Entries Sought for 9th Annual National Outdoor Sculpture Competition & Exhibition

Bunny by Jeffie Brewer (2013/14 Best in Show)

Sculpture artists from across the nation are invited to participate in the ninth annual National Outdoor Sculpture Competition & Exhibition. Up to 14 sculptures will be juried into the exhibit and compete for cash prizes totaling up to $16,250. The exhibition is presented as a component of the annual North Charleston Arts Festival, to be held May 2-10, 2014. The application is only available online and may be accessed via the link at NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com/apply. Deadline for submissions is Tuesday, February 25, 2014.

Organized and presented by the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department, this 11 month exhibition offers established and emerging artists the opportunity to display their thought provoking, extraordinary sculptures throughout the picturesque North Charleston Riverfront Park. Set on the banks of the Cooper River, Riverfront Park features ten acres of walking paths, a boardwalk and fountain, an expansive lawn with performance pavilion, children's play areas, and picnic sites. An estimated 50,000 people visit this public park annually to enjoy the amenities located in the heart of the city’s arts community.

Brad Thomas, Director of Residencies & Exhibitions at the McColl Center in Charlotte, NC, will jury this year’s exhibit. Thomas recently served as Curator of Modern & Contemporary Art for Charlotte’s Mint Museum where he led advances in the Museum’s collection. In addition, he organized residencies for Japanese installation artist Motoi Yamamoto and FECUND, the multi-disciplinary work of John W. Love, Jr. Thomas served on the Mecklenburg County Public Art Commission for five years and was chair of that commission from 2008-10. Prior to the Mint, Thomas was the director and curator of the Van Every/Smith Galleries at Davidson College. There, he led initiatives to integrate visual art into the learning experience, most notably through the establishment of Davidson’s Campus Sculpture Program, which features major outdoor installations by Magdalena Abakanowicz, Antony Gormley, Juame Plensa, Joel Shapiro, and William Tucker. He also produced exhibitions and publications on Magdalena Abakanowicz, Ewan Gibbs, Herb Jackson, Robert Lazzarini, Reverend McKendree Robbins Long, and Joel Shapiro. Thomas’ partnership with the College Writing Program in 2012 led to the release of Davidson Collects: 100 Writers Respond to Art, the first interdisciplinary book on Davidson College’s permanent art collection.

The 9th Annual National Outdoor Sculpture Competition & Exhibition will be on display May 1, 2014, through March 24, 2015, at North Charleston Riverfront Park, located at 1001 Everglades Avenue in North Charleston. A free public reception and announcement of awards will be held at the Charleston Area Convention Center on Friday, May 2, 2014. For more information about the North Charleston Arts Festival, the National Outdoor Sculpture Competition & Exhibition, or other exhibition opportunities, contact the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at (843) 740-5854, email culturalarts@northcharleston.org, or visit NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com.

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

National Outdoor Sculpture Competition & Exhibition Winners Announced

"Bunny" by Jeff Brewer (Best in Show)

Sculpture artists from across the nation applied to the 8th Annual National Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition, displayed at the picturesque North Charleston Riverfront Park and presented as a component of the 2013 North Charleston Arts Festival. Organized annually by the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department, this unique, eleven month exhibition offers established and emerging artists the opportunity to display their thought provoking, extraordinary sculptures, as well as compete for up to $17,250 in honorariums and awards.

Nine out of 47 submissions were pre-juried into the exhibition by the juror, Janet Kagan, a Founding Principal of the Public Art Collaborative with more than three decades of experience in strategic planning with established and emergent art programs and management of projects representing both artists and agencies. Once installed at the exhibition site, Kagan then made her selections for Best in Show, Outstanding Merit, and Honorable Mentions.

“I am honored to jury the 2013 National Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition at Riverfront Park. It is a privilege to contribute to the appreciation of art in a landscaped, public context,” Kagan stated. She continued, “Each of the 2013 selections eloquently speak to us and elucidate how the artists’ ideas translated into material form, the works’ relationship to both physical and human nature, and our evoked impulses for interaction and surprise. These nine sculptures create surface tensions that play with angled voids and intersections. No two perspectives are the same as we walk toward, around and in the works. There is also a heft associated with these artworks – not just in their material, color, and scale, but in their aesthetic request for connection and dialogue. I hope you will mingle with, touch, and listen to the voices the works articulate.”

The nine sculptures selected for exhibition are by nine artists from six states. Congratulations to the winners of the 2013/4 National Outdoor Sculpture Competition & Exhibition:

Bunny (steel) by Jeff Brewer – Nacogdoches, TX (Best in Show)
Tier II (painted steel) by Anne Melanie – Greenville, NC (Outstanding Merit)
Transponder (steel) by Gary Gresko – Oriental, NC (Hon. Mention)
Life (painted steel) by Adam Walls – Lauvinburg, NC (Hon. Mention)
A Little Less Than Meets the Eye (steel) by Bill Wood – Fairfax, VA (Hon. Mention)
Ender’s Enigma (corten/painted steel) by Davis Whitfield IV – Mountain City, TN
The Burning (carved limestone) by Paris Alexander – Raleigh, NC
Cowl (oiled steel) by Carl Billingsley – Ayden, NC
Daddy Longlegs (steel) by John W. Parker – Glendside, PA

Sculpture sites are located throughout North Charleston Riverfront Park, located at 1001 Everglades Avenue on the former Charleston Naval Base. The park is set on the banks of the beautiful Cooper River. In addition the sculptures visitors may enjoy ten acres of walking paths, a performance pavilion, picnic shelter, a fishing pier and boardwalk, an oversized sandbox, and children’s play fountain. The historic site is centered in the Noisette District, the largest urban redevelopment project ever undertaken in the US.

The 2013/14 National Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition will be on display through March, 2014. For more information or to be added to the application mailing list for the 2014/15 Competition, please call 843-740-5854 or email culturalarts@northcharleston.org.

Charleston County Hosts 2013 Earth Day Festival on April 20 at Riverfront Park

Charleston County’s Environmental Management Department invites citizens to join in celebrating Earth Day during the 2013 Earth Day Festival on Saturday, April 20. The free event will be held from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. at Riverfront Park on the former Naval Base in North Charleston.

The 14th Annual Earth Day Festival is a celebration of Charleston County’s environmental community. The festival provides hands-on educational opportunities for all ages, and highlights the County’s environmental programs.

“Our annual Earth Day Festival provides an ideal opportunity for Lowcountry residents to learn how they can make a difference in our community at home, work and play,” said Carolyn Carusos, Charleston County Environmental Management Department’s Recycling Programs Manager. “Riverfront Park offers a beautiful waterfront setting to enjoy the diverse, fun and family-oriented activities.”

Charleston County’s Earth Day Festival attracts as many as 8,000 people each year. All participants are asked to commit to reducing waste at the event. Resource Recovery Centers will be strategically located throughout the park to collect recyclable materials and organic waste generated during the festival.

Charleston County’s Annual Earth Day Art Contest was held again this year, and students in grades kindergarten through sixth grade submitted drawings for the theme: “One Earth, One Future.” The winning artwork will be featured at the event and will be printed on the back of all festival T-shirts.

April 20 Earth Day Festival Schedule of Events:
11 a.m.: Event kickoff with Military Magnet Academy’s Marching Band
11:15 a.m.:
     Opening remarks by attending Charleston County Council members
     Awards and recognition of the Annual Earth Day Art Contest winners
     Recognition of festival volunteers

11:30 a.m.: Live performance by local step team Gentlemen of Duty & Distinction Service Brotherhood
11:45 p.m.: Live musical performance by members of the Blue Dogs, a band from Charleston
12:45 p.m.: Birds of prey demonstration by Stephen Schabel with The Avian Conservation Center
1:15 p.m.: Mad Science demonstration
1:30 p.m.: Live musical performance by Professor Bottleneck & Harmonica Frank, a German acoustic duo specializing in blues, jazz and swing with an environmental twist
2:00 p.m.: Goodwill Fashion Show
2:15 p.m.: Zumba with Prisca Denton
2:30 p.m.: Live musical performance by The Bluestone Ramblers, a South Carolina bluegrass band
3:00 p.m.: Live reptile demonstration by Kiawah Island Nature Center
3:30 p.m.: Storytelling by Hawk Hurst

Other Highlights of the 2013 Earth Day Festival: 

Over 60 environmental activities and educational displays on alternative energy, conservation, local and organic agriculture, animals and habitat preservation, litter, water and air quality, seedlings, recycling and composting
FREE shredding services (located in the parking lot)
Collection of electronic waste, such as old TVs and computers, for recycling (located in the parking lot). Bring old/unwanted electronic items to be recycled and avoid these items being disposed of in the landfill.
Goodwill donation center (located in the parking lot)
Composting Awareness Center, a focal point tent emphasizing “Are you in the Loop?” where attendees can learn about the composting cycle. Guests will receive home composting information, commercial food waste information and free compost samples.
Hands-on fun with Mad Science play stations
Water buffalo by Charleston Water Systems
Nature walks with a local naturalist
Pet Helpers will be on site providing information on animal rescue and adoptable animals
Local food vendors and food trucks offering classic festival fare plus some vegetarian options
Returning Trash-to-Treasure guest, The Yo Art Project, to assist with craft-making using recycled materials
Charleston County’s Environmental Management Department staff will:
     Provide reusable bag giveaways for the first 500 attendees
     Feature demonstrations showing the new single stream recycling truck
     Host a recycling tent with information, giveaways and prizes

Plus a whole day of fun activities, prize drawings, contests and interactive live performances

Charleston County’s Environmental Management Department thanks their contributors:

City of North Charleston
S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control

For more information on recycling or the 2013 Earth Day Festival, visit recycle.charlestoncounty.org or call (843) 720-7111.

4th of July Festival in North Charleston, feat. largest fireworks show in the State of South Carolina

The City of North Charleston will hold its Fourth of July Festival at Riverfront Park on Wednesday, July 4, 2012, 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 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 Common Ground Coastrunners Atlanta Pleasure Band Ruben Studdard, former American Idol Show of fireworks over the Cooper River by Zambelli Fireworks International with music performed by Equinox Jazz Band

Guests are invited to bring lawn chairs and blankets, as there will be no seating provided. No alcohol is permissible within the park. 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. 

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.

Photos from last year's show of fireworks.

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 2012 North Charleston Arts Festival, the Competition and Exhibition features large-scale contemporary sculptures on display throughout the year.

For further information, visit the City’s website at http://www.northcharleston.org.

Last year's Fourth of July Festival

National Outdoor Sculpture Competition & Exhibition Winners Announced

Transcendence (fabricated & recycled metal) by Corrina Mensoff

Sculpture artists from across the nation applied to the 7th annual National Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition, a component of the 2012 North Charleston Arts Festival. Presented by the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department, this unique, eleven month exhibition offers established and emerging artists the opportunity to display their thought provoking, extraordinary sculptures, as well as compete for up to $14,750 in honorariums and awards.

Twelve sculptures out of 43 submissions were pre-juried into the exhibition by the juror, Steven Matijcio, curator of Contemporary Art, Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA). Once installed at the exhibition site, the juror then selected pieces to receive awards for Best in Show, Outstanding Merit, and Honorable Mentions.

After making his selections, Mr. Matijcio stated, “My overall notes for the show begin with sincere congratulations to the artists involved. They have managed to animate heavy, monumental materials with an intriguing air of animation, fluidity and the in-between. There are hard-line geometries; anthropomorphic curves; haunting memento mori; and playful industrial follies.” He continued, “I was impressed with the variety, as well as the consistency - public art can so quickly fade into the surroundings if it fails to resonate, and change. The work in this show hums with a sense of life that reveals more, every time the work is re-engaged.”

The twelve sculptures selected for exhibition are by twelve artists from seven states.  Division I includes ten sculptures that are anchored to a concrete pad or in the grass.  Division II includes two sculptures that are secured to a concrete pedestal.



Division I
Spring Azure (stone & steel) by Philip Hathcock – Cary, NC (Best in Show)
Transcendence (fabricated & recycled metal) by Corrina Mensoff – Atlanta, GA (Outstanding Merit)
Flutter Gate II (galvanized steel) by Jim Gallucci – Greensboro, NC (Hon. Mention)
Black & White #5 (steel & enamel) by Matthew Harding – Greenville, NC (Hon. Mention)
Scheme 6 (concrete parking bumpers) by Tom Scicluna – Miami, FL (Hon. Mention)
Pileated Woodpecker Totem (welded steel & natural wood) by Bob Turan – Earlton, NY
Rings (steel) by Adam Walls – Lauvinburg, NC
Mixed Emotions (corten steel) by Davis Whitfield IV – Mountain City, TN
Memento Mori (carved limestone) by Paris Alexander – Raleigh, NC
Dream of Africa (oiled steel) by Carl Billingsley – Ayden, NC

Division II
Coming Home (bronze) by Leo Osborne – Anacortes, WA (Hon. Mention)
Ambit (stone) by Carl Wright – Martinsburg, WV

Sculpture sites are located throughout the picturesque North Charleston Riverfront Park, located at 1001 Everglades Avenue on the former Charleston Naval Base.  The park is set on the banks of the beautiful Cooper River.  Visitors may enjoy ten acres of walking paths, a performance pavilion, picnic shelter, a fishing pier and boardwalk, an oversized sandbox, and children’s play fountain.  The historic site is centered in the Noisette District, the largest urban redevelopment project ever undertaken in the US.

The 2012/13 National Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition will be on display through March, 2013. For more information or to be added to the application mailing list for the 2013/14 Competition, please call 843-740-5854 or email culturalarts@northcharleston.org.  Visit the Cultural Arts Department section of the City’s website at www.northcharleston.org to view photographs, artist statements, and directions to North Charleston Riverfront Park.

2012 Earth Day Festival on April 14 at Riverfront Park

Charleston County’s Environmental Management Department will host the 2012 Earth Day Festival on Saturday, April 14, from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. The new location for this year’s festival is Riverfront Park on the former Naval Base in North Charleston.

The County’s 13th Annual Earth Day Festival is a celebration of Charleston County’s environmental community. The festival provides hands-on educational opportunities highlighting Charleston County’s environmental programs and community in an entertaining atmosphere.

“Our Annual Earth Day Festival provides an ideal opportunity for Lowcountry residents to learn how they can make a difference in our community at home, work and play,” said Carolyn Carusos, Charleston County’s Environmental Management Recycling Programs Manager. “The new location for this year’s festival at Riverfront Park offers a beautiful waterfront setting to enjoy all the diverse, fun, family-oriented activities.”

Charleston County’s Earth Day Festival has attracted as many as 8,000 people to the free event each year. All participants are asked to commit to reducing waste at the event. Resource Recycling Centers will be strategically located throughout the park to collect recyclable materials and organic waste generated by attendees.

Charleston County’s Earth Day Art Contest was held again this year. Students in grades kindergarten through sixth grade were asked to submit drawings on Earth Day subjects with the theme of “Put Your Green Foot Forward.” The winning artwork will be featured at the event and will be printed on the back of the volunteers’ T-shirts.

Schedule of Events:

Main Stage

• 11:30 a.m.: Event kickoff with Bishop England’s Marching Band
• 12 p.m.: Opening remarks by Charleston County Council Representatives in attendance / Awards & recognition of Earth Day art contest winners and recognition of festival volunteers
• 12:30 p.m.: “We All Live Downstream” by speaker Kim Counts with the Ashley Cooper Stormwater Education Consortium
• 1 p.m.: Live performance by Shrimp City Slim, piano/vocals, specializing in Lowcountry blues & original songs
• 2 p.m.: Live performance by The 3 Dudes, Charleston’s youngest & most rocking rock band
• 3 p.m.: Live performance by Yeehaw Junction, Charleston's premier bluegrass band specializing in playing traditional bluegrass music
• 4 p.m.: Live performance by Adande African Drum & Dance Company, exploring the elements of history and entertainment combined in a single musical experience

Educational Stage

• 12:30 p.m.: Nature walk with Christine Poole / Music provided by singer, songwriter Estee Gabay
• 1 p.m.: Storytelling by Hawk Hurst
• 1:30 p.m.: Mad Science demonstration
• 2 p.m.: Birds of Prey demonstration by Stephen Schabel with The Avian Conservation Center
• 2:30 p.m.: Storytelling by Hawk Hurst
• 3 p.m.: Nature walk with Christine Poole/Reading of “The Lorax” by Bronwyn Santos with Charleston County Environmental Management
• 3:30 p.m.: Judo demonstration by Tom Rieff with Charleston Martial Arts

Other Highlights of the 2012 Earth Day Festival:

Over 60 environmental activities and educational displays on alternative energy, conservation, local and organic agriculture, animals and habitat preservation, litter, water and air quality, seedlings, recycling and composting

• Hands-on fun with Mad Science play stations
• Water buffalo by Charleston Water Systems
• Pet Helpers will be on site providing information on animal rescue and adoptable animals
• Local food vendors and food trucks offering classic festival fare plus some vegetarian options
• Returning Trash-to-Treasure guest, The Yo Art Project, to assist with craft-making using recycled materials

Charleston County Environmental Management staff will:

• Collect electronic waste, such as old TVs and computers for recycling. Bring your unwanted electronic items with you to avoid these items being disposed of in the landfill.
• Provide reusable bag giveaways for first 100 attendees
• Feature demonstrations showing the new single stream recycling truck
• Host a recycling tent with information, giveaways and prizes
• Have recycling bins for available for residents to take home
• Provide home compost information, backyard composting demonstrations and free compost samples

Plus a whole day of fun activities, prize drawings, contests and interactive live performances

Charleston County Government’s Environmental Management Department thanks their contributors:
City of North Charleston
S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control

For more information on recycling or the Earth Day Festival, visit recycle.charlestoncounty.org or call (843) 720-7111.

4th of July in North Charleston

The City of North Charleston will hold its 4^th of July Festival at Riverfront Park on Monday, July 4, 2011, 3:00 pm - 10:00 pm. The event is free of charge and all general admission.

The following is a schedule of events:

3:00 pm 3:30 pm 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm 5:15 pm – 6:30 pm 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm 9:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Festivities begin Welcoming remarks from Mayor R. Keith Summey The Calvin Taylor Band The Legends of Beach 7 Once Show of fireworks over the Cooper River

Guests are invited to bring lawn chairs and blankets, as there will be no seating provided. No alcohol is permissible within the park. 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.

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 2011 North Charleston Arts Festival, the Competition and Exhibition features large-scale contemporary sculptures on display throughout the year.

For further information visit the City’s website at http://www.northcharleston.org.

North Charleston Arts Festival Concludes with Grand Finale on May 7

Public invited to enjoy free performances, kid’s activities, and fireworks

The North Charleston Arts Festival Grand Finale will take place on Saturday, May 7, 2011, from 6:00-9:00pm at North Charleston Riverfront Park, located at 1001 Everglades Avenue on the former Charleston Naval Base.  The public is invited to attend this grand celebration of the arts featuring dance presentations, choral performances by Tri-county schools, an evening concert, kid’s activities, food, and fireworks to mark the close of the 2011 North Charleston Arts Festival. Admission and parking are free.
       
Festivities begin at 6:00pm with events in every area of the park.  Audiences may enjoy The Poetry Show from 6:00-8:00pm at the site of the Navy Base Memorial, featuring spoken word and poetry recitations by locally renowned poets and youth poets from the Speak Freely Foundation. At the park’s boardwalk area, patrons will have the opportunity to see shag, Afro-Latino, and salsa dance demonstrations and try out some of the moves with local dance professionals. The Amphitheater Stage will host choral performances by students from Pinehurst Elementary (6:00-6:15pm), Pepperhill Elementary (6:15-6:30pm), Alston Middle School (6:30-7:00pm), and Cane Bay High School (7:00-7:30pm). School performances will be followed by a presentation of Polynesian dances, including a Maori fire dance, by the Kai Polynesian Dance Troupe. The Fowl Play Band will get the crowd grooving with a blend of beach, classic rock, Motown, and contemporary hits at 8:00pm.

       
Other attractions throughout the park include inflatable jump castles, roving entertainment by The Interactive Theater of Jef, and the newly installed National Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition. The evening ends with a fantastic fireworks display over the Cooper River by Zambelli Fireworks at 9:00pm. Food concessions will be available for purchase. Bring blankets or lawn chairs and enjoy a great ending to this year’s North Charleston Arts Festival!
       
Selected by the Southeast Tourism Society as a Top 20 Event, this is the 29th year of the festival, which began as a small community event at Park Circle and has grown into one of the most comprehensive arts festivals in the state.  The event includes nine days of cultural activities and programs in every arts discipline for the public to enjoy.  Some festival offerings have a modest ticket price, but most are free of charge and parking is free at all locations.

For more information about the Grand Finale or any other 2011 North Charleston Arts Festival events, contact the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department office at 843-740-5854 or visit www.northcharleston.org.

4th of July Festival in North Charleston

The City of North Charleston will hold its July 4th Festival at Riverfront Park on Sunday, July 4, 2010, 3:00 pm - 10:00 pm. The event is free of charge and all general admission.

The following is a schedule of events:

3:00 pm	Festivities begin
3:30 pm	Welcoming remarks, Mayor R. Keith Summey
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm	CoastRunner
5:15 pm – 6:30 pm	The Blue Dogs
7:30 pm – 9:00 pm	Quiana Parler & Friends
9:00 pm – until	Show of fireworks over the Cooper River

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.

View Riverfront Park in a larger map

Guests are invited to bring lawn chairs and blankets, as there will be no seating provided. No alcohol is permissible within the park. 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.

Riverfront Park is open to the public year-round and 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 5th Annual National Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition. A component of the 2010 North Charleston Arts Festival, the Competition and Exhibition features large-scale contemporary sculptures on display throughout the year.

Here's a glimpse at last year's Festival

5th Annual National Outdoor Sculpture Competition & Exhibition Winners

Sculpture artists from across the nation applied to the fifth annual National Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition. Presented by the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department, this unique, eleven month exhibition offers established and emerging artists the opportunity to display their thought provoking, extraordinary sculptures, as well as compete for up to $14,750 in Exhibition Honorariums and Awards. Eleven sculptures were selected by the juror, Stuart Hordoner, Artistic Director of the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center. Once installed at the exhibition site, the juror then selected pieces to receive awards for Best in Show, 2nd Place, and Honorable Mention.

The eleven sculptures selected for exhibition are by eleven artists from seven states. Division I includes ten sculptures that are anchored to a concrete pad or in the grass. Division II includes one sculpture that is secured to a concrete pedestal.

Division I

• “Mass Murder Machine” (steel, iron, and aluminum) (2nd Place)
  by Doug Barton - Athens, GA
  
  
  
  
• “Prism Arc SC” (painted steel) (Honorable Mention)
  by Carl Billingsly – Ayden, NC
  
  
  
  
• “Cube” (corten steel)
  by Dana Gingras – Moorseville, NC
  
  
• “Fools Buoy” (steel and concrete) (Honorable Mention)
  by Roger Halligan – Chattanooga, TN
  
  
  
  
• “Two Headed Ass” (steel) (Best in Show)
  by George Long – Roswell, GA
  
  
  
  
• “Boat Nest, Elevation of Divergence” (steel)
  by Corrina Mensoff – Atlanta, GA
  
  
• “Between Hope and Despair” (steel and stone)
  by Philip Smith – Columbia, MD
  
  
• “Ball Joint” (cast iron and bronze) (Honorable Mention)
  by Kristy Summers – Carbondale, IL
  
  
• “La Fleur da Vie” (steel)
  by TEKLA – Black Mountain, NC
  
  
• “Inside the Vee” (steel and recycled materials)
  by Bob Turan – Earlton, NY
  

Division II

• “End of Time” (recycled metal)
  by Jim Shultz – North Charleston, SC
  

Sculpture sites are located throughout the picturesque Riverfront Park set on the banks of the beautiful Cooper River. Visitors may enjoy ten acres of walking paths, a performance pavilion, picnic shelter, a fishing pier and boardwalk, an oversized sandbox, and children’s play fountain.

The 2010/11 National Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition will be on display May 1, 2010 – March 25, 2011.

Click Here to find out more

North Charleston’s 8th Annual “Tribute to our Veterans”

The City of North Charleston will hold its 8th Annual “Tribute to our Veterans” Veterans Day event on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at The Greater Charleston Naval Base Memorial at Riverfront Park from 10:30 am to 1:00 pm. The event is open to the public. All veterans taking part in the ceremony will receive special recognition for their service. Lunch will be served following the ceremony.

Our guest speaker will be Retired Colonel Robert J. Mastrion, United States Marine Corps (USMC). Colonel Mastrion entered the USMC in 1955, completing his training at Parris Island, and was commissioned in 1961. He served during the Suez Crisis in 1956, Lebanon 1958, the Cuban Crisis 1961, Vietnam 1963-1964, Dominican Republic 1965, Vietnam 1966-1968, Arab-Israel Crisis 1973, Korea 1975-1976, 1985-1986 and the First Gulf War 1991-1992. Colonel Mastrion retired from the USMC in 1992.

For administrative purposes, Veterans are encouraged to RSVP by November 6, 2009 to the City of North Charleston Parks & Recreation Department by phone at (843) 745-1028 or via email at cdambaugh@northcharleston.org.

WHAT
North Charleston’s 8th Annual “Tribute to our American Veterans”

WHEN
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
10:30 am to 1:00 pm

WHERE
The Greater Charleston Naval Base Memorial at Riverfront Park
1001 Everglades Drive
North Charleston, SC 29405

History of Veterans Day

In March 2007, the City of North Charleston traveled with our World War II Veterans to Washington, DC to visit the World War II Memorial. Here is the video of our trip.