Annual Art & Fine Craft CoOp Gallery in North Charleston set to open April 4

The City of North Charleston’s Cultural Arts Department will host its annual Art and Fine Craft CoOp Gallery and Sale at the Meeting Place each Friday and Saturday from April 4 through May 31, 2014. The temporary, artist-run gallery is presented as a component of the 2014 North Charleston Arts Festival, taking place May 2-10.

The Art & Fine Craft CoOp Gallery is dedicated to presenting works by Lowcountry artists of varied backgrounds in a diverse array of media and styles, from representational to contemporary. All pieces on display will be available for sale. Artwork ranges from original oils, watercolor, acrylic, mixed media, and pastel pieces, to photography, prints, jewelry, and more. Participating artists include Dina Barron, Donna Boerema, Laura Cody, Marcy Criner, Trish Emery, Muriel Lanciault, Susan Salvey, Karol Skelly, and Francina Smalls-Joyner.

Each featured artist takes part in the management and operation of the cooperative and the gallery. Visitors are likely to find the artists creating works on site during gallery hours, which are 11:00am to 7:00pm on Fridays and Saturdays. The artists will host a free public reception at The Meeting Place on Wednesday, May 7, from 5:00-8:00pm during the North Charleston Arts Festival Art Walk. Refreshments will be served.

The Meeting Place is located at 1077 East Montague Avenue in the revitalized Olde Village area of North Charleston. Parking is free. For more information about the CoOp or the 2014 North Charleston Arts Festival, visit NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com. For information on other exhibits and programs presented by the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department, call 843-740-5854 or visit http://bit.ly/culturalarts.

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.

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.