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.

FREE: Fourth of July Festival in North Charleston - largest show of fireworks in the Lowcountry

Join in on the Facebook event

The City of North Charleston will hold its Fourth of July Festival at Riverfront Park on Thursday, July 4, 2013, 3:00 pm - 10:00 pm. The event and parking are free of charge and all general admission.

North Charleston’s Fourth of July Festival will feature the largest show of fireworks in the Lowcountry and one of the largest in the State of South Carolina.

The following is a schedule of events:

3:00 pm 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm 4:15 pm – 5:30 pm 5:45 pm – 7:30 pm 7:45 pm – 9:15 pm 9:15 pm – 9:45 pm

Festivities begin Island Trio Calvin Taylor Band Plane Jane Blue Dogs featuring Skylar Laine (from American Idol) Show of fireworks over the Cooper River by Zambelli Fireworks International with music performed by North Charleston Pops

Guests are invited to bring lawn chairs and blankets, as there will be no seating provided. A wide variety of food vendors will be on site. Children activities will be available free of charge, including inflatable jump castles, games, the play area, the giant sandbox, and the water fountain.

Food vendors attending the event: Vendors: DIG Rig, Smoothie Time, Kool Katz Italian Ice, Tony the P-Nut Man, Jeans Peanuts, Philly’s Italian Ice, Sweets N Treats, Zeus Grill and Seafood, Just Lemonade, Chucktown Mobile Seafood, Cast Iron Food Truck, Charlie Brown Seafood, Dulce Truck, Charleston Festival Foods, That’s How We Roll, Charleston’s Poboy Food Cart.

Riverfront Park is located on the former Charleston Naval Base, easily accessible from I-526 and I-26. Enter the former Charleston Naval Base by the McMillan Avenue or Virginia Avenue gate and turn onto Hobson Avenue. Riverfront Park signs are visible for easy to follow directions. All parking is free and shuttles will be available for the convenience of guests.

Open to the public year-round, Riverfront Park has become a favorite destination for residents and visitors. Set on the banks of the beautiful Cooper River, the park is adjacent to the historic homes once occupied by the Charleston Naval Base officers, surrounded by graceful grand oak trees and peaceful river vistas. Bordered by Noisette Creek, the park boasts a magnificent contemporary Performance Pavilion and meadow.

Riverfront Park is home to the Greater Charleston Naval Base Memorial, erected in honor of the countless military personnel and civilians that served the United States and the Greater Charleston region while the Charleston Naval Base was operational. The Memorial is the only location in the United States that displays both the Lone Sailor and the Homecoming statues. Riverfront Park is also the location of North Charleston’s Annual National Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition. A component of the 2013 North Charleston Arts Festival, the Competition and Exhibition features large-scale contemporary sculptures on display throughout the year.

Photos of previous Fourth of July Festivals.

Watch until the end to see Mayor Summey’s solo

City of North Charleston Seeking New Artist-in-Residence

Each fiscal year the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department contracts a professional visual artist to serve as the City’s Artist-in-Residence. The department is currently seeking to fill the position for 2013/14. The City’s Artist-in-Residence serves as a key resource for the department’s outreach programs, especially in the area of art instruction. The selected artist will share his/her unique skills, talents, and experiences by providing free visual art residencies, workshops, and demonstrations to public schools, recreation facilities, and community groups within the city limits of North Charleston. Local visual artists with a willingness to share their talents and an ability to work with students of all ages are invited to apply for the part-time position by Wednesday, July 17, 2013.

At the written request of art teachers and school liaisons, the Artist-in-Residence will conduct visual art residencies at North Charleston schools throughout the 2013/14 school year. Additional workshops will be coordinated at the request of community groups, as well as during the 2014 North Charleston Arts Festival. In addition, the Artist-in-Residence has the option to present an exhibition of his/her work at the North Charleston City Gallery throughout January 2014. Additional exhibition opportunities are available during the North Charleston Arts Festival in May.

Rate of pay for this part-time position is $20 an hour for up to 300 hours. Program supplies are provided. A background check is required. Interested artists should submit slides, quality photographs, or digital images of their work along with a current résumé/CV by 5:00pm on Wednesday, July 17, 2013. Application materials may be emailed to culturalarts@northcharleston.org or mailed to the attention of Nancy Rodriguez at City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department, PO Box 190016, North Charleston, SC, 29419-9016.

For more information about the Artist-in-Residence program, or the department’s other programs, exhibits, and events, visit http://bit.ly/culturalarts or call 843-740-5854.

Side by side burn to test effectiveness of residential sprinklers

A side bye side burn will be held on June 19, 2013 at 5:00 pm in the North Charleston Fire Museum parking lot.

A side by side burn is a demonstration of how long it takes for a room to flash over versus a room with a residential sprinkler system. There are two rooms setup in identical fashion, except one has a residential sprinkler system and one does not. The damage to the first unit is usually significant and shows the actual damage of a fire in a residence. Flash over can occur in as little as two to three minutes, meaning the room is more than 1,400 degrees. The second shows what would happen if the same home was equipped with residential sprinklers.

This is a live fire demonstration to help our residents understand the significant value of a residential sprinkler system.

The event is held in being conducted by the North Charleston Fire Department, in conjunction with the South Carolina Fire & Life Safety Education Association and the South Carolina Fire Sprinkler Coalition.

Village Antiques & Collectibles Show

We invite you to the City of North Charleston’s Village Antiques & Collectibles Show in Park Circle at the Felix C. Davis Community Center on June 22-23 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm each day.

The Show will feature home decor, fine antiques, furniture, collectibles, antique guns, art, jewelry, rugs, crafts, vintage toys & games, silver, pottery, china, silver, salvage items, outdoor decor, vintage instruments, and more.

Admission is $2.00, all of which will be benefits The Spay Not Slay Endowment.

For more information, contact Lisa Reynolds at (843) 740-2531 or via email at lreynolds@northcharleston.org.

CARTA and area partners launch NASH route in North Charleston

The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) today announced the launch of the North Charleston Area Shuttle (NASH), a new route linking area hotels, restaurants, retail, as well as Charleston International Airport and entertainment venues, in North Charleston. The route will be available free of charge thanks to a partnership with City of North Charleston, Boeing and the Charleston County Aviation Authority. The service, which officially began on Sunday, June 9, will utilize hybrid buses, a first for the transit system.

Check out the route and schedule (pdf)

View CARTA NASH route in a larger map

“We know there is a need for more service in this area and it has been a long-term goal of the Board to bring hybrid buses to the system,” said CARTA Board Chairman Elliott Summey. “We have heard riders’ requests and have found a way to not only bring this service, but offer it for free with hybrid equipment, which is huge for our system. We appreciate the support of Boeing, the City of North Charleston and the Aviation Authority in making this all possible.”

The NASH free shuttle is the newest addition to CARTA’s services, and will run seven days a week. This route will run on International Boulevard with convenient stops at the airport, North Charleston Coliseum, Boeing, hotels, retail shops and restaurants. With 16 stops along the looped route, the shuttle will also service key points of interest including, Performing Arts Center, Tanger Outlets, SCRA Lowcountry Graduate Center, and more.

Photos from the launch event

“The City of North Charleston has some of the highest ridership for several of CARTA’s routes. Residents depend on the service to get them to work, while visitors use it to travel between places to stay, visit, eat and shop – all without leaving North Charleston,” said North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey. “This new service mutually benefits both groups with a positive work-live lifestyle.”

The NASH shuttle was launched at a morning press conference in North Charleston. CARTA Executive Director Christine Wilkinson led the event, welcoming area leaders, CARTA partners, CARTA Board Members, and neighboring businesses and residents, who were in attendance. Other speakers at the event included CARTA Chairman Elliott Summey, Mayor Keith Summey, Boeing South Carolina Director of Operations Willy Geary, and Aviation Authority Chairman Andrew Savage. Following remarks, speakers joined together to officially cut the ribbon on one of the hybrid buses that will service the new route.

“This shuttle service will provide a more efficient way for visitors and residents to travel in the North Charleston area, and will also provide Boeing South Carolina teammates with an environmentally-friendly way of commuting to and from places of business on the shuttle route, all without adding traffic to the roads,” said Boeing South Carolina Director of Operations Willy Geary.

“Charleston is making national lists every day and we are seeing tourism quickly increase with this exposure. It is important that we accommodate this growth with true southern hospitality,” said Aviation Authority Chairman Andrew Savage. “The NASH free shuttle demonstrates this hospitality with the bonus of hybrid buses, a great addition to our area.”

To learn more about the new NASH route, visit RideCARTA.com. Learn more about CARTA bus passes and all other routes at RideCARTA.com.

About CARTA

The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) is a public transportation system dedicated to providing affordable transit to the Charleston community through four services – fixed routes, Tel-A-Ride, flex/demand service and express routes. CARTA services Charleston and the surrounding areas including West Ashley, North Charleston and Mount Pleasant. For the latest on CARTA, visit www.RideCARTA.com, follow us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @RideCARTA. CARTA – It connects us all.

Police vs. Fire Hockey - Saturday, June 15 at 5pm

The Police Department will face the Fire Department in a hockey match to benefit Officer Allen Cooke.  The puck drops on Saturday, June 15 at 5:00pm at the Carolina Ice Palace - 7665 Northwoods Blvd.

Officer Cooke was injured while responding to a call on February 7, 2013 in a single-vehicle wreck, which was weather related.  He sustained a number of injuries that have required multiple surgeries, leaving him unable to work.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door or by contacting Sean Reiter at sreiter@northcharleston.org.  Your ticket stub is good for a free appetizer at the Downtown Wild Wing Cafe location after the game.

CALLING ALL LOWCOUNTRY GRAPHIC ARTISTS! North Charleston seeking designer for ODFJELL tank mural

ODFJELL liquid storage tank at 1003 East Montague Avenue

Clarification: The ODFJELL tank mural design must be digitally rendered. It‘ll be printed on vinyl, then mounted. It will NOT be hand painted.

The City of North Charleston seeks to commission a graphic artist to design a large outdoor mural for a privately owned storage tank located at 1003 East Montague Avenue near the Olde Village area of North Charleston. Professional graphic artists residing in the Tri-County area (Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties) are invited to submit their qualifications for the public art project. A Mural Committee comprised of city officials, business leaders, and community leaders will select one artist to create the mural design. The total budget for this project has been set at $5000 and involves all costs associated with the project including, but not limited to: artist's design fees, materials, production costs, travel, documentation, and any permits, license, or insurance. The mural will measure 140’w x 40’h and will be fabricated on cast white vinyl and professionally mounted to the carbon steel tank. Interested artists should contact the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at 843-740-5854 or culturalarts@northcharleston.org for the complete commission prospectus. Application materials must be hand delivered by 5:00pm on Friday, June 28, or postmarked by Sunday, June 30, 2013. Artists will be notified of the commission award by July 10, 2013.

The mural design must be created using Adobe Illustrator or equivalent graphic design software and incorporate the logo of the tank owner, ODFJELL. The final design must be completed by August 31, 2013, to allow the mural fabricator adequate time to manufacture and install the mural in September. The ideal design would create excitement and interest for the community, honor the history of the community, compliment the redevelopment initiatives of the community, and be appropriate to the location. Graphic artists applying for the commission must demonstrate the skill and ability needed to produce this type of commissioned design work. The selected artist must be willing to learn about the community and is expected to collaborate with city staff and the Mural Committee through a series of meetings to develop concepts for the mural and the final design. Communication and coordination with city staff, the Mural Committee, and the mural fabricator throughout the design and installation process is necessary to ensure quality and compatibility.

In order to be considered for the commission, graphic artists interested in this project must prepare and submit the following materials:

1. Letter of Interest describing specific interest in the project, potential approach, and any relevant past experience (1 page limit)
2. Current resume/CV
3. A minimum of ten slides, quality photographs, or digital images of artist’s work that accurately represent the artist’s aesthetics and style. All images must be accompanied by a brief description of the artwork, title, location, size, and completion date.
4. A list of three professional client references. The list must include complete address and telephone number for each reference.
5. A self-addressed stamped envelope should be included if materials are to be returned.
6. Optional application materials - the artist's web site may be listed and/or up to three additional materials may be submitted such as reviews, news articles, awards, or other related information.

The City of North Charleston reserves the right to reject all applications and/or adjust the project time line. Application materials should be submitted by the deadline to the City of North Charleston’s Cultural Arts Director, Ms. Marty Besancon. Hand-deliver to the Cultural Arts Department office on the second floor of North Charleston City Hall, located at 2500 City Hall Lane, or mail to City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department, PO Box 190016, North Charleston, SC 29419-9016.

For more information about the ODFJELL tank mural commission, contact Marty Besancon at 843-740-5850 or mbesancon@northcharleston.org. To learn more about other programs and artist opportunities offered by the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department, visit http://bit.ly/culturalarts.