The Greenville Center for Creative Arts in Greenville, SC, Calls for Exhibit Proposals – Deadline is Jan. 13, 2017

The Greenville Center for Creative Arts in Greenville, SC, invites established and emerging artists to submit proposals for solo or group exhibitions for the 2017/2018 exhibition calendar. The GCCA gallery provides approximately 4,000 square feet of exhibition space and features the work of local, regional, and national artists from all disciplines in 6 – 8 shows per year.

Deadline for Exhibition Proposals: January 13, 2017

Exhibition proposals will be reviewed and scored by the GCCA Exhibition Committee using the following criteria:

Work reflects consistency of quality

Work reflects clear objectives and a strong overall concept or theme

Work represents GCCA’s mission to enrich the cultural fabric of the community through visual arts promotion, education, and inspiration

Only original artwork created and executed by the applicant will be considered for exhibition

To be considered for an exhibition at GCCA please submit proposals to (http://www.artcentergreenville.org/submissions/).

Hot Works Presents 1st annual Asheville Fine Art Show and Fine Craft Show on May 20 & 21, 2017, at the US Cellular Center, in Downtown Asheville, NC – Deadline Dec. 7, 2016

Asheville is a city in western North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. It’s known for its vibrant arts scene and historic architecture, including the dome-topped Basilica of Saint Lawrence. The vast 19th-century Biltmore estate displays artwork by masters like Renoir. The Downtown Art District is filled with galleries and museums, and in the nearby River Arts District, you’ll find former factory buildings which house artists’ studios.

Asheville is, by far, North Carolina’s most affluent and sophisticated art-buying and art-loving audience, All four of Hot Works’ other shows in Florida and Michigan are voted top 100 art shows in the nation by Sunshine Artist Magazine and/or AFSB. Hot Works is the same company that produced the Charlotte Fine Art Show in North Carolina for six years, between 2008 and 2013. At Hot Works, our philosophy is to put the money into advertising and marketing to benefit all of the artists in the show.

That said, we understand the importance of awards to recognize great talent in the show, but more importantly, our gorgeous award ribbons help sell artist’s work. There is $1,500 in professional artist awards: Two Best of Show – $500 cash awards; Five Awards of Excellence – $100 cash awards; and Ten Awards of Distinction – non-monetary.

Professional artist applications will be accepted Via Zapp at (https://www.zapplication.org/event-info.php?ID=5105). Deadline to apply is Dec. 7, 2016.

Hot Works Executive Producer Patty Narozny has a loyal artist following because: She works hard to keep out the buy/sell – and does the research to keep it out; She knows how to work the media, and brings in cultivated patrons with money to purchase high-end art; Patty’s unique brand of marketing with Hot Works has consistent, proven success; Patty respects and always does her best to do what’s right for the artists and for the art fair industry; Patty has 30+ years’ experience as a successful event and media producer and the know-how to connect artists with art-buying audiences; Each artist’s booth sign states emphatically, “All work in this booth is personally handmade by…”.

No stages or pulsating music!  Music is low key so you don’t have to shout to sell your art.

US Cellular Center provides: A renovated facility that is well attended for a variety of events throughout the year; An indoor facility where “weather” is controlled and always pleasant; and A location where patrons come specifically to purchase art.

Deadline: December 7; notifications by December 17

Rent includes 8’ white pipe and drape to separate space between booths plus a pole to go across the top front of your booth to hang lights, if needed.

Absolutely no more than 180 artists (or less).

Institute for the Arts & Education is the 501c3 non-profit organization that focuses on visual arts, ethnic diversity, community enrichment and fostering art education among youth.

If your first priority is sales, then Hot Works shows are for you. We do have cash awards, but we spend proportionately much more money to get qualified art-show buying patrons to attend the event to benefit all artists in the show.

Except for Asheville, NC – our brand new show in 2017 – all of Hot Works shows are voted top 100 in the nation – they include: 18th & 19th bi-annual Estero Fine Art Shows, November 19 & 20, 2016 and January 7 & 8, 2017, Miromar Design Center, Estero, FL – outdoors; 8th annual Boca Raton Fine Art Show, January 28 & 29, 2017, Downtown Boca Raton, FL; and 15th annual Orchard Lake Fine Art Show, July 29 & 30, 2017, West Bloomfield, Michigan – outdoors.

Voted top 100 in America by Sunshine Artist – the last 10 years!

Interested?  Please contact Executive Producer Patty Narozny by e-mail at (patty@hotworks.org) or call 248/684-2613 or 941/755-3088.

Anita Funston wins gold at the North Carolina SilverArts competition in Raleigh, NC

On Sept. 30, 2016, local artist, Anita Funston, was awarded the gold medal, in Sculpture, at the North Carolina Senior Games SilverArts competition, in Raleigh, NC.

Anita Funston lives in Henderson County, NC. She has studied at the Penland School of Crafts in Penland, NC and is a member of the Tri-State Sculptors Educational Association.  Regarding the event, she stated, “ It is an honor to represent Henderson County in the North Carolina Competition and to be awarded the gold metal in sculpture.”

Funston qualified for the state competition by winning first place with her sculpture, titled “Portrait of a Lady”, at The Four Seasons SilverArts competition held in Henderson County on May 12, 2016.

“Portrait of a Lady” was made from recycled metal kitchen items, screen, wire, a wooden cutting board and glass beads. Regarding the sculpture “it is meaningful for me to purchase and repurpose materials from organizations that serve people in need. Through Habitat for Humanity many families are given opportunities. By shopping at the Habitat ReStores for my sculpture materials, I am able to help support them and give new life to these materials. This sculpture took common kitchenware no longer used for their intended purpose and reimagined them into an artistic sculpture that can also provide a new purpose.  The “beads” on the “Lady’s” neck can be used to display scarves and jewelry.”

For more information about the NC SilverArts competition can be found at (http://www.ncseniorgames.org/artssf.htm).

Anita Funston creates unique sculptures that are inspired by nature. Her works incorporate harmony and humor.

Her website can be found at (www.anitafunston.weebly.com). She can also be reached by e-mail at (AnitaFunston@gmail.com).

Asheville Art Museum in Asheville, NC, Prepares for Closing During Its Expansion

In December, 2016, the Museum is excited to be opening Asheville Art Museum On the Slope, a small pop-up Museum at 175 Biltmore Avenue (the old Foam & Fabric building), which will house a gift shop, a rotating intimate exhibition gallery and an education studio. It will also serve as the temporary offices for Museum staff.

As the Museum begins this time of transition, it will continue an active schedule of programming for all ages off-site with community partners across WNC.  The Museum is pleased to be working with a few organizations that will store its Permanent Collection in secure and climate-controlled environments. In addition, the Museum is collaborating with a number of community partners such as Western Carolina University, the State Employees’ Credit Union and Wells Fargo to present works on view to the public during the construction phase. Programs for children will continue at local public libraries, as well as On the Slope.

As it undergoes construction and presents programs with partners in the community, the Museum will be posting updated information at (ashevilleart.org), as well as on its Facebook page.

Founded by artists in 1948 in Asheville, NC, the Asheville Art Museum annually presents an exciting, inviting and active schedule of exhibitions and public programs based on its permanent collection of 20th and 21st century American art. Any visit will also include experiences with works of significance to Western North Carolina’s cultural heritage including Studio Craft, Black Mountain College and Cherokee artists. Special exhibitions feature renowned regional and national artists and explore issues of enduring interest. The Museum also offers a wide array of innovative, inspiring and entertaining educational programs for people of all ages.

Additional information on upcoming exhibitions and public programs at the Museum can be found online at (www.ashevilleart.org).

Upstate Heritage Quilt Trail in Upstate. SC, Expands by Two

The 186th quilt panel was recently added to the Upstate Heritage Quilt Trail at the home of Billy and Thelma Burton, 899 Rocky Fork Road Westminster, SC. The Cathedral Window quilt was the final quilt Thelma’s mother, Henry Louie Green Powell, worked on before her death and remains unfinished. Thelma recalls from her childhood Sarah Hunt and her mother putting a quilt on the backs of old straight chairs, laying the frames across them. She says, “They would work for days. The old shell design was the one she liked to use. Using chalk, she would make the shell pattern.” This was where Thelma learned to quilt, making two quilts herself before she was married to Billy L. Burton fifty years ago.

Thelma Burton with her mother’s quilt beside the painted quilt panel.

A Cathedral Window quilt is not strictly a traditional quilt. It doesn’t have the usual sandwich of three layers of fabric and batting, but is composed of folded squares of fabric, whip-stitched together into the “frames.” The “panes” are traditionally made from muslin or cheesecloth squares to create a translucent effect as they are appliqued over the joins, inside those graceful curves that must be what Thelma saw as shells when she was a child.

Blogger at (annquiltsblog.com) describes the process as “being similar to the folded paper fortune tellers my friends and I made ad infinitum when we 8 or 9 years old. Does anyone remember recess on sunny afternoons, choosing numbers and colors, then getting a funny fortune?”

Great cathedral windows have been an inspiration to countless people for centuries. It’s always a gift to have some of the emotions, memories and ideas of great art, such as a glowing church window in our daily lives.

The 187th addition to the Upstate Heritage Quilt Trail in Westminster, SC, was installed on the barn door of the property owned by Joe & Sharon Byers on 418 Cornelia Avenue. Joe and Sharon come from quilting-rich backgrounds, respectively relocating from Pennsylvania and Michigan to the upstate of SC. The square was painted by their two daughters, Heather and Hadassa, along with young neighborhood friends of long standing, Savannah, Whitney and Jordan Wingert. The young people took time off from their summer activities to come to the studio in Walhalla and complete the block under the guidance of the production team. Joe, a carpenter and independent contractor, designed and built a beautiful wooden frame for the block, to give it a bit more presence on his barn.

The original design was created by the Arts Council of York County, (www.yorkcountyarts.org) and serves as their logo. They also have a painted panel which is displayed on their Arts Center as part of the York County Quilt Trail in Rock Hill, SC. The style and design of this quilt is a variation of the Cathedral Window quilt block.

The fabric quilt was commissioned by Cindy Blair to meet the requirement of the Upstate Heritage Quilt Trail that there be an actual, hand-made quilt block. It was sewn by Mary Dee Rudy of Seneca, a prolific quilter and member of the Walhalla Production Team. It was donated by Cindy Blair to the UHQT and will be showcased at the production team’s studio.

For further information visit their website at (www.uhqt.org).

Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, SC, Celebrates Native American History Month with Catawba Heritage Lecture – Nov. 8, 2016

In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, the Columbia Museum of Art presents a discussion of the Catawba Nation and their pottery tradition with Brent Burgin, director of the archives at the University of South Carolina Lancaster’s Native American Studies Archive. Indigenous to the Carolinas, the Catawba Nation is the only federally recognized tribe in the state of South Carolina. Their pottery tradition has been practiced continuously for 6,000 years.

ArtBreak is a program that looks at art through a different lens. Each session features a speaker who gives insight into their worldview by sharing their interpretation of works of art at the CMA. The morning begins in the lobby on Nov. 8, 2016, at 10:30am with pastries and coffee sold at The Wired Goat pop-up café, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the educational initiatives at the museum. Program starts at 11:00 a.m. Sponsored in part through Leslie’s Legacy Fund.

Free with membership or admission.

The Columbia Museum of Art is located at 1515 Main Street in downtown Columbia, SC.

For more information, visit (columbiamuseum.org).

Caldwell Arts Council and the City of Lenoir, NC, Calls for Participation by Sculptors

The Caldwell Arts Council and the City of Lenoir, NC, seek sculptors interested in participating in our outdoor sculpture sales gallery located on pedestals throughout downtown Lenoir, NC. Tucker’s Gallery is a public/private partnership project between the City of Lenoir and the Caldwell Arts Council.

Interested sculptors will find the application form and more details at (http://www.caldwellarts.com/245-tuckers-gallery/). This call for sculpture artists is ongoing; sculptures are placed in the gallery for one year.

To learn more about the Caldwell Arts Council call 828/754-2486, e-mail at (info@caldwellarts.com) or visit (www.caldwellarts.com).

Jane Nodine Named 2016 Distinguished Art Advocate by South Carolina Art Education Association

The University of South Carolina Upstate in Spartanburg, SC, is pleased to announce that Jane Nodine, assistant chair of Fine Arts and Communication Studies, has been named a 2016 Distinguished Art Advocate by the South Carolina Art Education Association.

Jane Nodine

Nodine, a professor of art and who also serves as the director of the Curtis R. Harley Gallery and the UPSTATE Gallery on Main, will receive the award Saturday, November 19 during the SCAEA’s annual meeting in Greenville. Prior to joining the faculty at USC Upstate, she owned and operated Jane Nodine Hardwear, a full-service jewelry design and manufacturing company. Nodine has worked in a variety of media throughout her career and exhibits widely in the United States and Europe.

SCAEA awards program recognizes excellence in individuals, programs and supporters of art education in South Carolina. Nominees for the Distinguished Art Advocate must demonstrate advocacy and leadership in advancing the cause of art education and work to support and improve art education.

For more information, contact Jane Nodine at 864/503- 5838 or e-mail to (jnodine@uscupstate.edu).

Deborah King S. of Summerville, SC, Participates in South Carolina State Parks Artist in Residence Program

DKS Studio is proud to announce artist Deborah King S. of Summerville, SC, was selected to participate in the 2016 Artist in Residence program. Oconee State Park selected Deborah to serve as their Artist in Residence in the park for one week in exchange for art works/s to become part of the park’s permanent collection.

Deborah King S. artist with “Bobbers & Oars”,  Jo Anna White park manager with   “The Oconee Bathhouse” and  Paul Scherer owner DKS Studio with “Is This My Good Side”

“The Oconee Bathhouse”, “Is This My Good Side” and “Bobbers and Oars” were delivered to Oconee State Park Manager Jo Anna White on September 23, 2016 by DKS Studio’s owner Paul Scherer and artist Deborah King S. as part of the Artist in Residence program and in appreciation and support of the South Carolina State Parks. “The Oconee Bathhouse” and “Bobbers and Oars” will hang in the main office for public viewing. Visit the beautiful Oconee State Park to find out where “Is This My Good Side” will hang. Visit the South Carolina State parks website (http://southcarolinaparks.com) or visit one of our 47 state parks to see what you’ve been missing!! Applications for the 2017 AIR season closes on Oct. 31, 2016 and more information can be found at (http://www.southcarolinaparks.com/sc-parks-insider/Blog/16530).

Deborah King S. is a Charleston, SC, native and resident of Summerville. Deborah, a self taught artist, has won numerous awards for her artistic works. Deborah takes inspiration from life around her, primarily nature, but  has an eye for the old, odd or unusual and loves the State Parks. Deborah is currently an Exhibiting member of the Summerville Artist Guild and founder and coordinator of “Just Go Paint” Plein Air Painters. Many of Deborah’s works are in private collections throughout the US.

Artists in All Disciplines Sought for 2017 North Charleston Arts Fest in North Charleston, SC – Deadline is Dec. 15, 2016

The City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department is seeking performers and presenters in music, theatre, dance, visual art, media art, and literature for participation in the 2017 North Charleston Arts Fest to be held May 3-7 at various venues throughout North Charleston, SC. National, regional, and local artists, as well as ethnic/cultural groups and community organizations are welcome to submit an application, which can be accessed at (NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com/apply). Agents submitting applications on behalf of two or more artists or groups should contact the Cultural Arts Department at 843/740-5854 or e-mail to (culturalarts@northcharleston.org) for special application instructions. There is NO fee to apply. Applications will be accepted through the online submission platform until midnight on Thursday, December 15, 2016. Artists in need of assistance with any part of the application process may contact the Cultural Arts Department to schedule a one-on-one meeting, which can be conducted over the phone or in person.

The North Charleston Arts Fest is one of the most comprehensive arts festivals in the state, drawing more than 30,000 residents and visitors annually to participate in a fabulous array of events and activities such as concerts, theatre presentations, exhibitions and installations, children’s programs, film screenings, workshops and demonstrations, and more.  Now entering its 35th year, the festival is set to undergo some exciting changes, including significant revisions to the event schedule. The review panel will select applicants from all art disciplines to create a mix of free and ticketed events that will work well in the available venues and are geared to meet the interests of a cross-section of ages, cultures, and backgrounds. Proposals for new concepts or programs are encouraged.

For more information about the North Charleston Arts Fest and other participation opportunities visit (NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com) or contact the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department office at 843/740-5854.