February’s First Thursdays on Main in Columbia, SC – Feb. 2, 2012, 5-9pm

Frame of Mind: FOM Series: The Photography of Preach Jacobs

One of Columbia’s own sons, Preach Jacobs is a photographer, a musician, an emcee, a journalist, and the founder of Sounds Familiar Records (www.soundsfamiliarrecords.com). He is also the editor of Mo’ Betta Soul magazine (www.mobettasoul.com). You can find this accomplished photographer’s award winning work on the covers of Vapors Magazine, Lo-Fi, and more. As a musician and emcee, he has shared the stage with the likes of 50 Cent, George Clinton, and Nelly, just to name a few. In fact, you can hear his latest single, “Baptized” at (http://bit.ly/uH2U8P).

For the February 2012 FOM Series, Preach will present photos of the people and places he has encountered during his world travels. Come and enjoy a fresh perspective, as documented by one of our favorite artists!

Anastasia & Friends: The Surreal Show Redux

Work by Lindsay Wiggins

For this month’s first Thursday art crawl on Main Street, Lindsay Wiggins and Anastasia Chernoff are co-hosting a redux of The Surreal Show. Surrealism is a movement in art and literature which began in the 1920’s that sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind, characterized by the evocative juxtaposition of incongruous images in order to include unconscious and dream elements. All of the artwork featured in the show was created using the surrealist approach and will include paintings, mixed media, photography, textiles and sculpture by Natalie Brown, Janice Dittmar, Nathan Fiveash, Libby Gamble, Kirill Simin, Lyra Stephens, Michelle Rogers, Lindsay Wiggins, and Anastasia Chernoff.

Surrealism stems from the subconscious mind, so it only made sense to invite Columbia’s most revered hypnotist!  Dr. G. Fredric Mau, board-certified hypnotist and owner of Watermark Hypnosis in Columbia, will offer rapid induction performance art as part of the show.  Dr. Mau will move volunteers into a hypnotic state very quickly – in 10 to 30 seconds – leading them through a variety of subconscious effects, including catalepsy, memory tricks, and anesthesia.  The rapid-induction performance will explore the way participants react to suggestions using the subconscious mind.  “The transition from an awake state to a hypnotic state can be achieved very quickly – almost as fast as turning a switch,” Mau says. “We do some of our best creative work when we relax, as anyone who has come up with a great idea in the shower knows. Hypnosis and art are collaborative partners.” We are honored and excited to have Dr. Mau as a part of the evening’s opening.

Many thanks go to the Roe Young State Farm Agency for sponsoring wine and cheese during the first Thursday reception.

S&S Art Supply: Futurespective – Lucas Sams, Early Masterworks

For First Thursday, S & S Art Supply presents Lucas Sams, and possibly a live music performance by a surprise group of local Jazz musicians! This exhibition chronicles a progression from the beginning of Lucas’ early work to more recent paintings. About his artwork, Lucas says, “My work is a visual synthesis of many varied sources of inspiration, from the Baroque to the Surreal. I don’t think about what I am going to create before I paint, allowing the work to evolve and essentially create itself.” He thinks of the artist as an effective conduit, approaching art-making like a mad scientist, combining traditional mediums with organic material and found objects, to create art that has a life of its own, transcending the normal boundaries of art on canvas.

Lucas Sams was born in Greenwood, SC, and has lived in South Carolina for most of his life. He has studied art at the SC Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, Temple University’s Japan Campus, and USC. He is a painter, musician, writer, and sculptor; he is also a resident artist at the Tapp’s Center for the Arts.

Tapp’s Art Center: THE COLLECTORS

Work by Eliot Dudik

Tapp’s Arts Center, Columbia’s center for art and music at 1644 Main Street, will show From Here to Mississippi, a photography exhibition. Tapp’s invites the public to mingle with the artists, see their work, and most importantly, celebrate the grand opening. University of South Carolina faculty, Kathleen Robbins and Eliot Dudik, both members of the photography department, will display some of their recent work. Robbins and Dudik will be joined by recent graduates and current student members of the University of South Carolina Photographic Society.

Also, in the spirit of giving and in celebration of the exhibition, Nature and the Grand American Vision, the Columbia Museum of Art, on Main Street in Columbia, SC, offers Pay-What-You-Wish admission on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012, from 11am-8pm, courtesy of BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina.

For further information contact Mark Plessinger by calling 803/988-1065 or e-mail to (frameofmind@sc.rr.com).

Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC, Offers Lecture by Artist-in-residence Andrea Dezsö – Feb. 9, 2012

Visual artist Andrea Dezsö will speak at 4pm, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012, in Room 130 of the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center on the campus of Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC.

The lecture is free and the public is invited.

Originally from Eastern Europe, Dezsö specializes in handmade books, cut-paper illustration, embroidery, sculpture, animation and large-scale public art. Her work reflects her childhood in Soviet-controlled Romania. Her hand-painted tunnel books were shown at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York and a room-sized tunnel book was installed at the Rice Gallery in Houston.

Shown here is an original book by Andrea Dezsö about dead insects bound by the artist on cotton paper, 5 inches by 5 inches, 2004.

Her cut-paper illustrations have appeared in numerous national publications including The New York Times, Village Voice, The Wall Street Journal and Harper’s Magazine. She has received fellowships from institutions such as the National Endowment for the Arts, the Tamarind Institute and New York Foundation for the Arts. Her large-scale garden mosaic for the New York City subway was awarded Best American Public Art in 2007.

“I’m interested in Andrea’s work because of her rich imagination, impeccable craft and delightful sense of humor,” said Matthew Liddle, associate professor in the WCU School of Art and Design. “Her work is appealing because it is ambitious and fun and includes an exciting variety of approaches and techniques.”

Sometimes in My Dreams I Fly, by Andrea Dezsö a 2010 site-specific installation at Rice Gallery, 45 feet long and 15 feet tall of painted, hand-cut board, laser-cut paper and lights.

Dezsö’s visit to WCU is part of a multiday residency sponsored by WCU’s Fine Art Museum, School of Art and Design, College of Fine and Performing Arts, Office of International Programs and Services and the Visiting Scholars Program. During her visit, she will work with students, make an original print in the university’s printmaking studio and work with the art museum to plan an upcoming exhibit.

For more information, call Matthew Liddle at 828/227-3594 or e-mail to (mliddle@wcu.edu).

Picture This Gallery on Hilton Head Island, SC, is Calling for Recycled Art Made From Trash – Deadline Mar. 1, 2012

Picture This Gallery on Hilton Head Island, SC, is calling for submissions for the 3rd Annual A.R.T. Art Recycled from Trash, a juried exhibit on view from Apr. 2 – 28, 2012. The deadline for entries is Mar. 1, 2012.

Entries must be all original artwork at least 75% recycled, re-used and repurposed from elements that were originally manufactured.

Categories: two-dimensional art, three-dimensional art, clothing, jewelry, and utilitarian items.

PRIZES AWARDED:
1st prize $500. Sponsored by Picture This Gallery
2nd prize $250. Sponsored by Picture This Gallery
Junior division  $100. Sponsored by jcostello gallery
People’s Choice Award $ 200. Sponsored by the Rabbi Dr. Arthur and Ellen Segal Charitable Trust for the Arts

An awards reception will be held on Friday, Apr. 20, 2012, from 6-8pm.

Applications can be downloaded at (www.picturethishiltonhead.com). Entries may be submitted on CD, non-refundable fee of $25 per item (2 maximum).

Picture This Gallery is located at 78 D Arrow Road, Cypress Square, on Hilton Head Island.

For further information and complete details call the gallery at 843/842-5299 or e-mail to (picturethis@hargray).

Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, SC, Calls for Entries for its Inaugural Craft Bar Happy Weekend – Deadline Mar. 23, 2012

The Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, SC, is calling for entries for its inaugural Craft Bar Happy Weekend inspired by the monthly program, Craft Bar Happy Hour. Craft Bar Happy Weekend is a public market on June 1 and June 2, 2012, that brings together artists and their handmade goods from across the Southeast. All crafters and artisans are encouraged to submit their artwork for consideration.

Accepted categories include: 2D Fine Art (prints and originals), 3D Fine Art (ceramic, glass, wood, metal), Fiber Art (felted, knitted, crocheted, woven), Wearable (jewelry, clothing, purses, hair accessories), Paper Art (stationary, handmade books, paper crafts), All Else (toys, pet accessories, home goods, garden).

Work will be based on quality, originality and uniqueness, if the items are handmade or made elsewhere, how well the work fits into the given categories and the need to diversify the crafts presented at Craft Bar Happy Weekend.

Deadline to enter is Friday, March 23 at 5pm. Applicants must complete an online application, photo of the work submitted and a $20 nonrefundable application fee. Entry form and information are available at (www.columbiamuseum.org).

UNC Asheville in Asheville, NC, Offers Lecture by John Ochsendorf – Feb. 1, 2012

The Rafael Guastavino family – responsible for remarkable tile work at architectural landmarks in Asheville, NC, and across the nation – will be the subject of a lecture at UNC Asheville by John Ochsendorf of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.).  The lecture, Guastavino Vaulting: From Barcelona to Black Mountain, will take place at 6pm Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012, in UNC Asheville’s Owen Hall, in the third floor conference room. This event is free and open to the public.

Ochsendorf is the author of Guastavino Vaulting: The Art of Structural Tile (2010, Princeton Architectural Press), a study of the work of the father and son team of Spanish immigrants who patented a technique of self-supporting tile arches and vaults. The Guastavinos were responsible for the world-famous tile work in New York City’s Grand Central Station and Carnegie Hall, Asheville’s Biltmore Estate and Basilica of St. Lawrence, and hundreds of other landmark buildings across the US.

Ochsendorf is associate professor of Architecture at M.I.T, where he conducts research on architectural construction, sustainable design and archaeology. He has been awarded a MacArthur Fellowship from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, as well as a Rome Prize from the American Academy in Rome.

This lecture is sponsored by the UNC Asheville Art Department, the Meet the Maker Series, and the NEH Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Humanities.

For more information, contact the Art Department at 828/251-6559.

Greer Campus of Greenville Technical College in Taylors, SC, Offers Lectures About Art Faculty Exhibit

The Greer Campus of Greenville Technical College in Taylors, SC, is offering several artists’ talks in conjunction with the exhibit, Co: mingle: Works by Greenville Technical College Visual Arts Faculty, on view through Feb. 29, 2012.

Please join the Department of Visual and Performing Arts at the Greer campus of Greenville Technical College as we showcase the creative excellence exemplifying the commitment of our arts faculty and staff. Tech’s first faculty exhibition since 2006 features photography, text based works, sculpture, in addition to painting, textile design, printmaking, and drawing. The public is invited to attend gallery talks as faculty lead discussions regarding the inspiration and ideas relevant to their work (see dates below). Exhibition and talks are free and open to the public.

Work by Enid Williams

Schedule of Gallery Talks:

Shane Howell,  Wednesday, February 1, (1:50pm)
Linda McCune, Tuesday, February 7, (10:50am)
Enid Williams, Tuesday, February 21, (2pm)
Erin Moore, Thursday, February 16, (4pm)

The Greenville Technical College Greer Campus is located at Hwy 290, 2522 Locust Hill Road, in Taylors, SC.

For more information call Gallery Director Enid Williams at 864/250-3059 or e-mail at (enid.williams@gvltec.edu).

Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, SC, Offers Pay-What-You-Wish-Day – Feb. 2, 2012

In the spirit of giving and in celebration of the exhibition, Nature and the Grand American Vision, the Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, SC, offers Pay-What-You-Wish admission on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012, from 11am-8pm, courtesy of BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina.

Take a guided tour of the exhibition at 7pm and create your own landscape in the studio from 5- 8pm.

Nature and the Grand American Vision is attracting people from all over the world to visit downtown Columbia for an opportunity to see these magnificent works.

Thomas Cole, Catskill Creek, N.Y., 1845, oil on canvas, 26 1/2″ x 36″. The Robert L. Stuart Collection, S-157

Pay-What-You-Wish admission allows visitors to see Nature and the Grand American Vision and the Museum’s Collection by paying any amount to enter the galleries.

The Columbia Museum of Art is located at 1515 Main Street in downtown Columbia. The First Thursday on Main event will also be taking place from 5 -8pm.

For further info call 803/799-2810 or visit (www.columbiamuseum.org).

Society of Bluffton Artists in Bluffton, SC, Plans Trip to High Museum in Atlanta, GA

The Society of Bluffton Artists (SoBA) in Bluffton, SC, is very excited about hosting a bus trip to Atlanta, GA’s High Museum of Art on Wed., March 7, 2012. A very special exhibition is going on, called Picasso to Warhol: 14 Modern Masters.

Andy Warhol (American, 1928-1987), Self-Portrait, 1966, silkscreen ink on synthetic polymer paint on nine canvases, each canvas 22 1/2 x 22 1/2” (57.2 x 57.2 cm), overall 67 5/8 x 67 5/8” (171.7 x 171.7 cm). The Museum of Modern Art. Gift of Philip Johnson. © 2011 Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts /Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

The bus will leave Bluffton (from 48 Boundary Street) at 7am and will leave Atlanta at 4pm. There will be refreshments in the morning AND returning home. The cost is $95 for the bus, tickets, and refreshments. Lunch will be on your own. If interested please contact Dee Johnson by e-mail at (bobanddee@hargray.com) or call 843/837-5310.

701 CCA Columbia Open Studios in Columbia, SC, Last Week to Sign Up! – Deadline Jan. 31, 2012

When: Saturday + Sunday April 21 – 22, 2012
Saturday 10am-6pm; Sunday noon-6pm

Deadline: January 31, 2012, 11:59pm

(http://www.columbiaopenstudios.org)

Artists all over Richland & Lexington counties in South Carolina will open their private, working studios to the public for the weekend!

Artists keep 100% of sales.

New for 2012: 701 CCA is proud to announce that the event is an official Festival Partner of the Nickelodeon Theatre’s 6th Annual Indie Grits Festival!

Support from the arts community is tremendous. For example, Main Street gallery owner Anastasia Chernoff posted on her Facebook wall today:

“To all my artist friends out there looking for publicity and exposure – you WANT to do this. I’ve done it a couple of times and, not only did I realize some great sales, I had people come to my studio from all over the country! The fee associated with it isn’t much at all when you consider the incredible amount of exposure and sales you’ll receive from being a part of the tour. I think, it’s one of the easiest, most effective ways to get your work and name recognized both locally and outside the Columbia area.”

What is 701 CCA Columbia Open Studios? A weekend-long, self-guided tour of artists’ studios, where you can meet the artists and see their working process in situ — like a tour of homes, but totally unique & out of the box!

6th ANNUAL INDIE GRITS FESTIVAL PARTNERSHIP This year, we’re happy to announce a partnership with the Nickelodeon Theatre’s signature, regional cultural event, the 6th Annual Indie Grits Festival. The festival has grown from a weekend-long film festival to a full-blown, 10-day affair!

Other 2012 Indie Grits partners include festival host The Nickelodeon Theatre (and their full film festival roster), Morihiko and the SC Philharmonic, the smash hit ConvergeSE interactive conference, the Crafty Feast indie craft fair, the Slow Food Columbia “Sustainable Taste of Columbia” party, the Spork in Hand Puppet Slam at Indie Grits, nationally known live bands, parties, workshops, kids’ events and more. As the schedule firms up, it will be viewable here: (http://www.indiegrits.com).

Artists who have registered thus far: Alejandro Garcia-Lemos, McClellan Douglas, Grace Rockafellow, Patrick Parise, Nancy Will, Laurie McIntosh, Joseph & Kelly Shull, Richard Lund, Claire Farrell, Nancy Butterworth, Jan Swanson, Richard & Gay Vogt, Lucinda Howe, Bonnie Goldberg, Judy Bolton Jarrett, Susan Lenz, Amanda Ladymon, Alicia Leeke, Ben Compton, Ruby DeLoach, and Betty Rivers.

Why participate? By giving people a chance to peek into artists’ studios, get a sense of how they work & interact directly with them, 701 CCA Columbia Open Studios hopes to create new marketing opportunities for artists & expose the public to the wealth of fine artists working throughout Richland and Lexington counties.

Your name will be all over the state! Close to 100,000 copies of the full-color program guide with an image of your work, your contact info, media, studio directions, etc. will be hand-distributed around the Midlands, throughout SC, and beyond at well-trafficked businesses, galleries, shops, restaurants, etc. Like last year, guides will likely be inserted and distributed in a high-volume publication in the weeks prior to the event. Plus: hundreds of posters will be printed and displayed throughout the Midlands and beyond, and artists will have access to a digital version to post on their websites, Facebook pages, etc. and/or print and distribute as they wish.

Statewide PR + marketing plan: We’ll execute a statewide PR, marketing & advertising plan and leverage our website, Facebook, & Twitter! Our team will work to achieve editorial mentions and articles in publications across the board. For example, we were thrilled to see Jeffrey Day’s piece in the Free Times about the 2011 event: (http://www.free-times.com/index.php?cat=11001804073474158&ShowArticle_ID=11011805113258145).

How does this fit into the arts landscape here in Columbia, South Carolina? One of 701 CCA’s major goals in presenting Columbia Open Studios is to contribute significantly to the capitol city’s continued efforts toward building a thriving creative economy. We want Columbia, SC to be known as a destination for cultural tourism!

What does it cost? Free to the public, 701 CCA Columbia Open Studios’ artist participation fee is $100 for 701 CCA members and $150 for non-members (comes w/”Family” level membership to 701 CCA). There is also a fully refundable $50 compliance deposit pending post-event submission of attendance & sales data.

PREVIEW PARTY at 701 CCA will be held on Thursday, April 19, 2012. Artists and a guest will receive complimentary admission!

701 CCA takes NO commission on sales — artists retain 100% of all profits.

Questions? Visit our FAQ/guidelines page:

(http://www.701cca.org/701-cca-columbia-open-studios-faq/)

Contact for Artists, Media, & General Public:
701 CCA Columbia Open Studios 2011
c/o Flock and Rally: Events + Communications for a Brave New South
701 Whaley Street, Studio 210
Columbia, SC 29201

Phone: Tracie Broom, Partner 415/235.5718 or Debi Schadel, Partner 803/348.8861

E-mail: (OpenStudios@701CCA.org).

Rockingham County Arts Council in Wentworth, NC, is Accepting Grant Applications for Grassroots Grant Funds for FY 2011-2012 – Deadline Feb. 20, 2012

The Rockingham County Arts Council in Wentworth, NC, announces a second round of grant applications for Grassroots Funds. Applications are due to the Arts Council Monday, Feb. 20, 2012. NOTE: This is not a postmark deadline; Applications and all attachments must be submitted by the deadline in order to be considered for funding. Information and forms can be found on the Arts Council website at (www.artsinrockingham.org).

ELIGIBILITY FOR SUBGRANTS:
All organizations must have been in operation for at least one year. Applicants must be not-for-profit organizations operating in Rockingham County with a 501(c)3 Federal tax-exempt status. (School projects are covered through their school’s status.) An organization without tax-exempt status may receive indirect funding for its arts project by having a 501 (c) 3 serve as its fiscal agent. It is the applicant’s responsibility to see that a copy of its (or its Fiscal Agent’s) IRS tax-exempt status is on file with RCAC. All organizations must reside and carry out projects within Rockingham County. Organizations that receive general support funds through the NC Arts Council are not eligible for Grassroots funds. Individuals are not eligible to apply for Grassroots Arts funds. Applications and support materials must be complete and received by the grant deadline.

WHAT THE GRASSROOTS ARTS PROGRAM FUNDS:
Grassroots Arts Program funds may be used for expenditures to conduct quality arts programs, or to operate an arts organization. Examples of arts programs commonly funded with Grassroots funds include: performances, festivals, art exhibitions, after-school arts programs, artist residencies in schools, arts camps, classes, workshops, art walks and studio tours. Typical uses of Grassroots money include: Program expenses such as artists’ fees and travel, space rental, advertising, marketing and publicity, website and electronic media, scripts, costumes, sets, props, music and equipment rental or purchase. Operating expenses such as salaries, telephone, office supplies, printing, postage, rent, utilities, insurance and equipment rental or purchase.

MATCHING REQUIREMENT:
All subgrantees are required to match their grant amounts dollar for dollar. The funds must come from other public or private sources. Other North Carolina Arts Council funds cannot be used as a match.

GRANT EVALUATION CRITERIA:
Subgrant applications are reviewed by a panel of community members including artists, county and public officials and board members of ACMC among others. The panel evaluates each application based on the subgrant guidelines and the following criteria: Artistic quality of proposed project or programs; Community impact of project or programs; Ability to plan and implement project; Stability and fiscal responsibility of the organization; Panelists discuss and score the grant using an established rating system. The subgrant panel’s funding decisions are then presented as recommendations to the RCAC board of directors, who vote and give final approval to the panel’s recommendations.

For 2011 -12 Subgrant Reports, due May 30, 2012.
All projects must be completed before May 30, 2012

Submit Grants to Rockingham County Arts Council, P.O. Box 83, Wentworth NC 27375 or in person to Rockingham County Arts Council, 1122 NC Hwy 65, Wentworth NC 27375

RCAC is the focal point/umbrella organization for the arts and information about the arts in Rockingham County. Our mission is to nurture and enrich the cultural life of Rockingham County. Celebrating 43 years of Arts in Rockingham County.

Grant applications can be found at (http://www.artsinrockingham.org/grants.shtml). Call 336/349-4039 or e-mail to (info@artsinrockingham) with questions and to receive a printed copy of the grant.