Jim Harrison Begins Second Saturday Artist Days in Denmark, SC – June 8, 2013

Renowned Southern artist Jim Harrison will host Second Saturday Artist Day at his gallery in Denmark, SC, beginning Saturday, June 8, 2013, from 11am until 3pm. The featured artist for June is Christie West who works in marquetry. The public is invited to attend at no charge to view the exhibit with refreshments provided and a drawing for one of West’s pieces of work held for those who attend and sign the guest register. Art will also be available for purchase.

Marquetry is a decorative surface treatment in which thin pieces of wood, mother of pearl or metal are laid together in a pattern which is affixed to another sturdier support. West describes his work as combining “narrative and woodworking.”

“As a marquetarian, creating art using wood veneers presents some special challenges as there are limits on available colors, shading and gradation are not usually possible, and the images tend to be more graphic in design. But as there are limits, there are also possibilities. Using the unlimited variation in wood figure and patterns, it is possible to suggest, to lead, to create connections that might otherwise be impossible,” said Christie West. “I am always looking at nature for inspiration and have always been drawn to the fey and the fantastic, as well as the infinite beauty and possibility of the female face and form. It is always my challenge and my delight to assemble what are simply pieces of wood into what becomes an image of beauty, inspiration, or simply ‘How does he do that!’ I hope you enjoy the show.”

West began working as a marquetarian after attending a class with Clyde Badger at the John C. Campbell Folk School in NC. His extensive background and skills in woodworking led to a teaching position at the Campbell Folk School for more than a 10 year period. He is also a member of the Furniture Society where he became friends with Silas Kopf, one of the foremost marquetarians in the world. This led to taking a weeklong course of instruction with Kopf at the Tennessee School for the Crafts. His work has been juried into shows at the Anderson Arts Center, the Pickens County Art Museum, the The Bascom, in Highlands, NC, The Belton Arts Center, the Aiken Arts Center, The Blue Ridge Arts Center in Seneca, SC. He has received numerous purchase and merit awards in shows in Anderson, Belton, Pickens and Aiken, and has had shows in Anderson, Pickens, Aiken, Seneca, Orangeburg as well as Brevard, NC. West has also taught small classes in marquetry in Belton, Bamberg, and Seneca, SC. In addition he has served as the Vice President of the Anderson Artists’ Guild, President of the Aiken Artists Guild, Secretary of the Board for the Salkehatchie Arts in Allendale, SC as well as a member of the Bamberg Arts Council.

“As someone who has had the good fortune of enjoying a long career as an artist, I am keenly aware of the hard work and dedication required to be successful in this field. With all of this in mind, I will be hosting a fellow artist on the second Saturday of each month,” said Jim Harrison. “It’s an opportunity for me to ‘give back’ by helping the careers of other artists and bring something special to Denmark and our customers each month.”

Jim Harrison’s success is evidenced by four decades as a full-time artist. With talent, hard work and perseverance, he has more than 100 sold out limited editions of the prints made from his paintings and thousands of collectors of his work across the country. Harrison’s paintings are featured in personal and corporate art collections across the country including The Coca-Cola Company, The Maytag Corporation, Philip Morris Company, and the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, GA. Harrison has also had successful one-man shows at the prestigious Hammer Galleries in New York City and the Conacher Gallery in San Francisco. His paintings have also been included in the annual shows at the prestigious National Academy Gallery in New York.

For more information on Jim Harrison, visit his website at (www.jimharrison.com). For further info about this event contact Teri Harrell by e-mail at (tharrell@jimharrisongallery.com) or call the gallery at 803/793-5796.

FRANK Gallery in Chapel Hill, NC, Offers Panel Discussion on Setting up an Art Business – May 30, 2013

Are you an independent artist in the Triangle area of NC? Are you thinking about scaling your work into a full time small business? Join our panel of artists and business experts to learn more about the resources and tools that are available to you in our community. We will discuss the obstacles and opportunities of independent artists over wine and finger food provided by FRANK Gallery.

Featured panelists include:

Beth Yerxa – Triangle ArtWorks
Heather Allen – Capital H Creative
Kim Kirchstein – Leopold Designs
River Capel – River Basin Outfitters
Christina Brennan – Sofia’s
Ed Timberlake – Trademark & Copyright Lawyer
Details

Date: Thursday, May 30th

Time: 6pm – 8pm

Location: Frank Gallery, 109 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, NC.

Cost: $5 at the door (cash or cards accepted)

If you have specific questions you’d like answered during the panel discussion, please e-mail those to us at (info@redressraleigh.com).

Southern Highland Craft Guild Offers Clay Day at the Folk Art Center in Asheville, NC – June 1, 2013

Celebrate Clay Day at the Blue Ridge Parkway’s Folk Art Center in Asheville, NC, on June 1, 2013, from 10am to 4pm. This free event features craft demonstrations and hands-on activities for children and adults.

Clay Day has been a favorite happening at the Folk Art Center for over 20 years. Members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild and invited guests demonstrate throwing on the potter’s wheel, hand building, and surface design on clay, among other techniques.

Expert potters will demonstrate a variety of ceramic techniques including wheel throwing.

A highlight of the day is the “Make-and-Take” Raku Firing.  Buy a $10 pot, glaze it, and watch as expert potters, Lynn Jenkins, Gary Clontz, and Steven Forbes-deSoule, raku fire it for you.  Raku is a ceramic firing process which uses fire and smoke to create unique patterns and designs.  Lynn will also demonstrate horse hair raku techniques, using horse hair to create designs on pots.  SHCG members Jan Morris and Sandra Rowland will host a children’s table where kids will be invited to play with clay and make something to take home. Clay for demonstrations has been generously donated by Highwater Clays of Asheville, NC.

Participants to Clay Day include the artists of The Village Potters located in the River District of Asheville,  sharing a myriad of ceramic techniques.  Volunteers from Haywood Community College Professional Crafts Department will be demonstrating and assisting visitors with a try at the potter’s wheel.  Southern Highland Craft Guild member Cindy Billingsley will lead a collaborative sculpture project.

During Clay Day visitors have the opportunity to purchase a $10 pot, decorate with glazes, and wait while it is raku fired. In this picture a visitor at last year’s Clay Day decorates a pot.  Raku is a ceramic firing process which uses fire and smoke to create unique patterns and designs.

While at the Folk Art Center, visitors will have the opportunity to visit Allanstand Craft Shop, the Eastern National bookstore and Blue Ridge Parkway information desk, as well as three exhibition galleries.  Outside the Folk Art Center, there are hiking trails, picnic tables, grassy areas for a picnic and free parking.

A visitor to last year’s Clay Day uses horse hair to decorate a pot which will be raku fired.  Raku is a ceramic firing process which uses fire and smoke to create unique patterns and designs.

The Southern Highland Craft Guild is a non-profit, educational organization established in 1930 to bring together the crafts and craftspeople of the Southern Highlands for the benefit of shared resources, education, marketing and conservation.  The Southern Highland Craft Guild is an authorized concessioner of the National Park Service, Department of the Interior.  The Folk Art Center is located at Milepost 382 of the Blue Ridge Parkway, just north of the Hwy 70 entrance in east Asheville, NC.

For more information, including a list of participating craftspeople, call 828/298-7928 or visit (www.craftguild.org).

Clayworks in Charlotte, NC, Receives $50,000 Grant for Claymobile

Clayworks, Charlotte, NC’s only nonprofit organization dedicated to the instruction and the creation of ceramic arts, was awarded a $50,000 grant from the Women’s Impact Fund to purchase and equip a claymobile. A conversion van will serve as the claymobile and will be outfitted with a potter’s wheel, clay and glazing materials in order to expose Mecklenburg County’s underserved populations to high-quality visual arts experiences in their schools and neighborhoods.

Clayworks now serves more than 7,500 individuals a year at its facility at 4506 Monroe Road in east Charlotte. The 8-year-old organization is dedicated to the promotion of ceramic arts, advancement of artists and students and enrichment of the communities it serves. With the use of the new claymobile, Clayworks will transport everything needed for a ceramics class including an instructor. Finished ceramic pieces will be transported to the Clayworks facility for firing and then returned to the students.

“It’s always been a wish of mine from the inception of Clayworks to reach people who have never been exposed to ceramic art and therefore don’t know the joy that comes from creating in clay,” said Clayworks Executive Director Adrienne Dellinger. “There are so many children and adults who don’t have transportation or who can’t afford to take classes. With the claymobile, we can bring the clay instruction to underserved populations.”

The claymobile will provide cost-effective ceramics instruction to educational and cultural programs by sparing host institutions the need to obtain equipment and expertise to produce ceramics. The claymobile’s teaching artists will collaborate with host staff to design projects that directly tie into classroom curriculum and/or organization-wide themes, ensuring an academically enriching experience for participants. The claymobile program will begin with the 2013-2014 school year and will provide 60 ceramic classes to the YWCA after-school program.

“Clayworks is grateful to the members of the Women’s Impact Fund who collectively choose the Clayworks claymobile project as the arts and culture grant recipient this year,” said Gary Knight, Clayworks Board President. “This is a highly competitive grant process and we’re honored that the Women’s Impact Fund saw great value in our project, which will enhance and inspire Mecklenburg County residents through the experience of ceramic art creation.”

Clayworks is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to the promotion and development of the ceramic arts through classes, workshops and community outreach. The organization provides studio space to 22 local artists, state of the art equipment, professional development opportunities and workshops. Clayworks offers adult ceramic classes as well as independent study programs and master classes led by nationally known ceramic artists. The organization is located at 4506 Monroe Road, Charlotte NC 28205.

For more information visit (www.clayworksinc.org) or call 704/344-0795.

The Women’s Impact Fund is a Charlotte-based nonprofit organization that maximizes women’s leadership in philanthropy by engaging and educating its membership, increasing charitable contributions and strengthening communities through the impact of collective giving. The more than 400 members are dedicated to changing lives and addressing critical needs in Mecklenburg County. The fund has awarded $3 million to 39 nonprofits since 2003.

For more information visit (www.womensimpactfund.org).

The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County, NC, Offers Lunch and Lecture – Contemporary Photography – May 18, 2013

The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County, in Fayateville, NC, will offers a Lunch and Lecture – Contemporary Photography on May 18, 2013, from 11am-1pm, at the Arts Council, located at 301 Hay Street in Fayetteville. Limited space available!

Ever wonder how photographers become famous? Hear about work by nationally and internationally known artists whose images are in the collection of contemporary photography at the North Carolina Museum of Art – a collection with now over 200 pieces.

Reserve your space at the Arts Council to hear Linda Johnson Dougherty, chief curator at the North Carolina Museum of Art.

This special session includes lunch, a discussion on Contemporary Photography, and an overview of current and upcoming photography shows at the North Carolina Museum of Art.

Registration is $10 for Arts Council and NC Museum of Art members. Non-members registration is $15. The fee includes a light lunch. Space is limited.

Registration and payment are required by May 9, 2013. Registration can be made by cash, check, or credit to The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County.

Visit (http://www.theartscouncil.com/Exhibits/Registration%20Form%20LunchLecture2.pdf ) for a printable registration form. You can pay securely online using PayPal (full rate): by clicking here.

For more information contact Christina Williams at 910/323-1776, ext. 234 or e-mail to (christinaw@theartscouncil.com).

NC Museum of Art in Raleigh, NC, Offers Lecture by Richard Kendall on Apr. 28, 2013

On Sunday, Apr. 28, 2013, Richard Kendall, Consultative Curator of 19th-Century Art at the Clark Art Institute, will be hosting a Humber lecture at the NC Museum of Art in Raleigh, NC. Details on the lecture, titled “Degas’s Women,” are below.

Lecture: Degas’s Women
Sunday, Apr. 28, 2013, at 2:30pm
East Building, Museum Auditorium
Free for members; ticket from Box Office required
$5 Nonmembers
Reception follows lecture.

Edgar Degas is famous – even notorious – as an artist who devoted much of his life to depicting women. Laundresses and cabaret artistes, society ladies and prostitutes all featured in his work, but it is the ballet dancer who has dominated his reputation. This lecture explores Degas’s obsession by focusing on “Dancer with Bouquets” from the Chrysler Museum of Art. One of the artist’s largest and most intriguing canvases, it was long regarded as a fantasy scene from the artist’s imagination. But new research shows that this dramatic painting is related to a celebrated ballet scene of the era and to a documented production on a Paris stage. Just as intriguing is evidence that the ballerina herself was linked to one of Degas’s sculptures.

To read more about the paintings and sculptures on loan from the Chrysler Museum of Art (on display in the NCMA permanent galleries), please visit the exhibition’s website at (www.ncartmuseum.org).

Edgar Degas, “Dancer with Bouquets”, circa 1895–1900, oil on canvas, 71 x 60 in., Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Va., Gift of Walter P. Chrysler Jr. , in memory of Della Viola Forker Chrysler, 71.507

For further information call 919/664-6795 or visit (www.ncartmuseum.org).

Artspace in Raleigh, NC’s Online Auction to Benefit Youth Scholarships Begins Friday, Apr. 5, 2013

Artspace in Raleigh, NC, reveals the completed artworks created during Artspace Mystery Create on Friday, Apr. 5 at 6pm! The exhibition of completed pieces will be on display at Artspace from Apr. 5 – 19. In conjunction with the exhibition, Artspace will host an online auction through eBay Giving Works.  All artwork will be available for purchase from Apr. 5 – 15, 2013.

Proceeds from Artspace Mystery Create auction will benefit the Artspace Summer Arts Program Scholarship Fund, enabling Artspace to sponsor up to 50 Wake County students to attend the Summer Arts Program beginning June 17, 2013.

Timeline of Events
April 5th, 6pm – 10pm – Artwork is Revealed, Online Auction Begins
April 5 – April 15 – Online Auction (presented through eBay Giving Works)
April 20th, 10am – 1pm – Pickup Party at Artspace – meet the artists and enjoy light refreshments!

Participating Artists and Businesses as of 3.13.13.
Tim Postell – Paris Alexander – Kyle Highsmith – Sarah West – Carol Joy Shannon – Lee Ball – Michelle Lyon – Garrett Scales – Kiki Farish – Ryan Cummings – Pete Sack – Sue Soper – Georgia Springer – Melinda Fine – Anna Podris & Keith Norval – Judy Crane – Warren Hicks – Nora Phillips – Shade Maret – Veronica Samuels – Michelle Harrell – Becky Joye – Derek Toomes – Catherine Thornton – Gerry Lynch – Mary Kircher – Lincoln Hancock & Mollie Earls – Sandra McEwen – Gustavo De Los Rios – Jeff Bell – Matt Butler – Nealy Andrews – Emily Howard – Amy Friend – Richard Garrison – Dave Greway – Catherine Howard – Nsenga Knight – Pam Shank – Jeannette Stevenson – Nancy VanNoppen – Scott Welsh – Tyler Jackson – Bret Kruse – Ben Harris – Clearscapes – Centerline Digital – Stewart – Clairemont Communications

Artspace is a nonprofit visual art center dedicated to providing arts education and community outreach programs, creating an environment of more than 100 professional artists and presenting nationally acclaimed exhibitions. Located in downtown Raleigh in the historic Sanders Ford building, Artspace has been providing the community with the opportunity to interact with working artists and to participate in hands-on arts education since 1986.

The Mystery Build challenge was created by two artists as a way to inspire creativity. Their objective is to encourage artistic exploration and experimentation, and to reward creative thinking. For more information about Mystery Build visit (www.mysterybuild.com).

For more information about Artspace, exhibitions, programs, or membership, please visit (www.artspacenc.org).

Sunset River Marketplace in Calabash, NC, Presents Iconic Historian Jack Thompson to Address Calabash Art Gallery – Apr. 11, 2013

On Thursday, Apr. 11, 2013, at 10am, Myrtle Beach historian, photographer and beloved local icon Jack Thompson, will make a presentation at Sunset River Marketplace as part of the Calabash, NC, art gallery’s Coffee With the Author series. His book, which is titled “Memories of Myrtle Beach: a Pictorial History of the Grand Strand Through the Eyes of Jack Thompson,” features over 175 Grand Strand images that take the viewer on a journey through the author’s life at the beach.

Originally from Greenville, SC, Thompson has been photographing Myrtle Beach happenings since he stepped off a bus and accepted a job at the Myrtle Beach Pavilion back in 1951. That was Jack behind the camera snapping “mug shots” at the Myrtle Beach Jail. He was there during the heyday of the Ocean Forest Hotel and he was there when it imploded. Last year the state of South Carolina recognized Thompson as the Official Chronicler of South Carolina’s Grand Strand and celebrated his birthday, Sept. 21, 2012 as Jack Thompson Remembering Myrtle Beach Day in Myrtle Beach.

Thompson admits to his love at first sight with Myrtle Beach. “ …She has an alluring charm about her … If you give in to her promise … she will cast a spell over you and fill your shoes with sand that will sweep into your blood and melt your heart. That’s Myrtle, she’s a lady and she has my number … and continues to call!”

During the Coffee With the Authors event, Thompson will discuss some of his famous images including the now defunct local Ocean Drive dance joint, The Pad; the implosion series of the Ocean Forest; and chronicling the city’s Sun Fun Festival through its 60-year run.

The event at Sunset River Marketplace is free, but space is limited so reservations are required. Call 910/575-5999 or send an e-mail to (lassiter@sunsetrivermarketplace.com). Join the mailing list for notice of future events at the same number and e-mail address.

Sunset River Marketplace showcases work by approximately 200 North and South Carolina artists, and houses some 10,000 square feet of art work in virtually every genre. Custom framing, painting and pottery classes and art workshops are also offered through the gallery. Since opening its doors in 2002, Sunset River Marketplace has supported not only the visual arts, but literary and performing arts, as well. It has become a popular community center and art hub for both NC’s Brunswick County and nearby Horry County, SC.

Sunset River Marketplace is located at 10283 Beach Drive SW, Calabash, NC. Regular hours are Monday through Saturday, 10am to 5pm.

For more information call 910/575-5999 or visit (www.sunsetrivermarketplace.com). For daily updates, “like” the gallery’s Facebook page.

Crooked Creek Art League in Chapin, SC, Holds Monthly Meeting with Special Guest Jeff Amberg – Apr. 15, 2013

Crooked Creek Art League is pleased to announce that Award winning professional photographer, Jeff Amberg, will present the program for the April 15, 2013 meeting held at Crooked Creek Park in Chapin, SC. Amberg holds a Bachelors degree in Journalism from the University of South Carolina and worked as a photojournalist for ten years, first at the Hilton Head Island Packet and then The State newspaper in Columbia until 1990. At that time he opened his commercial photography business and currently produces commercial, advertising and editorial photography at his studio in Columbia.

Amberg also creates abstract images that he says are, “personal expressions of lens and light and are made from a palette of everyday surroundings. They represent the real world we live in as an abstract. My aim is to create images that transcend the barriers of what is around us in the natural combination of color and motion in our world. The result is an expression limited only by the imagination of the observer. The images are digital photographs of the purest form, not created by any software processing computer program.

The Crooked Creek Art League meets the third Monday of every month, September through May beginning with a social time at 6:30pm followed by the brief business meeting at 7pm and the program. The public is welcome to attend.

For further info call Pam Steude at 803/345-1767 or e-mail to (psteude@aol.com).

University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC, Offers Sumposium on Sideshows – Mar. 28, 2013

The McKissick Museum at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC, will present “Step Right Up! The Symposium” on Thursday, Mar. 28, 2013, starting at 5:30pm. Featuring lively presentations about the cultural and social history of the sideshow, the symposium will feature Dr. Robert Bogdan of Syracuse University, Kathy Maher from the Barnum Museum, James Taylor, publisher of the journal “Shocked and Amazed”, and artist Rebecca Davenport.

Work by Rebecca Davenport

Focusing on several key themes, McKissick Museum’s exhibition “Step Right Up! Sideshows in American Culture” explores the dynamic nature of sideshow culture, the concept of “the other,” and the public perception of showmanship and exploitation. “Ideas of what defines ‘normalcy’ are very subjective,” says Saddler Taylor, McKissick Museum’s Chief Curator of Folklife and Fieldwork. “The history of the sideshow provides an opportunity to explore the complexities involved with defining what  being ‘normal’ means  and why we as human beings are so fascinated with the unfamiliar, the mysterious.”

Please register for “Step Right Up! The Symposium” at (http://www.eventbrite.com/event/5649688370). This event is free and open to the public.

For more information, visit (http://artsandsciences.sc.edu/mckissickmuseum/index.php?q=welcome) or call Ja–Nae Epps at 803/777-2876.