholarships available, just ask while registering, no extra paperwork: 843-379-2787 or in person @ ARTworks in Beaufort Town Center, www.ArtWorksInBeaufort.org.

Unchained Pencils & Wild Pens with Lisa Rentz @ ARTworks after school, for ages 9 -14. Nature writing about dogs and other amazing critters in Lowcountry habitats like backyards and estuaries. Facts and other important writing tools like notebooks and pencils will be provided. Wednesdays, April 6- May 25, 2011, no classes on April 20, 4-5:30pm; $45 per seven-class session, family discounts & scholarships available, just ask while registering, no extra paperwork: 843-379-2787 or in person @ ARTworks in Beaufort Town Center, www.ArtWorksInBeaufort.org.

Bold Colors with Jean Norton-Torjusson @ ARTworks after school, for ages 9-12. Mixing American and Asian watercolor techniques allows participants to experiment with the medium, papers, brushes and pens. At the same time, participants will also push the limits on their understanding and use of color. Wednesdays, April 6- May 25, 2011, no classes on April 20, 4-5:30pm; $45 per seven-class session, family discounts & scholarships available, just ask while registering, no extra paperwork: 843-379-2787 or in person @ ARTworks in Beaufort Town Center, www.ArtWorksInBeaufort.org.

What Makes a Good Photograph & Why? with Richard Darby @ ARTworks after school, for ages 12-16. This course will cover a history of photography, light and its effective, composition, pet/animal photography, portraits/people, simple special effects, how to give and receive constructive criticism. Each student will be provided with a disposable camera for weekly at-home assignments. When signing up for the class, ARTworks staff will explain the photograph development process. Thursdays, April 7- May 26, 2011, no classes on April 21, 4-5:30pm; $45 per seven-class session, family discounts & scholarships available, just ask while registering, no extra paperwork: 843-379-2787 or in person @ ARTworks in Beaufort Town Center, www.ArtWorksInBeaufort.org.

Visual Art with Deanna Bowdish @ ARTworks after school, for ages 10-15. Explore the basic techniques of creating with clay with well-known artist and entrepreneur Deanna Bowdish. Thursdays, April 7- May 26, 2011, no classes on April 21, 4-5:30pm; $45 per seven-class session, family discounts & scholarships available, just ask while registering, no extra paperwork: 843-379-2787 or in person @ ARTworks in Beaufort Town Center, www.ArtWorksInBeaufort.org.

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Call for Submissions to Artist Showcase

March 17, 2011

The Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce announces the Artist Showcase 2011 scheduled for May 27-28 in historic downtown Beaufort, SC. Artists must submit their application by April 1, with exhibit space selection to be based on date of submission.

The 9^th annual event is open to 24 local and visiting exhibitors presenting original and print work in a range of media to include paintings, folk art, basket weaving and mixed media. The show is free to the public, and all work will be for sale.

The objective of the show is to promote the arts as a viable and important economic contribution to life in the Lowcountry and to support emerging and professional artists in pursuing their artistic goals and developing their talents.

The chamber of commerce is pleased to welcome student artists from Broad River Elementary School grades 1-5 as the 2011 showcase feature. Beaufort County working artists are mentoring the students in preparation for the show to encourage their developing talents and to demonstrate the exhibition process.

The Artist Showcase will be open at Sea Island Best Western, 1015 Bay Street, Beaufort, on May 27 from 12 Noon until 8 pm with a reception from 5 pm until 7 pm. The show will be open May 28 from 10 am until 6 pm. Artists and their representatives will be available to meet the public during the entire show.

Artists may obtain an application or additional information via emailed request to BeaufortBlack@gmail.com. Ongoing updates with artist features will be posted at bcbcc.org, on Twitter @BeaufortBlack and the Facebook page Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce.

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Help Beaufort Art Association celebrate the Golden Anniversary of their Spring Art Show and Sale.

March 10, 2011

Solitary Pine by Sandy Dimke

Opening Friday March 18 and continuing through Sunday March 27, the annual exhibit, celebrating the 50^th year, is again located at the Charles “Lind” Brown Activity Center at the corner of Greene and Hamar streets, in downtown Beaufort. Exhibit hours are 10 am to 4 Monday-Saturday, and 12 noon to 4 pm on Sundays. This is a great opportunity to see local artists at their very best. As one of Beaufort’s favorite spring events, BAA welcomes all area artists to become a part of this exhibit. Oil, acrylic, watercolor, mixed media, collage, pastel, photography, digital art will be on exhibit as well as 3D works of pottery, wood-turning, sculpture, basketry and much more.

Local High School students will also be exhibiting with an added bonus this year. A $200 award in memory of BAA member Geneva Litchfield has been established and will be given to the student whose work is chosen Best in Show for Students.

Guest judge, Savannah artist William Armstrong, will select this year’s winners, who will vie for over $2000 in awards. Mr. Armstrong started out at the young age of 14 painting signs for butcher shops, and has since gone on to become one of the world’s leading scenic artists, creating dozens of major movie sets. Armstrong has worked with Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee and Woody Allen. His artwork for The Legend of Bagger Vance brought the painter and his wife to Savannah, which he now calls home.

Armstrong typically works from pen and ink drawings and pencil sketches, carefully observing the landscape and people around him. His luminous Lowcountry landscapes are worlds away from the high-profile movie sets of Brighton Beach Memoirs, Scent of A Woman or Conspiracy Theory; but they enlighten viewers with their heightened sensitivity to the ineffable beauty of a palm tree at sunset or the mystical presence of a weathered wooden dock on the marsh. Armstrong enjoys creating watercolors on location, in the plein-air tradition, painting a shell-pink and pale-lilac sky over the marsh at sunset or celebrating the view across the river. Inspired by the watercolors of John Singer Sargent, Armstrong explains that he strives for “looseness with the brush strokes” in his watercolors, which showcase palm trees with spiky fronds silhouetted against plush, diaphanous clouds. “It’s amazing what people don’t see, even when something is right in front of them,” he remarked. “Through my painting I try to help people see the beauty in their own neighborhood and to learn to see the day-to-day changes in the world around us.

To find out more about the BAA Spring Show, contact Lynne Morgan at 525-6229 or http://www.BeaufortArtAssociation.com.

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Chamber Music Charleston to perform in Beaufort

March 10, 2011

On Sunday, March 20, 2011 at 3pm Chamber Music Charleston will present “The Art of the String Quartet” at Sea Island Presbyterian Church, 81 Lady’s Island Drive, Beaufort. Violinists Frances Hsieh and Megan Allison, violist Ben Weiss and cellist Timothy O’Malley will perform Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 8 in c minor and Beethoven’s String Quartet Op. 18 No. 1 along with a selection of works by Raymond Scott.

Tickets are $15 general admission and $5 student admission. Tickets will be available at the door or may be purchased in advance online at www.ChamberMusicCharleston.org.

Chamber Music Charleston (CMC) is an organization dedicated to developing the audience for classical music through chamber music concerts and educational performances of high artistic quality by musicians of the Lowcountry. All programs presented by CMC are developed to highlight the diversity, eclecticism and excitement possible in chamber music.

For the 2010-2011 concert season CMC will present over 32 ticketed concerts and over 23 free events in the greater Charleston area in addition to performances in Florence, McClellanville, Edisto and Beaufort, SC. The ticketed concerts include House Concerts on Daniel Island, Downtown Charleston and Kiawah Island, Gallery Concerts in Downtown Charleston, Classical Kids Concert in Downtown Charleston, Mozart In The South Festival concerts and special events. Free public events include a day-long family event on Marion Square as part of the Mozart In The South Festival, in-school performances and “Intermezzo” concerts performed in various hospitals and nursing homes.

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THE INCOMPRABLE SUSAN WERNER IN PERFORMANCE AT FRIPP MARCH 27^TH AT 5 pm

March 10, 2011

There are few performers out there today that have the voice, musicianship and songwriting abilities that Susan Werner has. Fripp Island Friends of Music considers itself fortunate to be able to book this remarkable talent. The audience is in for a real treat with this season ending finale.

Susan Werner is not only an amazing singer-pianist-guitarist-songwriter but also a brilliant performer of folk, gospel, jazz and pop genres. Her just released 10^th album, Kicking the Beehive, is an 11-song collection of provocative, poignant, lyrical originals that are infused with the rustic roots of American folk, blues and country music. Produced by Rodney Crowell, recorded in Nashville and featuring such all star-guests as Vince Gill, Keb’ Mo’ and Paul Franklin, Kicking the Beehive is a personal project where Werner intuitively explorers the full impact of looking beyond the superficial and delving into soulful honesty. The accolades keep coming!

“Werner continues to compose sharp, funny, compassionate lyrics, a gift rare enough to set her apart.” -The Washington Post

“Werner is a songwriter & musician who is in such complete command of her gifts that it is almost scary.” -All Music Guide

“A hip, wry, gifted performer.” –NPR

“One of the most innovative songwriters working today.” –Chicago Tribune

“Werner brings literacy & wit back to popular song.” –The New Yorker

“A consummate performer.” –Boston Globe

“This woman is great. Period.” –Music Row Nashville

TICKETS $20 AT THE DOOR * STUDENTS $10

SPONSORED BY FRIPP ISLAND FRIENDS OF MUSIC

CATERED RECEPTION FOLLOWS PERFORMANCE

FRIPP PASS AT GATE * 843-838-6655

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The Parish Church of St. Helena presents free organ concerts on Fridays this Spring.

March 10, 2011

San Francisco organist Jonathan Dimmock returns to Beaufort’s Parish Church of St. Helena (Episcopal) as the first in the Spring Series of Friday Organ Concerts at Noon on March 25th. These 45-minute concerts are free and open to the public. A graduate of Oberlin Conservatory, Yale School of Music and Yale Divinity School, he became the first American ever to hold the prestigious position of Organ Scholar of Westminster Abbey. He then went on to serve two American cathedrals, St. John the Divine in New York City, and St. Mark’s in Minneapolis. He currently serves churches in San Francisco. Performing with the San Francisco Symphony. he participated in the Grammy award-winning CD recording of Mahler’s Eighth Symphony (Classical Album of the year for 2009). For more information, contact the Pat Gould, the music director at the church, at patgould@islc.net or 843-522-1712 or visit www.sthelenas1712.org

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Announcing the cast of A.R. Gurney’s The Dining Room

March 10, 2011

From left: Rob Spencer, Tracy Smith, Carrie Freeman, Benji Morgan, and Joellen Hischey, rehearsing for The Dining Room @ ARTworks. Also appearing in The Dining Room is Michael Young.

The play is set in the dining room of a typical well-to-do household, the action is a mosaic of interrelated scenes, and the castmembers are six hungry locals, ready for the family dynamics of a vanishing species: the upper-middle-class WASP. Lowcountry actors Benji Morgan, Tracy Smith, Rob Spencer, Carrie Freeman, Joellen Hirschey, and Michael Young are filling the roles of these characters, little boys and stern grandfathers, giggling teenage girls and Irish housemaids.

See ‘The Dining Room’ on stage @ ARTworks, produced by Misspent Youth Productions and directed by Gail Westerfield. March 24-26th at 8pm; March 27th at 3pm; March 31-April 2 at 8pm; April 3 at 3pm. Thursdays are “Pay What You Can.” In Beaufort Town Center, $15 per person, $10 for students (13+), $5 for children (12 and under) and $10 for groups of 10 or more. 843-379-2787 and www.artworksinbeaufort.org.

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Uncommon Folk on SCETV

March 10, 2011

St. Helena Elementary by Rev. Johnnie Simmons

The Red Piano Too Art Gallery would like to announce the television premiere of the South Carolina ETV Documentary Film: “Uncommon Folk”.

“Uncommon Folk” spotlights six self-taught South Carolina artists and the unique and sometimes quirky creations. The program takes a colorful look at the art and artistic mind behind their masterpieces.

Two of the six-featured artists are from St. Helena Island, one is the Reverend Johnnie Simmons from the Cedar Grove Community and the other is the late Sam Doyle, internationally recognized artist from the Wallace Community. Much of the documentary was filmed at the Red Piano Too Art Gallery on St. Helena Island. “Uncommon Folk” will premiere March 10, 2011 at 8:00PM pm on SCETV.

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Beaufort Academy Students Perform The Beaux’ Stratagem

Adapted by Thornton Wilder and Ken Ludwig based on the play by George Farquhar

March 10, 2011

Come see what happens when two gentlemen, down on their luck, envision a plan to find a wealthy bride and split the dowry. With two hundred pound to spare, witness the problems unfold as Archer and Aimwell battle rogues, a crazy mother, a drunken husband, manners, and their own guilt in the quest for love and money. Join us for a night of wandering romance, sword fights, justice, and comedic irony as Beaufort Academy students perform this newly revised classic Restoration Comedy.

The Beaux’ Stratagem will be held at the USCB Performing Arts Center March 11^th, 12^th, and 13^th. Doors will open on Friday and Saturday at 7 pm and the show will start at 7:30 pm. Doors will open for the Sunday Matinee at 1:30 pm and the show will start at 2 pm. Tickets for this event are available for purchase in advance only at Beaufort Academy or on the day of the show at the theatre. Tickets are $5 for children/students and $12 for adults. (Please note: we can only accept CASH or CHECKS for this event) Seating is general admission so please arrive early for the best seats. Discounts for tickets purchased in advance!

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Register Now for ARTworks Afterschool in Beaufort Town Center

August 26, 2010

Quality arts educators share their artform in an exciting community arts center, August 31-October 14th for 6 to 16 year-olds; $45 per child, per class: circus skills, acting skills, strings, arts sampler, collage, Art That Moves, plus intensives in October and November. Family discounts & scholarships available, just ask while registering, no extra paperwork: 843-379-2787 or in person @ ARTworks in Beaufort Town Center. http://www.beaufortcountyarts.com.

Performing Arts ~ Acting skills with Jenn Shand for ages 9-12, a low key and a noncompetitive introduction to acting. Students will gain self-confidence in their ability to express themselves as they learn the basic acting skills through drama activities such as role playing, story dramatization, pantomime, improvisation, and scene work.

Visual Arts ~ Art that Moves with Kelly Davidson for ages 12-16. Students will learn about design, geometrics, color, focus and motion, as we hand build Kaleidoscopes and wind chimes. Using metals, reflective glass, colored glass and other objects, students will be fascinated by the moveable works of art they are able to create.

Performing Arts ~ String Orchestra with Ami Rabinowitz for ages 9-14. Prepare two orchestra pieces in four parts for a performance while learning music theory and instrument skills. Students will learn a few new scales, warm-up exercises, and even some history about their instrument. This class is intended for the orchestra student with at least a year of strings class or private lessons.

Visual Arts ~ Arts Sampler with Jada Gray, for ages 6-9. Students will learn about color, line and media to create Jasper Johns inspired artwork. Jasper Johns is a famous South Carolina American contemporary artist who works primarily in painting and printmaking.

Thursdays beginning September 2nd thru October 14th

Performing Arts ~ Circus Skills with JW Rone, for ages 10-15. Explore the exciting physical arts of juggling, balancing and clowning and their relationship to performance.

Visual Arts ~ Fun Creations with Polymer Clay with Kelly Davidson, ages 6-9. This class provides students with a fun learning opportunity in polymer clay art while working on the projects they’ll be proud to use or give as a gift. This class will help develop new interests and skills in the fun working environment. Students will learn how to mix colors, create textures, shape and cut and using clay techniques; and apply these to make pens, a mirror and a 3-D aquarium, all using colorful polymer clay.

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Beaufort Youth Orchestra Auditions

August 26, 2010

The Beaufort Youth Orchestra (BYO) will be holding their 11^th annual audition on Thursday, August 26, 5:00PM at Beaufort High School band room for all interested students. Auditions will include brass, woodwinds, percussion and string instruments. The first rehearsal will follow on Sept. 2. BYO is comprised of some 40 students from approximately 12 schools and is supported by the Beaufort Symphony Orchestra. The conductor is Fred Devyatkin, the BSO conductor. Rehearsals are held weekly with community performances throughout the year.

Call to schedule an appointment. For more information see www.beaufortorchestra.org or call Ron Maddox 263-2190 or Greta Maddox 476-1310.

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ARTworks to Offer the Meisner Technique

August 26, 2010

“Some people call it the sane version of Method acting,” said instructor Gail Westerfield, who is preparing to teach a class in Meisner Technique at ARTworks. “The class will be an introduction to the fundamentals of Sanford Meisner’s work, a practice that trains actors to be fully ‘in the moment’ on stage. Through a series of exercises, both experienced and inexperienced actors will learn what Meisner called ‘living truthfully in imaginary circumstances.’”

Class work will focus on relaxation and preparation, as well as creating character and building relationship with a scene partner. No previous training is required.

Westerfield has acted and directed for more than 30 years and trained intensively in Meisner Technique as an intern at Actors Express in Atlanta as well as extensively on her own since. When she’s taught this class in the past, she said, “The students really ‘got’ it. The beauty of this technique is that you can learn so much about yourself and the art of acting, even if you’ve never set foot on a stage before.”

A free showcase October 22 at ARTworks will provide an opportunity for friends, family, and fans of great acting to see the students perform the monologues and scenes they have worked on in class.

Students must be age 16 or over. Classes will be Mondays from 7-9 pm, August 23 – October 18. (There will be no class September 6). ARTworks is at 2127 Boundary Street (the K-Mart/Bi-Lo shopping center) in Beaufort. Cost is $150. Payment plans are available, but $50 is required at the first class. Class size is limited. To register or ask questions, call 843-271-0593 or e-mail e.gail.w@gmail.com.

Calendar Listing:

Actors age 16 and over are invited to an 8-week course in the fundamentals of Meisner Technique, a practice that trains actors to be fully ‘in the moment’ on stage.

No previous training or acting experience is required.

The class will culminate in a free showcase of students’ performing monologues and scenes from class.

Classes will be Mondays from 7-9 pm, August 23 – October 18 (There will be no class September 6) at ARTworks, 2127 Boundary Street (the K-Mart/Bi-Lo shopping center) in Beaufort. Cost is $150. Payment plans are available, but $50 is required at the first class. Class size is limited. To register or ask questions, call 843-271-0593 or e-mail e.gail.w@gmail.com.

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Red Piano Too Art Gallery Hosts 18^th Annual Summer Show

July 15, 2010

The Red Piano Too Art Gallery is hosting its 18^th Annual Summer Show on Saturday,

August 7, 2010 from 10:00 AM—5:00 PM. According to gallery owner, Mary Inabinett Mack “each year around this time we have to stop procrastinating and concretely settle on a theme for our annual August “Summer Show”. For a long time now, I have been obsessing about art depicting women and water. At home, I have decorated a whole room around this concept and for the past couple of years I have been working on a series of paintings that I call Women and Water. After much deliberation we finally sort of backed into this year’s theme. I thought it would be interesting to see how other artists treat the theme: Women and Water.

Each year we invite all gallery-exhibiting artists to participate in our Summer Show, but a different particular artist is selected to be the featured artist for the show. The featured artist for 2010 is Saint Helena Island native, Saundra “Renee” Smith. Her creative paintings of acrylics on canvas capture her love of the Lowcountry, with its salt marshes, tidal creeks, and palmetto trees. Deeply rooted in her Gullah culture, she is inspired to portray the beauty of her island home in bold, vivid colors, and bright hues. Smith is a Registered Nurse with a Masters Degree in Health Care Administration, and is employed by the Department of Defense at the US Naval Hospital, Beaufort, SC. Smith’s husband, Michael, inspired her self-taught talent by persuading her to pick up a paintbrush for the first time in April 2008. She is also supported in her work by her two children, Felicia and Michael John, and her greatest fan, three year-old granddaughter Jasmine Lorraine. Smith’s work reflects the fact that her vision is turned inward, magnified, and then projected outward as her artistic renditions of her Gullah Culture. Smith boast that over the past two years her work has been added to the catch of a number of collectors and that one of her painting was purchased by the International Tourism Department in Dublin, Ireland to represent Saint Helena Island’s Gullah Culture.

In addition to Saundra “Renee” Smith, a large number of gallery regulars such as Allen Fireall, Charles Desaussure, Billy Wilkie, Pat Biggerstaff “Nolia”, Pearce Hammond, John Davey, Monikue Cooper, Johnnie Griner, Chris Roberts, “Georgia” Kyle Shiver, Helen Stewart, Lin Sippel, Margaret Warfield, Diane Britton Dunham. Cassandra Gillens, Shaviance Mitchell, Victoria Smalls, Millie Martin, P. D. Saracin, Bobbie Jo Watson, Irene Tison, Amiri Farris, Claudette Humphrey and many others will have there art on exhibit and available to meet and greet exhibit patrons.

Come and meet the artists, share a cold drink and enjoy some live music with us at the Red Piano Too Art Gallery located at 870 Sea Island Parkway, St. Helena Island, S.C. For more information contact the gallery at 843- 838-2241.

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Deadline for Beaufort’s Best Hidden Talent Competition is July 20th

July 8, 2010

In Port Royal, JW Rone introduces a band, in the popular Street Music series. "Live music is often confined to bars and festivals; this competition is a way to open it up, bring it to families, and build a wider community of music lovers."

“This competition is an opportunity to reach deeper, to reach musicians who have not been getting exposure. The focus of the arts council has long been on visual arts, and the theater community is also established. Now we’re opening up the scene to popular music, and all the untapped talent out there that needs discovering,” said JW Rone, the executive director of the Arts Council of Beaufort County. “‘American Idol’ and ‘America’s Got Talent’ are tried-and-true platforms, a way of showcasing talent that’s been out there forever, like the Ted Mack’s Original Amateur Hour in the ’50s that I listened to, and watched, when I was a kid.”

The competition provides a stage for musicians everywhere– there’s no residency restriction– to compete for cash, prizes, the title of Beaufort’s Best Hidden Talent and, even better, recognition and growth as an artist. The deadline to apply is July 20, at ARTworks in Beaufort Town Center or online at beaufortcountyarts.com. The five categories are: 1. Gospel or Vocal Group; 2. Rock, C&W, Bluegrass; 3. Rap, Hip Hop, Reggae; 4. Blues, Jazz, Folk; 5. Solo Musician / Other.

Music lovers in the audience will be able to take in every step of the competition, and perhaps applaud enough to influence the judges, who will have a numerical score sheet, to qualify talents such as vocals, instrumentation, and more. “The contestants will also get feedback, in a critique with the judges, on stage. The critique is an important aspect of the competition, because it will help the artists grow, also gives context and perspective to the performance itself.”

The preliminaries and semi-finals will be at ARTworks in Beaufort Town Center, 7:30pm on Friday, July 23 & 30, and August 6 & 13, $5 at the door. The winner will emerge at the Grand Finale on Saturday, August 21st at 6pm on Paris Avenue in Port Royal.

“The preliminaries will be fun, amazing shows, with music of all genres one after the other,” Rone described. “We’re taking all comers, and I know they’ll be looking for a big audience response. My advice to artists is to work on overcoming your nerves. Be confident. Choose material that is appropriate to your age, range, and experience, material that shows your talent at its best– but hidden no longer.”

Beaufort’s Best Hidden Talent is a project of the Arts Council of Beaufort County, a non-profit service organization dedicated to nurturing multi-cultural arts in Beaufort County, located in Beaufort Town Center at 2127 Boundary Street 29902 within ARTworks, a 12,000 square foot multi-faceted community arts center that is the home of working artist studios, a gallery, black box theater and much artfully more.

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CJ Norwood explains the Value of Art History for Kids

June 24, 2010

CJ Norwood, right, talks with her afterschool kids about their finished artwork.

“It’s important to understand where these creative and wild ideas came from,” CJ Norwood explained. She is the director of Summer ARTblast at ARTworks. “Art history is often overlooked in the schools, in favor of art process, especially for younger students. I did art processes— drawing, painting, crafts— last year at ARTblast, so this summer I want to change it up. When kids get familiar with art history, all the way from caveman to abstract art, they understand better why art is important, and where their own work is coming from.”

The five weeks of ARTblast are a la carte (choose any one that suits your interest) and will still include plenty of kids working with their hands to learn skills, technique and beauty:

Week one, July 12-16: the Prehistoric man- from caves to medieval times. During this week students will learn the history of cavemen, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Africans and medieval warriors. Students will be creating paintings inspired by cave paintings, ceramic pieces based on Greek and roman art, and also creating an African tribal mask.

Week two, July 19-23: The Renaissance and all its wonders . During this week students will learn about Renaissance artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Durer, and many others. Students will create a print inspired by Durer, a sculpture based on Michelangelo’s art, and a group mural.

Week three, July 26-30: Express your inner Impressionist. During this week students will learn about Impressionist and Post- Impressionists artists, like Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, and Henri Matisse. Students will create a painting inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s brush stroke, a collage inspired by Matisse, and a pastel drawing based on Monet’s landscapes.

Week four, August 2-6: Surreal Surrealists and the Dada movement. During this week students will learn about the surrealist artists like Marcel Duchamp, Rene Magritte, and Salvador Dali. Students will experiment with the ideas of surrealism by creating paintings by pouring paint on a surface, experimenting with photography, and by creating an abstract sculpture.

Week five, August 9-13: Abstract artists and their abstractions. During this week students will learn about abstract artists and color field artists like Jackson Pollack, Willem de Kooning and Helen Frankenthaler. Students will create a splatter painting; a portrait inspired by de Kooning, and will paint on raw canvas like Helen Frankenthaler.

“Each era has artists that most people are familiar with, like Van Gogh, Monet, and Picasso,” Norwood commented. “But really, there were many other important artists working, like Seurat, Gauguin, and Jan van Eyck. Over the five weeks of ARTblast, we’ll explore these artists and movements that influenced and inspired each other, which I think will do the same for the kids.”

CJ Norwood is a working artist based in Port Royal, teaching and staffing the arts council office at ARTworks. She will begin her student teaching in Beaufort County in the fall, and currently has a gallery show, Clay Paper Thread, also at ARTworks, which is a multi-faceted community arts center that is the home of working artists’ studios, a black box theater, and more, run by the Arts Council of Beaufort County, a non-profit service organization dedicated to nurturing multi-cultural arts in Beaufort County: 843-379-2787, http://www.beaufortcountyarts.com.

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“Talking With…” a Wealth of Local Talent

June 10, 2010

Eleven actresses, ages 18 – 80, will offer revealing glimpses into extraordinary lives when “Talking With…” comes to the ARTworks stage in Beaufort, June 11-19.

The women “mark” the audience with stories of their many and varied passions, ranging from the eccentric to the ordinary: baton twirling, snake handling, McDonalds, and a loft full of lamps, among others. The pieces explore themes like aging, fear, faith, and loss with exceptional humor and a few tears.

The intimate setting makes the collection of monologues more conversational than presentational, full of characters anyone would want to “talk with.”

The play, produced by Misspent Youth Productions, is by Jane Martin, the pen name of an award-winning Kentucky playwright. The play earned national attention when it premiered at the 1982 Humana Festival of New American Plays at the Actors Theatre of Louisville.

Though Martin has written numerous plays in the decades since “Talking With…” and was nominated for a Pulitzer, the writer’s true identity is still unknown.

The cast and crew include a wealth of local talent, including three mother and daughter pairings. Directed by Gail Westerfield, whose most recent work was as a member of the “Painted Alice” ensemble, the play stars Christine Smith, Billie Shoemaker, Debbie Anderson, Maggy Norden, Jennifer Shand, Kirsten Gobble, Mimi Westerfield, Julia Trask, T.D. O’Neill, Anne Errington, and Barbara Thomas with a special appearance by Carrie Freeman. Travis Williams is the assistant director and stage manager, and Louise Trask is the costumer.

If You Go:

June 11 & 12, 17-19 at 8 pm with a 3 pm matinee June 13. Everyone is invited to a special opening night reception June 11. Please call ARTworks for details and reservations.

Tickets are $15, $10 for students, and $10 each for groups of 10 or more.

ARTworks is at 2127 Boundary Street in Beaufort (the K-Mart / Bi-Lo shopping center, next to OMNI).

For reservations and information, call 843-379-2787.

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300:20

Twenty new paintings by Amiri Farris for Beaufort’s 300th

June 3, 2010

In celebration of the 300th anniversary of the City of Beaufort’s charter, nationally recognized artist Amiri Geuka Farris has created 20 new paintings that honor the past and present and future of the City of Beaufort. His new works will go on display at the historic Charles Street Gallery May 28th through June 12. The opening reception is on Friday, May 28th, 5:30 to 9pm, and the public is invited to meet the artist.

“The city of Beaufort is renowned for its impressive Lowcountry feeling, antebellum architecture, and Gullah culture. I am honored to create Beaufort’s beauty in my own unique style. In honor of Beaufort’s tricentennial, the 20 moderate-sized paintings will be on sale for $300 dollars as keeping with the theme,” Farris explained. His work is highly collected and this will be a good opportunity to view and collect his new works.

Farris is known for his dynamic works of art. His works uses a social realist style combined with original imagery to create art that celebrates life and his contemporary experiences. Amiri’s works are full of exuberant color and intimate personal experiences. His deep engaging layers invite you to look deeper into the painting, where images and colors dance across the canvas in an energetic display of expression.

Farris’ work has been exhibited in major venues nationally and internationally, from the US. Capital in Washington D.C., to Paris, France and St. Petersburg, Russia. Farris was named the 2008 Artist-of-the-Year by Penn Center, and he works as a professor of art at The University of South Carolina Beaufort where he teaches studio and fine arts. His art work was featured as part of 2010 USCB’s Golden Jubilee Celebrating 50 Years of Higher Education in the Lowcountry.

Charles Street Gallery is an established source for Lowcountry and international art, presented within a carefully renovated house surrounded by a lush garden in the middle of Beaufort’s historic district. 914 Charles Street 29902, 843-521-9054, http://www.thecharlesstreetgallery.com.

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Twenty new paintings by Amiri Farris for Beaufort’s 300^th

By Lisa Rentz

May 13, 2010

Beaufort Trio by Amiri Farris

Farris is known for his dynamic works of art. His works use a social realist style combined with original imagery to create art that celebrates life and his contemporary experiences. Amiri’s works are full of exuberant color and intimate personal experiences. His deep engaging layers invite you to look deeper into the painting, where images and colors dance across the canvas in an energetic display of expression.

Charles Street Gallery is an established source for Lowcountry and international art, presented within a carefully renovated house surrounded by a garden in the middle of Beaufort’s historic district. 914 Charles Street 29902, 843-521-9054, http://www.thecharlesstreetgallery.com.

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Lowcountry Artist Releases New Book

Apr. 29, 2010

Lowcountry artist, James St.Clair (aka Saint) releases first book, “The MisAdventures of the Chickens”. The book is primarily a picture book featuring the series of paintings by the same name. The series and book were inspired by stories from his late mother’s childhood. Previously the series has been exhibited at the Art Assylum in Bluffton, The Art Emporium in Port Royal and the Colleton County Museum in Walterboro. An article about the ‘Chickens’ was also featured in Sandlapper Magazine. The book is available on Amazon, at the South Carolina Artisans Center, the Salkehatchie Arts Center, and from the artist. Other outlets will be added.

Saint is an award winning South Carolina Low Country artist. Many of his paintings depict the rich heritage and culture of the Low Country and the Sea Islands. Steeped in history, Saint’s visual stories tell tales of work, humor and adventure. He primarily paints with acrylics on many surfaces, including canvas, paper, clayboard, masonite, wood and even newspaper. Some of his most popular series of paintings are: Harlem Renaissance, Low Country Folktales, Black and Blues, the Adventures of Geechee Joe and Gullah Girl, and his newest ” The MisAdventures of The Chickens”. Most of the Chicken paintings are the subject of this book. This series showcases the artist’s unusual sense of humor as we follow along with the many adventures of these ‘almost human’ chickens. In one painting we see the lead character ‘Rufus’ the rooster water skiing while his family of hens engage in several less than successful activities. In “Jerk Chicken” the group takes on the personna of Bob Marley and the Wailers as they perform at the Hard Egg Cafe. The book includes twenty-six paintings plus portraits of the lead characters.

Saint’s works hang in private collections nationwide. His work can be seen at the South Carolina Artisans Center, Walterboro, SC, and the Salkehatchie Arts Center in Allendale, SC. Commissions and wholesale inquiries always welcomed.

Saint’s awards include the following: Gullah Festival, Best of Show-2005, Sam Doyle Award -2002, Honorable Mention -2005 and 2002: Low Country Art Exhibition, Best of Show-2008, Honorable Mention-2006 and 2002; North Charleston Arts Festival, Honorable Mention-2006, and The South Carolina State Museum, 20th Anniversary Juried Art Exhibition, Honorable Mention-2008

Saint’s work can be seen and purchased at http://www.paintsaint.webs.com. You may also contact: James E. St.Clair, 201 William Anderson Dr., Yemassee, SC 29945 or call 843-589-3904. Email is paintsaint333@yahoo.com.

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Local Church Offers Music Camp

Apr. 29, 2010

Sea Island Presbyterian Church announces it will offer a Summer Music Camp. It will be held at the church June 14-18 from 9:00am-12:15pm. The Camp is open to children who will be in grades 3-8 next school year. The children will participate in Choir, Handbells, Recorder, Guitar, Recreation, Art, Dance, and African Drums.

The theme for the week is “Teachings of Jesus-The Beatitudes.” Each day will feature a different Beatitude. Spectrum Graphic Arts is designing a t-shirt for the week. Each child will receive one of these.

The Camp will be directed by Charles D. Frost, Minister of Music at the church. This will be the sixth Music Camp offered by the church. Frost says that this is one of the most exciting things he does during the year. “I love working with the children. They enjoy one another as well as learning Music and Music Fundamentals.” At the end of the week the children will present a program. “It is always exciting to see how much the children have learned” Frost says. Also, we have a lot of great volunteer helpers who do their jobs with great enthusiasm. The range of ages of helpers is from high school to senior citizens.

Cost for the week is $30.00 a child. Scholarships are available. “It is important that no child stays away because of money. This is an outreach not only to the members of our church, but the entire Beaufort community,” according to Frost. Deadline to register is May 17.

The church is located at 81 Lady’s Island Drive, Beaufort. For more information, contact Frost at 843-525-0696 or cfrost@sipcnet.org.

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Art Collections in Lowcountry Homes: The President’s Circle

By Lisa Rentz

Apr. 29, 2010

This Spring Temple Toy by Jonathan Green was won at an ETV auction. “This was the big, final piece, and by the time it came up, there was only one other bidder,” Dennis Nolan explained. “Look for a variety of sources, because you can find bargains.”

“Nancy Rhett came for Easter dinner one year and brought a lily and a card,” said Fran Nolan in her Harbor Island home. She turned to a small, framed piece on the kitchen wall to explain— “This Jazz man was on the card. And this one is her turtle illustration for a Pierre McGowan book,” she said, pointing out another diminutive piece.

The art collection of Fran and Dennis Nolan is a tour of their lifelong travels, and of South Carolina art history since the 1920s, in a home with dolphin-splashed ocean views. On Thursday, May 13^th, they will host a Presidents Circle at their home, each $20 ticket benefiting the Arts Council of Beaufort County, 379-2787, beaufortcountyarts.com.

“We’re having it at dusk so everyone can enjoy the sunset, and we’ll have drinks out on the deck,” Fran mentioned. “When we moved here in 1998, we started collecting sweetgrass baskets, because they’re pretty, and I had bought a few when we lived in Columbia. We’d take sweetgrass baskets to New Zealand and Europe as hostess gifts, with all the background information too, because they are unique.”

“We started collecting art on our honeymoon in Haiti,” Dennis added, referring to the two large painted voodoo scenes in the living room, as well as cut-steel drum art and textiles. “Since then we’ve been collecting were we live. Art is an aspect of the culture, and we bring it back to our home.”

One of Sam Doyle’s Try Me women hangs in Dennis’ office, in a deep frame like a department store show window. “I got this one from an online auction out of Atlanta,” Dennis explained, shedding light on the process of collecting art. “Another piece by Doyle went for an outrageous price, but only one other person bid on this, I got it for a tenth of the other piece.”

Two large and wonderful Jonathan Green lithographs, a pair called The Gatherers, depicting a line of wind-swept field workers harvesting sweetgrass, crown the dining room walls on either side of a long glass table. “Most artists would be offended if you said these were not originals. Lithographs are ‘multiples’, and they’re a great way to start collecting, because they’re less expensive. They’re not prints, copies or calendars. They’re signed, and are an entryway to a collection.

When you start, find young and local artists, lithographs and etchings,” Dennis said, and then pointed out his large collection of Charleston Renaissance pieces printed by the artists themselves— Verner, Hutty, Taylor, Schoppe— as well as an unsigned re-strike of work by Degas, an unsigned watercolor by Sam Doyle, a landscape by a new Irish artist, an unsigned lithograph by Chagall, a small, calm slice of night sky by Roy Lichtenstein, and one of Rev. Johnnie Simmons’ compelling Gullah woodburning pieces from the LyBenson Gallery in Beaufort. A round table in the front entranceway was covered with hand-painted notecards from over the years from a friend.

“The line between craft and art is very muted,” Dennis said, giving his opinion additional thought as he explained. “The rule has been to buy what we like. Everyday we get up and look around and say, ‘This is fun.’ You never know what’s going to happen with the art market, but if you train your eye, your collection might appreciate.”

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Second Annual ‘Do You See What I See?’ @ ARTworks

Apr. 22, 2010

Pen & Ink Botanicals by Andrea Lambros

Sea Turtle by Christopher Smalls

A year after their first ‘Do You See What I See?’ show, twenty emerging artists return to demonstrate how they’ve progressed, what they’ve learned, and how they’re taking a step away from “emerging” towards “established” and even “renowned.”

In this annual series, an emerging artist is not defined by age, but by intentions. These emerging artists are shedding their shells and sharing their art– some subtly, some boldly– with audiences and collectors; they work against doubt and nay-sayers to speak their minds in painting, pen and ink, poetry, watercolor, collage, pastel, photography, mixed media, and sculpture.

The show includes Leroy Brown, John Bradley, Christopher Smalls, Whitney Wierzbicki, Shanette Booker, Andrea Lambros, Dorothy Cohen, Thomas Anderson, Stephanie Lee, and more.

“I believe art should ignite your imagination and stir your soul,” said curator Hank D. Herring, who is as dimensional and varied as his found-object art: he is a resident artist at ARTworks, a teaching artist in the Lowcountry Arts Integration Project, a working artist exhibiting in shows all over the region, and a mentor to many emerging artists. “This show is a winning situation. These artists work hard to create their voices and speak directly to the people who want to hear them, the people who find this great gallery at ARTworks, and who want to take in new art into their homes.”

The opening reception with this vibrant crowd is Friday, April 30, 6 to 8pm, and the show runs through May 29th, free to browse at ARTworks, home of the Arts Council of Beaufort County and working artist studios, 2127 Boundary Street, www.beaufortcountyarts.c

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Register Now for ARTworks Afterschool in Beaufort Town Center

Apr. 8, 2010

Two ARTworks afterschool kids enjoy the Family Community Arts Night at the end of each session, where kids get to show off what theyve created.

Quality arts educators share their artform in an exciting community arts center, April 20-June 3 for 6 to 16 year-olds; $45 per child, per class: watercolors, clay, comic book writing, film making, acting skills, fabric dyeing and design, and Art That Moves.

Family Discounts & Scholarships available, just ask while registering: 843-379-2787 or in person @ ARTworks in Beaufort Town Center. The Community Showcase is on June 4th @ 5pm, http://www.beaufortcountyarts.com.

Tuesdays

– Watercolor with C.J. Norwood ~ ages 6 – 9

Students will learn the different types of watercolor techniques like: wet on wet, wet on dry, and dry on dry. Students will also experiment with salt, and resist techniques in watercolor. Students will also learn the different types of watercolor paper and experiment with a few of them.

– Introduction to Clay with Deanna Bowdish ~ ages 6 – 9

Explore the basic techniques of creating with clay.

– Write Your Own Comic book with Lisa Rentz ~ ages 10 – 16

Behind every super hero and foiled plot is a good writer. Explore comic books as a literary genre, develop your own heroes and villains and everyone else in between. Use storyboards, action, description, visualization, transitions, and even a few cells of your own illustrations to create an original, fun, and sequential masterpiece.

Wednesdays

– Independent Digital Film and Documentary Production with Julian Gooding ~ ages 12 – 16

Understanding professional techniques for making short films, documentaries, and new ways to self-distribute, as an independent filmmaker is the focus of this course. This Fun and exciting course is designed to support the beginner and the emerging digital film- maker. Through hands-on training you will understand the tools used and as a team, create a short film. Participants will learn DV camera operation, lighting, sound recording/microphone placement, and understand computer based editing (Non-linear). Students do not need their own equipment but are encouraged to bring in any equipment they are presently using to class to better understand its functions.

– Acting Skills ~ Performing Arts with J.W. Rone ~ ages 11 – 14

Basic acting skills will be taught through: games, exercises, improvisation and practical application.

– Fabric Dyeing and Design with Hank D. Herring ~ ages 9 – 12

Learn a wax-resist textile dyeing technique called batik and then use your skills to design one-of-a-kind bags and book jackets.

Thursdays

– Working with Clay with CJ Norwood, ages 10 – 16

Students will learn the importance of shape and form when it comes to ceramics. Students will build on their knowledge of coil technique and slab technique to create both functional and sculptural pieces of art.

– Art that Moves with Kelly Davidson ~ ages 6-9

Students will lean about balance, color, motion, art history as we create Caulder inspired kinetic sculpture, wind chimes and kaleidoscopes. Using bendable metals, glass, plastics, and other objects (all pre-sanded for safety to remove sharp or rough edges).

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Artists go Down the Rabbit Hole @ ARTworks in April

By Lisa Rentz

“Painted Alice” is a play that speaks directly to artists, presented by Theater X in the black box theater @ ARTworks, April 22-25; 7pm Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 3pm matinee on Sunday. This multimedia, ensemble-based take on the Alice in Wonderland story, told through the world of artists, critics, gallery openings, hangers-on and patrons, is a comedy with a dark streak…Alice has been commissioned by an uppity arts junkie to paint ‘something with lots of yellow.’ In Beaufort Town Center, artists (and the general public) are invited to ‘pay what you can’ at the door ($10 suggested.) 843-379-2787, beaufortcountyarts.com.

“In an arts community, people should learn and know as much about art as they can,” JW Rone, the director of the production said. “This piece talks about the real heart of the artist and the difficult world we live in today. I recommend this piece to anyone, but we’re really hoping that we’ll get a lot of artists attending these performances to engage in this conversation.” Rone also works as the executive director of the Arts Council of Beaufort County, with a mission of nurturing the arts.

Jillian Walzer plays Alice joined by Gail Westerfield, Jenny Rone, Tony Vastora, Kirsten Gobble, Christine Smith, Shaviance Mitchell, and JW Rone, director, with a crew of Irby Rentz, Erika Pyle, Stacie Van Vulpen.

“The cast that has really come together well,” Rone explained. “Theater X is committed to celebrating the talent in the community through open auditions, to be able to select the best group of people to tell this story. We’ve gotten some exciting people in, and it’s going to be neat.”

The canvas serves as a rabbit-hole transfer into a world of Artist Anonymous meetings bubbling with doubt, golf course (rather than croquet) scenes infused via video, and a mermaid who speaks and was first drawn by the artist at 6 years old. “Doubt keeps artists from being happy and successful,” Rone observed. “Negativity makes it hard for them to break out and have a positive experience with their art. This is an experiment on that topic, as well as in getting artists and the general public to attend, by asking for a donation.” Read the directions and directly you will be directed in the right direction…

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Charlotte’s Web to be Featured at PJ and Play

Apr. 8, 2010

The increasingly popular live theatre event “PJ and Play” returns on Friday, April 9 at 7:00pm. Wilbur has a problem: he risks winding up as a pork chop! Charlotte, beautiful spider who is fine writer and Wilbur’s best friend, hits on a plan to fool Farmer Zuckerman – she will create a “miracle”. This treasured tale, featuring mad-cap and endearing farm animals, explores bravery, selfless love and the true meaning of friendship. School shows will also be held on April 9 at 9:30am and 12:00pm.

“PJ and Play” is a theatre series for children three to twelve years of age. Children are encouraged to wear their pajamas to the performance, all ready for bed. We hope this event will serve as their bedtime story–only with live characters and lots of entertainment. All audience members will receive a cookie and milk.

A special thank you is extended to “PJ and Play” sponsors, Lowcountry National Bank and Kinghorn Insurance, for making these performances possible. USCB proudly supports the creativity, educational experience and community spirit involved in this series for youth and families.

Ticket prices are $8.00 for children and $12.00 for adults. Tickets can be purchased at the door the night of the performance or by calling the USCB box office at 843-521-4145 in advance.

The University of South Carolina Beaufort is located in the heart of downtown Beaufort at 801 Carteret Street.

ABOUT USCB:

The University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB) is a senior institution of the University of South Carolina system serving the southeast coast of Georgia and South Carolina. The university’s two campuses, located on the waterfront in historic Beaufort, S.C. and at the gateway to Hilton Head Island in Bluffton, S.C., serve a diverse student body of nearly 1,700. USCB offers students an exceptional place to learn and live in an environment focused on growth, preservation and opportunity. For more information about the University of South Carolina Beaufort, please visit www.uscb.edu online or call the university’s Office of Public Information at 843-208-8030.

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Artful Opportunities

By Lisa Rentz

Mar. 25, 2010

Swoosh by Stephen Kishel in his Modern Art: Morning, Noon, and Night, in the gallery @ ARTworks, opening Friday, April 2, 6 to 8pm, in Beaufort Town Center.

A piscine assemblage by Terry Brennan, who will perform his upcycling creative process in Art on a Big Scale @ ARTworks on Saturday, April 3 from 6 to 9pm.

It’s kind of like the Scouts– the more prepared you are for a springtime full of fabulous art happenings, the happier you’ll be on an artwalk, or in the audience, or picking out a colorful piece for the kitchen wall. Here’s a good example of how collecting art can work in the Lowcountry:

“I was walking around Port Royal during a festival a couple of years ago,” said Eileen Doherty with a big smile that is, probably without her knowing it, the real centerpiece her art collection that extends out into her backyard on Lady’s Island. “And someone had set up a table on the street, selling art at really, really great prices. I picked out this one immediately,” Eileen said, pointing to a nearly abstract yellow and green floral by artist Kim Bogan, whose work can be found at the Beaufort Art Association on Bay Street. “I met Kim just a few weeks later, and she spotted it on my wall— “Oh my, so you’re the one who bought it!” she said!”

The arts council offers all sorts of tools and opportunities for absorbing and experiencing the arts (the basics are email updates and the online county-wide calendar at beaufortcountyarts.com.) On April 29th, Eileen will host a civilized session of the President’s Circle, giving fellow-art admirers a personal view of her amazing collection. Only 20 tickets are available, at only $20 each, benefiting the arts council: guest artists, refreshments, and stories of the hunt included, as well as the opportunity to meet Deanna Bowdish, president of the arts council board. The next circle is May 13 hosted by Fran and Dennis Nolan on Harbor Island (descriptive details forthcoming!) RSVPs a must, 379-2787.

At the spacious gallery @ ARTworks however, no reservations are required— business hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11 to 6, and Saturdays from 11 to 3pm. Stephen Kishel’s show, “Modern Art: Morning, Noon, & Night” opens with a free reception with the artist on Friday April 2nd, 6-8pm. He’s getting quite collectible, his most recent commission was four large polished stainless steel figurative works titled “Family Time Gathering,” installed at the Bravern in Bellevue, Washington between Neiman Marcus and The Microsoft Towers in November 2009.

Then, on Saturday, April 3, Deanna Bowdish has planned another enjoyable acquisition moment and party: Art on a Big Scale, live @ ARTworks with North Myrtle Beach artist Terry Brennan, who creates bigger-than-life blue crabs and fast fish that are composed of bits, color, chunks and depths. Guests are encouraged to bring in recyclable items– from bottle caps to aerosol cans to plates– for artist Brennan to use as he creates upcycled art like Angelfish Assemblages and Wahoo Wall-Hangings right there on the spot. At this $25 per ticket ($50 per family) event, guests will also enjoy kids activities, music, a creative atmosphere, and refreshments— and a chance in the prize drawing is included in each entry ticket.

“Deanna convinced me that everyone can afford an original piece of art,’’ explained Brian Stevens, a Pigeon Point resident who originally collected antique furniture and silver. “I had a roommate who was an interior designer who was all over me to go beyond antiques. Then my neighbor Ava got on the bandwagon and introduced me to Deanna, who lives two blocks away.” His collection is now one of the best neighborhood beautifications stories ever.

From its office in ARTworks in Beaufort Town Center, the Arts Council of Beaufort County promotes and nurtures the arts 365 a year, and works as an independent, non-profit service organization that is not a function of the Beaufort County government. http://www.beaufortcountyarts.com, 843-379-2787.

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Beaufort Symphony Offers ‘Romantic Masterpieces’

Feb. 25, 2010

Perennial favorite Tamas Kocsis will return to the USCB Performing Arts Auditorium stage in Beaufort on March 4^th and 7^thto play Brahms’ Violin Concerto in D Major with the Beaufort Symphony Orchestra. According to Musical Director, Frederick Devyatkin, this concerto contains some of the most tuneful passages ever written for violin. Mr. Kocsis delivers them with skill and warmth – a master in command of his instrument at the height of his solo career!

Also on the program is Dvorak’s Symphony #9, subtitled ‘From The New World’, one of the most beloved pieces in all musical literature. The second movement contains the poignant “Going Home” theme, which many of us could easily identify if it were posed as a “Jeopardy” question!

Maestro Devyatkin and Mr. Kocsis originally met during the time when Tamas served as concertmaster of the now disbanded Savannah Symphony. Devyatkin, also a violinist, is glowing in his praise of the high level of artistic talent Tamas brings to the Beaufort Symphony’s stage. In the recent past Kocsis has appeared with the BSO performing Beethoven and Dvorak Violin Concertos. As the two have collaborated so often with The Beaufort Symphony, Brahms’ Violin Concerto promises to be an exceptional treat for the audience!

Mr. Kocsis travels to Beaufort from his post as concertmaster of the Orlando Symphony, where he regularly performs as a soloist and chamber player. His wife, Alexandra, also with the Orlando Symphony, will be in the cello section for the two concerts.

Today, although many of his works remain popular, Antonin Dvorak is probably best known today for his New World Symphony! In 2009 it was named the most popular symphony in a poll taken by ABC Classic F.M Radio. On his Apollo 11 flight to the moon in 1969, Neil Armstrong included a recording of the New World Symphony. It is amazing to think about listening to it as he viewed the earth from such a distance, and then, on his return voyage, remembering the English horn solo as he was ‘Going Home’!

If You Go:

USCB Performing Arts Auditorium

801 Carteret Street, Beaufort

Thursday Evening, March 4th, 2010 – 8:00 P.M. – $30

Sunday Matinee – March 7th, 2009 – 3:00 P.M. – $30

Youth Through High School – $5

Tickets may be purchased on the Beaufort Orchestra’s website www.beaufortorchestra.org or

Call Ticket Fusion’s toll free number 1-877-548-3237

Remaining tickets at the door if available

This organization is funded in part by the South Carolina Arts Commission, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Scenes from Far & Near

Feb. 25, 2010

Watercolors by Robert Steinmetz and photographs by Paul Keyserling will be on display at The Charles Street Gallery, March 12 through April 5. A reception with the artists will be held on Friday, March 12th, 5:30-9pm, at 914 Charles Street, Beaufort SC 29902.

Italian travels are Robert Steinmetz’s subject for his portion of the show. The jewel-toned subjects cover a broad range, from architectural close-ups, to streetscapes of narrow alleyways, to public sculpture and candid figure studies of local residents. Steinmetz began painting full-time in 1990, shortly after retiring from a 27-year career as a practicing architect in Connecticut. In 2009 he was one of only nine artists in the United States elected to “Signature Member” status in the country’s oldest art organization, the American Watercolor Society. His paintings are detailed and precise, in strong contrast to the more traditional use of the watercolor medium. He works in his studio on Dataw Island, on the southern South Carolina coast.

Just twenty minutes inland, native photographer Paul Keyserling snaps the shutter in a signature way that captures the odd angles of telephone lines and Piggly Wiggly signs, the distractions and drainings of this coastal environment, and the scathing, scarring beauty of life in the sun. His lensmanship stems from a career of SC Educational Television and film making, from illustrating The Water is Wide to directing My Name is Moshe. “All the while, still photography has been an ongoing distraction which drains exponentially more assets than it generates,” Paul commented, but he wasn’t counting the calming process of looking into the depths of his photographs to decipher the pristinely wordless stories he has captured.

The Charles Street Gallery is an established source for Lowcountry and international art, presented within a carefully renovated house surrounded by a lush garden in the middle of Beaufort’s historic district. 914 Charles Street 29902, 843-521 9054, http://www.thecharlesstreetgallery.com

A New View from the Arts Summit

by Lisa Rentz

Feb. 18, 2010

“Originality is what I am constantly striving for as an artist,” explained Pigeon Point resident Deanna Bowdish. “It seems that as an artist it is ever more difficult to find a technique or a process that no one has done or attempted. The true joy of creating for me is attempting something new, seeking out that originality and then occasionally achieving that goal.” Deanna’s words are also based on her actions as a gallery owner and president of the board of the Arts Council of Beaufort County. It’s with this kind of creative backbone, that the arts council moves forward as a leader, despite financial setbacks felt county-wide. The first bold move of this post-crash era was an arts summit earlier in February, to let artists and arts organizations speak, listen, and connect. Significantly, the next six weeks hold many opportunities for arts appreciators, and people new to the art scene, to test the depths of the currents in this vibrant environment. Carpool, bring a friend, and choose from the big calendar at beaufortcountyarts.com.

Start with getting yourself on the stage: auditions for Theater X’s production of “Painted Alice” are February 26 & 27 from 6:30 to 8:30, at ARTworks in Beaufort Town Center. This multimedia experience needs actors, videographers, techies, and stagehands, people ready to dive down the rabbit hole.

March is Youth Art Month at ARTworks, opening with a free & fun reception on Friday, March 5, 6 to 8pm, including performances from the Beaufort Youth Orchestra String Quartet. The event is coordinated by St. Helena Elementary School art teacher Michelle Maynard. “The students come in with their families, and show off their artwork in a real gallery. They are proud, they’ve accomplished something, and it’s awesome,” she explained.

On Friday, March 12th, a concert of old-time Southern Appalachian, Celtic music, and breath-taking original compositions will be performed by Walt Michael, a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist who has recorded fourteen albums, appeared at the Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center and toured extensively throughout the US, Canada, Europe and the UK. 7:30pm, $10 at the door, at ARTworks.

But not all arts events are showy performances, there are processes to explore with your hands: ceramics with Trevor Foster on Thursdays, both handbuilding and wheel thrown; metalsmith Peggy Carvell will guide novice jewelry-makers through Hammered Metal Necklaces and Mixed Medium in Jewelry Fabrication (details & registration at beaufortcountyarts.com.)

The local galleries are also doing what they do best, presenting their artists, creating conversation, pouring wine…The Charles Street Gallery’s opening reception on March 12 combines the watercolors & the architecture of Italy, by Robert Steinmetz, with the photography and scenes of Paul Keyserling. The Beaufort Art Association 49th Annual Spring Show is open to the public on March 19- 28 at the Greene Street gym. “I’ve been working on a portrait of a contemporary basket weaver for the Spring Show,” mentioned Melba Cooper, a well-known Lowcountry artist who’s also a teaching artist in the Lowcountry Arts Integration Project. “It’s not the romanticized version, she’s an entrepreneur.”

March 20th brings a “Meet and Greet” with the artists, 1-5pm at the Red Piano Too on St. Helena, and on the 25th, Deanna Bowdish is hosting what will surely be a highly original show at The Gallery on Bay Street: work by the young artists from the LOUD program at the teen center of the Boys & Girls Club. Expect a lot from that crowd of emerging artists. Saturday, March 27th is the Spring Art Walk from 5:-7:30pm throughout Beaufort— start early, because Osalami Lamoke, a recipient of a grant from the arts council, will present her Gullah Folk Concert Of Original Music, accompanied by percussionist Sam Louie, and featuring drummers and dancers of the St. Helena Island Project of United Way at Penn Center, Frissell Community House, starting at 7pm. Enjoy it all, locally and artfully.

SURRENDER TO NATURE: A Journey to Peace & Joy

Small landscapes by Linda Sheppard

Feb. 4, 2010

The Art League of Hilton Head will feature the recent small landscapes by Linda Sheppard, a Beaufort artist. The show will be on display from February 8 until March 6 at the ALHH gallery in Pineland Station in Hilton Head. The artist’s reception will be on Tuesday, February 9 from 5-7:00 p.m.

Sheppard’s pastels of portraits and figurative paintings have received awards in many of the national and international juried shows in New York City, including the Pastel Society of America, the National Academy of Design, and the Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club.

Linda started painting as a hobby in the mid 1960s. She worked in oil, painting mostly landscapes. Her real desire, however, was to learn to paint people. She and her husband, John, had four children and moved around the country while he worked for General Electric and later as a Presbyterian minister. Linda taught public speaking at the college level, taught art classes and kept working to develop her artistic ability. She had solo shows wherever she lived, got “hooked” on the fluidity, transparency, luminosity, and complexity of watercolor and exhibited in galleries as a gallery artist.

When they moved to Pleasantville, NY, near New York City, she decided to go to art school and finally work on her figure drawing. For the past 15 years she has concentrated on developing her ability in the figure using pastels and oils. The Pastel Society of America awarded her scholarships to continue her studies in New York. She started an after school art school for gifted young people and adults in New York, teaching about 80 students a week for 10 years.

Five years ago she and her husband moved to Beaufort. Linda wanted a break from teaching to develop a body of figurative pieces on people who inspire her with their dignity or nobility, or just their interesting stories. Linda resumed her teaching after many pleas from local artists.

Sheppard teaches portrait drawing and painting using “Old Master Techniques” as well as painting workshops and classes in oil and pastel. She is a signature member of the Connecticut Pastel Society and recently awarded “fellow” status at the American Artists Professional League.

For information about class schedules or to view art in Linda’s studio, contact her at (843) 379-4633, email: shepstudio@yahoo.com or look at her web site: http://www.Lsheppardart.com

‘Tales’ in the Arts, in Our Community, & in the Classroom

by Lisa Rentz

Feb. 4, 2010

Jonathan Green’s artwork and career captures the tales of our own coastal community, providing aesthetic enjoyment, intellectual amazement, and countless opportunities for critical thinking in classroom groups and independent learning. These skills are vital to Beaufort County’s arts community, and to the Arts Council of Beaufort County’s mission to support Arts in Education through collaboration with the school district as a Kennedy Center Partner in Education.

These factors are why the arts council created an arts-integrated lesson plan guide for educators of all subjects, and students of all ages, to explore and enjoy the Gardens Corner native’s paintings, in particular ‘Tales,’ and his Home Again show at ARTworks all this month, including a book signing with the artists on Friday the 12th, 6pm-8pm, $10 donation at the door.

Green’s Home Again show at ARTworks is a large collection of his lithographs and silk screens, open to the public. Field trips, for students, including a tour, lesson plans, and a printmaking demonstration can be arranged by calling the Arts Council of Beaufort County at 379-2787, and are supported by the school district, except for bus fees.

It is significant for Beaufort County students in particular to study Green’s work, because so much of his imagery and inspiration stems from his own childhood, in the Gullah community that still offers insight into the seasons, the pace, and the salt of the environment around us now.

Below are the Essential Questions and the Big Idea of the guide, the core ingredients to classroom inquiry. Please feel free to browse the exhibit individually, and mull these points as much as you like, @ ARTworks in Beaufort Town Center, Tuesday- Friday 11am to 6pm, and Saturdays 11 to 3. 379-2787, beaufortcountyarts.com (where the downloadable lesson plans are!)

Big Idea: Time is well spent listening to good tales!

By studying Jonathan Green’s painting ‘Tales’ with these arts integrated prompts, students will be able to:

1. Comprehend the four disciplines of art (aesthetics, criticism, history, production.)

2. Appreciate the history of storytelling and the Gullah culture, and achieve a greater sense of place about their own environment.

3. Understand that tales are told in many different ways and with a big variety of materials; and tell their own important stories using various formats and genres.

Essential Questions:

What is the artist trying to communicate?

What story do I have to tell?

Why is it important for the community to recognize and interact with local artists?

How does art work?

by Lisa Rentz

Jan. 28, 2010

Looking around the Lowcountry, it’s easy to spot what art is (beautiful colors, for example, inspired by the scenery) and what it does (fill walls, fill seats in front of stages.) But how does it all work? And who’s doing all the work? Here are six examples that serve as in-the-moment answers, courtesy of the Arts Council of Beaufort County, a non-profit organization that supports the community, and in turn depends on support from the community, like a sweetgrass basket showing off a selection of hand-tinted, long silk scarves.

First, and last, art works from participation. With your clicks and vote, Beaufort and Hilton Head can move up the list of 25 Favorite Art Destinations, ranked by American Style Magazine, the nation’s premier arts lifestyle magazine for art lovers, collectors and travelers. Each issue features contemporary art and artists, art galleries, art collectors, and arts travel and tourism— features of Beaufort County that the world should know about! Visit http://tinyurl.com/BeaufortHasStyle and click on the purple ‘Top 25’ logo to get your vote counted.

Art works when it’s enjoyed. A Jazz concert with MaryLouise @ ARTworks, from 8 to 10pm and $10 at the door, caps the opening reception for the Home Again gallery show of work by world-renowned artist Jonathan Green on Friday, February 5. The Seabrook-based singer’s jazz stylings are a steamy sauce for the heaping colors of the artist from Gardens Corners.

Then, on Friday, February 12th, Jonathan Green himself will sign books @ ARTworks, 6-8pm, $10 at the door. Meet the artist-printmaker while surrounded by an extensive collection of his original, limited edition lithographs and screen prints, which will remain on view @ ARTworks, free for the public to browse, through the 28th. For schools, field trips, lesson plans, and a hands-on activity are available! 379-2787.

Art works when you get your hands in it. Linda Sheppard is a consummate artist-instructor, and her next class @ ARTworks is “Painting Landscapes, Clouds, and Seascapes in Oil, Acrylic, or Pastel, Wednesday February 24 – Friday February 26, 8:30am-3pm, $300. Students will learn to use the key elements of composition, color, and value to best portray a visual interpretation of emotion, mood, or weather. The goal is to paint these subjects in a way that “speaks” to and engages the viewer. To register, contact Linda at 843-379-4633.

Art works when you immerse yourself. Auditions for Theater X’s production of Painted Alice are February 26 & 27 from 6:30 to 8:30. This multimedia experience, premiering in SC in April, needs actors, videographers, techies, stagehands, and audience members. This ensemble-based take on the Alice in Wonderland story, told through the world of artists, critics, gallery openings, hangers-on and patrons, is a comedy with a dark streak. Contact JW Rone @ jw@beaufortcountyarts.com & 379-2787.

Art works when you plan ahead! The arts council maintains a busy website with an even busier arts calendar of events and opportunities county-wide. Bookmark www.beaufortcountyarts.com, and let the participatory, enjoyable, hands-on immersion begin!

ARTworks in Beaufort Town Center is the home of Arts Council of Beaufort County which promotes and nurtures the arts 365 a year, and works as an independent, non-profit service organization that is not a function of the Beaufort County government. www.beaufortcountyarts.com, 843-379-2787.

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Astound yourself in 2010

by Martha O’Regan Jan 14, 2010

“Let’s totally astound ourselves this year” is a quote for January on my 2010 calendar and has become my official mantra for this brand new year, chock full of possibilities. Have you set your resolutions yet? What will make this year astounding for you?

Consider changing the word resolution which is “the process of resolving something such as a problem or dispute” to intention, which means the “quality or state of having a purpose in mind”.

Resolutions sound so admirable when we make them, but the mere fact that we have failed so miserably in the past, can conjure up those same memories of failure and tend to doom us right out of the gate. They have become the brunt of so many jokes and even a few sermons, which I actually heard last Sunday, that they fall in the “why bother, it’ll never happen” club? Intentions have a whole different connotation allowing for a fresh start, and a new perspective. Resolutions fix a problem whereas intentions follow a purpose. Is your life a problem or is it about fulfilling a purpose?

So, what is your purpose and who benefits from it? Tune into your initial reaction to this question. Is it “I’m not sure of my purpose” or “I don’t have time to fulfill my purpose right now”, or “I feel so lousy, I can’t possibly think about my purpose much less try to achieve it”? Or, are already on your purpose filled journey?

Consider making the commitment for this year to be different in all areas of your life, not just one or two. Life is a multidimensional journey and continuously overlaps with health, relationships, career, spirituality, etc. so instead of resolving to fix one problem in one area, intend to be balanced in all areas.

Write down a vision of where you would like to be in all areas of your life by the end of 2010. Get creative, dream big, and have some fun. Mark your calendar at various intervals, such as monthly or quarterly, to review and update this master list. Next, start a list of only the first steps to achieving each one of your goals. Make them small and reasonable steps with an intention of devoting an hour a day to them as a whole, not an hour for each or always at one time, but in varying increments. Put this list where you will look at it daily checking off steps as they are achieved then adding the next small and reasonable step.

If you don’t believe you can find one hour a day now to devote to your health and well being, how will you find twenty four to be sick or dead? Consider finding this hour for those you know, love and serve because they need you and your purpose?

Despite a commitment, you know you lack follow-through, consider finding a wellness or life coach, or a good friend, to help you set goals and keep you accountable to them. Find someone who will not judge your slip ups but will gently guide you toward your purpose. Once you gain your momentum, then let go and fly on your own.

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Caroll Williams’ art exhibit opens Jan. 15 at Charles Street Gallery

Jan 7, 2010

Simply/Found: Assemblage and Collage by Caroll Williams

The Charles Street Gallery, January 15 – February 6; reception with the artist on Friday, January 15th, 5:30-9pm, at 914 Charles Street, Beaufort SC 29902, 843-521-9054.

Caroll Williams’ 30-year career in graphic design gave her a strong foundation for the work she does now with assemblage and collage. She blends these three elements, and their shades of communication, repurposing, and onion-peeling, into objects of fine art.

“I believe in the serendipity of found objects—their perfectly imperfect shapes, the colors that I couldn’t create myself, the precise amount of weathering needed,” Williams said. “In my work, I try to evoke in the viewer a respect for the naked honesty of old and discarded objects given new life.

“It’s an endlessly fascinating challenge to work with old wood, paper and metal—to combine them while letting their natural beauty show through, altering them as little as possible from the state in which I found them,” she said.

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Eve Miller paintings at the Beaufort Art Association Gallery

by Donna Kirkpatrick Jan 7, 2010

Eve Miller, painter of emotional illusions inspired by the South Carolina lowcountry, is the star of the next Beaufort Art Association (BAA) featured artist exhibit. The exhibit, entitled Visual Poetry, will run from January 11 – February 20.

The opening reception will be held on Friday, Jan. 15 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at 1001 Bay Street in the George Elliott House.

Most of Eve’s works are pastel paintings of amazing South Carolina lowcountry panoramas. “My goal is to create an illusion that elicits an emotion from the viewer. This communication is visual poetry,” says Eve. If this communication occurs successfully, then the viewer experiences an emotion that she tries to evoke. A mood or feeling is thus established through color, composition and design to create harmony and beauty.

Born in Belgium, Eve has always had a penchant for the arts. European galleries intrigued her on her many travels between Europe and the Middle East. Meanwhile she pursued an active career teaching French and Spanish at the secondary and college levels before retiring and settling in South Carolina with her husband.

After moving to the South Carolina Lowcountry, Eve began her painting career after taking advantage of the rich abundance of quality courses taught by local artists. Pam Hagen, one of her first watercolor instructors, was very impressed with how Eve immediately took to painting and creating art. Hagen’s encouragement was a catalyst to continue exploring the arts and she began to study various mediums.

A class with Mary Grayson Segars allowed the investigation of shapes, light and shadow. It was, however, instruction from Linda Sheppard that exposed her to the beauty of pastels; Sheppard’s enormous patience helped Eve find a ‘voice’ in painting pastel landscapes. She continues to develop her ‘vocal chords’ by participating in art classes and workshops. She has also leapt into the local art teaching scene by teaching pastel classes for beginners. Her work is in private collection in the United States, Italy, Australia and Great Britain.

As an added bonus to Eve Miller’s paintings, attendees of the opening reception on January 15 can enjoy the music of The Laizee Rivers Band. The band has been performing in Beaufort for many years under the direction of Bonita Wreden, who plays jazz and blues improvisations on piano.

The band also includes Keith Wells on saxophone, Dennis Glaston on drums, and Tom Davis on bass. They will perform on the veranda of the George Elliott House, which allows people strolling on the sidewalk near the marina to hear the music and feel welcome to walk up to the mansion, view the art and enjoy refreshments with pleasant conversation. It is soft background music, where one does not have to scream to be heard. The event is free of charge and open to the public.

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Merry Christmas, Beaufort High! Dec 24, 2009

by John C. Williams

While there’s no big red bow stretching across the stage and orchestra pit, the $9.8 million Performing Arts Center is still a gift to the Beaufort High community.

The project is in the final finish stages and is expected to be dedicated and opened for business in January. Beaufort County voters approved funding the 650-seat performing arts center as part of the 2008 school bond referendum that totaled $163.7 million.

During a recent holiday concert by the Beaufort High Voices choir at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, music director Vic Varner pointed out that the 90-member group’s next major show will be in the school’s performing arts center. The high school was built with a 350-seat auditorium that will continue to be used for smaller gatherings and lectures, but the new, deep-staged and well-lit performing arts center is where the action is…

“We brought together the four groups here at Beaufort High that are involved in the arts – the drama people, the chorus, the dancers and the visual arts – and we came up with this fantastic space that we hope is going to please all of them,” said Chris Poe, director of facilities and construction in the school district.

Built on the corner of Beaufort High closest to U.S. 21 and also closest to the front entry of the school, the 26,000 square foot performing arts center ties in neatly to existing arts classrooms at the 1,700-student school.

Although a variance was required because the height of the auditorium exceeds city codes, it still doesn’t reach above nearby treetops and doesn’t seem out of place with the 200,000 square foot high school.

“We are on schedule and on budget, and for a project like this that involves some very specific and very technical elements, it doesn’t get much better than that,” Poe said.

The architectural firm Ursy Wolfe Peterson Doyle designed the center, with H.G. Reynolds the general contractor. It took one year to build the center.

The facility includes gallery space for student artists to display their work; a concession area; costume and scenery storage; dressing and make-up rooms for men and women; direct access to the school loading dock; and 650 comfortable, cushioned seats arrayed in a wide but not real deep setting.

“It’s not very deep, so everyone has a wonderful view of what’s happening on stage,” Poe said. The stage includes an orchestra pit that, when not used, is covered – in effect, extending the stage forward by six feet or more.

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The Artist Unleashed – Dec 24, 2009

“In my photographs, I’m trying to get people to look at distortion,” explained Diana Hoppe. “People should turn my art upside down, I play with negative and positive, I use reflections and shadows, going for effects like skeletal and using hand-tinting. I bring the life back into the image. My dragon fly series has the effect of calmness to me, of losing myself in nature. These amazing creatures have little faces and big personalities, and each piece is named for that: Mojo, Zippy, Jarvis, JW, Stretch.”

Everyday at ARTworks, Diana and eleven artists share studio walls and conversation, take smoke breaks and give critiques, and expand their creativity through a synergy found only in cooperative art settings like ARTworks, a 12,000 square foot community arts center that is also the home of the Arts Council of Beaufort County, SC.

These resident artists– painter Carol Kamm, painter Victoria Smalls, visual artist Tyrone Moultrie, mosaic artist Lisa Clancy, metalsmith/jeweler Peggy Carvell, painter Natalie Daise, mixed media artist LaShanta Ase, assemblage artist Hank Herring, and videographer Pam Nilsen, are having a group show, joined by sculptor Pat Willcox and watercolorist Jennifer Kassing-Bradley who recently graduated from the resident artist program.

Hank Herring has channeled this artful tribe’s attention towards the show, entitled The Artist Unleashed. “Even artists need the reminder to “think outside the box,” he commented. The show runs through January 15. For collectors, this is an opportunity to give the gift of local art, and to see the progress these incubating Lowcountry artists have been making.

“I am so excited to be able to show my new work entitled “Orange Clouds Over the Ocean,” said Carol Kamm. “These elements were my inspiration for the series of three mixed media pieces which have been produced with my new process. I have created a new process in the mixed media world that marries digital photographic printing with the application of pastel. There is a juxtaposition of vivid pastel colors with the gloss surface attained through digital printing . . . producing wonderful depth, brilliance, knock-your-socks off color and atmosphere in Lowcountry sunsets, landscapes and abstracts.”

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Red Piano Too Art Gallery Hosts 18^th Annual Summer Show