Fire Museum officially opens renovated theater exhibit.

The North Charleston and American LaFrance Fire Museum and Educational Center officially opened “Are You an Escape Artist?” theater exhibit, Thursday, March 13, 2014.

In spring 2013, the Fire Museum partnered with museum exhibit and theater designers, Boston Productions Inc. to create an engaging and interactive theater experience truly unique to the museum, Lowcountry and the state. “Are You an Escape Artist?” takes guests on a fast pace, immersive and exciting adventure through fire history, knowledge, science, safety and planning and all at level that is captivating for all age groups.

The presentation will be a permanent fixture in the museum and replaces the museum’s original theater show from 2007.

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.

North Charleston Dinner Theatre Series Closes with Love Letters on March 21

The final North Charleston Dinner Theatre performance of the season is set to take place on Friday, March 21, 2014, with Love Letters presented by Threshold Repertory Theatre and starring real-life married couple, Ginger and Al Curl. Dinner for the evening is catered by Embassy Suites and features an entrée of pecan roasted salmon. Tickets are on sale until Tuesday, March 18.

A smash hit on and off-Broadway, The Wall Street Journal calls Love Letters "exhilarating, funny, and moving." Written in 1989 by critically acclaimed playwright A.R. Gurney, the drama traces the correspondence between staid, dutiful lawyer, Andrew Makepeace Ladd III, and his lifelong 'friend,' the lively and unstable artist, Melissa Gardner. Their beautiful, poignant story of love and friendship unfolds through the pages of nearly 50 years of letters.

Happily married for 58 years, the two featured actors, Ginger and Al Curl, are thrilled to be performing opposite one another in this evocative, touching, often times funny theatre piece. These native New Yorkers have always shared a love of the arts, starting their acting careers in local and regional theatre companies in the Catskills. After an IBM relocation to the sunny south, the Curls were cast in many community theatre productions and it wasn’t long before they were “discovered” for films, commercials, and voice-overs. Al most recently portrayed Mr. Kowalski, the jeweler, in Hallmark Channel’s The Confessions and audiences will recognize Ginger as the “Woo Lady,” who appeared alongside Ric Flair in the South Carolina Lottery commercial.

Love Letters will be presented at the Charleston Area Convention Center Ballroom (adjacent to the North Charleston Performing Arts Center) at 5001 Coliseum Drive in North Charleston. The ballroom doors open at 7:00pm for dinner. Tickets are $40 per person. Group discounts are offered. Ticket price includes dinner, play, and gratuity. Tickets for just the play are available for $15. Parking is free. A cash-only bar will be available. To purchase tickets, contact Pam Smith at 843-740-5847 by Tuesday, March 18. For information on additional programs and events, contact the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at 843-740-5854 or visit http://bit.ly/culturalarts.

North Charleston seeking sculptor for Performing Arts Center Monument Busts

Mayor Bourne & Mayor Summey
at the City's 40th Anniversary celebration

The City of North Charleston seeks to commission a sculptor to create depictions of the city’s two prominent mayors. The commissioned busts will be permanently featured on granite outdoor pedestals at the newly built outdoor monument at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center, located at 5001 Coliseum Drive in North Charleston, SC. Each sculpture should be at least two feet tall and cast in bronze or another metal suitable for outdoor exhibition. Professional sculptors nationwide are invited to submit their qualifications and proposals for this unique public art opportunity via the online application. There is a $7 application fee and submissions are due by April 8, 2014.

A Selection Committee comprised of city officials and community leaders will choose one artist to create both sculptures. The committee is looking for design proposals that will generate excitement and interest for the community and compliment the outdoor monument where the busts will be installed. The total budget for this project is yet to be determined. Artists’ proposals should include all costs associated with the project including, but not limited to: artist's design fees, materials, production costs, travel, documentation, shipping, and any permits, license, or insurance. Artists will be notified of the commission award by April 15, 2014. The sculpture installation will be approximately 120 days from the April 8 submission deadline.

In order to be considered for the commission, sculptors must prepare and submit the following RFP materials using the Slideroom.com online application:
A. Statement of Interest describing pecific interest in the project, potential approach, and any relevant past experience
B. Thorough proposal including costs, materials, process, and timeline for creating the busts.
C. Current resume/CV
D. A maximum of five quality digital photographs of artist’s previous 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.
E. Optional: The artist’s web site may be listed. The artist may include up to three additional materials such as references, reviews, news articles, awards or other related information.
F. Application fee of $7.00, payable online

The City of North Charleston reserves the right to reject all applications and/or adjust the project time line. For more information about this public art project, contact Cultural Arts Director, Marty Besancon, at 843-740-5850 or mbesancon@northcharleston.org. For technical assistance, contact Arts Coordinator, AnneTrabue Nelson, at 843-740-5852 or anelson@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.

11th Annual St. Paddy's Day Block Party & Parade

Come join the biggest St. Patrick’s Day celebration in the Lowcountry on Saturday, March 15, 2014 from 12:00 noon to 7:00 pm in the Olde Village of North Charleston. The 11th Annual St. Paddy’s Day Block Party & Parade promises fun for the entire family. The Block Party location is East Montague Avenue between Virginia Avenue and Jenkins Avenue.

Join and invite your friends over at the Facebook Event.

The celebration will feature live music across three stages, street vending and fare from Olde North Charleston restaurants, additional local food vendors & trucks, the North Charleston Artist Guild, a Kid’s Zone with jump castles, a fire truck, face painting, as well as the always favorite mechanical bull. 

Live music line-up includes:

Family Zone Stage: Charleston Hot Shots, The V-Tones and High Gravity Jazz Band.
Cheerwine Stage Lizzy Pitch, Folkgrass, The Three Dudes, The Ryan Perry Band.
Madra Rua Stage: Karl Byrne, Don Merckle & the Blacksmiths, and Wadata.

This year’s party will kick off with a parade starting at Park Place East (adjacent to East Montague Avenue and across from Park Circle Community Center) at 12:00 noon. The parade route will proceed down East Montague Avenue through the block party location to O’Hear Avenue. The parade Grand Marshalls will be Madra Rua Irish Pub owners, Robert Spencer and Stephen O’Connor, who recently celebrated the 11th anniversary of the pub’s opening. North Charleston's Mayor Keith Summey, the North Charleston High School band, The Charleston Police Pipe & Drum Band and many other local groups will also participate in the parade.

East Montague Avenue will close from Park Place East to O’Hear Avenue at 11:30 am and stay closed for the duration of the parade. East Montague will close between Virginia Avenue and Jenkins Avenue at 9:00 am for set up and remain closed until 8:00 pm.

The party, parade and parking are free to the public.

The 11th Annual St. Paddy’s Day Block Party and Parade is sponsored by the Madra Rua Irish Pub, the City of North Charleston, Southern Eagle Distributors, Lee Distributors, Cheerwine and the Olde North Charleston Merchant’s Association.

www.madraruapub.com

Fire Department to conduct Hydrant testing. Find out how this could affect you.

The North Charleston Fire Department will be conducting hydrant testing throughout the City of North Charleston in the month of March. Firefighters will flow each hydrant to ensure that the hydrant functions properly and that adequate water will be available in the event of a fire.

Firefighters will be posting signs in the neighborhoods to inform residents that hydrant testing is in progress. Firefighters will be as careful as possible to minimize damage to lawns or landscaping from the flow of water.

Despite all precautions, there is the possibility that sediment from the water system may become visible in residential tap water. If a resident encounters discolored water they should run the faucet in their home until the water runs clear.

The North Charleston Fire Department thanks residents in advance for their understanding as we perform this required task to ensure the safety of our City.

If you encounter any other problems with your water, please contact your water department. Charleston Water System can be reached at (843) 727-6800 or Dorchester County Water and Sewer Department may be reached at (843) 832-0075.

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.