Entries Sought for Statewide Juried Fine Craft Competition & Exhibition

Fine craft artists from across the state are invited to participate in the thirteenth annual South Carolina Palmetto Hands Juried Fine Craft Competition and Exhibition. As the state’s only fine craft competition and exhibition, objects juried into the show may compete for cash prizes totaling up to $6500. 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 Friday, March 14, 2014.

Organized and presented by the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department, this unique exhibition offers fine craft artists from across South Carolina the opportunity to exhibit their inspiring objects in the media of clay, fiber, glass, metal, wood, and three-dimensional mixed media. Thousands have enjoyed the refined talents of South Carolina fine craft artists during past annual exhibitions. Following the close of the show, up to thirty works will be selected to tour the state through the South Carolina State Museum’s 2014/2015 Traveling Exhibitions Program. Sites across South Carolina may request the exhibit to tour in their facilities, thus providing additional exposure for the selected artists.

Alfred D. Ward NDD, ATD, Emeritus Professor in the Fine Art Department at Winthrop University, will jury this year’s exhibition. Ward was appointed Professor of Art and Design at the University of London in 1966. In 1974 he became the Head of the Department of Silversmithing, Jewelry at the Sir John Cass College of Art in London. As a consultant designer for Spink & Sons in London (by Appointment of her Majesty the Queen) he designed and produced pieces for The Royal Family, Revlon of Paris, and Covent Garden Opera House, among others. An internationally known designer, Ward’s work is featured in many museums and collections, including the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Having moved to the United States in 1981, he taught at the University of Michigan and the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit. In 1985, he became the Director of the Appalachian Center for Crafts in Tennessee and in 1989 became the Chair of Art and Design at Winthrop University in South Carolina. Winthrop University awarded him the Distinguished Professor of the Year Award in 1998 and the Medal of Honor in the Arts in April of 2011.

The 13th Annual South Carolina Palmetto Hands Juried Fine Craft Competition & Exhibition will be on display May 2-10, 2014, at the Charleston Area Convention Center, located at 5001 Coliseum Drive in North Charleston. A free public reception and announcement of awards will be held at the Convention Center on Friday, May 2, 2014. For more information about the North Charleston Arts Festival, Palmetto Hands, or other exhibition opportunities, contact the North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at (843)740-5854, email culturalarts@northcharleston.org, or visit NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com.

Wearable Art Designers and African American Art Quilters Sought for Annual Exhibitions in North Charleston

The City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department is seeking entries from textile artists from across the nation for two exhibitions presented as a component of the 2014 North Charleston Arts Festival, taking place May 2-10. African American art quilt artists in the United States, Mexico, and Canada age 18 and up are invited to participate in the 8th Annual African American Fiber Art Exhibition, titled JOY. Wearable art artists and fashion designers in the United States age 18 and up are welcome to submit entries for the 2nd Annual Wearable Art Competition and Exhibition. Both exhibitions will be on display at North Charleston City Hall from April 30-June 20, 2014. A $30 entry fee applies to each exhibition opportunity and allows artists to submit up to four entries. Applications for these exhibitions are only available online and may be accessed via the links at NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com/apply. Deadline for entries is Monday, March 3, 2014.

8th Annual African American Fiber Art Exhibition: JOY

Quilt from 2013 (7th Annual) African American Fiber Art Exhibition
Anansi & the Pot of Wisdom by Carolyn Brackat

 

 

Curated by award winning and nationally exhibiting textile artist, Torreah “Cookie” Washington, this unique exhibition offers African American art quilters a showcase to display their original and innovative designs. This year’s installment calls for art quilts inspired by the emotion of joy. Joy can be seen in the eyes of a child or felt while dancing; it can be heard in an exuberant holler when we hear fantastic news or in a squeal of delight when receiving a surprise gift. We can express joy in many ways. The challenge for this year’s exhibition is for artists to show the world their joy through an art quilt. Entries may be hand or machine quilted and embellishment is encouraged.

Following the close of the show, up to thirty works will be selected to tour the state through the South Carolina State Museum’s 2014/2015 Traveling Exhibitions Program. Sites across South Carolina may request the exhibit to tour in their facilities, thus providing additional exposure for the selected artists. Additionally, organizers are proud to extend a special opportunity to young quilt artists who do not meet age eligibility requirements to enter the annual exhibition. Emerging quilt artists under the age of 18 may submit quilts for Our Next Generation, a parallel exhibition that will be on display at the Unity Church of Charleston.

 




2nd Annual Wearable Art Competition & Exhibition

Best in Show from 2013 Wearable Art Competition & Exhibition

Elegant Bits N’ Pieces by Kathy Knapp

Juried by Torreah “Cookie” Washington, with assistance from the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department, this opportunity offers emerging and established designers a showcase to exhibit their inspiring fashion designs, wearable art garments and accessories of all styles. The goal is to present innovative and wearable work of the highest quality and to provide a forum to share the growing enthusiasm for an exploration of techniques and materials. Wearable art garments in all styles are welcome, including garments, hats, handbags and accessories. Garments for both men and women are encouraged.

The 8th Annual African American Fiber Art Exhibition and the 2nd Annual Wearable Art Competition and Exhibition will be on display 8:00am-8:00pm daily from April 30-June 20, 2014, on the 1st and 2nd floors of North Charleston City Hall, located at 2500 City Hall Lane in North Charleston. Admission is free. A public reception in honor of both exhibitions and announcement of winners for Wearable Art will be held at City Hall on Thursday, May 8, 2014, from 6:00-8:00pm. For more information about the North Charleston Arts Festival, these exhibitions, 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.

North Charleston Arts Festival Judged Fine Art & Photography Competition Winners Announced

Fine artists and amateur and professional photographers from across the state were invited to participate in the 2013 Judged Fine Art and Judged Photography Competitions & Exhibitions, organized annually by the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department and presented May 3-11 as a component of the 2013 North Charleston Arts Festival. A total of 168 fine art entries were accepted in the categories of oil, acrylic, watercolor, drawing/pastel, and 2D mixed media. Cash awards totaling $3,250 were made at the sole discretion of the judge, Sara C. Arnold, Curator of Collections at the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston. After making her selections, Ms. Arnold stated, “The Lowcountry is fortunate to have such an event that displays the talents of our local artists.” She continued, “All the applicants should be commended for their entries. It is a pleasure to see such variety in both media and in style represented in the competition.”

A total of 230 entries were accepted in photography, which were split into the divisions of Professional/Advanced and Amateur and categorized as color or monochrome. Cash awards totaling $1,450 were awarded by a panel of three judges using the Photographic Society of America Print Guidelines. Each judge evaluated entries as a whole, considering the areas of impact, composition, and technique.

In addition to awards given by the judges, three fine art pieces were selected for City of North Charleston Purchase Awards. These pieces will be added to the City of North Charleston’s Permanent Public Art Collection, which is on display within North Charleston City Hall throughout most of the year.

Congratulations to the following winners:

Best in Show – Fine Art
In My Mother’s Arms by Nizar/Kelvin Blufton

City of North Charleston Purchase Awards
The Stretch by Bob Graham
Due South by Elliot B. West
Green Wave by Angela Smith

Fine Art - Acrylic
1st Place – Festival Fiddle by Brenda Gilliam
2nd place – Study in Public by Jean Spencer
3rd Place – Insomnia by David Helmerick
Honorable Mention – Play On by Pedro Rodriguez
Honorable Mention – Ishmael by Amanda McLenon
Honorable Mention – Against the Odds by Jack Vanderpol

Fine Art - Oil
1st Place – The Promise by Blaine Tailer-Kimball Dixon
2nd Place – Waiting by Sherri Bardsley
3rd Place – Gullah Woman by Denny Stevenson
Honorable Mention – Strolling the Gardens by Sandra J. Booker
Honorable Mention – Decelerating by Sally Accetta
Honorable Mention – A in Green by Judy McSween
Honorable Mention – Street Crossing by Peter Scala

Fine Art - Drawing/Pastel
1st place – Second Glance by Bob Graham
2nd Place – Blended Trees by Dolores Hayes Lott
3rd Place – Pitcher & Pine Cone by Sherry Bevins
Honorable Mention – Live Oak by Nancy Davidson
Honorable Mention – Fishing Spot by Mary Brigman

Fine Art - Watercolor 
1st Place – Kevina by Lynda Lawrence
2nd Place – Abandoned by Becky Taylor
3rd Place – Daybreak in the Town of Two Harbors by Dorothy Shromoff
Honorable Mention – Cosmos in Bloom by Becky Taylor
Honorable Mention – Evil Eye by Charlotte Holman

Fine Art - 2D Mixed Media
1st Place – Ship High in Transit by Denise Greer
2nd Place – All the Earth by Deborah Neal
3rd Place – Equilibrium at Risk by Lara Neece
Honorable Mention - Home Grown by Linda Wasielewski
Honorable Mention – City Jail by Shawn Allison
Honorable Mention – See Through by Paige Duvall
Honorable Mention – Resting in Style by Don Roberts

Professional Photography - Color
1st Place – Bride of Magnolia by Donnie Smith
2nd Place – Daughters of Confederacy Building by Vanessa Kauffmann
3rd Place – Forster’s (Tern) Flight 39 by Raymond Colin Murray
Honorable Mention – Relics of the Past by Raymond Colin Murray
Honorable Mention – Edwin S. Fishing Pier at Twilight by Raymond Colin Murray

Professional Photography - Monochrome
1st Place – Studebaker by Peter Ingrasselino
2nd Place – Got an Itch by Gloria Welch
3rd Place – Abandoned by Vanessa Kauffmann
Honorable Mention – Shem Creek – Rigged & Ready by Chris Rogers

Amateur Photography - Color
1st Place – Snow Ram by Rick Dandridge
2nd Place – Osprey #1 by Andy Reilly
3rd Place – Dolbadarn Castle by Rick Dandridge
Honorable Mention – Henpecked by Jim Miller
Honorable Mention – Bumper Pool by Jim Miller

Amateur Photography - Monochrome
1st Place – Racer by Andy Reilly
2nd Place – Girl with Cup by Mark Melcher
3rd Place – Remembering Italy: Tempi Passati by Gabi Simon
Honorable Mention – Carousel Horse by Kaitlin Carroll
Honorable Mention – French Hugenot Church at Dawn by Douglas A. Fraze
Honorable Mention – Hold on to Faith by Brenda Bihlear

For information about additional exhibition opportunities offered by the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department, call 843-740-5854, email culturalarts@northcharleston.org, or visit http://bit.lyculturalarts. For details on the North Charleston Arts Festival, visit NorthCharlestonArtsFestival.com.

North Charleston Fire Department mission, vision, values, and awards

The North Charleston Fire Department hosted an Awards Ceremony on Saturday, November 7, 2009 at Felix Davis Community Center. The Second Annual Awards Ceremony recognized the men and women of the North Charleston Fire Department for their dedication and service to the citizens of the City of North Charleston.

Also at the ceremony, North Charleston Fire Chief Gregory Bulanow unveiled the Fire Department’s new Mission, Vision, and Value Statements. Each statement was developed through committee work and questionnaires, thus giving the members of the department an opportunity to input ideas.

Chief Bulanow said, “Mission, vision and value statements are tools for communicating who we are, what we do and where we are going to all of our stakeholders in order to gain and maintain support within a strategic framework.”



North Charleston Fire Department Mission, Vision and Value Statements
Mission
To protect the quality of life in the City of North Charleston from all predictable hazards through prevention and emergency response.

Vision
To be a fire service leader as a diverse and cohesive team of professionals dedicated to providing service excellence in both proactive risk reduction and courageous, compassionate response to those in need.

We value:
Professionalism - We strive to uphold a professional image by the way we look, act and perform our jobs. We strive to further elevate the fire service as a profession through educational achievement, professional development and by contributing to the body of knowledge of the fire service.

Teamwork - We recognize that we must work together to achieve our mission by uniting individual specialties and the unique strengths of each of us to achieve our common goals.

Courage - In order to achieve worthy objectives, we willingly take calculated risks in the face of danger, difficulty, uncertainty or pain without being overcome by fear or being deflected from the course of action that our duties require.

Honor - We seek to act in accordance with the noble traditions of our profession. We honor those that have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty by constantly working to improve safety and service excellence. Dedication- We are committed to our mission, our department, each other and those we serve.

Respect - We strive to treat each other and those we serve with integrity, fairness, honesty and equality regardless of rank or status; always treating others the way we ourselves wish to be treated.

Compassion - We strive to achieve our mission because of our sympathy for those in distress and our desire to relieve their suffering.

Excellence - We strive to achieve and maintain the highest level of service through innovation, professional development and the continuous effort to improve.

2009 NCFD Award Recipients
Firefighter of the Year: Captain Donald Bowen
Selected from the year’s employees of the month, for his committee work involving off-duty time and his work with the recruit physical fitness program.

Rookie of the Year: Firefighter Paxton Parrish
Selected due to the abundance of personal time devoted to furthering his knowledge in all areas of the fire service through training and education.

Medal of Valor: Captain Gerald Kennedy and Firefighter Christopher Ward
Selected for the successful rescue of a civilian from a third floor apartment at a fire in January, 2009.

Administrative Staff Award: Assistant Chief John Nicholson
Selected for the many hours of personal time devoted to department functions and for other administrative accomplishments.

Distinguished Service Medal/Award:
Engineer Tim Howard - Selected for the successful rescue of a 21 month old child from a swimming pool while off-duty and performing life-saving rescue breaths to revive the child.

Engineer Eric Muench - Selected for successfully performing CPR on an adult choking victim while off-duty.

Battalion Chief John Whetsell - Selected for the successful rescue of a civilian entrapped in a burning car while off-duty.

Community Service Award: Captain Robbie Odom and Engineer Alkhabir Smith
Selected for their countless hours of personal time devoted to leading the Explorer program, a youth program for high school age youth interested in pursuing a career in the fire service.