Visual Artists and Fine Craft Artisans Sought for Annual Co-Op Gallery in North Charleston

Applications are now being accepted from visual artists and fine craft artisans for participation in The Meeting Place Art and Fine Craft Co-Op, an annual, temporary artist-run gallery coordinated by the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department and presented as a component of the North Charleston Arts Festival. The Co-Op is dedicated to presenting many artists of varied backgrounds working in a diverse array of media and representing a full range of styles. Eligible applicants include South Carolina artists, ages 18 and up, creating original fine art, fine crafts, photography, pottery, jewelry, fiber art, glass, sculpture, and more. There is no fee to apply. Applications can be found online at NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com/apply. Deadline for applications is Monday, March 3, 2014.

The Meeting Place Art and Fine Craft Co-Op Gallery is located at 1077 East Montague Avenue in the Olde Village area of North Charleston. Operating hours are Fridays and Saturdays, April 4 through May 31, 2014, and are overseen by participating artists. A free, public reception will be held at the gallery during the North Charleston Arts Festival Art Walk on Wednesday, May 7, from 5:00-8:00pm.

The 2014 North Charleston Arts Festival is scheduled for May 2-10. The nine-day celebration of arts and culture provides over 30,000 thousand residents and visitors with an array of performances, exhibitions, and activities. The Main Event, held the first weekend in May, offers free admission and parking to over 40 performances on four themed stage stages; General Audience, Cultural Heritage, Youth Entertainment, and Bands. Other Main Event activities include judged art and photography shows, the SC Palmetto Hands Juried Fine Craft Exhibit, a gem & mineral show, an antique show, children's activities, art and craft booths, and a food courtyard. The Arts Festival continues with over sixty events and exhibitions throughout the week at various locations. An array of free and ticketed offerings include street dances, concerts, theater presentations, film screenings, an art walk, children’s programs, workshops and demonstrations, a National Outdoor Sculpture Competition & Exhibition, and much more. The festival concludes with the Grand Finale at North Charleston Riverfront Park featuring performances by professional groups and Tri-county schools, children's activities, and fireworks over the Cooper River.

For more information about the North Charleston Arts Festival, The Meeting Place Art and Fine Craft Co-Op Gallery, or other exhibition opportunities, contact the North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at (843)740-5854, email culturalarts@northcharleston.org, or visit NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com.

North Charleston City Gallery to Exhibit Works by The Goose Creek Artists Guild

Blue Mountains (oil) by Goose Creek Artists Guild member Karen Gaag

The City of North Charleston’s Cultural Arts Department is pleased to announce that works by members of the Goose Creek Artists Guild will be on exhibit at the North Charleston City Gallery from February 3-28, 2014. A free reception will be held at the gallery on Thursday, February 6, from 5:00-7:00pm. Many of the exhibiting artists will be present and refreshments will be served. The public is invited to attend.

The Goose Creek Artists Guild, founded in 1982, will present its 31st Annual Judged Show featuring two-dimensional works in a variety of subjects and mediums. Comprised of artists from Berkeley, Dorchester, and Charleston counties, guild members from all levels of expertise express their talents in oil, watercolor, acrylic, pastel, drawing, and mixed media. Ribbons for Best of Show as well as first, second, and third place in multiple categories will be awarded by guest juror, Mercedes da Silva. Da Silva is a juried member and on the board of directors for the Charleston Artist Guild and has taught Art and Spanish and Northwoods Academy for 15 years.


The Goose Creek Artists Guild meets monthly for live demonstrations and business to further its purpose "to bring together a group of artists interested in self-improvement, public recognition, and the promotion of the arts in the community." For more information, contact the Guild President, Muriel Lanciault, at (843)486-6328.

The North Charleston City Gallery is situated in the common areas of the Charleston Area Convention Center, located at 5001 Coliseum Drive in North Charleston. Parking and admission are free during regular Convention Center operating hours, 9:00am – 5:00pm daily. The gallery is staffed on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday only. Inquiries regarding the artists or purchase information may be directed to the North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at (843)740-5854. For information on additional exhibits, programs, and events, visit the Cultural Arts section of the City’s website at http://bit.ly/culturalarts.

North Charleston City Gallery to Exhibit Works by Barbara Sammons, Carol Beth Icard and Linda Page Hudgins

"Forgotten" by Barbara Sammons

The City of North Charleston’s Cultural Arts Department is pleased to announce that photographs by Barbara Sammons and abstract paintings by Carol Beth Icard and Linda Page Hudgins will be on exhibit at the North Charleston City Gallery from November 1-30, 2013.

Dusty Roads by Barbara Sammons
In her latest collection of photographs, Dusty Roads, Barbara Sammons focuses her lens on the classic cars, junkyard jalopies and old trucks she encounters as she travels the back roads of the Carolinas, Tennessee and Kentucky. According to Sammons, the post-processing techniques she applies to her digital photographs work to enhance the soul or story behind the subject, as there is always a story to tell. “I’m often asked, ‘Why do you want to take a picture of that rusty old car?’ I’ll say, ‘Tell me its story, and then I’ll tell you why,”” Sammons explains. In response, the photographer has heard a number of reminiscences about family summer road trips, tales of teenage backseat shenanigans, recollections of successful excursions through bad weather, memories of driving lessons with nervous parents, and more. As both a photographer and writer, it is the people and narratives behind these rusty, old automobiles that inspire Sammons. “I hear the joy and love in their voices,” she says. “And I love a good story.”

Barbara Sammons is an award-winning photographer and published writer with over 30 years of experience behind the camera. Her photographs have been featured in numerous solo, group and juried/judged exhibitions throughout the Southeast. Barbara currently resides in Candler, North Carolina, and is a former professional chef, graphic designer, marketing professional and master gardener. She is a member of several photography organizations in North Carolina, the Photographic Society of America (PSA), the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP), CORSA, the Corvair Society of America and CORSA/NC, the Corvair Society of North Carolina.

Works by Carol Beth Icard and Linda Page Hudgins
In their joint exhibition, Carol Beth Icard and Linda Page Hudgins present a collection of nonobjective paintings that capture invisible energy with their own personal color vocabularies. Icard describes her painting style as introspective abstraction, incorporating intuition, emotion and contemplation via color, gesture, line and form. Hudgins’ work may be described as abstract surrealism, with images of nature implied through spontaneous brushstrokes. The two artists live in the same community, six miles apart, divided by a state line. Although they maintain strongly individual approaches to painting, they have developed a compatibility that has become a part of their growth, both as artists and as friends.

Carol Beth Icard began her painting career mid-life, enrolling in the visual arts program at Berkshire Community College (Pittsfield, MA) in her mid-forties. Her focus for the many years since then has been on developing her voice as an abstract painter. Her works have been featured in many solo and group exhibitions along the East Coast and are included in several private and public collections, such as the Carol Grotnes Belk Library and Information Commons at Appalachian State University (Boone, NC) and Hospice of the Carolina Foothill (Columbus, NC). She lives and works in Landrum, SC, and is currently represented by Carolina Gallery in Spartanburg, SC, and The Design Gallery in Burnsville, NC.

A native of South Carolina, Linda Page Hudgins studied art at Converse College and later at the Rhode Island School of Design. A lifelong commitment to artistic exploration has taken her to such exotic places as Ghana, Botswana and China. She has exhibited frequently in regional venues throughout her career, including galleries in Chicago, New York City, Richmond, Virginia, as well as NC, SC and GA. In addition, her paintings are included in a number of private and public collections both in the states and abroad, including Wofford College (Spartanburg, SC) and Guangxi Normal University Art School (Guilin, PR China).

The North Charleston City Gallery is situated in the common areas of the Charleston Area Convention Center, located at 5001 Coliseum Drive in North Charleston. Parking and admission are free during regular Convention Center operating hours, 9:00am – 5:00pm daily. The gallery is staffed on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday only. Inquiries regarding the artists or purchase information may be directed to the North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at (843) 740-5854. For information on additional exhibits, programs, and events, visit the Cultural Arts section of the City’s website at http://bit.ly/culturalarts.

City Gallery to feature works by some of SC’s best artists

Taking a Break by Audrey Montgomery 

(Best of Show)

The City of North Charleston’s Cultural Arts Department is pleased to announce that works by The South Carolina Watermedia Society will be on exhibit at the North Charleston City Gallery from September 2-30, 2013. The collection of works, on loan through the South Carolina State Museum’s Traveling Exhibitions Program, features the top 30 pieces from the group’s 36th annual juried exhibition. Selections were made by world renowned watercolorist, Linda Baker. A number of the works on view will be available for purchase, including the exhibit’s Best of Show, a watercolor piece titled Taking a Break by Beaufort, SC, artist Audrey Montgomery.

The South Carolina Watermedia Society is the only statewide visual arts organization in South Carolina to promote artists who work in watermedia, which includes watercolor, acrylic, gouache and casein, among others. As the state’s largest visual arts guild, their membership includes some of South Carolina’s best artists. Their annual juried exhibition, which has been presented since 1977, offers both new and established artists from around the state the opportunity to compete for prize money and to have their work exhibited in a variety of venues under the supervision of the South Carolina State Museum’s Traveling Exhibitions Program. In addition, the group provides a number of other exhibition opportunities, educational programs and avenues for professional development. For more information, visit scwatermedia.com.

The North Charleston City Gallery is situated in the common areas of the Charleston Area Convention Center, located at 5001 Coliseum Drive in North Charleston. Parking and admission are free during regular Convention Center operating hours, 9:00am – 5:00pm daily. The gallery is staffed on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday only. Inquiries regarding the artists or purchase information may be directed to the North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at (843) 740-5854. For information on additional exhibits, programs, and events, visit the Cultural Arts section of the City’s website at http://bit.ly/culturalarts.

North Charleston City Gallery presents concurrent solo exhibits by Robert B. Reed & MaryAnn H. Goodhue

"Plastic Beach Chairs" by Robert B. Reed (L), "Corexit Dispersant Stream" by MaryAnn H. Goodhue (R)

The City of North Charleston’s Cultural Arts Department is pleased to announce that mixed media paintings by local artist, Robert B. Reed, and oil paintings by Montgomery, Alabama, based artist, MaryAnn H. Goodhue, will be on exhibit at the North Charleston City Gallery from August 1-31, 2013. The artists will host a free public reception at the gallery on Thursday, August 1, from 5:00-7:00pm.

Outlying Shores: Annotations from Abroad by Robert B. Reed
The seven seas take on a new meaning in Outlying Shores: Annotations from Abroad, featuring the beach and shoreline resolutions of seasoned painter and world traveler, Robert B. Reed. For this exhibition, the artist offers a glimpse into a lifetime of experience abroad, highlighting seaside culture and some modes of human leisure prompted by and in face of the sea. The paintings are a mixture of symbols of the Western world that emulate serenity and leisure set within an unsure continuity that act like beacons of a sea culture; steadfast as a lighthouse but amorphous as the fog that surrounds it. Although each piece depicts different localities, which may be seen through delicate nuances of light and form, as a whole, the exhibition reveals how a common attitude can be shared by inhabitants of distant shores, which is a fundamental outlook for the prosperity of any port city in strengthening external bonds and relationships. “This series reflects my curiosity and attraction to one of many aspects of sea culture, which is an integral part of my life,” Reed says. “My interests have often been to depict what for me are visually poetic features of human involvement with our oceans and coastal sea areas, a way of measuring time, but more so, a way of measuring different cultures.”

Although not a native to Charleston, Reed is an adopted son returning to one of the localities where he had spent time as a child nurturing his attraction for the sea. He was born in Key West, Florida, and has lived in many different places in the United States, growing up mainly in Hawaii and California. He spent a major part of his life traveling the world, eventually using Tuscany as his home base. He studied at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze from 1981 to 1985, receiving a Diploma in Painting from this Italian State Institute, and was accepted with a scholarship into a Masters of Fine Arts program at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, in 1988. During the mid-1990’s he taught courses in watercolor technique and collaborated with two private arts schools in Florence, Studio Cecil and The Florence Academy of Art. Reed’s work has received several awards and honorable mentions and has been shown in both solo and collective exhibitions in Australia, Italy, Switzerland, and throughout the United States.

Endangered by MaryAnn H. Goodhue
MaryAnn H. Goodhue’s fascination with color, pattern, and repetition are immediately evident in her work. Her bold palette, a bit irreverent and humorous, is both challenged and inspired by the Fauvism movement of the early 20th century, and influenced by painters like Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, and Maurice de Vlaminck. Though her body of work boasts a very diverse use of materials, subjects, and inspiration, the artist has chosen to display one particular series of paintings for her one month presentation at the City Gallery. Endangered features a collection of oil paintings inspired by the devastation to the native bird population in Goodhue’s home state of Alabama caused by the 2010 Gulf Oil Spill. More than 300 species of birds live or pass through the Gulf Coast each year, including some rare and endangered species, making it one of the most important bird habitats in the world. Thousands of birds were immediately impacted by the estimated 170 million gallons of oil that flooded into the Gulf, with thousands more expected to suffer from long-term impacts such as an unbalanced food web. “As I photograph, sketch, and bring to life the struggles of these birds, I find myself enthralled with the plight of these endangered, graceful creatures,” Goodhue says. “Though the oil is no longer visible, their battle for recovery continues.”

MaryAnn H. Goodhue was born in New Jersey and currently lives and works in Montgomery, Alabama. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Sculpture from Augusta State University in Georgia in 1988 and her Bachelor of Science in Art Education from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 1993. She taught students of all ages as an art educator for over twenty-five years, exchanging work in the classroom for full-time work in the studio in 2010. Her paintings and sculptures have been included in numerous juried and invitational exhibitions throughout the United States. Presently her work is represented by the SAC Gallery in Montgomery, Alabama.

The North Charleston City Gallery is situated in the common areas of the Charleston Area Convention Center, located at 5001 Coliseum Drive in North Charleston. Parking and admission are free during regular Convention Center operating hours, 9:00am – 5:00pm daily. The gallery is staffed on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday only. Inquiries regarding the artists or purchase information may be directed to the North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at (843) 740-5854. For information on additional exhibits, programs, and events, visit the Cultural Arts section of the City’s website at http://bit.ly/culturalarts.

City Gallery to Exhibit Works by father and son, Richard & Joel Parker

The City of North Charleston’s Cultural Arts Department is pleased to announce that People, Faces, and So…Carolina©, an exhibition of oil paintings by Richard and Joel Parker, will be on exhibit at the North Charleston City Gallery from July 1-29, 2013. The artists will host a free public reception at the gallery on Friday, July 5, from 5:00-7:00pm.

People, Faces, and So…Carolina© is a joint exhibition featuring works from Richard Parker’s So…Carolina© Low Country series and Joel Parker’s Facebook It! series. The exhibition marks the first time the two artists, who are father and son, will have their work displayed together. Richard’s oil paintings of Lowcountry scenes, from the sun rising over the beach at Isle of Palms to the storefront of the old Tellis Pharmacy on Lower King Street, are rooted in the aesthetic of reflection and the artist’s spiritual values. In contrast, Joel’s selection of oil paintings from his Facebook It! series explore the idea of spectacle by presenting images of large crowds at social gatherings. Instead of depicting the event the crowd has gathered for, Joel chooses to focus on the interactions that support these large events, thus turning the audience assembled to watch the spectacle into the subject observed by the viewer. By presenting a crowd in this manner, the viewer is asked to consider how an audience participates in a spectacle while at the same time mirroring how the viewer of the artwork participates with the artwork.

Richard Parker was born in Camden, SC, and raised in Kershaw, SC. Since high school he had dreams of an art related career, studying art at the University of South Carolina at 19 and later, with the help of the G.I. bill, receiving a BS in Art with K-12 certification from James Madison University. However, his aptitude for mathematics landed him in the field of civil engineering and project management with positions in the military, civilian industry, and institutes of higher education until his retirement in 2007. It is now, in retirement, that he is able to pursue his first career desire as his second living in his home studio in Mt. Pleasant, SC.

Joel Parker received his Bachelors of Arts in Studio Art, Historic Preservation, and Art History from the College of Charleston in 2005 and 2006. He received his Master of Fine Arts in painting from Washington University in St. Louis in 2009, followed by a travel fellowship and Cité Residency at the Cité International des Arts in Paris, France. His work has been featured in a number of solo and group exhibitions in Charleston, SC, St. Louis, MO, and Gainesville, FL, where he currently resides and is pursuing a Masters in Art History at the University of Florida.

The North Charleston City Gallery is situated in the common areas of the Charleston Area Convention Center, located at 5001 Coliseum Drive in North Charleston. Parking and admission are free during regular Convention Center operating hours, 9:00am – 5:00pm daily. The gallery is staffed on Friday, Saturday, and Monday only. Inquiries regarding the artists or purchase information may be directed to the North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at (843) 740-5854. For information on additional exhibits, programs, and events, visit the Cultural Arts section of the City’s website at http://bit.ly/culturalarts.

National artists to present concurrent solo exhibitions in North Charleston June 3-30

"Tractor at Bayonet Farm" by Jimmy Leslie (right) and "Diver with yacht" by John A. Malveto (left)

The City of North Charleston’s Cultural Arts Department is pleased to announce that landscapes by Jimmy Leslie of Shrewsbury, New Jersey, and stain paintings by John A. Malveto of Walker, Louisiana, will be on exhibit at the North Charleston City Gallery from June 3-30, 2013.

Road Trip – Landscape Paintings by Jimmy Leslie
In an effort to continually push boundaries and experiment, Jimmy Leslie works with diverse modes of expression. His body of work includes landscapes, portraits, and collages in oil, acrylic, watercolor, and mixed media. This particular exhibit, Road Trip – Landscape Paintings by Jimmy Leslie, features scenes from the artist’s travels painted in oil and acrylic. “I love to get out of the studio whenever possible to take part in the tradition of plein air painting,” Leslie says. “There’s something about hitting the road with a small paint box in the same way the Impressionists did; just my supplies and a desire to connect with nature.” Jimmy’s landscape paintings capture scenes of places both near and far, many of which are visited due to the travel associated with his position as Resident Artist and Sr. Technical Services Director at Colart Americas, Inc. Sometimes the paintings made on location stand on their own and other times they form the basis for larger paintings that begin to push the boundaries of representation and even become non-representational images. The paintings that stem from these studies often share the qualities of topography and form becomes dictated by color, rather than the reverse. “Ultimately I look for these images to reference the locations they are based on rather than a strict verbatim translation; in this way they become a record which is much more personal,” he explains.

Jimmy Leslie received an MFA from the Graduate School of Figurative Art of the New York Academy of Art and owned and operated the Leslie Art Studio in 2006 and 2007. After almost 15 years of teaching in the Art & Design departments of Monmouth University, St John’s University, and Brookdale Community College, as well as working with gifted students in the Monmouth County Arts High School program, Jimmy left the academic world behind. In January 2009 he began his role as Resident Artist and Sr. Technical Services Director at Colart Americas, Inc., the North American distributor of Winsor & Newton and Liquitex paints. As an artist with ColArt, he is involved with product testing and development and runs the Artist Outreach program. His landscapes, figurative work, and mixed media collages have been exhibited throughout New Jersey, as well as New York, Oregon, Texas, Nebraska, Idaho, Florida, Missouri, North Carolina, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. His work has most recently been seen at The Currier Museum Art Center (Manchester, NH), The NJ Resources HQ, (Howell, NJ), The Limner Gallery (Hudson, NY), the new Joan and Robert Rechnitz Hall on the campus of Monmouth University (West Long Branch, NJ), and the Paper World Art Material Trade Show (Frankfurt, Germany).

Recent Paintings by John A. Malveto
In Recent Paintings by John A. Malveto, the artist presents a collection of abstract works involving the resiliency of humanity versus nature and their eternal conflict to coexist harmoniously. Malveto’s pieces are autobiographical in nature, thereby enabling him the opportunity to integrate personal iconography within the compositions. His works include a combination of visually energetic surfaces created through his own unique approach to “stain painting.” Malveto’s process involves applying multiple stages of poured and brushed acrylic paint to numerous sheets of glass. Stencils are used to cut out shapes from the paint once it has dried. The shapes correspond to a detailed pencil composition created on a canvas. The cut-out shapes of paint are glued to the canvas, section by section, resulting in a finished painting whose effect could not be achieved any other way. “This form of painting is so unusual that I know of no other contemporary artist who employs it,” Malveto says. “By utilizing this unique procedure I feel it has provided greater control of my visual expression. In addition this experience redefines the concept of stain painting.”

John Malveto received his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Park College in Missouri in 1967. He studied painting and drawing at the University of Rhode Island in 1974, and received his Masters of Fine Arts in painting and sculpture from Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona in 1976. Malveto has taught at many universities from New York to California to China and has been a professor at the Louisiana State University School of Art since 1983. He has been represented by numerous galleries, and participated in many solo and group exhibitions, earning multiple awards. Presently he is showing with the Kodner Gallery in St. Louis, Missouri.

The North Charleston City Gallery is situated in the common areas of the Charleston Area Convention Center, located at 5001 Coliseum Drive in North Charleston. Parking and admission are free during regular Convention Center operating hours, 9:00am – 5:00pm daily. The gallery is staffed on Friday, Saturday, and Monday only. Inquiries regarding the artists or purchase information may be directed to the North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at (843) 740-5854. For information on additional exhibits, programs, and events, visit the Cultural Arts section of the City’s website at http://bit.ly/culturalarts.