Giant Mexican Mermaid Mural Coming to South End in Charlotte, NC

Local Artist Sharon Dowell is currently painting a 10′ x 90′ long mural on the brick exterior of The Design Center of the Carolinas, located at 1999 Hawkins Street in Charlotte, NC. Commissioned by Asana Developers, who own and are revitalizing the building, Dowell’s mural will feature a mermaid of Mexican heritage with tattoos that represent historical and current businesses in the South End district. The model for the mermaid is Karla Sosa, an artist who resided in Charlotte for several years and now is back in her hometown of Merida, Mexico. Attached are in progress photos.

Dowell is a painter with a focus on works on canvas, murals and public art. She received a Masters in Arts Administration from Winthrop University in 2017 and earned a BFA from UNC Charlotte in 2002. Post UNCC graduation, she lived in NYC and her work was greatly influenced by the city. She returned to Charlotte and has served in various roles with local galleries, most notably as as an Adjunct Professor and Rowe Galleries Coordinator at UNC Charlotte and as Director for Center of the Earth Gallery.

Dowell will begin a large scale public art project in Boulder, CO, in 2019. Her recent commissions include three CATS Transit projects for Charlotte; the I-277 and 11th St. underpass murals, signal house art, and art for the 25th Street light rail station, as well as murals for UNC Charlotte, the cities of Rock Hill and Concord, and bus shelter art for Durham. Her residencies include The McColl Center for Visual Art, Can Serrat in Barcelona, Tyrone Guthrie Center in Ireland, NES in Iceland, United Buddy Bear Studios in Berlin, and the Julia and David White Colony in Costa Rica. Sharon received multiple Arts and Science Council Regional Artist Project Grants and was voted Best Artist by “Charlotte Magazine”. Her work is in the permanent collections of The Federal Reserve Bank, SPX, Pricewaterhousecoopers, Fidelity Investments, and Duke Energy, among others.

Heavily involved in the arts community in Charlotte, she has served on the McColl Center for Visual Art Exhibition Committee, teaches community art workshops and donates her time for various charities and social or political causes.

Dowell offers the following artist’s statement, “Intertwining themes course through my paintings and installations; the energy of place, renewal, regeneration, and redemption, part of human nature and thus, part of the fabric of the identity of our place and culture. I am interested in the underpinnings, the stimulating happenings and the stories of the inhabitants that bring places into fruition. Largely illustrative and vibrant acrylic works on canvas, I experiment with various layers, texture and transparency, breaking down the imagery into fractured architecture, organic imagery and at times, interwoven portraiture.”

“I believe that creative place making communicates distinctiveness and generates connections across communities,” adds Dowell. “Thus, my other focus, murals and public art, has the ability to remove the intimidation factor of art that so many people in our society experience. Art in public spaces becomes embedded in one’s sub-conscious, a part of daily life that one embraces without contemplation. It is important for my work to serve as a vehicle to give back and shape communities for the better.”

Upstate Heritage Quilt Trail in Upstate SC Adds Another Quilt Block to the Trail in Anderson, SC

Upstate Heritage Quilt Trail in Upstate SC adds quilt block #219 Drunken Sailor to the ever expanding Quilt Trail.

Descendants of Ida Bell Nelson Turner, Quilt Maker, Variation of the “Drunken Sailor” Pattern. Created near Shellhorn, AL, around 1910/20.
Left front to rear: Diann Simms (granddaughter) and Nelson Brooks (great-grandson)
Right front to rear: Simms Brooks (great-granddaughter), Holland Simms (grandson), Eden Brooks (great-great-grandaughter) and Walt Brooks (great-grandson)

Experienced quilters will recognize Ida Bell Nelson Turner’s lovely, complex quilt as an example of the Drunkard’s Path pattern. This is one of the more challenging quilt blocks to construct because of its curved piecing and complicated block layout. Turner’s quilt is distinguished by its intricate arrangement of blocks and its balanced placement of color. Its block layout is more complicated than other common arrangements. Its bright early 20th century fabrics make this Drunkard’s Path an especially cheerful quilt.

Turner likely made this quilt sometime after 1920 while living with her husband, Newman Sebastian Turner, in Pike County, AL. She lived in close proximity to her many relatives and friends who joined with her to complete quilts for each other. Turner’s granddaughter Diann Simms—the owner of this quilt and sponsor of this block—says Ida told her she used to “put the pieces together” and then family and friends would gather and quilt. According to Turner, not everyone in the group got a completed quilt each year. They “took turn about.” While Ida’s quilt is admired for its beauty and craftsmanship today, its original purpose was covering beds and keeping warm. Like many quilts of the early 20th century, this quilt is backed with bright yellow fabric. The quilt top has a border of blue and bright yellow.

The Drunkard’s Path’s zig zag pattern of curved pieces resembles the path a drunk might walk after a night of drinking. Some quilt historians note that the Drunkard’s Path pattern was popular among quilters during the nation’s experiment with Prohibition. These historians believe that women who supported the temperance movement may have used this pattern to express their support of the anti-alcohol cause. There is, however, some disagreement among quilt historians about the theory’s validity. Turner’s granddaughter Diann doubts that her grandmother made this quilt as a political statement but thinks she’d have found its name, Drunkard’s Path, funny since Ida abstained from alcohol all her life.

Turner was born in 1880 and died in 1966. She is buried near Shelhorn, AL. This quilt block is located at 66 Oleander Drive, Anderson, SC.

For further information about the Quilt Trail call 864/723-6603 or visit (www.uhqt.org).

Art League of Hilton Head on Hilton Head Island, SC, Seeks Crafts Artisans – Deadline Oct. 20, 2018

“CraftHiltonHead2018”, 6th National Juried Fine Art Craft Guild Exhibition, seeks 2D and 3D fine art craft entries that encompass exemplary creativity, experimentation, and imagination, showcasing what can be accomplished with few restrictions. Up to 90 works will be chosen by several esteemed jurors based on artistic excellence, innovation, and originality. This is a juried gallery show in a community that loves art and buys art. Over $4,000 in cash prizes will be awarded by two nationally recognized judges.

Deadline for applications is Oct. 20, 2018. For more information and to enter, go to (https://www.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=5293).

The selection of the finalists will be made by two judges, each with exceptional artistic experiences, Patricia Willcox and Linda Bloom.

Willcox is an award-winning 3-dimensional multi-media craftsman, teacher, and entrepreneur. Her work as a costume designer for the past 40 years in movies and on the theater stage has greatly influenced her own fantasy figurative art in fiber and clay.

Bloom’s career has spanned over 30 years in the visual and performing arts. She has served as a working artist, public school art educator, cultural arts director, gallery director, art historian, museum curator, public art administrator, and arts center development director. She previously served as juror of “CraftHiltonHead2012”.

This exhibition will be free and open to the public from Dec. 4 – 29, 2018 at Art League Gallery located inside Arts Center of Coastal Carolina on Hilton Head Island, SC. An opening reception and awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 5, from 5-7pm. This exhibition will take place during the entire run of a professionally produced performance of “An American in Paris” on the stage of Arts Center of Coastal Carolina. Since the gallery is located inside the Arts Center, we expect to host an additional 100 to 200 theatre-goers each evening in addition to our regular visitors.

Art League of Hilton Head is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization built on a membership of talented artists, art students and arts supporters that work together to advance the mission to support and promote visual arts through exhibition, education, and partnerships.

Art League Gallery located mid-island inside Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, 14 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head Island, SC.

For further info call 843/681-5060.

Cocoon Gallery in Apex, NC, Calls for Participation in 3D Exhibition – Deadline Aug. 27, 2018

Cocoon Gallery in Apex, NC, is pleased to present “Jewelry Box 2018,” a Juried 3D Exhibition.

We seek to entice artists of all 3D mediums to investigate and explore the potential of the jewelry box. What is a box? What makes a jewelry box different from any other box? Does a jewelry box have to have corners, hold many pieces or only one piece, have to be functional? What materials can be used to house jewelry? Is the box the jewel? Is the jewel a box? What makes your jewelry box special – the materials, the design, the craftsmanship?

Artists in North Carolina, Virginia & South Carolina are welcome to apply. Submission Deadline is Aug. 27, 2018. More details at (https://www.cocoongallerync.com/juried-show-2018).

Union County Community Arts Council in Monroe, NC, Offers Photo Contest

“Snap It! Summer Photo Contest” with a grand prize of $500

The contest theme is WATER!

Contest begins July 1 at 10am
with entries accepted through July 16 at 10am
Voting begins July 17 at 10am
and concludes July 31 at 10am

Photography compositions must contain WATER as the focal point. Submissions will be accepted on the UCCAC Facebook page under the Snap It! Summer Photo Contest tab.
(The tab will not be “live” until contest opens July 1.)

The contest is open to Union County residents ages 18+.
For information and contest guidelines, visit our website here (http://unionarts.org/community-programs/snap-it-photo-contest-rules/).

For further info call 704/283-2784 or visit (www.unionarts.org)

Stormwater Studios in the Vista of Columbia, SC, Has a Studio Space for Rent – Deadline July 31, 2018

Stormwater Studios in Columbia, at 413 Pendleton Street, is now accepting applications from artists to lease the 10th and last available studio. The brand-new studios and gallery are part of the new and growing River Arts Community and include some of Columbia’s most prominent artists in a modern, light-filled space. The deadline for applications is July 31, 2018, and the jurying process will begin shortly afterward. For information and an application form, visit the website at (www.stormwaterstudios.org).

The gallery at Stormwater Studios will also soon be available for artists to rent for exhibitions. Watch the website for updated information. Regular visiting hours are Wednesday-Saturday, 10am-5pm, Sunday 1-4pm, or by appointment.

Upstate Heritage Quilt Trail Adds Three Quilt Blocks in Pickens County, SC

Three Pickens County quilt blocks were installed at Holly Springs Center and School of Mountain Arts,120 School House Road in Pickens, SC.

#43, Churn Dash
The Churn Dash pattern, also known as Hole in the Barn Door, has been in continuous use in South Carolina for over 150 years. Quilt makers enjoy combining the triangles and rectangles into nine-patch blocks, and the association of the pattern with the old-fashioned “churn dasher” used to turn milk into butter, adds to its appeal.

The quilt created by Jeannette Moody and members of the Upcountry Quilt Guild and was crafted during Heritage Days at the Hagood Mill. The original quilt is a feed sack quilt. Block fabric is from feed sack muslin. Border and sash are 100% cotton print and the backing is mill cloth. This quilt was made for the Hagood Mill raffle in 2001-2002. This painted panel was originally installed on the Old Theater building at 4 Front Street in downtown Liberty and sponsored through a grant from the Mountain Lakes Region of the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor and the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor. It was moved in the spring to Holly Springs Center and School of Mountain Arts.

#217 Fence Posts
The quilt panel is a gift from the Upstate Heritage Quilt Trail, Fence Posts, to the Center. This quilt was chosen by Abby Holcombe Baker, Executive Director for the center, and was made by her great-grandmother.

The pattern, Fence Posts, also known as Interlocked Squares, was first named in 1932 by Edna Marie Dunn in the Kansas City Star. Other names are 4 Part Strip Block (ca. 1948), Roman Square (ca. 1974) and Spirit of St. Louis (ca.1934). The moniker, Fence Posts was first used in 1973. This pattern is frequently made as a scrappy quilt, as was this one, according to Abby’s mom, Roslyn Denise Cantrell Holcombe, whose grandmother, Pansy Elizabeth Townes Cantrell, was the original quilter. Pansy made quilts out of scraps of material that her daughter-in-law, Linda Gail Cassell Cantrell, had left over from making clothes for herself and her daughter, Roslyn. This quilt was on Linda’s bed when she passed in May 2017. She kept it folded over her feet, but with the top edge within reach, in case she got a chill during the night.

Pansy was known to the family as Granny Cantrell, and often gave quilts to the family members for Christmas gifts, made from scraps saved by Linda Cantrell. Granny Cantrell raised five daughters; Janette, Julia, Nancy, Joyce and Lilly Mae, and one son, W.A. Cantrell who was Roslyn’s father. All the children in the family attended Holly Springs Elementary School. Granny Cantrell also had ten grandchildren, (six of which attended Holly Springs), and two great-grandchildren before she passed away in 1994. She gave the two great-grandchildren, Kade Pittman McConnell and Abigail Elizabeth Holcombe Baker, their quilts the Christmas before she passed away.

Granny Cantrell often devised quilts with special designs that related to the recipient’s interests. W.A. got one that featured a two horse-drawn wagon, pieced out of fabric scraps. Roslyn’s brother got one with a Jeep on it. There was a particular fabric in the painted replica of the Fence Posts quilt that Roslyn recognized as coming from a blouse made for her as a child, and the second red flowered border from a pair of shorts! The depth of detail felt in this Fence Posts quilt still doesn’t compare to the sentimental value to the family the quilt holds in each stitch.

#218 Fifty-Four Forty or Fight, a pattern first published in Practical Needlework, (ca. 1906), is also known as Grandma’s Star and was designed by Clara Stone. This design has been sewn throughout the 20th century and was selected by quilter Anne Fields Hall to create a quilt for her sister, Jane Fields Chastain, on the occasion of Jane’s fortieth birthday. Jane was born in 1954, the same year Holly Springs Elementary School moved to this “new” building in the Holly Springs community, just south of Highway 11 in Pickens County.

Jane was a veteran of 31 years as a Kindergarten teacher at Holly Springs Elementary, long enough to teach the children of students she taught in her early years. Jane holds the Holly Springs community very dear to her heart and was moved after her retirement and the closing of the school to donate a replica of the quilt to the new Holly Springs Center. The block was installed on the outside wall of the former Kindergarten room where Jane taught so many children.

The term “Fifty-Four Forty or Fight” referred to the dispute between the US and Canada in the 1840’s over the northern boundary of the Oregon Territory and the Pacific Northwest. In 1844 the presidential candidate, James Polk won the election against Henry Clay with this slogan that asserted that the US had a valid claim to the entire Oregon Country up to Russian America at parallel 54 degrees 40 minutes north. Polk’s plan, as a promoter of manifest destiny, was to claim the entire region, go to war with the British, then get control of Texas and California.

For further information about the Quilt Trail call 864/723-6603 or visit (www.uhqt.org).

Charleston County Public Library in Charleston County, SC, is Serving Free Breakfast to Children This Summer and is Presenting a Portrait of Cynthia Graham Hurd

The Charleston County Public Library (CCPL) serving Charleston County, SC, is serving free breakfast to children in need this summer through its participation in the Seamless Summer Feeding Program run by the Charleston County School District (CCSD). The Summer Feeding Program allows school districts to provide free summer meals to children and teens in low-income areas during the traditional summer vacation period. The program is an extension of the National School Lunch Program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The food is provided by the School District’s Nutrition Services Department for distribution at CCPL branches, and all meals meet federal meal pattern and nutritional requirements. There is no approval process required for participants to redeem free breakfast.

CCPL will serve breakfast to children and teens age 18 and younger between June 4 and Aug. 3, 2018 (dates differ by branch) at nine branch locations on the following dates and times:

Cooper River Memorial: 3503 Rivers Avenue, Charleston
June 5 – Aug. 2 on Tuesdays, Wednesday, and Thursdays from 10:30-11:30am.

John L. Dart: 1067 King Street, Charleston
June 5 – July 24 on Tuesdays from 10-11am.

Dorchester Road Regional: 6325 Dorchester Road, North Charleston
June 7 – Aug. 2 on Thursdays from 10:30-11:30 a.m.

John’s Island Regional: 3531 Maybank Highway, John’s Island
June 6 – Aug. 1 on Wednesdays from 11-11:45am.

Edisto: 1589 Highway 174, Edisto Island
June 4 – July 30 on Mondays from 10-11:30am.

Main Library: 68 Calhoun Street, Charleston
July 11 – July 27 on weekdays from 10:30-11:30am.

Hurd/St. Andrews Regional: 1735 N. Woodmere Drive, Charleston
June 4 – Aug. 3 on weekdays from 10-11am.

McClellanville: 222 Baker Street, McClellanville
June 5 – July 31 on Tuesdays from 10-11:30am.

Otranto Regional: 2261 Otranto Road, Charleston
June 5 – July 31 on Tuesdays from 10-11:30am.

*Please note, CCPL branches will not serve breakfast July 4 since all locations will be closed for Independence Day.

For information about the CCSD Seamless Summer Feeding Program including other locations serving meals, contact the district’s program manager, Jeremy Tunstill at 843/297-2240 or e-mail to (jeremy_tunstill@charleston.k12.sc.us).

For more information about CCPL, please visit our website at (www.ccpl.org).

The Charleston County Public Library will unveil a portrait of Cynthia Graham Hurd, which will be dedicated in honor of the 31-year library employee who died in the Emanuel AME church shooting in June 2015. Hurd was manager of the St. Andrews Regional branch at the time of her death.

A ceremony to officially unveil the portrait will take place at the Cynthia Graham Hurd/St. Andrews Regional Library Wednesday, June 20 at noon. Refreshments will be served and the program will be followed by a special event, an ice cream sundae bar at 1pm, which is part of the branches Kindness Week, organized in memory of Cynthia Graham Hurd and her philosophy to always be kind. Other Kindness Week events include a food drive, a reading pledge and more. For a full list of other events for Kindness Week, please visit the branch calendar.

The Charleston Friends of the Library funded the official portrait to honor Cynthia Graham Hurd for changing lives through her lifelong commitment to literacy and dedication to the Charleston community.

“Cynthia Graham Hurd had a lifelong love of reading and learning and shared that with everyone,” said Brittany Mathis, the Executive Director of the Charleston Friends of the Library.

WHEN: Wednesday, June 20, 2018 at noon

WHERE: Cynthia Graham Hurd/ St. Andrews Regional Library, 1735 N Woodmere Dr., Charleston

The Charleston Friends of the Library, a nonprofit volunteer organization, raises money through book sales to help fund Library services, equipment, training, materials and public programming. The Friends collect and sort donated books for resale to raise money. Visit their website at (http://www.charlestonlibraryfriends.org/).

City of North Charleston, SC, Seeking New Artist-in-Residence for FY2018/19 – Deadline June 29, 2018

Each fiscal year the City of North Charleston (SC) Cultural Arts Department contracts a professional visual artist to serve as the City’s Artist-in-Residence (AIR). The department is currently seeking to fill the position for fiscal year 2018/19. The City’s Artist-in-Residence serves as a key resource for the department’s outreach programs, especially in the area of art instruction. The selected artist will share his/her unique skills, talents, and experiences by providing free visual art residencies, workshops, and demonstrations to public schools, recreation facilities, and community groups within the city limits of North Charleston. Local visual artists with a willingness to share their talents and an ability to work with students of all ages are invited to apply for the part-time, contracted position by Friday, June 29, 2018.

At the written request of art teachers and school liaisons, the AIR will conduct visual art residencies at North Charleston schools throughout the 2018/19 school year. Additional workshops will be coordinated at the request of community groups, as well as during the 2019 North Charleston Arts Fest. The AIR will also offer instruction during the department’s summer arts camps in June 2019. In addition, the AIR will present an exhibition of his/her work at the North Charleston City Gallery from December 2018 through January 2019. Additional exhibition opportunities are available during the North Charleston Arts Fest in May. Past artists who served in the position include Camela Guevara (2017/18), Caroline M. Self (2016/17), Daryle Halbert (2015/16), Alexandra Roberts (2014/15), Charlynn Knight (2013/14), Kristy Bishop (2012/13), Lori Starnes Isom (2011/12), Deborah Meyer (2010/11), and Robert Maniscalco (2009/10).

Rate of pay for this part-time, contracted position is $25 an hour for up to 300 hours completed from August 2018 through June 2019. Program supplies are provided. A background check is required. Interested artists should submit quality photographs or digital images of their work along with a current résumé or CV by 5pm on Friday, June 29, 2018. Application materials may be e-mailed to (kyeadon@northcharleston.org) or mailed to the attention of Krystal Yeadon at City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department, PO Box 190016, North Charleston, SC, 29419-9016.

For more information about the Artist-in-Residence program, or the department’s other programs, exhibits, and events, visit the Arts & Culture section of the City’s website at (www.northcharleston.org) or call 843/740-5854.

Craft Emergency Relief Fund is on Hold Pending Future Donations – Give Now If You Can

As we enter another hurricane season this month, I’m writing to share an important announcement and a call for unprecedented need for relief funds.

Extreme weather conditions caused by climate change have exponentially increased the demands on our Craft Emergency Relief Fund to help artists recover from disasters that affect their art and their livelihoods. Since last Fall, we have provided three times more grants and loans than last year – depleting available funds for relief.

We have made the difficult and unprecedented decision to put the Emergency Relief Program on hold until we can raise more money to meet artists’ needs. We are currently not taking any applications until we can raise at least $200,000 to reinstate this critical program.

Thank you for all you contributed in the past to CERF+ to help sustain the Artists Safety Net! Our new 2017 Impact Report shows how much of a difference you have made. We are proud to have served dozens of artists with emergency relief and 114% more artists with our preparedness programs as a result. Our message to “Get Ready” has reached thousands of artists over the years.

Now, it’s our turn to get ready again – and we need your help.

PLEASE HELP US RAISE $200,000 so we can reopen the Craft Emergency Relief Fund ASAP.

Donate at this link (https://cerfplus.org/donate/?org=808&lvl=100&ite=1053&lea=696551&ctr=0&par=1&trk=).

“Words cannot explain the gratitude we feel right now. Your help has been a tremendous example of solidarity to people in need. We will never forget it,” said Lemuel Maldonado, Woodworker, Puerto Rico.

Editor’s Note: The President and FEMA won’t help Puerto Rico’s artist, but we can – give today, every little bit helps and share this post to let others know.