Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County in Fayetteville, NC, Announces Award Winners for “People’s Choice Show”

The Arts Council walls and pedestals of the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County, in Fayetteville, NC, are covered with over 200 colorful creations! During the show’s opening, these winners were chosen as the People’s Choice:

1st Place: “Venezia Grand Canale” by Robson Spinelli

2nd Place: “Timshel” by Michelle Bir

3rd Place: “My Dream” by Sunyoung Kim

Honorable Mentions:

“Delightfully Redundant” by Griffin Carrick
“Bear Family” by Nancy Whaley Chandler
“The Wonderland of Childhood” by Marlene Wellard

Brought to you by Fayetteville Public Works Commission, Public Works includes art by people of all ages and abilities from our community. The artwork is on display through July 22, 2017.

The Arts Council’s galleries are free and open to the public 6 days a week during exhibitions. Come visit us!
The Arts Council’s 2016-17 exhibitions are curated by The Ellington-White Community Development Corporation.

The Arts Council’s grants, programs and services are funded in part by contributions from businesses and individuals, and through grants from the City of Fayetteville, Cumberland County and the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources.

For further information visit (www.theartscouncil.com).

2017 Piccolo Spoleto Crafts Shows in Charleston, SC, Announces Show Award Winners

For three weeks every year beginning on Memorial Day weekend, downtown Charleston, South Carolina becomes an arts mecca with two major arts festivals running concurrently. The Spoleto Festival USA, is an arts festival with over 150 performances, and the companion Piccolo Spoleto Festival features over 500 events in the preforming, visual and literary arts. Combined, the events bring over 250,000 arts enthusiasts into the downtown Charleston area.

Fine Craft Shows Charleston proudly presents the Piccolo Spoleto Craft Shows for 2017. These three-day shows represent our 38th year participating as a part of the Piccolo Spoleto Festival. We strive to provide festival attendees with an overview of the high quality of original works currently being created in a variety of craft media. Approximately 120 fine crafts artists from around the US participate in the one or both of the shows, which are held on the first two weekends of the festival. Both emerging and experienced craft artists are invited to apply to participate. Artist demonstrations – both scheduled and impromptu – are a highlight for show patrons.

The first weekend of the Piccolo Spoleto Crafts Show had fine weather on Friday, May 24, 2017, for the judging and awards presentation. The judge for the show was Casimer Kowalski, a local visual artist. Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg and his wife Sandy presented the awards. Photos courtesy of Sea Star Arts Photography.

Best in Show: Jean Yao a basketmaker from Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

Mayor John Tecklenburg, Best in Show winner Jean Yao and Sandy Tecklenburg

First Place: Addelle Sanders, a fiber artist from Charleston, SC.

Second Place: Doug Richard, a wood turner from Satsuma, FL.

Third Place: Christie May, a jeweler from Palm Beach, FL.

Honorable Mentions:

Nancy Michael Susaneck, a mixed media artist from Missouri City, TX.

Caleb Barnaby, a jeweler from Ormond Beach, FL.

Emerging Artist Grant: Alexander Bower, a jeweler from Charlottesville, VA.

Exhibitors’ Choice Award: Wilson Lee, a wood carver from Nashville, TN

Purchase awards:

Charles and Cindy Cecil, jewelers from High Point, NC.
Susan Marling, a fiber artist from Acworth, GA.
Tammy Rudd, a jeweler from Holly Hill, SC.
David Shipper, a photographer from Beaufort, SC.

The second weekend of the Piccolo Spoleto Crafts show began on June 2, 2017, another beautiful day. The judge for this show was Michael W. Haga, Associate Dean at the College of Charleston School of the Arts.

Best in Show: Tammy Rudd, a glass beadmaker and jeweler from Holly Hill, SC.

Show Judge Michael Haga and Best in Show winner Tammy Rudd. Inset a glass pendant

First Place: Colleen Williams, potter from Chattanooga, TN

Second Place: JoAnn Graham, a jeweler from St Helena, SC.

Third place: Susan Marling, a fiber artist from Acworth, GA.

Honorable Mentions:

Ed Bryan, a potter from Columbia, SC.

Jen Swearington, a fiber artist from Asheville, NC.

Exhibitor’s Choice Award: Matt and Katie Wilson, metalworkers from North Charleston, SC.

Emerging Artist Grant: Joe Hiltabitel and Shelly Simmons, photographers from Travelers Rest, SC.

Slide Jurors’ Choice: Nancy Michael Susanneck a mixed media artist from Missouri City, TX.

Purchase Awards:

Uzo Ezekwudo and Nnamdi Ibenagu, fiber artists from Chapel Hill, NC.
Tom Homann, a potter from Comer, GA.
Jiri Kalina, a wood carver from Wilmington, NC.
Cynthia McFadden, a mixed media Jeweler from Charleston, SC.

For further information call Kasey Briggs at 843/364-0421 or e-mail to (piccolo@finecraftshowscharleston.com).

 

Art League of Hilton Head on Hilton Head Island, SC, Announces Winners of “Biennale 2017”

The Art League of Hilton Head awarded fifteen winners, five of which are local, at the opening reception of “Biennale 2017”, the 25th Biennale National Juried Exhibition on Friday evening, May 5, 2017. The exhibit runs through May 31st at Art League of Hilton Head Gallery located inside Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, on Hilton Head Island, SC. Over $7,000 in cash prizes were awarded.

On Saturday, May 6, approximately 22 people returned to Art League Gallery to attend a “Critic’s Coffee” where judge, Susan Mayfield, discussed her selection process, judging criteria and offered commentary on some of the winning artwork.

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

Biennale 2017 Award Winners:

1st: “Undefined #2”, Pastel by Tun Ping Wang, Long Island City, NY

2nd: “Studio Book Pages”, Acrylic by Laurie McIntosh, Camden, SC

3rd:  “One Cabin Left”, Photography by Zachary Grether, Hardeeville, SC

Honorable Mention: “Bonnet Aerial # 1”, Photography by Cate Brown, North Kingstown, RI

Honorable Mention: “Ancient Lady”, Raku by Jacqueline Charnigo, Bluffton, SC

Honorable Mention: “Charleston Sleeps”, Oil by Sally Hickman, Bluffton, SC

Honorable Mention: “Clayton”, Photography by John Huneycutt, Oakboro, NC

Honorable Mention: “Lue, FL”, Photography by Laird, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL

Honorable Mention: “Le Reve”, Mixed Media by Marsha Leinberger, Hilton Head Island, SC

Honorable Mention: “Local Color”, Pastel by Eve Miller, Saint Helena Island, SC

Honorable Mention: “Cedar Center Hardware”, Photography by Charles Mintz, Cleveland, OH

Honorable Mention: “Denny”, Charcoal by Jonathan Murrill, Roanoke, VA

Honorable Mention: “Red Brigade”, Oil by William Schneider, Vlg. Of Lakewood, IL

Honorable Mention: “The House That Built Me”, Clay with Terra Sigillata by Katty Smith, New Smyrna Beach, FL

Honorable Mention: “Face Book”, Acrylic by Randy Van Dyck, Boise, ID

For further information call 843/681-5060 or visit (www.artleaguehhi.org).

Upstate Heritage Quilt Trail in Upstate, SC, Recognizes Tommy Forrest

Tommy Forrest was honored with this painted quilt by the members of the Upstate Heritage Quilt Trail Anderson Production team in November 2015. The quilt hangs in his quilting room at home in Anderson, SC.

Forrest is the one of the most loved and respected members of our Prickly Fingers Quilt Guild here in Anderson. He started quilting at age 68 with encouragement from his sister, Linda Hempel, following his wife’s death. His first quilt was “Winning Hand” which won a ribbon in a local area quilt show. He and his sister have made dozens and dozens of quilts and pillow cases for local charities and nursing homes since 2012.

Tommy Forrest, chairperson of Anderson area Quilts of Valor (QOV) program and Diane Schonauer , UHQT Anderson production leader presenting painted quilt panel in appreciation for Tommy’s dedication to veterans.

He is the chairperson of our area Quilts of Valor program.  A veteran himself, he feels strongly about his fellow soldiers. The QOV program has become a calling for him especially after being wrapped himself on October 23, 2013. Since then he has made 40 quilts for the program himself and his group has wrapped over 100 veterans here in Anderson County alone.

The original was group project coordinated by Diane Schonauer. She shared that “this quilt pattern was found by my friend, Diane Kunzer, when we lived in Illinois. She put together a group of 10 women to do a Half-quarter square block exchange. Each participant utilized quarter square triangle paper and created 5 full sheets of red fabrics and 4 full sheets of cream/beige fabrics. Once sewn, these sheets were cut apart into Half-quarter squares, and divided by 10. Each person received their pieces and worked to complete the “stripes”. None of us repeated a fabric. Consequently, there are over 180 different fabrics used in the stripes.

“Each participant chose their own design for the star shield portion of the quilt. I selected the Ohio Star that was featured on the quarter square triangle paper package and made half square triangles in cream and blue which finish at 1,” said Kunzer.

“It was challenging to get all the points to match. I put this project away for a few years, moved to SC, and finally finished it in 2004. Nine of the participants are pictured on the quilt label. This piece hangs in my upper hallway where it greets me first thing each day.  It is a reminder of the great country we are fortunate to live in”.

For further info visit (www.uhqt.org).

Carolina’s Got Art! in Charlotte, NC, Awards More Money to Ceramic Artists in North and South Carolina

Carolina’s Got Art! (CGA!), North and South Carolina’s most anticipated juried art competition, awarded $26,000 in cash and prizes to winners at opening receptions at Elder Gallery in May and June. Mediums including paintings, photography, sculptures, weavings, drawings, glass and ceramics were included. CGA! continues to build on the success of its past competitions and attracted just under 3,000 entries this year.

Now in its fourth year, CGA! offers professional and amateur artists a unique opportunity to gain exposure among potential buyers, receive recognition in the art community, and compete for $26,000 cash and prizes.

Entries were reviewed by this year’s jurors, Eliza Rathbone, who served as chief curator of the Phillips Collection, in Washington, DC, for more than 20 years, internationally known ceramic artist, Peter Callas, and Larry Elder, owner of Elder Gallery.

The competition is a two-month long exhibition and sale.  Rathbone chose 110 pieces for a show during May and Elder selected 125 pieces which are on display throughout the month of June.

New to the competition this year is a special ceramics component selected by Callas who assisted in the awards ceremony on June 5th. Ceramic artists were awarded $6,000 in cash prizes and all selected pieces will be shown at Elder Gallery during the month of June.

Ceramic award winners from the exhibition of 31 pieces he selected from approximately 400 entries:

$3,000 First Place award to Eric Knoche of Alexander, NC for “Heavy Cloud”

$1,500 Second Place award went to Mark Gordon of Wilson, NC for “Cube Ring”

Third Place award of $750 went to Jennifer Halli of Taylors, SC for “Podcast 1”

A $375 Honorable Mention award went to Nick Lafone of Asheville, NC for “Strider”

Tacy Apostolik of Weaverville, NC was awarded a $375 Honorable Mention award

Juror’s Commendation for Excellence went to Carol Gentithes for “Chrometophobia”

Juror’s Commendation for Excellence went to Suzanne Zucker of Fairview, NC for “Blue Crouch”

“When I founded Carolina’s Got Art in 2009, I wanted to create a competition that would support local artists and help showcase the amazing talent within our two-state area,” says Larry Elder, founder of Carolina’s Got Art!. “For many artists, juried competitions are an important part of launching and sustaining successful careers. Our goal is to continue to offer opportunities to support their livelihood and to encourage their creative process.”

In 2009, as a reaction the economy’s impact on local artists, Charlotte gallery owner, Larry Elder, brought Carolina’s Got Art! to life to provide financial support to Carolina artists.  Now in its fourth year, Carolina’s Got Art! has emerged as the pre-eminent competition, exhibition and sale for Carolina-based artists and will have awarded over $60,000 in prizes since its inception.

For further information visit (www.carolinasgotart.com).

The Society of Bluffton Artists in Bluffton, SC, have Awarded the 2015 Scholarships Awards to Victoria Branagan and Sheldon Smith

The Society of Bluffton Artists in Bluffton, SC, is pleased to announce the 2015 Naomi McCracken Scholarship Awards going to two very talented student artists. Each year SOBA awards scholarships to deserving graduating seniors from Bluffton High School who have been accepted to an accredited art college and plan to major in the visual arts.

Work by Victoria Branagan

The first place winner is Victoria Branagan who will be attending Winthrop University in the fall, studying art with emphasis on fashion merchandising. She says the most influential artist she has studied is Vincent Van Gogh and is inspired to paint with acrylic and mixed media.

Work by Sheldon Smith

The second place award went to  Sheldon Smith who will be studying graphic design at Coastal Carolina University.

These students were judged based on their body of work and interviews with the SOBA scholarship committee. This young lady and gentleman are inspiring and are sure to be successful in their next level of artistic endeavors. Congratulations to them both!

For further info call SOBA at 843/757-6586  or visit (www.sobagallery.com).

Conway Glass in Conway, SC, Awarded Sculptural Commission by Brookgreen Gardens

Conway Glass and glass artists, Ed & Barbara Streeter are delighted to announce the commission of a series of glass sculptures as part of Brookgreen’s 2015 Nights of a Thousand Candles, December 3-5, 10-12, and 17-19, 2015.

Ed and Barbara’s installation will consist of unique glass sculptures that are handblown, fused, cut and sculpted. The sitespecific, sculptural glass work will be installed in Anne’s Garden, an intimate walled garden located in the Huntington Sculpture Garden at Brookgreen Gardens. Barbara Streeter said, “Our sculptures for Anne’s Garden will celebrate the wonder and playfulness of childhood. We hope our glass sculptural installation will amuse and delight visitors to Brookgreen Gardens during the holiday season. We hope our sculptures add to all the great memories created during the holiday season relevant to Christmas, family and fun at the beach.”

Ed & Barb Streeter with a few of the over 200 pieces that are a part of the sculpture installation.

Brookgreen Gardens opened in 1932 as America’s first public sculpture garden. Its garden spaces and the collection of sculpture displayed within them have continued to expand through the years. The collection now contains over 1400 works spanning the entire period of American sculpture from the early 1800s to the present, and its placement in over 35 acres of garden and landscape settings creates an extraordinary combination of art and nature. Brookgreen Gardens, is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit whose mission is to display figurative sculpture by American artists and to preserve regional plants, animals, and history. Glass artists Ed and Barbara Streeter have owned and operated Conway Glass, Inc. for 25 years.

To find out more visit their location at 209 Laurel Street in downtown Conway, SC or check out their website at (www.conwayglass.com) or call 843/248-3558.

Upstate Heritage Quilt Trail in Upstate, SC, Announces Penny Little as the 2015 Upstate Heritage Quilt Trail’s Quilter of the Year

The Upstate Heritage Quilt Trail, (Oconee, Pickens and Anderson Counties in SC) is pleased to announce a one-woman show to honor their 2015 Quilter of the Year, Penny Little of Salem, SC. The Quilter of the Year award was created to honor quilters who not only are talented artists, but also give back to their communities in very meaningful ways. A reception for Little will be held on Sunday, May 17, 2015, from 2-5pm at the Historic Ballenger House, located at 212 East South Third St. in Seneca, SC.

Quilt by Penny Little

Little is a member of the Lake and Mountain Quilters’ Guild making charity quilts for donation through the Guild programs and helping with a variety of Guild activities and programs. She also leads the Hi-Fiber Art Quilters. She also donates her time and expertise to the Tamassee DAR School, where she teaches sewing and quilting to aspiring young people on a weekly basis. She has been active in supporting the Oconee Animal Shelter making pet beds. Her quilts have won numerous awards in local and regional venues as well as national and international competitions. Little promises that she will share “A Few of Her Favorite Quilts,” including some that the public has never seen!

For further information, contact Cindy Blair by e-mail at (linenmaven@bellsouth.net) or call 864/868-2878. The exhibit and reception are free and open to the public.

Patz and Mike Fowle of Hartsville, SC, were winners of the Artfields© 2015 3-D People’s Choice Award

Patz and Mike Fowle of Hartsville, SC, were winners of the Artfields© 2015 3-D People’s Choice award ($12,500), for their work “Consume”, which was announced on May 2, 2015, in Lake City, SC, home of ArtFields©.

Detail of “Consume” by Patz and Mike Fowle

Contemporary sculptors, Mike and Patz Fowle, share a passion for creativity and collaboration. They utilize innovative processes and various media to create unique sculptures for public and private collections. The couple’s largest work of art, “Big Bleu Birdnanna”, is a 23-foot tall, kinetic metal sculpture located in the Cultural Arts Corridor adjacent to the Florence County Museum in Downtown Florence, SC. Patz Fowle and Mike Fowle support the visual arts community as teaching artists and have been Artists-in-Residence as far away as Tokyo, Japan.

The Fowles offer the following artist statement, “Creating art is a wondrous journey from the conception of a juicy idea to the final aesthetics; it’s what propels our spirits as creative beings! With a whimsical and colorful and nod to contemporary culture, our mixed media installation “Consume” turns discarded plastic into a swirling school of fabulous, funky fish. As you walk around and through the installation you become part of the art. We hope to encourage the use of non-traditional art materials and to also spark dialog about post-consumerism waste and the plight of our oceans and fish due to plastics. After all, as the old saying goes, “You are what you eat!”

To see a list of other winners from ArtFields© 2015 visit (http://www.artfieldssc.org/artfields-announces-the-2015-winners/).

To view more of their works visit (www.patzfowle.com).

Little Taste of ArtFields© 2015 in Lake City, SC, and a Little Guidance

Because the schedule for attending ArtFields© 2015 (Apr. 24 – May 2) and the schedule for producing our May 2015 issue of Carolina Arts is not too compatible – I begged for a sneak peek – which was granted. So I’m offering a little taste of what you will see in Lake City, SC, and a little advice on how to make the most of your visit to ArtFields©.

First the advice. My suggestion to save time is to go to ArtFields© website (www.artfieldssc.org) and browse through the artist’s gallery found under the Artists category (2015 Artists). There you will find images of all 400 + works and info about the artists by clicking on the small image. This will show you a larger image, info about the artist, an artist’s statement, and where the work is located in the downtown area. Doing this before you arrive in Lake City will save you lots of time. Unless you’re going to stay several days in Lake City there’s no way you’re going to see all 400 + works. So going through the artist’s gallery online might help you find what you really want to see and save you time.

When you arrive in Lake City follow the signs to ArtFields© and then when you get in the heart of the downtown area follow the signs to The ROB where there is plenty of free parking. At The ROB you can catch a bus, also free, to Main Street. You’ll be looking for the ArtFields© Registration & Voting Center at 108 Main Street. This is where you will register to vote or activate your pre-registration, which you did on the ArtFields© website at (www.artfieldssc.org). Upon registration you’ll receive your guild booklet which tells you where all the exhibits are and gives you other important info on how to enjoy ArtFields© 2015. No registration – no booklet. Remember a major part of ArtFields© is viewer participation. Except for one of the major prizes that the jury panel will select the public’s voting helps determine the other major awards.

Now that you have your guide booklet – what you do next is up to you.

You’ll get your biggest bang for your buck (time wise) by visiting The Rob and the Jones-Carter Gallery – they present nothing but art with no distractions. If you like shopping (looking) the retail stores and restaurants around Main Street will offer you lots of distractions and art. In some of the venues you’ll also be offered a bit of conversation too. It’s different strokes for different folks and ArtFields© 2015 does have something for everyone. But don’t make the mistake of thinking that all the good work will be in the gallery-like setting – you’d be missing some of the best works in the competition if you don’t check out the stores and shops.

Don’t forget that most of the works are for sale. From what I’ve heard, several “pending” sales have already been made.  They’re “pending” in that the jury panel might select them for one of the major awards that are also purchase awards and will become part of the ArtFields© collection. But you can put in a claim on a work and cross your fingers. There are only two purchase awards so the odds are on your side.

If you’ve visited Lake City for the first two events you’ll notice on your return visit that some venues have gone out of business while other new ones have opened. Lake City is like every other town or city – big or small – some people just don’t make it through a year. But some of the new venues might be better and longer lasting.

And, hey – don’t leave home without your wallet or purse. The good folks in Lake City are hoping you’re going to leave some of your money with them. You can’t look at art on an empty stomach? You can’t walk around this town seeing all the improvements they have made, just for you, without taking home something for the kids or the grand kids? And, don’t deny yourself something special you found in one of the shops. Looking at art is hard work – believe me I know. It can give you a headache, but it’s a good kind of headache – one I’d like having more often. Seeing so much fantastic work in one small town is a great thing and an opportunity no one should miss.

When you visit the ArtFields© website (www.artfieldssc.org) or when you have your guide booklet in hand you’ll see there are many other events being offered during the festival – than include running, beer, BBQ, listening to artists talk, and even a symphony concert at Moore Farms Botanical Gardens.

OK – a Taste of ArtFields© 2015

I’m not going to identify any of these artworks, I don’t want to give any artists a leg up on any of the 400 + in this competition, but I had to show something to give you a taste of what you’ll find there. And, I’m not saying I even like everything I’m showing here, and after all it’s only about 4% of what’s on view and I had limited time on this sneak preview.

Here are a few works you’ll find in the gallery-like settings:

Here are a few sculptures found outside:

Here are a few works found in public spaces:

Here are a few works found in some of the retail spaces:

And, here’s work you won’t find in Greenville SC:

OK – ArtFields© 2015 starts Friday, April 24 – make sure you get up off the couch and go to Lake City, SC, to see a Small Town with Big Money and World Class Southern Art.