Sunset River Marketplace in Calabash, NC, Receives NC Cares Grant

Editor’s Note: Pay special attention to this notice SC Commercial Gallery owners.



Sunset River Marketplace, the 10,000 square foot art gallery in Calabash, NC, has been awarded a COVID-19 reimbursement award through the North Carolina Arts Council NC Cares for Arts Program and Brunswick Arts Council.

Brunswick Arts Council’s NC Cares for Arts Program received requests totaling $412,949.60 from 23 Brunswick County organizations. The group’s NC CARES sub-committee reviewed applications and approved awards for $163,737.36. The total amount to fund was pre-determined by NC Legislature at $1.15 per head/population.

The purpose of the grant is to support expenditures made during the COVID-19 pandemic from March 1 – December 30, 2020.


Ginny Lassiter

Ginny Lassiter, an abstract artist and owner of Sunset River Marketplace, said, “I am so grateful to North Carolina Arts Council and Brunswick Arts Council for this grant. We were closed for eight weeks and – even since reopening – we have had to severely curtail our programming to meet social distancing mandates. A gallery of this size has quite a large overhead. This grant has absolutely helped us keep our doors open.”

The gallery is currently showing “Mark Gordon: Works In Clay”, a comprehensive collection of pieces by the well-known Wilson, NC clay artist that includes his distinctive spheres, tumblers and raku urns. The show has just been extended through Saturday, January 23, 2021.

Since its inception in 2002, Sunset River Marketplace has evolved into a community art hub. Lassiter and her staff have hosted multiple fundraisers for nonprofit groups such as domestic violence advocate Hope Harbor, teen shelter Providence Home, and hospice provider Lower Cape Fear LifeCenter. The gallery has also hosted art shows and receptions for two hospice patients whose last wishes were to present their art to the public. For several years, the gallery was a sponsor and provided the venue for Brunswick Arts Council’s annual black tie fundraiser, An Evening of Miniature Masterpieces.

“We are so fortunate to have legislators at both state and local levels who value art and understand the crucial role it plays it the wellbeing of our community. Once again they’ve shown us that they care.”

Sunset River Marketplace caters to both tourists and a growing local community of full time residents seeking fine art for their homes and businesses. Featuring work by approximately 150 North and South Carolina artists, the eclectic gallery is well known in the area for its collection of oil paintings, watermedia, pastels, photography, hand-blown glass, fused glass, pottery and clay sculptures, turned and carved wood, unique home décor items and artisan jewelry.

There are two onsite kilns and five wheels used by the gallery’s pottery students. Art classes are currently being offered on a limited basis. Call the gallery for details.

Special COVID-19 Notice: To meet North Carolina State mandates, Sunset River Marketplace requires that patrons wear face coverings and requires the use of hand sanitizer plus six-foot social distancing between gallery visitors and at the cash register. The gallery staff conducts thorough cleaning of surfaces upon opening and closing and during the day and has placed complimentary hand sanitizer throughout the gallery for visitor use.

The gallery address is: 10283 Beach Drive SW, Calabash, NC 28467. Hours are Monday – Saturday, 11am-5pm. For more information, call 910/575-5999 or visit the website at (www.sunsetrivermarketplace.com). Daily updates are available on the gallery’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

The FrameCenter, located within the gallery, is open Wednesday through Friday, noon-5pm and by appointment. Call framer Louis Aliotta directly at 910/368-7351.

The North Carolina Arts Council builds on our state’s long-standing love of the arts, leading the way to a more vibrant future. The Arts Council is an economic catalyst, fueling a thriving nonprofit creative sector that generates $2.12 billion in annual direct economic activity. The Arts Council also sustains diverse arts expression and traditions while investing in innovative approaches to art-making. The North Carolina Arts Council has proven to be a champion for youth by cultivating tomorrow’s creative citizens through arts education. Learn more at (NCArts.org). 

The mission of Brunswick Arts Council is to support, sustain, enhance and cultivate the arts in Brunswick County making cultural events, arts education and appreciation of the arts available to the diverse range of county residents. Learn more at (BrunswickArtsCouncil.org).

Brunswick Arts Council Holds Annual Show at Sunset River Marketplace in Calabash, NC, and Announces Juried Results

Sunset River Marketplace, the eclectic art gallery in Calabash, NC, is hosting Brunswick Arts Council’s 2012 Fall Show & Sale, which was judged yesterday, Sunday, Oct. 7 and opened to the public today, Oct. 8, 2012. Over 200 works of art are included in the non-juried exhibition, including oil paintings, watercolors, pastels, collage  and mixed media pieces, photography, plus three dimensional pieces in clay, wood and glass.

Judges for the show were Myrtle Beach, SC, watercolorist Alex Powers, and NC clay artist Hiroshi Sueyoshi. Powers is the author of “Painting People in Watercolor, a Design Approach.” Among his many national juried exhibition awards is the Gold Medal at the 1997 American Watercolor Society Annual Exhibition. He is a sought after workshop instructor throughout the US and Canada. Sueyoshi is a native of Tokyo, Japan. He is known for helping to build Humble Mill Pottery in Ashboro, NC, and for his time with Seagrove Pottery in the well-known pottery region of North Carolina. Sueyoshi currently works primarily in porcelain, using a range of Japanese techniques.

Each entry has been judged as a unique artwork relating to the elements of art, success of craftsmanship, presentation and theme.

Award winners for the 2012 Brunswick Arts Council show are:

Best of Show, Judy Lewis, Not All Doors Are Open (watercolor); First Place 2D Fine Art, Susan Mauney, Beach In Winter (watercolor); First Place 2D Photography, Sue Kopil, Solitude; First Place 3D Art, Sue Frye, Untitled (clay).

Memorial and Association Awards: Jeanne Gerloven Award, Joyce Grazetti, My Turn; Victor Gerloven Award, Eileen Gordon, Canopic Jar; Lucas Wagenseil Award, Joan Bobinsksi, Untitled; Gladys Wagenseil Award, Diane Sloan, Free Spirit; Shari Gerloven Award, Betsy Sellers, Resting Easy by Thesea; Associated Artists of Southport Award, Eloise Randolpdh, Old Friend; Oak Island Art Guild Award; Leslie Willet, Evangeline; and Waterway Art Association Award, Patricia White, Waning Magnolia.

Merit Awards: Suzanne Ellett, Dancing Storm; Kimberly Caroon, Fluidity; Ortrud Tyler, Foggy Pier; Eun Hee Andrews, Serene; Phyllis Riley, Early Morning Start; Joe Jeffcoat, Wood Fired Covered Jar; Norman Yeo, Urban Cowboy Hat; and Allie Lull, Sanctuary.

Honorable Mentions: Rebecca Pierre, Picasso Dreams; Dorothy Hemingway, Imagine; Jan Boland, Greta; Willis Whyte, Oyster Bed Abstract; and Nancy Guiry, Sign of the Time.

JoAnn Staat, who serves as the Council’s Visual Arts Division president and show chair, said, “This is the twelfth year Brunswick County artists have worked together to present the best art show in Southeastern North Carolina. I am proud to have been part of this wonderful event and look forward to future years of excellence by participating artists.

There will be a reception and awards ceremony at Sunset River Marketplace on Thursday, Oct. 11, from 5 to 7pm. Awards will be presented at 6pm. The show runs through Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012, and is open to the public during regular gallery hours.

Since opening in 2002, Sunset River Marketplace has become an active supporter of performing, literary and visual arts in the area. The 10,000 square-foot gallery features work by over 200 North and South Carolina artists. The on-site pottery studio has two kilns and three wheels for use by students. Ongoing oil, pastel and watercolor classes are also provided, in addition to workshops by nationally known artists. The full-service framing department offers a range of quality options, including preservation and specialty framing.

Sunset River Marketplace is located at 10283 Beach Drive SW (Hwy 179), Calabash, NC. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 10am to 5pm.

For more information, call 910/575-5999, visit the website (www.sunsetrivermarketplace.com) or “like” the gallery’s Facebook page, which is updated daily. For information about Brunswick Arts Council, visit the website (www.brunswickartscouncil.org).