Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, SC, Receives “Best Idea” Grant Given by the National Park Foundation

The Columbia Museum of Art (CMA) in Columbia, SC, and Congaree National Park received one of 39 America’s “Best Idea” grants given by the National Park Foundation this year to recognize their innovative arts and science education program called LEAF (Linking Ecology and Art of the Floodplains). The $17,500 grant helps support LEAF, which connects science, art, and the ecological experience of the primeval forest at Congaree National Park to teach over 1,300 third-graders about landscapes, soils, and habitats.

The National Parks Service announced the list of national parks across the country selected to receive the award. The grant program, inspired by Ken Burns’ critically acclaimed documentary, “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea,” builds partnerships between national parks and community, state, and other public organizations that engage diverse audiences in meaningful and relevant ways with national parks and inspires participants to become stewards of our National Park System.

The award-winning program also received recognition on national television on Time Warner Cable’s “It Ain’t Rocket Science” show that aired in October. The show is part of the cable company’s charitable initiative called “Connect a Million Minds” STEM campaign, which spotlighted the LEAF program as an innovative education program linking art and science. View the program at (http://www.connectamillionminds.com/campaigns/itaintrocketscience/episode/26).

“We thank the National Park Foundation for their support and are honored that the LEAF program received this national recognition,” says Karen Brosius, CMA executive director. “Our museum is focused on art as a gateway to learning and creativity, and it has been a pleasure to partner with Congaree National Park to reach more than a thousand third-grade students with such a valuable and fun art and science experience.”

Beginning in 2007, the LEAF program has reached a total of over 4,000 students and over 200 teachers in Richland and Lexington Counties, which is the central region of South Carolina. This free, outdoor field trip is part of an ongoing initiative by the CMA to integrate STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) education in school curricula. The STEAM movement recognizes the importance of connecting science with arts education, which is critical for 21st-century achievement and innovation. LEAF promotes arts education, science literacy, and environmental education through outdoor activities that connect to South Carolina visual art and science education standards.

“Good artists make good scientists and good scientists make good artists because observation is key to both,” says Congaree Education Coordinator David Shelley.

The National Park Foundation is the official charity of the National Park System. Additional support for the grants comes from the Geological Society of America and the National Park Service Geologic Resource Division.

For more information about the CMA’s education programs, visit (www.columbiamuseum.org/learn).

Council for the Arts in Jacksonville, NC, and Onslow County Calls for Entries for “Wee Little Trees” – Deadline Nov. 14, 2014

On Nov. 22 – 23, 2014, the Council for the Arts will partner with the Onslow Caregivers, Inc. for the 12th annual Festival of Trees; a winter wonderland filled with decorated trees, holiday displays and entertainment at the American Legion Building, 146 Broadhurst Road in Jacksonville, NC.

The Council for the Arts is pleased to announce the 2nd Annual “Wee Little Trees” at this year’s “Festival of Trees” presented by the Onslow Caregivers, Inc.  for patients of Onslow County Home Health and Hospice programs.

Everyone is invited to join the holiday fun and become part of the spirit of the season. Use your imagination; your Christmas trees can be made out of fabric, foam, wood, sticks, twigs; food metal….…the skies the limit on your imagination…  only the size has a cap….up to 24 inches tall (including the topper) and up to 24 inches wide! Only the first 50 wee trees will be accepted, so get your application filled out.

“Charlie Brown Tree,” Metal by Stephen Zawistowski, 2013 wee tree Best in Show

Deadline to enter a mini tree is Nov. 14, 2014 @ 4:30pm

Entry fee is $5.00 per tree. All mini trees will be donated as part of the “Festival of Trees” silent auction, except for the Best in Show, which will become property of the Council and will be displayed year round.  Everyone is eligible to bid on these cute trees. A “People’s Choice Award” and Judges will pick “Best in Show.” Last year’s winner was Stephen Zawistowski “Charles Brown Christmas Tree.”

Businesses, schools, civic groups, churches, families and individuals can enter this wee little tree extravaganza! We look forward to seeing the beautiful trees from our creative folks. Help support your neighbors for this worthy cause.

Any questions can be e-mail to (jaxarts@jaxarts.com) or call 910/455-9840. Mail in your entry forms to Council for the Arts, P.O. Box 34, Jacksonville, NC 28541

Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, SC, Offers a Day of Free Admission – Friday, Nov. 7, 2014

The Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, SC, opens its doors with free admission on Friday, Nov. 7, 2014, during daytime hours from 11am to 5pm. During the day, visitors pay no admission to enjoy the CMA’s collection and exhibitions, including “Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera”. As always, the Wells Fargo Education Gallery, the Solar Exploration Station, Art Explorer backpacks, and gallery guides are free for families to have fun in the galleries with activities.

“Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera,” is on view in the Lipscomb Family Galleries through Jan. 18, 2015.

The CMA presents a landmark exhibition of the most famous and beloved of American illustrators, “Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera”. This exhibition includes 50 photographs that show the careful procedure Rockwell used to make his art, as well as 16 original paintings and drawings, and takes viewers behind the scenes in the creative process of one of America’s great masters.

Also FREE on view:
French Masters: Henri Fantin-Latour’s Jonquils and Narcissus (1885), Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s Two Girls Wearing Hats (1890), and Georges Braque’s Still Life with Oysters (1938), all generously on loan from a private collection, are on view through the end of the year in the Andrew Kerns Gallery.

John Singer Sargent: Sargent’s Portrait of Mrs. Theodore Frothingham, Jr., a beautiful charcoal portrait by the famous artist on loan from John and Kay Bachmann, is on view in the Portraits on Paper exhibition in the BB&T Gallery.

¡FUERZA! Artistas Latin@s in South Carolina, on view in the Caroline Guignard Community Gallery through November 30 ¡FUERZA! visually explores the connections between domestic violence and the underrepresented minorities in the United States through the lenses of a cadre of Latin@ artists based in South Carolina.

Tabletop Art History: Still Life from the Collection, on view in the Mamie and William Andrew Treadway, Jr. Gallery 15 through January 4, 2015. This intimate and colorful exhibition uses 24 still life paintings from the CMA collection, including works by Roy Lichtenstein, Julie Heffernan, and Lionel Gilbert, to tell the story of American art.

Rockwell Rocks!, on view in the Wells Fargo Education Gallery through Wednesday, January 7, 2015. The CMA presents an exhibition of South Carolina student art from around the state. Students explore the processes and techniques used by Norman Rockwell to create their own work capturing their personal histories.

The free day is sponsored by BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina.

For more information, visit (www.columbiamuseum.org).

McKissick Museum in Columbia, SC, Celebrates Native American Heritage Awareness Day – Nov. 18, 2014

The University of South Carolina’s McKissick Museum in Columbia, SC, will celebrate Native American Heritage Awareness Day on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014, with a screening of the film “The Cherokee Word for Water” at 7pm.  This event is free and open to the public.

“The Cherokee Word for Water” is inspired by the true story of Wilma Mankiller – the first modern female Chief of the Cherokee Indians – and highlights a Cherokee community’s struggle to bring water to their people. Set in Mankiller’s rural Oklahoma Cherokee community, the movie highlights a community coming together to improve its life condition. In the process, they inspire trust among one another, and reawaken values of reciprocity and interconnectedness. Charlie Soap – the film’s director and Wilma Mankiller’s husband – will be participating in a conversation after the screening.

The film is presented as a part of McKissick Museum’s year-long exhibit, “Traditions, Change, and Celebration: Native Artists of the Southeast,” and in partnership with the Department of Anthropology, Institute for Southern Studies, Women and Gender Studies, and the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs at the University of South Carolina. “Traditions, Change, and Celebration: Native Artists of the Southeast” represents year two of McKissick’s Diverse Voices series, which celebrates the traditional arts and folkways of the Southeastern United States.

Other events for Native American Heritage Awareness Month include Native American Heritage Awareness Day at the South Carolina Statehouse, also on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014, and the Native American Indian Film Festival: (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Native-American-Indian-Film-Video-Festival-of-the-Southeast/154115854684326).

McKissick Museum is located on the University of South Carolina’s historic Horseshoe with available parking in the garage at the corner of Pendleton and Bull streets.

For more information, call Ja-Nae Epps at 803/777-2876.

The Jones-Carter Gallery in Lake City, SC, Invites You to Celebrate Goya with an Evening of Spanish Music, Art, and Wine! – Nov. 6, 2014

The Jones-Carter Gallery in Lake City, SC, invites the public to a special free concert and wine tasting titled “Celebrating Goya,” featuring performances by classical musicians Paolo Andrè Gualdi, Danijela Zezelj-Gualdi, both of Florence, SC, and Matthew Anderson, of Atlanta, GA.  The concert will take place on Thursday, Nov. 6 at 7pm inside the National Bean Market at 111 Henry Street in Lake City.

The concert celebrates the life of artist Francisco de Goya, whose famed series of etchings is currently on view inside the Jones-Carter Gallery, as well as Spain’s rich musical heritage. Four Spanish wines will also be available for sampling during the concert. The performance will include pieces by composers Frederico Moreno Torroba, Isaac Alberniz, Joaquin Turina, Francisco Tarrega, Mario Castelnuevo-Tedesco, Maurice Ravel, Manuel de Falla, and Pablo Sarasate. The concert is free to the public.

This event is held in conjunction with the exhibition, “Francisco Goya: Los Caprichos”, on view at the Jones-Carter Gallery next door to the Bean Market. The exhibition runs through Jan. 3, 2015. “Francisco Goya: Los Caprichos” was organized by Landau Traveling Exhibitions, Los Angeles, CA, in association with Denenberg Fine Art, West Hollywood, CA.

Plate #24, by Francisco Goya, “Nothing could be done about it”, 216 mm x 151 mm (8 1/2 x 5 15/16 in.) H. 59. Courtesy of Landau Traveling Exhibitions.

For more information about this event and the gallery, please visit (www.jonescartergallery.com) or check out our Facebook page.

Appalachian Pastel Society Offers Demo by Karen Margulis During Meeting on Nov. 8, 2014, in Mills River, NC

The Appalachian Pastel Society will offer a talk/demo with award-winning pastel artist Karen Margulis, who will share ideas and techniques to help pastel artists achieve more expressive and exciting paintings, on Nov. 8, from 10am-noon at the Grace Community Church in Mills River, NC.

Work by Karen Margulis

According to Margulis, artists are either moving toward or away from abstraction. No matter where an artist falls on this journey, he or she can benefit from ideas to help create more expressive paintings. “I am always striving to interpret my subject by including my own personal touch rather than a copying the reference,” Margulis says.

“In my presentation and demo I will share some of the ways I have discovered that help me paint in a more expressive ‘loose’ manner.  I will introduce a simple method for a successful pastel painting from the planning stage to the addition of those final important spices!”

Karen Margulis was born in Connecticut and was raised in South Florida. She currently lives in Marietta, GA. She received her BA in Education from the University of Florida. Margulis’ primary medium is pastel, although she enjoys all mediums. She is a Master Circle recipient of the International Association of Pastel Societies and a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America. She is also a Member of Excellence in the Southeastern Pastel Society. Margulis’ landscape and wildflower paintings have received recognition in many International exhibitions including PSA and IAPS where her “Queen Anne’s Lace” painting won the 2011 poster competition. Margulis’ work has been featured in the June 2014 issue of “Pastel Journal”. Her painting, “Summer Reprise”, was chosen for the cover image. Margulis is a Daily Painter and art blogger. She teaches workshops and classes throughout the Southeast and online.

The Grace Community Church is located at 495 Cardinal Road in Mills River, NC.

For more information visit (www.appalachianpastelsociety.org) or call Sparky Nelson at 828/696-8074, or e-mail to (sparkynelsonpaints@gmail.com).

Arts Council of Henderson County in Hendersonville, NC Announces 3rd Annual YART Sale – Nov. 15, 2014

The Arts Council of Henderson County is planning its third annual YART Sale to be held Saturday, Nov. 15, 2014, from 9am to 3pm. Area artists will be cleaning their studios of paintings, pottery, older works, unsold artwork (framed and unframed), and unneeded art supplies. Art lovers will also bring art and vintage items to sell. This wide variety of items will be made available to the public at yard sale prices. The YART Sale will take place at the First Congregational Church Hall, at the corner of White Pine Drive and 5th Avenue West in Hendersonville (1735 5th Avenue West), NC.

For more information please contact the Arts Council by e-mail at (acofhc@bellsouth.net) or call 828-693-8504.

The Arts Council of Henderson County is a community organization that promotes, advocates for and nurtures the arts in Henderson County and western North Carolina. Its office is located at 401 North Main St., 3rd floor, Hendersonville, NC 28792.

The Arts Council is supported in part by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources; funds administered by the Community Foundation of Henderson County, Henderson County government, Henderson County Tourism Development Authority, and the City of Hendersonville.

Arts Council of Henderson County Announces Awards for “55th Art on Main” in Hendersonville, NC

$3,000 was awarded to artists participating in the 55th annual Art on Main Fine Art / Fine Craft Festival, held Oct. 4 and 5 in downtown Hendersonville, NC. 70 artist vendors set up booths along Main Street, Hendersonville, for one of Western North Carolina’s most popular outdoor art festivals.

Awards were announced during an artists reception by Arts Council board chairman, Francis Cullinan, and Kim Adams, Art on Main Event Coordinator. Stephanie Moore, Susan Buser, and Joel Smeltzer were judges for the festival, deciding cash prizes worth a total of $3,000.

Suzy Schultz, Atlanta, GA

The winners were:

Best of Show ($1,000),  Suzy Schultz, Atlanta, GA, Oil/Acrylic/Watercolor

1st Place, Fine Art ($500), David Simchock, Weaverville, NC, Photography

1st Place, Fine Craft ($500), Elaine Rader, St. Blue Ridge, GA, Jewelry

2nd Place, Fine Art ($300), Chris Bruner, Taylors, SC, Photography

2nd Place, Fine Craft ($300), John Gunther, Abingdon, VA, Fiber

Honorable Mention ($100), Brian Kuehn, Pisgah Forest, NC, Pastels

Honorable Mention ($100), Susan Barrett, Hendersonville, NC, Clay

Honorable Mention ($100), Linda Azar, Waynesville, NC, Jewelry

Honorable Mention ($100), Timothy Bahn, Jacksonville, FL, Wood

The Art on Main Fine Art / Fine Craft festival is presented by the Arts Council of Henderson County with major support provided by Morris Broadband. Additional support was provided by “Bold Life Magazine”, Mast General Store, “New York Times”, and the Dr. Minor F. Watts Fund at the Community Foundation of Henderson County. Grant partners for the event included Henderson County Visitors Center, and the City of Hendersonville.

For more information contact The Arts Council at 828/693-8504, e-mail to (acofhc@bellsouth.net) or visit (www.acofhc.org).

The Arts Council of Henderson County is a community organization that promotes, advocates for and nurtures the arts in Henderson County and Western North Carolina.  Its office is located at 401 North Main Street, 3rd floor (entrance on Fourth Ave. W.), Hendersonville, NC 28792.

The Arts Council is supported in part by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources; several funds administered by the Community Foundation of Henderson County, Henderson County Government, Henderson County Tourism Development Authority, and the City of Hendersonville.

The Greater Abbeville Chamber of Commerce in Abbeville, SC, Calls for Participation in HANDMADE FOR THE HOLIDAYS – Deadline Nov. 15, 2014

The Greater Abbeville Chamber of Commerce, in Abbeville, SC, is proud to be presenting an Arts & Craft show during our “Citywide Yuletide Celebration” on Friday, & Saturday, Dec. 5 & 6, 2014. We are inviting Artisans and Craftsmen to display, demonstrate and sell their arts and crafts. The Arts & Craft show will be located in the Historic Livery Stable, which will accommodate our artists with a covered and comfortable space.

A 10′ X 10′ space will be provided for each participant and will be available at 10am, Friday morning, for setup and start time. The Livery Stable will be locked overnight to protect your work.

Members of the Chamber of Commerce will be available starting at noon, Friday to help in any way.

Exhibitors are asked to display their artwork from 4-8pm on Friday, and 10am-6pm on Saturday.

Exhibitors and their guests are invited to join us Saturday morning starting at 9am at the Chamber of Commerce for a “Morning Warm Up”.

In addition to the Arts & Craft show, the weekend will also feature The Official Lighting of the City of Abbeville Christmas Tree, Merchants Association Sip & Shop, Historical Society Caboose Lighting & Children’s Program, The Polar Express, Christmas Parade, Letters with Santa & Cookies with Mrs. Clause.

As you can see, we have arranged a great family friendly event to kick off the Holiday Shopping Season, with Handmade for the Holidays being a unique shopping experience to give a gift from the heart.

Deadline for applications is Nov. 15, 2014.

For additional information about registration and fees involved contact Executive Director, Missy Wines at 864/366-4600, e-mail us at (abvchamber@wctel.net).

Cady Clay Works Gallery Gala Takes Place in Seagrove, NC – Nov. 8, 2014

Cady Clay Works Gallery Gala will take place Nov. 8, 2014, from 9am – 5pm, in Seagrove, NC. Potters John Mellage and Beth Gore will debut over 700 new wood-fired pottery creations and special guest Ellen Greer will join the Gala with her oil drawings, abstractions inspired by the textures of fruits and vegetables.

The 21st firing of the “anagama” wood kiln produced pots with amazing surface colors and textures. Wood ash drips, flame patterns and soda glaze texture are serendipitously deposited on the pottery as the pieces are decorated at the whim of the kiln. A wide variety of pieces, from pots to enhance food preparation and dining to decorative vases and whimsical owls are part of this year’s treasures.

John and Beth are thrilled to have artist Ellen Greer join their Open House. Greer will bring original works as well as smaller reproductions printed on aluminum. It’s a technique that highlights the gorgeous colors and visual textures in her designs.

Greer taught High School Art in Asheboro, NC, for 11 years before joining the NC Zoo staff, serving as Curator of Design for 27 years. Under her direction the zoo became a showplace for environmentally-themed artwork and design. Since her retirement, she has enjoyed being able to spend more time on her own artwork, developing the wonderful “Culinary Images” series. Preview her work at (www.ellengreerart.com).

The annual Open House gives the artists time to visit with customers, explain the inspiration and techniques behind their work, and share new designs. Refreshments will be served – come join the fun!

Cady Clay Works is located on Busbee Road in the Westmoore community south of Seagrove. Gala hours are 9am to 5pm.

For more information or directions call 910/464-5661 or go to (www.cadyclayworks.com).