Art Trail Gallery in Florence, SC, Calls for Entries – Deadline to Register is Sept. 28, 2012

The Art Trail Gallery, an all-volunteer gallery space in downtown Florence, SC, is calling for artists to participate in their “Moments Of Inspiration” show, coming up in October. In recognition that this is the last show to be held in the Gallery’s Dargan Street location, the “Moments Of Inspiration” exhibit is open to every medium and all ages! Artists are encouraged to share the pieces that were a product of a moment of their inspiration! Pieces may be for sale, or just for exhibition. There is no fee for participation. Artists will bring their works into the Gallery, located at 135 S. Dargan Street, on Saturday, Sept. 29 from noon until 4pm, and on Sunday, Sept. 30 from 1-4pm.

The opening reception will be held on Thursday, Oct. 4, from 5:30-8pm. Artists will remove their works from the gallery on Monday, Oct. 29, from 4-7pm and on Tuesday, Oct. 30, from 4-7pm.

To participate in the show, artists need to fill in the online participation form by Friday, Sept. 28th. General information is available at (http://art-trail-gallery.com/?page_id=64). The online participation form is available at (http://art-trail-gallery.com/?page_id=133).

For questions regarding the show, e-mail the Art Trail Gallery at (atg@art-trail-gallery.com).

This will be the last showing at this location, as the Art Trail Gallery will be moving to the Bo Smith building, located on the corner of Evans and Irby Streets in November.

The Gallery is home to the studio of well-known sculptor, Alex Palkovich, and features the work of local artists throughout the Pee Dee Region of South Carolina. This would not be possible without the interest and support of its many daily visitors and the Florence Downtown Development Corporation, the sponsors of the Gallery and the owners of the building. Works are for sale, unless noted otherwise.

Join us for our next smorgasbord of art! Admission is free! Don’t miss this exciting event!

 

 

 

The Deadline for the 2012 Pee Dee Regional Art Competition at the Florence Museum in Florence, SC, is Sept. 22, 2012

The Florence Museum in Florence, SC, is pleased to announce that Chick-fil-A is sponsoring the Florence Museum’s “2012 Pee Dee Regional Art Competition”. The “Pee Dee Regional” is the oldest continuing art competition in the state and is presented by the Florence Museum Board of Trustees.

Entries for this year’s competition will be accepted Thursday through Saturday, September 20 and 22, 2012, at the Florence Museum, 558 Spruce St. between the hours of 10am and 4pm. Interested artists can download a prospectus and registration form from the museum’s website, (www.florencemuseum.org).

A first place cash award of $600 will be presented at the opening reception on Friday evening, October 5th, 2012. Second place-winning artist will receive $400 and third place will receive $250. Three Honorable Mentions will be awarded $75 each and $50 will be given to the winner of the People’s Choice Award, which will be voted upon that evening by attendees of the opening reception.

This year’s judge will be Jane Allen Nodine, artist, Professor of Art and director of the Curtis R. Harley Gallery at the University of South Carolina Upstate. She has exhibited throughout the US and in Europe, including national exhibitions at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, the Mary Brogan Museum, Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, National Arts Club, NYC, South Carolina State Museum, Greenville Museum of Art, the Alte Kaserne Winterthur, Switzerland, and SECCA, Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art. In 2011 she and colleague Rachel Snow received the SECCA Award for Outstanding Exhibition and Catalogue of Historical Materials for “Andy Warhol; The Andy Warhol Photographic Legacy Project”. Nodine’s career in art spans several decades and in 1999 she was selected by the South Carolina State Museum and the South Carolina Arts Commission as one of the “One Hundred Most Significant Artists in South Carolina During the 20th Century”.

The mission of the Pee Dee Regional Art Competition is to feature the best contemporary art in the eastern region of South Carolina, including the counties of Florence, Darlington, Marion, Marlboro, Sumter, Georgetown, Horry, Williamsburg, Dillon, Kershaw, Chesterfield and Lee.

Each artist may submit up to four works in any medium at a registration fee of $12.50 per work. Museum members are allowed two entries free of charge. All work must be hand delivered on the scheduled drop off dates.

For more information about entering the competition, please contact the Florence Museum at 843/662-3351 or visit their website to obtain a prospectus. The museum’s regular hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday, 10am to 5pm and Sundays from 2 to 5pm.

 

 

 

Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation Library in Florence, SC, Calls for Entries for Magic City Survey – Deadline Sept. 30, 2012

The Dr. N. Lee Morris Gallery at the Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation Library in Florence, South Carolina, announces a call to artists for the first semi-annual Magic City Survey, a juried art competition. This art competition is open to all amateur and professional artists ages 16 and up who reside in the Pee Dee region of South Carolina. The exhibition will showcase the highest caliber of art relating to South Carolina and will provide a venue by which artists can express their talents and achievements. The theme for this year’s Magic City Survey will be “Southern Impressions- Depictions of Life in the South.”

Entries for this competition may be submitted from July 2, 2012 to Sept. 30, 2012. The competition will be judged in two phases. Initial judging will be based on digital images of the works submitted. Finalists moving on from the first phase will be invited to participate in the Magic City Survey Finalists’ Exhibition which will be on display in the Gallery from Nov. 5, 2012 to Jan. 4, 2013. On December 3-4, 2012 celebrated watercolorist, Mary Whyte, will jury the finalists show and select winners of the 2012 Magic City Survey. Those artists will receive awards at the artists’ reception during the presentation of Whyte’s new book Down Bohicket Road on Dec. 4 at 5:30pm. Prizes include invitations for solo exhibitions in the Dr. N. Lee Morris Gallery.

Artists who wish to submit work may download the Magic City Survey instructions for submission and entry form from the Dr. N. Lee Morris Gallery’s page at (www.florencelibrary.org). Instructions and entry forms may also be picked up from all branches of the Florence County Library System and inside the Dr. N. Lee Morris Gallery.

For additional information, please contact the Gallery Curator, Hannah Davis at 843/292-7393. Submission of artwork for this competition is FREE.

Lynda English Studio Gallery in Florence, SC, Offers Pottery Show and Sale – April 16, 2012

Spring is here and the Lynda English Studio Gallery in Florence, SC, is bringing in lots of new pottery. In addition to having new pottery, the gallery is having a fantastic sale with 20% off selected pieces from Ardie Praetorius, Doug Gray and Marty Biernbaum.

Come early while the selection is good.

Work by Marty Biernbaum

The Lynda English Studio Gallery is located at 403 Second Loop Road in Florence.

For more information, visit (www.lyndaenglishstudio.net) or call 843/673-9144.

United States Postal Service Honors SC Artist William H. Johnson with Stamp

The Trustees of the Florence Museum and the United States Postal Service are proud to announce the circulation of a commemorative Forever® stamp honoring Florence, SC, native William H. Johnson, featuring still-life Flowers. A ceremony will be held at the Florence Museum on Wednesday, Apr. 11, 2012, beginning at 3:30pm. This free event is open to the public with a small reception and an opportunity to purchase marked first day of circulation envelopes. Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce rate.

Image courtesy of the United States Postal Service.

Flowers, an oil-on-plywood painting dated 1939-1940, depicts a vase of boldly rendered, brightly colored blooms on a small red table. The consciously “naive” style in which Flowers was painted was one of the many techniques of modernist abstraction and “primitive” art adapted by Johnson during his career. A gift of the Harmon Foundation, the painting belongs to the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

The Florence Museum has made a commitment to honor the life of William H. Johnson and to interpret his importance to our community and the art world. Currently the Museum exhibits five of his works representing distinct periods of the artist’s development. In May of 2012, the Florence County Museum will begin construction on its new facility in downtown Florence. Strengthening their commitment, the new facility will provide a larger opportunity to honor Johnson’s life, artistic contributions and heritage.

William H. Johnson (1901-1970)

Born on Mar. 18, 1901, in Florence, William Henry Johnson is one of our country’s foremost African-American artists. Recognized today as a major figure of 20th century American art, he is best known for his dramatic Scandinavian landscapes and colorful, folk-inspired scenes of African-American daily life.

During his childhood Johnson practiced drawing by copying comic strips from the newspaper. At the age of 17, he moved to Harlem where he worked a variety of jobs to save enough money to pay tuition at the prestigious National Academy of Design in New York City.  Johnson was admitted to the Academy in 1921 and studied under the noted painter Charles Webster Hawthorne, who became his mentor and friend.

In 1926, with funds raised by Hawthorne, Johnson left the US to study modernism in Paris and in the south of France.  He retuned to Florence, SC, that year to spend time with his friends and relatives. His mother was able to secure an art exhibit in the hallways at the Florence YMCA where she worked as a cook. This exhibit featured 135 paintings by Johnson and was open for one day. It was during this time period that Johnson submerged himself into what he calls Primitivism.

When asked why he had changed from more traditional forms of painting to his recent style Johnson answered: “It was not a change but a development. In all my years of painting, I have had one absorbing and inspiring idea, and have worked towards it with unyielding zeal: to give in simple and stark form – the story of the Negro as he has existed.”

In May 1930, Johnson moved to Denmark and married textile artist Holcha Krake, whom he had met in France. The couple first made their home in Kerteminde, a Danish fishing village, and later in Norway. For several years they exhibited jointly and traveled throughout Scandinavia, Europe, and North Africa.

In November 1938, the couple moved to New York City to escape impending war in Europe. Johnson joined the WPA Federal Art Project in May 1939 and was assigned to teach at the Harlem Community Art Center. In August of that year, he transferred to the WPA mural project. His first major solo exhibition in New York opened in May 1941.

Following his wife’s death in 1944, Johnson’s physical and mental health declined dramatically. He spent the last 23 years of his life in a mental institution on Long Island, where he died on April 13, 1970.

For further information contact the Florence Museum by calling 843/662-3351 or e-mail to (florencemuseum@me.com).

Spring Pee Dee Artisan’s Market Takes Place at The Florence Civic Center in Florence, SC – Mar. 17, 2012

The Spring Pee Dee Artisan’s Market, the area’s only all handmade market, will be at The Florence Civic Center in Florence, SC, on Saturday, Mar. 17, 2012, from 10am until 4pm.

The Spring Pee Dee Artisan Market features unique, high-quality artisans from the Pee Dee Area and beyond. Shoppers will find original art, handmade soap, photography, toys, clothing and much more. Reflection Images by Tracy Rowell will be offering a one day portrait special at the Spring Pee Dee Artisan’s Market. Wink Pottery will be offering pottery painting for children and adults. This will be a shopping experience like no other in the Pee Dee.

Admission and parking for the Spring Pee Dee Artisan Market are free. The first 200 guests will receive Swag Bags filled with coupons, information and gifts from our vendors and local sponsors.

For more information about the Spring Pee Dee Artisan Market, check out our website at (www.pdartisanmarket.moonfruit.com) or e-mail to (pdartisan@sc.rr.com).

Francis Marion University in Florence, SC, Offers a Lecture by Printmaker Julie Niskanen – Apr. 5, 2012

While participating in the Department of Fine Art’s April 5-7 printmaking symposium at Francis Marion University in Florence, SC, Julie Niskanen will hold a public lecture on her work on Apr. 5, 2012, startings at 7pm at the Lowrimore Lecture Hall, Cauthen Educational Media Center.

Julie Niskanen spent her first seven years in Greenville, SC, and family moves eventually took her to Newark, Delaware and Chicago, IL. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Iowa State University in 2005. During the summer of 2003 she lived and studied in Rome, Italy, and traveled around Europe. In 2008, Niskanen received a Master of Fine Arts in printmaking from the University of South Dakota, where she also managed the fine art gallery and taught drawing classes. Niskanen now lives in Raleigh, NC, where she works as a professional artist and teaches art courses at Wake Technical Community College. Additionally, she teaches printmaking workshops in Raleigh. Niskanen is also part of the Artspace Artists Association in Raleigh, Davidson Galleries in Seattle, and the Washington Printmakers Gallery in Silver Spring, MD.

Print by Julie Niskanen

Living in so many places and having experienced many different environments have had a significant influence on Niskanen’s creative work. She uses images from nature to represent changes in both nature as well as her own life. Always stimulated by the contemporary art world, Niskanen attends conferences and workshops across the country and gives visiting artist workshops at various art centers and universities. Her award-winning work has been exhibited extensively in national and international exhibitions, and is in many private and public collections.

For further information call the FMU Art Department at 843/661-1385 or visit (http://departments.fmarion.edu/finearts/gallery.htm).

Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum in Myrtle Beach, SC, Offers Competition Spotlights from Grade-School Artists’ Work

Some talented Myrtle Beach-area youngsters have been marching to a different beat lately – an art beat – for a chance at public recognition of their artwork while helping other children as well, as part of a competition sponsored by the Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum and McLeod Children’s Hospital in Florence, SC.

Dozens of multimedia posters featuring the theme “Marching to the Art Beat” and created by children from McLeod Children’s Hospital and seven area elementary schools will be chosen for display at the Art Museum from Mar. 4 – 18, 2012. On the last day of the exhibit, the art works will be auctioned at a community reception with proceeds benefiting the Museum and the Children’s Hospital. The reception will be held from 1 – 3pm, on Sunday, Mar. 18, The event is free and open to the public.

Students at area schools have been working on their projects since late January; all students who enter will receive a ribbon for their participation. Between 80 and 100 posters are anticipated, among them some submitted by patients at the Children’s Hospital.

“While we know this will be a really fun event for the children and their families, it’s also intended to raise awareness of the need for art in our schools and our community,” said Art Museum Education Coordinator Lori Seckinger. “And at the same time, it’s an opportunity for folks in the community who maybe haven’t been for a while to get re-acquainted with our Museum.”

Additionally, a second “Marching to the Art Beat” event will be held on Mar. 31 at Bathsheba Bowen Park in Myrtle Beach. The Art Museum will collaborate with the area’s neighborhood association and the city of Myrtle Beach to sponsor a day of children’s art and history fun for the park.

This program is an I Love Art event in honor of the Art Museum’s 15th anniversary and is sponsored by the Art & Soul Gallery and Walmart Stores.

I Love Art is generously sponsored by Burroughs & Chapin Company, Inc. Media sponsors include: Next Media, Time Warner and Waccamaw Publishers.

For further information, contact the Museum at 843/238-2510 or visit (www.MyrtleBeachArtMuseum.org).

Florence Museum in Florence, SC, Announces Winners of Miniature Art Competition

This is the 23rd year for the Miniature Art Competition, which was started by The Friends of the Florence Museum as a fundraising effort and a way to commemorate the artistic skill of the museum’s founder, Jane Beverly Evans, who studied and became skilled in the painting of miniature portraits.

The juror for this year’s competition was Frank McCauley, the Assistant Director and Curator of the Sumter Gallery of Art in Sumter, SC. Awards were announced during a public reception at the Florence Museum on the evening of Nov. 17, 2011.

The winners of this year’s competition are:

1st place – Jim Stratton, for The Easy Way, an oil on canvas

2nd place – Linda Humphries, for Witches’ Dormitory, a photograph

3rd place – Denise Greer, for Sunnyvale, a mixed media work

Honorable Mentions:

Tom Herzog, for Colossus, a watercolor painting
Gregory Fry, for Nest, a digital media work
Suzanne Muldrow, for Tattered Illusions, a digital photograph
Rose Metz, for Leslie, a watercolor painting which was also the winner of the Ann Finch Watercolor Award.

Leslie by Rose Metz

The exhibition will be on display through Dec. 18, 2011. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am – 5pm and Sundays from 2 – 5pm.

For more information please call the Florence Museum at 843/662-3351 or visit (www.florencemuseum.org).

Florence Museum of Art, Science and History in Florence, SC, Calls for Entries for Miniature Art Competition

The Florence Museum of Art, Science and History in Florence, SC, invites artists to submit work for the 23rd Annual Miniature Art Competition presented by The Friends of the Florence Museum. Since 1989, The Friends of the Florence Museum have organized and sponsored the Miniature Art Competition which has served a dual role as a distinguished exhibition and as an important annual fundraiser for the museum.

Each work cannot exceed 4″ x 5″ and artists are allowed to submit two works for a single $10 registration fee. First place award will be $300 with the other awards given on a descending scale to four honorable mentions at $65 each. One artist will receive the Ann Finch Award, given specifically to a work executed in the watercolor medium.

Interested artists may download the prospectus at (www.florencemuseum.org). Entries are to be delivered in person to the Florence Museum November 3 through 5, 10am- 4pm.

On Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011, the Florence Museum will be hosting the FLOMUS 5000 annual 5K run and fundraiser. The 5K will be licensed and officiated by Carolina Timing Co. Registration fee is $20 before Nov. 1, $25 after Nov. 1. Registration forms are available at the Florence Museum and can also be downloaded from the museum’s website, (www.florencemuseum.org). The event begins at the Florence Museum at 8am on the morning of the 19th. Inquiries can be directed by e-mail to (jkylemiller@gmail.com).

For more information about becoming a member of the museum, please call the Florence Museum at 843/662-3351. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday 10am–5pm and Sunday, 2-5pm.