North Charleston City Gallery to Exhibit Works by Susana Berdecio & Jazz Artists of Charleston Photographers

The City of North Charleston’s Cultural Arts Department is pleased to present concurrent exhibitions at the North Charleston City Gallery throughout the month of April featuring photographs by Susana Berdecio as well as Jazz Artists of Charleston’s resident photographers. The exhibitions will be on view from April 3-30, 2014. The artists will host a free public reception at the gallery from 5:00-7:00pm on Thursday, April 3.

Discovering a Sense of Place – Photography by Susana Berdecio 

Discovering a Sense of Place by Susana Berdecio

In Discovering a Sense of Place, Susana Berdecio presents a collection of photographs that capture the artist’s vision of the unique Lowcountry landscape. Spending her childhood in Mexico and living most of her adult life in the western part of the United States, Berdecio became accustomed to photographing the vast open landscapes, tall mountains, dense forests, and winding rivers that surrounded her. Since moving to South Carolina five years ago, she has learned to adapt and adjust her techniques and artistic approach to connect to her new landscape, which she describes as dense, lush, and full of seemingly chaotic forms. “The light is spectacular, sometimes so bright that color is muted,” she says. “The creeks, the marshes, the ocean, the clouds all offer an exquisite variety of light, tone, color and texture.”

Susana spends hours exploring with her camera. She then sits down with her photographs to recreate them into images that reveal the feel of the landscape, the mood of the light, and the intricacy and movement of its details. “Sometimes the images require few changes,” she explains. “Sometimes, the final result is just a small piece of the original capture where I have tried to recreate what I felt being there, adding all of the subjective elements from my past as I express how I have learned to see the Lowcountry.” For a look at Susana Berdecio’s photographs, visit susanaberdecio.com.

See Jazz - Jazz Artists of Charleston Visual Exhibition

Charlton Singleton by Ben Williams

See Jazz presents a stunning visual perspective of Jazz Artists of Charleston (JAC) and Charleston Jazz Orchestra (CJO) events from over the past six years. The carefully curated collection of images includes photographs from Jazz Artists of Charleston’s resident photographers Alice Keeney, Pricilla Thomas, Ben Williams, and Reese Moore. The photographs highlight the people, places, and moments that have shaped JAC and CJO, and capture the rhythm and swing of the jazz music that the groups perform, promote, and work to preserve. In the words of the late Jack McCray, one of JAC’s founding board members and an icon in the Charleston jazz scene, the exhibit invites viewers to “listen with their eyes” and “think and feel beyond the category.”

Jazz Artists of Charleston is a non-profit organization incorporated to work to foster a solid and professional environment for jazz musicians, artists, students and enthusiasts in the Charleston area. Its mission is to develop, promote, and support a vibrant and creative jazz culture through concerts, special outreach events, and educational programs. The Charleston Jazz Orchestra is produced, presented and managed by Jazz Artists of Charleston. The orchestra is a twenty-piece big band made up of many of the finest musicians in the Charleston area. CJO, now in its sixth season, has firmly established itself as the Lowcountry’s resident big band ensemble and continues to refine its sound. For more information about Jazz Artists of Charleston and the Charleston Jazz Orchestra, visit jazzartistsofcharleston.org.

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.

Chicora Community Art Mural Unveiling Set for March 6

A public art piece one year in the making is set to be revealed to the public at an official unveiling ceremony and reception on Thursday, March 6, 2014, from 4:00-5:00pm at the Tri-County Family Life Center, located at 1914 Reynolds Avenue in North Charleston. The 8’ by 12’ mural by Jonell Logan and Rashawnna Hawkins, titled The Gift We Give Ourselves, is the result of a collaboration between the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department, City of North Charleston Police Department, and Metanoia. The artists and collaborators invite members of the surrounding community and the general public to witness the unveiling and enjoy light refreshments at the reception.

This highly collaborative project combines art and community engagement to visually encourage and remind the area’s youth to aspire to reach their goals and also serves as a point of pride for Chicora neighborhood residents. “We were thrilled to partner with the North Charleston Police Department, the North Charleston Cultural Arts Department, and Tri-County Family Ministries to make our first mural on Reynolds Avenue a reality,” says Rev. Bill Stanfield, Metanoia CEO. “The two artists who did the mural really took the feedback of neighborhood residents into account and the second of these two artists, Rashawnna Hawkins, is actually a resident of the neighborhood herself. We feel positive public art is a very important part of any health community and we look forward to trying to get more murals going in the months ahead in our neighborhood.”

WHAT: Chicora Community Art Mural Unveiling and Reception

WHO: City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department, City of North Charleston Police Department, Metanoia, and Tri-County Family Ministries

WHEN: Thursday, March 6, 2014, 4:00-5:00pm

WHERE: Tri-County Family Life Center - 1914 Reynolds Avenue, North Charleston

ADMISSION: Free; all are welcome to attend

This project was funded in part by the City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs and the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department through their joint administration of the Lowcountry Quarterly Arts Grant Program and the South Carolina Arts Commission which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the John and Susan Bennett Memorial Arts Fund of the Coastal Community Foundation of SC.

North Charleston City Gallery to Exhibit Works by The Summerville Artist Guild

The City of North Charleston’s Cultural Arts Department is pleased to announce that works by members of the Summerville Artist Guild will be on exhibit at the North Charleston City Gallery from March 1-29, 2014. A free reception will be held at the gallery on Thursday, March 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 Summerville Artist Guild will present its 38th Annual Judged Show featuring two-dimensional works by 30 of its members in a variety of subjects and mediums. Comprised of artists from Dorchester, Berkeley, and Charleston counties, guild members from all levels of expertise express their talents in oil, watercolor, acrylic, pastel, mixed media, and more. Ribbons for Best of Show as well as first place, second place, third place, and honorable mentions in multiple categories will be awarded by guest juror, Megan Aline, artist and co-owner of Robert Lange Studios in Downtown Charleston.

The Summerville Artist Guild meets on the first Thursday of each month from September through May. The purposes of the guild are to “present programs of artwork, demonstrations, and workshops for the encouragement of members at all levels of artistic ability and for the awakening of greater interest in the Fine Arts community and environs." For more information, visit summervilleartistguild.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 to Exhibit Works by Charlynn M. Knight & Gingi Martin

Angel Oak, Wise One by Charlynn M. Knight & The Elusive Peacock of Cypress Glade by Gingi Martin

The City of North Charleston’s Cultural Arts Department is pleased to announce that watermedia paintings by the City’s current Artist-in-Residence, Charylnn M. Knight, as well as oil paintings by Pineville, SC, based artist, Gingi Martin, will be on exhibit at the North Charleston City Gallery from January 2-31, 2014. The artists will host a free public reception at the gallery from 5:00-7:00pm on Thursday, January 2.

Visions of the Lowcountry Through a New Perspective – Watercolor Paintings by Charlynn M. Knight
In Visions of the Lowcountry Through a New Perspective, Charlynn M. Knight presents watercolor paintings that depict the beauty of the everyday. Her recent works feature scenes captured during afternoon walks down well-worn dirt roads and paddling through the Lowcountry’s coastal waters in a kayak. Her approach with watermedia captures the “glow” and vibrant colors and textures of her subjects, which include the marshes, avenues of oaks, Lowcountry wildlife, and Deep South beauty and charm that coastal South Carolina has to offer.

Knight, a native Charlestonian, received a BA in Studio Art from the College of Charleston in 1994 and continues to further her painting knowledge through workshops with national and international artists. She has worked primarily in watercolor for over 28 years and has received numerous awards for her paintings. She has taught visual art classes and workshops in all media for children and adults since 1990, and is currently offering residencies to North Charleston schools and community groups as the City’s 2013/14 Artist-in-Residence. Knight’s work has been published in International Artist Magazine and her paintings are featured in several private and corporate collections, including the City of North Charleston’s Public Art Collection. Presently her work is available at Karen’s Korner in Mt. Pleasant and Laura Alberts Tasteful Options in Daniel Island.

La Tempesta – Oil Paintings by Gingi Martin
Gingi Martin’s great passion for Nature and its preservation manifests itself in the work presented in her exhibit, La Tempesta. The collection of oil paintings featured in the exhibition includes mostly landscapes. “I rarely represent the human figure because of its historically negative impact on Nature,” she explains. Martin’s utilization of intense colors and depictions of super-realistic scenes take inspiration from her deep love of the music and art of the Baroque, Classical and Romantic eras, and their relation to the Sublime.

A native of Pennsylvania, Virginia “Gingi” Martin received a Bachelor of Arts in Music and Art from Hiram College (Hiram, OH), and a Master of Fine Arts from the College of Imaging Arts and Sciences at the Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, NY). She currently lives in Pineville, SC, where she maintains an art studio and teaches private art lessons. Martin has been painting in oils for eight years and finds the medium preferable to others with which she has experimented, largely due to their richness and texture, the ability to apply the paint in multiple layers, and the use of glazes to enhance color and atmosphere. In an on-going effort to understand the potential of color in landscape and portrait painting, she has conducted extensive and in-depth studies of color mixing and color theory. Aside from painting, Virginia and her husband, Dr. Peter W. Ferran, are collaborating on a book about creative individuals, their inspiration and drive to create.

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 The Village Artists

The City of North Charleston’s Cultural Arts Department is pleased to announce that works by The Village Artists, an artist collective based in the Old Village of Mt. Pleasant, will be on exhibit at the North Charleston City Gallery from December 2-28, 2013. The group, which includes Margaret Connell-de Ruyter, Jane Hart, Ann Marie McKay, Lorie Merryman, Ryoko Miller, Faye Sullivan and Ginny Versteegen, will host a free public reception at the gallery from 5:00-7:00pm on Thursday, December 5. Musical entertainment for the reception will be provided by pianist Steve Jacobs.

For many years The Village Artists have gathered to paint, critique, organize exhibits and interact as professional artists. In their month-long exhibition, titled Inspired, the group will present a collection of paintings and drawings in a diverse range of styles and media, including representational, abstract, still-life, figurative studies and landscapes in watercolor, oils, pastels and acrylics. In addition to original work, the artists will also have prints and notecard sets available for sales.

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.


About the Artists
A native of Aruba, Margaret Connell-de Ruyter, is a naturalized citizen educated in Vermont, Boston and Charleston. She has exhibited at the Prince Art Gallery, the Piccolo Spoleto Festival, the Charleston Artist Gallery, the College of Charleston Salon de Refuse Art Show, and various venues in St. Petersburg, Florida. Margaret is inspired to paint the wonders of the natural world. She uses acrylic on canvas with effects and color to achieve what she sees and feels. Margaret’s series is painted in an impressionist abstract style featuring water, earth, wind and fire. Although her paintings show destructive forces at times, they are always beautiful, conveying the majesty and force of nature.

Oil painter and pastelist Jane D. Hart’s work is held by private collectors throughout the U.S. and has been exhibited in both juried and invitational exhibitions, including the Piccolo Spoleto Juried Art Exhibition in Charleston, SC. Born in southern Illinois and having lived in many states, Hart now claims Charleston and its beautiful landscapes as her home. As Hart says, “To me, composition is key to a successful; painting. This is what draws the viewer to an image from across the room, whether the image is representational or abstract. What keeps me excited about painting is that it is a constant learning process. Painting from life contributes to this learning process as it inspires me to try to capture the light and see color accurately – a great challenge, and never boring.” Her paintings can be viewed at www.janehartart.com.

After a career as a college English teacher, Ann Marie McKay became an active member of the Mt. Pleasant and Charleston art communities. She has exhibited her work at Brookgreen Gardens, Mt. Pleasant Town Hall, Old Santee Canal Park Fine Arts Exhibition, and the Lowcountry Senior Arts Festival. She has been featured artist twice at the Charleston Artist Guild Gallery at 160 East Bay Street, where her work can currently be viewed. McKay prefers to work in plein air on location, using oil for landscapes. She also uses pastel and watercolor for colorful interpretations of people, places and animals. Collaborating with author Julie McLaughlin, Ann Marie has illustrated three children’s books: Hungry Mr. Gator, Mr. Gator’s Up the Creek and Mr. Gator Hits the Beach.

Drawn to the beauty and architecture of the Charleston area, Lorie Merryman recently arrived on the Lowcountry arts scene from Atlanta, Georgia, and is a member of the Mt. Pleasant and Charleston Artist Guilds. A representational artist, Lorie works in oils and paints plein air landscapes, figures, portraits and still-life. Her work has been in numerous shows and won awards at the Atlanta Artists Center, twice in the Hudson Valley Art Association’s annual exhibitions, and as a solo artist at the Brown Gallery at Mercer University in Atlanta, Georgia. Her paintings are held in private collections across the U.S. and Australia and can be viewed at www.loriemerryman.com.

Ryoko Miller, native of Sapporo, Japan, discovered her passion for painting in Charleston. Recently, she studied at the Angel Academy of Art in Florence, Italy, and came back inspired to rediscover the beauty she sees in the world and recreate it with her own interpretation. Her skills and talent are shown in representational work such as her Sweetgrass Basket series. Her subjects include portraits, plein air landscapes, still-life and animals. She has received numerous awards from the Mt. Pleasant Artist Guild, the First Federal Bank People’s Choice Art Exhibits, Piccolo Spoleto Juried Art Show, the North Charleston Arts Festival, and the Mt. Pleasant Blessing of the Fleet Festival. Her work can be seen at the Charleston Artist Guild Gallery or online at www.ryokomillerart.com.

Originally from Virginia, Faye Sullivan moved to the Lowcountry from Massachusetts after a career as an art teacher at middle school and high school levels. Her goal as a landscape and seascape painter is for the viewer to experience the beauty and the open expanses which surround them. In some paintings she tries to express the excitement of a vibrant sunset or in others the peacefulness of an empty beach. The one element all of her paintings seem to have in common is her love of water. Sullivan is inspired by water and finds it to be the ultimate chameleon as it reflects the clouds, time of day, wind, sky and shore. An active member of the Charleston, Ion and Mt. Pleasant Artist Guilds, her paintings can be seen at the Charleston Artist Guild Gallery and online at www.fayesullivan.com.

Ginny Versteegen has painted and taught art in the United States and Europe. In fact, her oil paintings are like anecdotes in her life. They tell the story of what inspires her, from simple to complex. Working in plein air and in her studio in Mt. Pleasant, SC, Versteegen interprets her surroundings using vivid colors as she paints the ever-changing beauty of the Lowcountry. While traveling, she carries a limited palette of paints and her outdoor easel. Around every corner she finds inspiration for another painting. Ginny Versteegen’s award-winning oil paintings may be found in many private and public collections throughout the United States and Europe. To see more paintings, visit www.ginnyversteegen.com or the Charleston Artist Guild Gallery at 160 East Bay Street in Charleston.

Redux Contemporary Art Center Studio Artists Display Works in North Charleston

The City of North Charleston’s Cultural Arts Department is pleased to announce that the North Charleston City Gallery will host the second annual Redux Contemporary Art Center Studio Artists Exhibition throughout the month of October. The public is invited to attend a free reception at the gallery hosted by the participating artists on Thursday, October 3, from 5pm-7pm.

The group exhibition will feature an array of paintings, prints and mixed media pieces by artists currently participating in the studio program at Redux Contemporary Art Center in downtown Charleston. The program offers emerging and mid-career artists full access to professional artist studios in an effort to grow and expand the contemporary art community in the area. Alizey Kahn, India McElroy, Paula McInerny, and Lulie Wallace are among the studio artists who are highlighted in the second annual exhibit. “We are grateful to have this opportunity to partner with the City of North Charleston and reach new audiences,” says Stacy Huggins, Executive Director of Redux. “The diverse collection of works on display is a wonderful representation of the artistic innovation and creativity being fostered through Redux’s studio program and we are excited to open up a dialogue between their artists and audiences in the North Area,” adds AnneTrabue W. Nelson, Arts Coordinator for the Cultural Arts Department.

The Second Annual Redux Contemporary Art Center Studio Artists Exhibition will be on display at the North Charleston City Gallery from October 1-31, 2013. The gallery space 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, offered by the department, visit the Cultural Arts section of the City’s website at http://bit.ly/culturalarts. For more information about Redux Contemporary Art Center, visit reduxstudios.org.


About the Artists
Alizey Khan received her BA in Studio Art and Arts Management from the College of Charleston in December 2012. Through her astronomical paintings and prints, she strives to study the visual properties of light, color and depth in outer space. Alizey’s paintings were selected for the College of Charleston’s Young Contemporaries juried show in 2010, 2012 and 2013, as well as the Reorientation 5 juried exhibition at Redux in 2012. She presented her first solo show, Interspatial: Astronomical Artwork, at the Saul Alexander Gallery in the Charleston County Public Library in July 2013. Alizey is currently the Membership and Media Coordinator at Redux and began teaching Resin Painting classes there in July 2013. She is currently preparing for her second solo show at the Coastal Community Foundation, which will be on display from mid-October through January of next year.

India Dunnington McElroy is an aspiring artist born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. She attended the Savannah College of Art and Design, where she received her BFA in Fibers, Fine Art in 2010. She has recently moved to Charleston, where she spends most of her time in her studio at Redux exploring the possibilities of paint and other materials.

Paula McInerny is a native of Atlanta, Georgia. Her formal education includes the University of Georgia, Grenoble University in France, and Georgia State University. With over twenty years of experience as a professional portrait photographer, Paula found her interest extended to oil painting where she discovered more freedom of expression. Influenced by studies at the Penland School in North Carolina as well as the Savannah College of Art and Design, Paula now paints predominantly with a palette knife. She loves the textured quality that is best achieved using this technique. Her paintings have won several awards at various shows.

Lulie Wallace studied art at the College of Charleston earning her BFA in Painting. Referencing the rustic landscapes of her native Columbus, Georgia, and the bright colors of her home in Charleston, Lulie’s palate has matured into a distinct style that brings out the life of her subject matter. Evolving from an ongoing experiment with colors, her expressionist approach captures the texture of materials through a study of light and shadow.