Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Show 2008- Marion Square Chas SC

Bright Piccolo Spoleto signs greet festival visitors at the entrance to the Marion Square Outdoor Art Show.

Artist's tents in Marion Square for the Piccolo Spoleto Juried Outdoor Art Show 2008.




Artist Steven Jordan was seen working on a new urban landscape during a break from talking with visitors to his exhibit. Steve was awarded an Honorable Mention for his entry into the Piccolo Spoleto Juried Art Show at the City Gallery at Waterfront Park this year.




Bob and Lola Reilly are two of the many hard working volunteers who keep the festival running smoothly.
They are shown here with their official 2008 Piccolo Spoleto volunteer's tee shirt, a whimsical design of "Porgy and Bass" (from Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess").





Artist Anne Hightower-Patterson discusses her latest artwork with festival visitors. Anne is another award winning artist who had her early art instruction with Virginia Fouche Bolton at Moultrie High School. (See blog post May 24 '08 "Not Quite Spoleto...Art Exhibit..." for more about artist Virginia Fouche Bolton and her former students).






The weather this afternoon has been great for
strolling in the park and talking with the exhibiting artists.

"Not Quite Spoleto...Art Exhibit" For Geechee Boy

Sally Mansfield, wife of classmate Joe enjoyed looking at old newspaper clippings at the "Not Quite Spoleto...Art Exhibit" last Friday evening at the Moultrie Hight School Class reunion at Gene West's beautiful, historic home on Sullivan's Island.

Somewhere in this party is "Geechee Boy" who's asked for a quick rerun of the show (via the blog) because he somehow missed seeing the art in all the excitement of visiting with old friends..

Well GB, I'm posting my paintings here but Allan West's paintings were also on view through out the room . Hope you got to see them, too.

"Shrimp Shack on Geechee Dock, Shem Creek"
11" x 14"
oil on cradled panel



"Stella Maris at Sunset"
Oil on panel
11" x 14"







"Cool Waves, Hot Day"
Oil on cradled panel
11" x 14"





"Summer Shower - Battery Park"
Oil on panel
8" x 10"






"Dolphin Watchers"
Oil on canvas panel
10" x 10"









"Portrait of a Reporter"
10"x 8"
Oil on birch panel












"A Lack of Communication"
Oil on panel
Size: 6" x 4"







Here are two "Oldie Goldies." I'm posting just for old times sake.






"The Keys of Time"
Watercolor and Gouache
14"x 11"









"House of the Two Sisters"
Watercolor
Dimensions: 17" x 24"



Hope you enjoy the show recap.
It was a great class reunion. Stay in touch.

A Painting of "The Unitarian Churchyard" at St. Matthew's Tea Room During Spoleto Festival '08

This Memorial Day weekend I'm posting my painting of the Charleston Unitarian Churchyard showing a 19th century memorial for Pastor Samuel Gilman.

In the painting, I use diagonal shapes to direct the viewer's eye up the path in the foreground to a small cross and over to the center of interest (the Gilman Monument) in the upper left corner.

The setting sun adds drama to the lighting as a brilliant bank of red azaleas makes a bright color accent behind the monument in this "secret garden" in the heart of a busy, historic city.

"The Unitarian Churchyard"
Oil on canvas panel
14" x 11"
Price: $400.00

This painting is one of two oil paintings I'm showing in the Charleston Artist Guild Exhibition and Sale at the St. Matthew's Church Tea Room across King St. from Marion Square during the Spoleto USA and Piccolo Spoleto Festivals.




The paintings are hung. The tables are set.
Tea will be served daily during Spoleto Festival.
Y'all Come.

Where: St. Matthew's Lutheran Church
403 King Street, Chas, SC
When: May 23 - June 1, 2008
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
What: Serving tea and other beverages
finger sandwich plates
Homemade delicacies

"Not Quite Spoleto"... Art Exhibit at Moultrie High School Class Reunion

The first ever "Not Quite Spoleto"...Art Exhibit was held during the 2008 Moultrie High School Class Reunion at the historic Sullivan's Island home of Gene West ("Most Talented" classmate and varsity football).

As Sparky Witte, Reunion Coordinator ("Wittiest" classmate, tract team member) Linda West, Gwen West Wilson and other classmates renewed old friendships, memories of Virginia Fouche Bolton, art teacher to many present were discussed.


In her memory, on the opening day of Spoleto Festival USA and Piccolo Spoleto, The "Not Quite Spoleto".. Art Exhibit was somewhat irreverently mounted to continue the tradition of showing fine art which she instilled.

A creative, sometimes hard driving teacher, Mrs. Bolton was an inspiration to her many students and a driving force for a lifetime of interest in the arts.

Classmates Kenny Barnes (MHS art club) and Dana Schneider (MHS band and Valedictorian, The High School of Charleston Class of '69) visit.

Kenny remembers the wildlife artwork he created and sold "back in the day". He told of the time Mrs. Bolton took him to meet Anne Worsham Richardson an accomplished Chas. painter and ornithologist, as an incentive to further his skills.

Mrs. Bolton organized an annual end of school sidewalk art show at Moultrie which provided her students with the opportunity to show and sell their student artwork.

The first Art Show I helped organize was a benefit to raise money for the Moultrie Art Club to visit the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. That trip was the first chance many of us had to see great national artistic masterpieces in person.

Mrs. Bolton later taught art at other local schools and became an accomplished professional artist with a successful gallery in Charleston. Her paintings and fine art prints are still in great demand. (http://www.virginiafouche.com)













Joe (MHS band) and Sally Mansfield look over old newspaper articles at the exhibit.













Left to rt. Sissy Kirchner Seyle ("Best All Around"classmate, class treasurer, Hall of Fame), Katherine (Kay) Muschick Schneider (exhibiting artist, art club), and Dottie Benton Frank (best selling author and art club secretary).



Karin Tharin Lyons (girl's tract team), Lara Seabough Northcutt (cheerleader), and Lynn Ward (artist, cheerleader) enjoying the evening.















Paintings by Kay Muschick Schneider were on display among memorabilia of past Moultrie HS Art Shows.

Memories of creating art in the past lead to plans for former classmates to get together to paint in the future.

Mrs. Bolton would be pleased.

A "Not Quite Spoleto"... Art Exhibit. Honoring the past. Facing the future.

If you have a memory or story about Mrs. Bolton to share It'd be great to hear about it here (click comments) .

"Painted Palettes" Piccolo Spoleto Festival Artwork Exhibit - Chas Artist Guild Gallery

Today (May 22,08) I saw a great
Piccolo Spoleto Festival visual art exhibit "Painted Palettes" at the Charleston Artist Guild Gallery.

This show is not to be missed! It's chock full
of exciting, creative works of whimsy and imagination.

There's a plastic, watercolor palette melted into a bejeweled mannequin's mask by artist Steve Jordan that portrays the interaction of the visual and performing arts presented during Spoleto Festival USA.



Another show stopper is a palette assembled into a stringed instrument. It's another creative blending of the concepts of visual and performing arts.



Painted palettes of all shapes and descriptions adorn the walls of the Chas Artist Guild Gallery during this exciting, fun filled Piccolo Spoleto Festival Art event.

Some of the palettes may be bought during the show at a "buy it now" price. Selected palettes will be put up for bidding at a live auction at the gallery June 5 starting at 5:00 pm.


"Painted Palettes" Piccolo Spoleto Art Exhibition
May 23-June 5, 2008
11am-5pm
Charleston Artist Guild Gallery
6 North Atlantic Wharf Chas, SC.

Piccolo Spoleto Art and St. Matthew's Tea Room 2008

AFTERNOON TEA - St.Matthew's Lutheran Church in downtown Charleston invites all to their Afternoon Tea beginning May 23 through June 1 from 1-5 PM. All proceeds from this event support programming at the Outreach Learning Center. “Quality Time”, an adult respite care program for people with Alzheimer’s and other memory loss disorders, will be the recipient of all tips. For more information call 843-579-0420


Today I helped hang artwork for the upcoming Tea Room Art Exhibit at St. Matthew's. I'll be showing two paintings in the Charleston Artist Guild Exhibit here which will be on view during the Spoleto and Piccolo Spoleto Festivals. All artwork is for sale.

Pictured here keeping it all straight are Guild artists (left to rt) Lynn Salkeld, Judith Chamberlin-show chairman, and Jane Hart.




Hanging artwork salon style are Russell Buskirk, Guild Director of Exhibitions and Barbara Wolfson.




Margaret Peck, Executive Director of the St. Matthew's Outreach Learning Center pauses from her many duties to admire the newly hung Charleston Artist Guild artwork.
The tea room offers a great vantage point to sit back, relax, eat home made goodies and watch the activities of artists and visitors at the Piccolo Spoleto (Piccoleto??) Outdoor Juried Art Exhibition across King St in Marion Square.



The paintings are hung. The tables are set.
Tea will be served daily during Spoleto Festival.
Y'all Come.

Where: St. Matthew's Lutheran Church
403 King Street, Chas, SC
When: May 23 - June 1
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
What: Serving tea and other beverages
finger sandwich plates
Homemade delicacies

St Matthew's Tea Room Offering: Live Entertainment, Charleston Artist Guild Art Sale and Exhibition, Historic Sanctuary Tours, and a Gift Boutique.

Garden Reception for The Mary Whyte Art Educator's Award '08

The garden courtyard of Coleman Fine Art on historic Church St. was a lovely setting for a reception to present The Mary Whyte Art Educator's Award 2008 this afternoon.

Charleston Mayor Joe Riley was on hand to present the award which is given for excellence in teaching art in a Charleston county school.


This year the award was presented to Dona Dowling of St. John's High School pictured here being congratulated by Smith Coleman, owner of Coleman Fine Art as Mayor Riley applauds.


Nationally recognized artist Mary Whyte is pictured with (left to rt), Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Award Winner Dona Dowling (St. John's), finalists Dayton Colie ( Stall High School), Jaycie Rappold (Charleston School of the Arts), and Ashley Webb (Wando High School).

The Tents are Going Up - Piccolo Spoleto Festival Art Show '08

Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Juried Art Exhibition Coordinator Vickie Ellis works with her staff to mark out tent locations in Marion Square early in the day.






The bell tower of Citadel Square Baptist Church towers over artists preparing their outdoor displays for the upcoming 17 days in Marion Square.


Lots to get done before Friday's opening of the Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Juried Art Exhibition. Tents to put up, artwork to hang, displays to organize- the business side of the festival.









Soon these tents in front of St. Matthew's Lutheran Church will be be showcasing some of the best art in the region.

It's just a short walk across King St. to St. Mathew's Tea Room for a relaxing glass of tea and something to eat while visiting the Art Exhibition.

More about the afternoon Tearoom at St. Matthew's Church with an exhibition of paintings by members of the Charleston Artist Guild soon.